Bible Study: Fasting God's Way 08.12.10

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Today is Thursday August 12, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Isaiah, chapters 58-63. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-august-12

Today's Message: Fasting God's Way
When most Christians think of the word fasting they think of Fat Tuesday, Lent, and Easter. The word fast is defined as to abstain from food, or limiting of one's food or certain kinds of food, especially when voluntary and as a religious observance. I remember growing up and only eating fish on Friday's and the forty days of fasting during Lent when we would take a food we enjoyed the most and not eat it the entire season. Another meaning for the word fast is a period of such abstention or self-denial. You would often hear of people during the Lenten season use that time for abstaining from fleshly desires as well. While it is good to have times of reflection and restraint, it is important to remember that living the Christian life is not about taking forty days out of the year to do what is right, it is about a lifetime commitment to living your life as Christ did. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” - Romans 12:1.

Through Isaiah, God addresses people who fast in vain, “Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.” - Isaiah 58:2-4. As I said earlier, living the Christian life is not about taking forty days out of the year to do what is right, and this is what God is talking about here. You can not live immorally and seek God and expect His blessings. Often Christians will abuse God's good graces to continue to live in sin, although God is a forgiving God, He is not a gullible God, He knows what we are doing and if we are sincere.

Isaiah continues and through him God addresses what we are to do when we fast, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;...Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. ” - Isaiah 58:6-9,14. Fasting is not to impress the world of how religious we are, but is to seek the will of God through intercession. We are blessed when we truly seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind, it is only then can we forget about our own burdens and desires and focus on others, who have much more to deal with then we do.

God assures us through Isaiah, “For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” - Isaiah 62:1-5. Hephzibah means Jerusalem will be restored and Beulah means a land of peace. That new name for the Gentiles are Christians, that is all who have called on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. We sing a song at my church called, In Beulah land, it is a vision of what is to come as Christians and Jews come together to a land of peace.

So many people make the assumption that if they are a particular religion that will save you from hell. This is wrong, whether Jew or Gentile the only way to escape hell is through Jesus Christ. “And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” - Isaiah 61:9-11. Alee who accept Jesus Christ are saved. Praise God!

Fasting is perhaps the most intimate relationship you can have with God, fasting is more than refraining ones self from eating food and doing things we love, it is about using that time for prayer, getting in God's Word, and helping others not only come to know Christ themselves, but see that they can find peace through their burdens. Jesus Said, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” - Matthew 6:16-18. Spiritual fasting is something between you and God and no one else. We are to go about our day like every other day, for instance, instead of eating at lunch time you would be praying or reading the Bible.

At times it is necessary to fast, while God answers all prayers, some requests take more than just praying, and this is where fasting comes in. You know, the disciples did not always have total confidence that Jesus could do and make anything happen. They doubted Him from time to time as well so, we are no different from His first twelve disciples. When questioning why they could not heal a boy possessed by the devil, Jesus Said, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” - Matthew 17:20,21. Prayer and fasting combined can truly move mountains. Think about it, a mountain is just a rock, it can not grow, it has no life to it, but a seed, as seed has live to it and when it grow it can literally break through that mountain and it will tumble. Ever see a flower or piece of grass pop through a driveway or sidewalk? That is the power of a tiny seed. Just that much faith can increase ones faith, especially through prayer and fasting, so much so that it can show God you truly believe in Him. If just a little bit of faith can move a mountain imagine what more faith can do? Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

All Scripture is quoted from the King James Version.
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