Fasting // Part I

On Sunday with our lockdown bellies missing our favourite restaurants and food that we haven’t had to cook ourselves, we decided it was a great idea to talk about Fasting.

The importance and joy of food is talked about throughout the Bible.

The Garden of Eden began our world with every tree that is pleasant to look at and delicious to eat. Jesus invited himself to meals at peoples houses and supernaturally caused an abundance of fish to him friends with nets out all night, while Isaiah 25 talks of a feast the Lord will throw with people from all over the world, with fine foods and gourmet desserts. Food is a delight from God…

…but food isn’t to be our “be all and end all.”

It’s to be enjoyed, but we are never to be a slave to it.

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”

~ Luke 4:1-4 ~

Fasting is to be a willing abstinence from food for a period of time (John Mark Comer).

Willing: In the same way Jesus willing was led into the wilderness, so we too should willing choose to fast. We should never be coerced or forced into fasting.  

Food: Specifically choosing to give up food, that which strengthens our fleshly bodies, in order to seek God more in the spiritual.

Period of time: We don’t have to be legalistic, or aim for 40 days like Jesus; it could be an hour, a meal, half a day or more…whatever we feel called to try and pursue.

Both the Old and New Testament show people engaging in fasts (2 Chronicles 20:3; Esther 4:3,16; Jonah 3:7-9; Matthew 6:16-18; Acts 13:2-3). Fasting was used to lament, mourning and petition God. It consistently showed that dependence wasn’t on food, but was on God; he sustained them more than anything. Fasting is a practice that helps us keep food at it’s appropriate place in our lives.

Jesus himself modelled the importance of fasting, as he was in the wilderness for forty days, eating nothing during that time, and being incredibly hungry (which was totally expected and human!)

But when the temptations came from the enemy, fasting had not weakened Jesus; it had strengthened him!

We see Jesus able to not fall apart when the enemy tempted him, trying to question Jesus’ worth and abilities.

Life is more than food.

The story of Esau in Genesis 25 really symbolises the importance of not being driven by food. Esau is so hungry, so desperate for food, that he trades his birthright. The desire for a bowl of lentil stew and bread that would only satisfy him briefly, saw him give up his inheritance, a privilege that would last a lifetime.

Don’t let your temporary feelings deter you from your long term promises.

“Isn’t life more than food?”

~ Matthew 6:25 ~

Our Stories

Each one of us brings a bias to any discussion of fasting:

·      Messages we’ve heard previously

·      What we have witnessed others do individually & corporately

·      Times we’ve felt forced/coerced into fasting, or just jumped on a bandwagon

I’ve felt guilt, shame, like I wasn’t do it enough…

Our bodies are valuable:

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,

who is in you, whom you have received from God?”

~ 1 Corinthians 6:19 ~

Fasting should never be done knowing that we may cause our body undue harm, so be mindful if you have a health condition, pregnancy/breastfeeding, a particular job, an eating disorder…Fasting is there to build up the people of God, not destroy them.

Fasting & the Wilderness ≠ Restriction

We consume so much (too much?!) in our Western Culture.

We rarely withhold anything back from ourselves (finances allowing).

We often say: “If God provides, why take things away from ourselves?”

When I’ve fasted, I realized that I was surprisingly dependent emotionally on food for comfort (especially during lockdown!)

What does it look like when rather than groaning for food, we are hungering after God?

Asking Him:

“What am I lacking?”
“How do you want to speak to me?”

“What do you have for me Lord?”

It also brings us closer to those who go without in our country (I’ve written a separate blog about that on Anchor Online)

Fasting & the Wilderness = Freedom

Freedom through fasting in the wilderness says:

“Nothing controls me; I am not a slave to food.”

“I don’t need anything to be strong; my strength comes from God.”

“I can have whatever I want, but I choose to restrict myself to seek the real freedom through Christ.”

God hears us in our praying and fasting.

“Draw near to God and He will drawn near to you.”

~ James 4:8 ~ 

“Whenever the cloud lifter from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped.”

~ Numbers 9:17,18 ~

“When I move you move, just like that.”

~ Ludacris ft Shawna, ‘Stand up’ ~

The wilderness is a call into a fuller life.

The call to fast is a call to feast on God.

He is calling us into more.

He is calling us into his extravagance.

He is calling us into an excess in our consumption of Him, and a deeper understanding of a relationship in Him.

All the practices of the wilderness are invitations…

…Guilt free, grace-filled invitations to see more of him.