Well, If you have hung in there in your fast since Monday, you have now reached the half-way mark to completing this awesome journey with your fellow fasters. We are going fast!
Many times we fail to observe healthy disciplines because we try to develop them alone, and then the enemy tries to discourage any spiritual growth. If we find other believers to link up with in our proposed spiritual disciplines, whether of reading the word, praying, tithing or any other pursuit, we gain the courage and the passion to push through to our goal and not let the pain hold us back. All because others are cheering us on.
My heart is warm today as I have read your many stories of your own personal fast. How you felt you couldn’t or wouldn’t fast, and yet you watched your brothers and sisters doing it and gave into the voice of God to fast yourself. Never underestimate what God can do if we are just willing to trust the Lord and not our fleshly appetites.
Today’s scripture is found in the book of Joel, a prophet of God that wanted to help God’s people to see their sin and turn to God for healing & blessing.
Look what the Life Application commentary says about the book of Joel.
Joel was a prophet to the nation of Judah, also known as the Southern Kingdom. The book does not mention when Joel lived, but many believe that he prophesied during the reign of King Joash (835-796 B.C.). But the date of Joel’s book is not nearly so important as its timeless message: Sin brings God’s judgment; yet with God’s justice there is also great mercy.
Here is the passage I would like to focus on. It tells us about God’s call to fast and why.
Joel 2:12-14
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness
And relenting of evil.
Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him,
even a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD your God?
In all my years as a believer, One truth keeps coming home. It’s the same thing that Moses was told to tell the people of God about the Lord’s character and desire. God desires to be “Gracious and Compassionate” but often our wayward behavior hinders the wisdom to extend it.
When we chose to fast and pray, he is able to point out the sins in our lives, not to harm us, but to bless us with his grace and compassion. Satan so wants us to hide our sin, but the real truth is you can’t hide anything from the Lord, including our sin. You can either confess and repent, which brings God’s compassion, or pretend it’s not in our lives and suffer the consequences of distance with God and his mercy.
Let me close with these few thoughts:
1) You can’t hide sin from God, so why not confess and be healed?
2) We all love God’s grace and compassion, so why not humble ourselves so that He is able to love us freely?
As for me, I need God’s grace and compassion daily. I can’t afford to neglect my heart and soul by letting the world convince me I know best how to run my life.
This fast shows me I need God more than I need food. Jesus said basically the same thing when tempted by Satan.
“Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God’s mouth”.
Love the journey we are on together!
Pastor Dale
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