2006-07-28
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit has been leading me to write about fasting. Last week, we looked at some of the types of fasting, and we got to the point of involuntary fasting when I ran out of space to continue. Obviously throughout history there have been times when fasting was forced on people. This happens through several different circumstances. Heavy grieving forced on one by circumstances shuts down the desire to eat. King Darius respected his servant, Daniel. Political pressure on him compelled him against his will to throw Daniel into the lion's pit. DN 6: 18, "Then the king returned to the palace and spent a sleepless night, without food or any form of entertainment." Darius didn't know the power of the God of Israel to protect those who are faithful to Him. He wouldn't find out until the next morning when Daniel, unharmed, said in DN 6: 22, "God sent His angels to shut the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. He did this because He knew that I was innocent and because I have not wronged you, Your Majesty."
Another circumstance of involuntary fasting is when no food is available. You'll remember the story of how Jesus did a miracle to feed four thousand men [not counting the women and children present] in MT 15: 32-39. After Christ asked how much food was on hand, the answer was seven loaves of bread and a few small fish (34). Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground, and then, He took the bread and fish and thanked God for them. Then he gave them to the disciples; and the disciples gave them to the people. MT 15: 37, "They all ate and had enough. Then the disciples took up seven baskets full of pieces left over." This story not only shows that a miracle was done there, but it reveals the generosity of our God toward obediently faithful people. In this example, there simply wasn't enough food in the beginning. In the one that follows, cruel humans force a fast.
Look at 2 COR 6: 3-7a, which occurs in the middle of Paul's comments about friendship with God through Christ having a cost and giving his best advice. "We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way. Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardship, and difficulties. We have been beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food. By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have show ourselves to be God's servants-by the Holy Spirit, by our true love, by our message of truth, and by the power of God..." One of the costs of true faith is prejudicial persecution. And yet, through it all, God protects us from spiritual death and bears our burdens. PS 68: 19-20, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, Who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God Who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." Even believers who die for their faith in Him are protected, as is seen in REV 6: 9-11, "Then the Lamb broke open the fifth seal. I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because they had proclaimed God's word and had been faithful in their witnessing. They shouted in a loud voice, 'Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until You judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us?' Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the complete number of their fellow servants and brothers were killed, as they had been." Being given a white robe represents being deemed righteous, innocent, and eligible for all the blessings of eternal life with the Father in heaven. God takes care of His own!
People fast for different reasons and in different ways. There are times when people are called together for a community fast in the Scriptures. EZRA 8: 21-23 occurs in a passage about Ezra preparing the Jews to begin returning to Israel after being in exile. "There by the Ahava Canal I gave orders for us all to fast and humble ourselves before our God and to ask Him to lead us on our journey and protect us and our children and all our possessions. I would have been ashamed to ask the emperor for a troop of cavalry to guard us from any enemies during our journey, because I had told him that our God blesses everyone who trusts Him, but He is displeased with and punishes anyone who turns away from Him. So we fasted and petitioned for God to protect us, and He answered our prayers." In examining this passage, we see people demonstrating trust in God. Remember that faith is defined in HE 11: 1, as "being sure of the things we hope for, and certain of the things we cannot see." This is an example where the believer steps out on a limb, and God comes through for him. JN 15: 7, is an example of where the Lord steps out on a limb in making an amazing promise which He fulfills day in and day out. "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish and you shall have it." That is the nature of a covenant-each party to it is willing to trust and provide for the other. We can see this working all over the Scriptures.
PRAYER: O Lord, over our own experience with You, we have seen the righteousness of Your commands to us. It takes spiritual maturity on our part to recognize this in its more subtle forms, but it is always there. Healthy fasting prepares us to receive Your direction and Your wisdom. Unhealthy fasting serves no constructive purpose. Your constant presence in our lives is not always perceived by the immature, and it is not always understood. However, as Your Spirit is able to enter our hearts, transformation of them is in progress. We need only look at RO 12: 2 to understand that, as long as our faith in the Scriptures is pure. You never mean for us to pick and choose what we will believe of Your word and what we won't. That is why You speak through Paul in 2 TIM 3: 16-17, "All Scriptures are God-breathed and useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed." You command us to be humble before You, something that healthy fasting can help us do. You provide for us in ways that no other source can. PS 37: 11, "But all who humble themselves before the Lord shall be given every blessing, and shall have wonderful peace." As we spiritually mature, we feel the comfort and the inner peace that comes from full awareness of Your constantly loving presence in our lives. You direct us to make wise choices regarding fasting or any other practice. We know the comfort of being able to turn to You when tough decisions must be made or we need to seek greater understanding of some circumstance of our lives. We also can turn to You with boldness and confidence [EPH 3: 12] when we need healing, encouragement, direction, and a deeper understanding from Your perspective. The latter is so much greater than ours. You are a compassionate, loving, generous, and wise God, Who deserves our eternal worship, praise, and thanks for all You are and all You do. In Christ's mighty name, we pray. Amen.
Next week, the Spirit leads me to write about sincere versus selfish reasons for fasting. If space permits I will also write about what fasting does. We are called to greater spiritual maturity, which can be difficult for us at times. But our God has never commanded anyone to do something He didn't first equip that person to do. His commands are always in the person's best eternal interests as well. We must fight hard to overcome the sinfulness in us. Old well-worn and inappropriate habits are hard to break. But the struggles we go through strengthen our faith. God will never stretch us beyond our capabilities. PS 13: 5-6, "I trust in Your love. My heart is happy because You saved me. I sing to the Lord because He has taken care of me." PS 103: 8, "He is merciful and tender toward those who do not deserve it; He is slow to anger and full of kindness and love." God's desire in the process of sanctification is not to break our spirits but to strengthen them in righteousness, faithful obedience, and awareness of His eagerness to bless them. Read 1 COR 10:13 to see an example of this. Dear Ones, we are truly a blessed, protected, and provided for people. God gives us so much and asks of comparatively little in return. After all, He has given us His Son on the cross for our salvation. When we obey God and faithfully serve Him, He blesses us in ways we never imagined beforehand. Even fasting, as hard as it may be for some, is meant to open us to those blessings. Think about it this week, and let God guide You in your thoughts. Know that God's love for each of us is so great as to enhance and add important texture to our lives. Without it, our lives are barren; with it, our lives are blessed beyond measure.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn