TODAY’S VERSE:
“And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.” (Mark 2:19-20 ESV)
TODAY’S THOUGHT:
When we become Christians we become united to Jesus and his Spirit now dwells within us. No longer separated from Him, we are now able to live our days walking in close relationship with Him, witnessing His power and experiencing His presence in real and meaningful ways. And yet, we know that what we experience now pales in comparison with what awaits. This side of heaven, we settle for tastes and glimpses that merely whet the appetite for what lies ahead. Jesus has promised us that there will be a day when we will be with Him, and that we will know a fullness of joy that we can’t even begin to fathom while our feet are still planted on this earth. Our bridegroom has promised that He will either return for us or send for us so that we can receive the glorious inheritance that is being guarded for us.
There are many motives for fasting, but one that is often neglected is that we fast to declare our longing to be with our bridegroom. In fasting, we confess our desire for our Savior to come and sweep away all sin and sadness, to obliterate the brokenness that permeates our lives, and to draw us into a relationship with Him that is rich beyond our imagination. In fasting, we proclaim that nothing this world offers us can satisfy the deepest places of our souls, and we express that we are eagerly awaiting the day when what is temporary is swallowed up by what is eternal. Fasting is a means of stirring up within us a holy hunger for the unhindered fellowship with God that we were created to enjoy and are promised that we will one day experience.
TODAY’S REFLECTION:
As you end your 14 days of fasting, take some time for a little extra reflection. How has your life been blessed through this discipline? Are you more aware of your dependence on God, your desire for God, or your delight in God? Was it easy or difficult for you to fast with right motives? Would you say that your time of fasting helped to stir within you a holy hunger for a deeper and closer walk with God?
© The Factory Church – “21 Days of Prayer and F(e)asting”