2008-02-07 - Fasting

Today, Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of Lent - the season in which we contemplate Christ's sacrifical death on the cross for our sins . Many Christians will be giving up habits or foods during the 40 days of Lent. Fasting can help us to focus on what is truly important, but I believe that sometimes we get off-track regarding fasting. We need to remember the purposes, which are to help us to forsake our sins, and to seek God.

Neh 9:1-2 (NNAS) "Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. ² The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers."

Dan 9:3 (NNAS) "So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes."

Whether you fast from chocolate, meat, caffeine, drinking any alcohol or something else, I encourage you this year - along with myself - to pray and think about something in your heart or life that God would like to see you let go of. And then I challenge you to fast from it (either additionally or instead of), whether it's, impatience, cheating (taxes, spouses, schoolwork), a grudge, pride - or whatever God brings to our minds. Chances are that by the end of the 40 days, it will be much easier for us to abstain from our sinful heart conditions, attitudes or habits, all the time.

Jan

cfdevjan@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org