Have You Tried Skipping Lunch?

 

 

When Jesus gave His “sermon on the mount,” He mentioned three spiritual disciplines that will mark His followers. Those disciplines are praying, giving, and fasting. He said in Matthew chapter 6, “When you do a charitable deed, (v3)and when you pray, (v5) and when you fast. (v17) He didn’t say if!

 

Most of us have no problem praying, some may struggle a bit with giving, but fasting????? What’s that? I’ll tell you what it is, it is a lost discipline that we in the church would do well to resurrect, especially in these times of national and worldwide calamity.

 

In case no one has told you, the bridegroom has gone away and we are awaiting His return. And Jesus had this to say what His disciples will do when after HE ascended into heaven "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days." (Luke 5:35)

The spiritual benefits of fasting are manifold, (and there are a few physical benefits as well) Today, I want to spend a little time on one of the spiritual benefits.

 

Have you ever arrived at a place in your life when you have to make a decision? Perhaps it’s a move to another part of the country. Maybe it’s a career change? Maybe a major purchase. You’ve done all the work, weighed the pros and cons, but find yourself stuck like a deer in the headlights, not sure of your next move.

 

Have you tried skipping lunch? It’s what Ezra did and God answered in spades!

 

Ezra was about to escort his family and a contingent of Jews back to Jerusalem for the purpose of resettlement. He had been bragging about God and His power to the king and felt ashamed to ask for an armed escort from the king, so Ezra decided to call for a fast. We read about it in  Ezr 8:21-23, “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." 23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.

 

We aren’t told how God answered that prayer that had been accompanied by fasting, but God delivered a spiritual “TripTik far better than Triple A could offer. Ezr 8:31 says, “Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road.

 

God delivered!

 

I remember when I was faced with the decision to leave my job at Cub radio in Manitowoc and take the position at WEMI. It was more difficult than I thought it would be. It’s not easy picking up your tent pegs when you have school age children. Well, I hemmed and hawed and then stumbled across this account in Ezra. So I fasted, and lo and behold eventually the answer became clear and we made the move, confident that this was where the Lord wanted us to be.

 

So how about you? Need some direction in your life. Follow the lead of Ezra and fast. See where the Lord will lead. He will never lead you in a way that will contradict His will as spelled out in His Word!