“‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning’.” (Joel 2:12)
I’ve written about fasting before, but it’s only been recently that I decided to give it a try, living proof that things really are easier said than done. Actually, as a diabetic, fasting was never a choice I could make, at least not until I was able to wean myself from the daily medication and control diabetes with my diet.
To most 21st Century Christians, fasting seems strange because for the last 150 years it’s been popularly viewed as a spiritual exercise reserved only for those thought to be extreme or fanatical. Yet, fasting is a scriptural truth in spite of the fact that it has largely gone unpracticed by many of our mainstream denominations.
A lot of churches are rediscovering this lost secret of earlier churches. Pentecostals, for example, have openly encouraged the practice for years, but recently other prominent denominations such as Southern Baptists are beginning to give fasting a fresh look. In fact, I recently heard a great sermon on fasting delivered by a prominent Southern Baptist preacher in the Atlanta area.
While it is true that there is no direct command given in the Bible requiring anyone to fast, it was apparently important to our Lord, who once said, “When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16) Notice that Jesus did not say “If”. He said, “When”.
The Bible provides several reasons to fast, but my decision was steeped in the belief that my daughter’s recovery from anorexia will only come by getting out of the way and putting my trust in God. In all honesty, I didn’t expect anything to happen during my fast and frankly wasn’t sure whether I was fasting out of faith or desperation. Maybe it was a little of both!
I do believe that God understands the burdens of our hearts, so in spite of where my desperation may be taking me, I realized that it’s my faith on which I must lean, and trust not that God might respond, but that he will respond, with perfect timing. And while my daughter has only taken the first step toward recovery, He let me know during my fast that everything is going to be okay.
Henry Blackaby reminds us in Experiencing God that the Lord speaks to us in different ways, one of which is through other believers. We may all want to hear the voice of God through a burning bush, but the truth is God can speak to us just as clearly through people he sends our way, too.
That was certainly true in my case because less than two hours after I began my fast, one of my Sunday School class members called me out of the blue. Suffice it to say that while I don’ t understand a lot about the spiritual practice of fasting, I at least honored Scripture and kept the matter between the Lord and me. In other words, there’s no way she could have known.
“I had you on my heart this morning,” she said. “I’m praying for you and Tori. I know you’re discouraged, but don’t give up on God.” She then gave me a couple of Scripture references and encouraged me to read them. (And I wondered if God really knew what was going on in my life): “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.” (Psalms 107:19-21)
Sure I’d love nothing better than a burning bush experience, but I’ll gladly accept God’s provision in any way he chooses. The truth is you’ll never convince me that God wasn’t in the middle of that telephone call.
I’m not yet sure how God’s going to respond to what’s going on with my daughter, but my fasting experience assured me that he’s working on it. And it taught me that he’s working on me, too.
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