“…for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:2

So, I have returned from a journey. A journey unlike any other I have ever taken. Today I return to the world driven by consumption and trying to figure out “what are we gonna eat?” I have been on a 21 day fast that ended Sunday. I have fasted a few times in the past for as many as five days and felt certain that I would surely perish for lack of food. So just imagine 21 days with NOTHING AT ALL to eat. It really is totally mind boggling to just think of three weeks and not one bite… So, as I previously mentioned, I am not going into all the minute details of fasting and the technical aspects of it. If you are interested in that information there is plenty of stuff out there. I believe it’s pretty well laid out why it’s necessary right here in Isaiah 58:6-11, when God says,

“Is not this the holy day for which I have given orders: to let loose those who have wrongly been made prisoners, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the crushed go free, and every yoke be broken? Is it not to give your bread to those in need, and to let the poor who have no resting-place come into your house? to put a robe on the unclothed one when you see him, and not to keep your eyes shut for fear of seeing his flesh? Then will light be shining on you like the morning, and your wounds will quickly be well: and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will come after you. Then at the sound of your voice, the Lord will give an answer; at your cry he will say, Here am I. If you take away from among you the yoke, the putting out of the finger of shame, and the evil word; And if you give your bread to those in need of it, so that the troubled one may have his desire; then you will have light in the dark, and your night will be as the full light of the sun: And the Lord will be your guide at all times; in dry places he will give you water in full measure, and will make strong your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like an ever-flowing spring."

Being on a fast, especially one this long is about learning to understand desire and consequences of choices we make. We can operate in a lot of deception in our daily lives and so easily fall into the common trap of living “carelessly”. Fasting causes you to focus, sometimes very intensely, on how the seemingly simple things we do in one moment affect the next moments in our future. It is amazing how removing eating from our lives has such a profound impact on so many other areas. I never realized how just plain obsessed and food crazed we are in the US. Seriously, it is just amazing how much money is spent just advertising food. There is an entire television network solely dedicated to food 24/7. Or better yet, go to Wal-Mart in the middle of a 21 day fast. You will really see why we are so physically and spiritually sick. A fast makes you come to a dead stop and get off the out-of-control merry go round that’s trying to kill you. For me personally, I look at this fast as an investment for this year. My wife and I did it together because: 1. We believe this is what God calls us ALL to do. 2. It’s an amazing way to start and set the tone for the new year-offering a HUGE sacrifice to God. 3. Doing it together as a couple strengthens and bonds us together is a very special and unique way and 4. It creates an atmosphere where God can work and speak in very powerful ways and we become focused on the power of prayer. On a personal level it has helped me to just really focus and listen to the ever present voice of God revealing many things about His nature as a loving father. You see, I have historically had a real problem with that. My dad left me when I was 13. He decided that life was just too tough and I wasn’t enough to keep him hanging on. So, I always lived in fear that it could happen again thus that “father in heaven” thing seemed difficult for me. So, one of the things I discovered on the fast is that a lot of stuff gets stirred up in you when you aren’t eating for 21 days. You know, stuff that you thought was “stuffed away”. God has a way of just calling you out on stuff and saying “ok…now that I have your UNDIVIDED attention…” Oh boy… Perhaps another reason why we overeat??? Hmmm? So, yeah, I am getting there on the father thing and God has showed me a lot of stuff this last 21 days and I have got rid of some stuff I’ve still been carrying around, to my utter amazement. I was pretty sure I left most of that in the Atlantic Ocean last summer but apparently I was wrong. So, was the fast worth it?? Yeah, of course. Was I glad to eat?? Absolutely! However, I must end with the most incredible thing…my wife bought a new set of pots and pans and a food processor and has decided to take up cooking. Hallelujah Jesus!