Fast with us.

I go to Victory Christian Center in New Wilmington, PA. Yesterday the pastor preached about fasting, and asked our church body to do a week-long fast together, starting today. I realized that I'd never heard a sermon on fasting before. It's something I've wanted to learn more about, though. It seems that fasting is a lost discipline in the US Church! Our consumerism and lifestyles of instant gratification don't easily support the habit.

Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline explains fasting this way:

"More than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. We cover up what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately. David writes: ‘I humbled my soul with fasting’ (Psalm 69:10). Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear - if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. At first we will rationalise that our anger is due to our hunger; then we will realise that we are angry because the spirit of anger is within us. We can rejoice in this knowledge because we know that healing is available through the power of Christ. (69)"

My friend Lauren and I were talking about it, and she read Isaiah 58 to me. It's a pretty amazing chapter that I hadn't really paid attention to before. Israel seemed to be doing everything right, and yet God wasn't answering them. They say, "Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?" and God answers, "Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire... Is it a fast like this which I choose... is it for bowing one's head like a reed, and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast?" And the answer of course, is, "no!"

Their hearts were in the wrong place. That's first priority for God- our hearts. I love that about Him; He's not into all that showy, ritualistic stuff. God says the fast that He chooses is to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to divide our bread with the hungry, and to bring the homeless poor into our houses!

Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.

And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

How beautiful is that!?

So, I ask you, will you fast with us this week? Ask the LORD what He would have you do; what can you give up this week that would make more room for Him? It could be fasting lunch and having prayer time instead; it could be giving up TV or Facebook for the week; it could be drinking only water and juice for the week- whatever the LORD would lead you to do. Our country is at a pivotal point right now. It's a new presidency, a new year, and a good day to seek the LORD!