Feasting or Fasting?

There is nothing that makes me appreciate eating food more than fasting.  Many years ago I began to periodically fast from food in obedience to God.  Jesus was approached by the Pharisees who asked why His disciples did not fast and pray like John the Baptist's followers.  Jesus answers in  Luke 5:34-35:  "And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? [35] But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."  I am a friend of the Bridegroom (see John 15:13-15).  Jesus was taken into heaven forty days after He rose from the dead.  Interestingly, John the Baptist also refers to himself as a "friend of the bridegroom" in John 3:29:  "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  We are living in the days when we should fast.  How, when, and how often you fast is between you and God.

To put it bluntly, my flesh hates fasting.  When I am hungry, I am always in the mood for eating food.  So when I feel like I should fast I recognize this as being from God, because my stomach never feels like fasting.  I have only heard one pastor on one occasion strongly emphasize the need for fasting from the pulpit.  It was a message that God used to greatly deepen my reliance upon God and help me grow spiritually.  I don't remember much that was said except the application for me was I should fast.  When the subject of fasting comes up, people have a lot of questions.  I believe this is the case because few have studied it, and fewer make a practice of it!

During work the other day a thought came to my mind:  there are few who fast physically, but there are many who fast spiritually.  People think it admirable to miss three straight meals in obedience to God, but think nothing about missing weeks worth of spiritual nourishment found by reading and meditating on God's Word.  It feels like a big sacrifice to stay home when the rest of your family eats at a restaurant, but it is often seen as a relaxing break to miss morning devotions with regularity.  Something is wrong with this picture!  I was once convicted during a vacation from work because I also took a vacation from God's Word.  I was enjoying sleeping in but was not feeding myself on the Word of God.  Because of that choice I found myself spiritually asleep and easy prey for temptation.

Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts."  When the body fasts from food and/or drink, there are clear physical signs:  headache, joints ache, fatigue, dehydration, and other symptoms which vary person to person.  The spiritual symptoms from fasting from God's Word and communion with Him in prayer are also clear:  lack of focus, decreased discernment, spiritual drowsiness, confusion, and falling into sin.  If feeding on God's Word provides joy and rejoicing for our heart, the lack of feeding of His words will have the opposite effect!  And why did Jeremiah rejoice?  "For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of Hosts."  Jeremiah found his identity in God.  He drew close to God in fellowship, he was able know God through His Word, and discovered he was precious in God's sight.

As no one needs to convince you to eat (we sometimes eat when our stomachs are full already!) when you are hungry, when you are born again through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ you will have a natural hunger for His Word.  If His Word is not tantalizing and desireable, you may not be a new creation in Jesus!  I ate some Kettle potato chips today and they were incredibly good.  I had a hard time closing the bag!  If you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, it will be a challenge to keep the Bible shut.  If you read the Bible because you feel guilty when you don't, allow God to examine your heart.  When we fast in obedience to God from food or drink there is always blessing with strength.  Yet when we fast from fellowship with God and His Word, we will wither spiritually.  Let us always feast of the Word of God.  It's impossible to eat too much!

A Closer Walk

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

I am weak, but Thou art strong,
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more,
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom's shore, to Thy shore.

How much do you desire a closer walk with Jesus Christ?  Sometimes as we pick up our cross daily to follow Jesus we can hardly see Him with all the dust the wind of life kicks up.  It is likely if you do not urgently desire a closer walk with Jesus you will never have it.  God makes our heart yearn for His presence, having tasted and seen that the LORD is good.  How many of the activities of your life move you toward this goal?  What priority does this desire have in your heart?  If it is not your first desire, you will not obtain it.  As the man who sold all he had to obtain the treasure in the field, we must be willing to trade all of our fleshly desires and goals so we might have Christ.  Jesus will not join Himself to us when we disperse our fountains of love abroad through the streets, but only when we reserve ourselves as cisterns for His personal use.  We are our Beloved's and He is ours.  We cannot be too close to such a Savior and Lover of our souls.

When things go wrong...

I've been told that moving house is one of the most stressful things people face, along with planning a wedding and changing careers.  I'm inclined to agree.  It is one thing to have a house in escrow:  it is another thing entirely to finish the process successfully!  Something always has to go wrong:  people change their minds, finances fall through, dealing with misunderstandings between agents and sellers...there seems to be no end to potential snags and hiccups.  Our house is sold, but we still must contend with the escrow gambit.  A week in escrow generates a month's worth of problems.

I was contacted yesterday concerning the inspection report on the house by my realtor.  He played a message from the buyer's agent that did not seem positive.  Does the buyer have cold feet?  Did the inspector exaggerate his findings?  Could my house really be sitting on an aquifer?  I should bottle the stuff and call it East County Perrier!  From the way she was talking it seems potential deal breakers are prevalent as rattlesnakes in Arizona.  As I went to bed I could not escape the weight on my mind.  Worry crowded my thoughts.  Jesus says, "Do not worry."  How many times have I done what ought not be done?  I may know I'm not supposed to worry, but how can quit doing it?

Since I'm a thinker, I thought it over.  What have I to worry about?  It doesn't take a miracle to sell a house.  The God I serve is miraculous.  It requires a miracle to raise the dead,  heal lepers, bring sight to the blind, and spiritually regenerate a sinner.  This morning Psalm 8:1 came to mind in song:  "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!"  My God's glory extends beyond the heavens.  Is anything too hard for Him?  Did He not turn the counsel of Ahithophel to foolishness?  As Daniel says, He raises up kings and deposes them.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  When Christ the Almighty King says "Peace be still!" even the wind and the sea obeys Him.  Does escrow render God powerless?  God's power roars forth in Jeremiah 32:27:  "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?"  The Hebrew word for "Lord" means self-existent, eternal.  The word used for "God" here emphasizes His supremacy.   Escrow?  Please.

In the face of afflictions and imprisonment Paul says in Acts 20:24:  "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."  When we are overwhelmed with troubles and difficulties pound us like uppercuts to a boxer's chin, let us return to our foundation, Jesus Christ.  He is unshakable, immovable.  When we rest in Him no manner of difficulty or potential trouble will move us.  It is because of this fact we are exhorted in 1 Cor. 15:57-58:  "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

A Soft Answer

"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Proverbs 15:1

Today I saved myself a little pain by obeying this principle.  I was talking with a framing foreman and he inferred my crew had missed insulating two pipes.  The truth is, while the pipes were still under test and had not been released for insulation, the framers covered my access with their track.  The man's just doing his job, I thought, trying to shift the blame to someone else in front of the general contractor.  Another thought sprung to my mind to say:  this man's ignorance is only exceeded by his stupidity.  Whoa!  That's not something I should say, much less think!

Later I thanked God He kept my mouth shut.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21).  Growing up I was often admonished to "think before you speak."  We have the power to diffuse a situation with a gracious, kind answer.  We need not mock or scorn as the fool, brag, or blame.  Proverbs 26:4-5 teaches us, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.  [5] Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes."  Instead of these verses conflicting with one another, they compliment.  There is no need to be drawn into a shouting match with cursing and personal cut-downs.  But there is a time when foolish statements should be corrected with truth so the ignorant will not be smug in his ignorance.  Jesus always contended for truth, and He did so in a way that instructed, edified the hearers, and glorified God.

 

Every day we will use our mouths to communicate with words.  The words you use and how you use them is up to you.  Proverbs 25:11-12:  "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.  [12] Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear."  The art of rebuke and reproof is a rare quality these days.  Opposition of falsehood is good.  There is a way to speak to the heart of a matter which reaches beyond sentence structure and word choice.  It takes the leading, power, and authority of the Holy Spirit.  For Him to have His way in us, we must remain humble.  We rebuke not because we are right and someone else is wrong, but because God is being robbed of glory.  Instead of taking offense at harsh words spoken to us, let us turn away wrath with a soft answer.  After being crucified for our sin Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).  Once our hearts are melted by the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus, our lips should be seasoned with these virtues.

Pray with me:  "Father, my tongue is a world of iniquity.  Purify my thoughts and mouth that I may worship you in Spirit and truth; enable me to rebuke, encourage, exhort, and bless others; empower me to thank and praise you for who you are and the wondrous things you have done.  Help me to guard my heart, mind, and the fruit of my lips.  May the words I say be yours as Christ lives in me.  Amen!"