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The Fast that Jesus Loves


  • I've been meditating on Isaiah 58 for the past few days as I've been lying in a hospital bed, being "rerouted" by the good hand of the Lord. It seems the fasting that the Lord hates is fasting that elevates self (even though we may be saying we are seeking to know the mind of Christ, we may say we are wanting what He wants). Self glory is hideous to God - whatever form it takes.
    But God clearly states what kind of fast He delights in in verses 5-7 - a fast of humbling our hearts before our Almighty God, and letting the Word of Christ that should be dwelling in us richly pour forth in loving service towards the people around us - not motivated by self-glory, but by God's glory. We are a people who love self and self-glory, and we are so careful in our church circles to not let that self-glory look like self-glory. We are careful to not "smoke or chew or go with those who do"; we are careful to be squeaky clean in our reputations; we are careful to use terminology, at least at church, that says, "I want to seek God; I want to know what He wants". Yet, the Lord says that if all that "fasting" is not motivated by love for God and people, and does not lead to lives lived in humble, obedient service and love towards our fellow man, out of love for God, then He will not hear us.
    We should be a people who desire the presence of the Lord in our lives more than anything else; we should want to be that "glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" as the "cracked pots" that God makes us in this life, so that all the glory from our lives goes to God and not to us. Then we are able to be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down (2 Cor. 4:4-10) (and I might add "set aside", "rerouted", and "rebuffed", to this list) as we carry around with us the dying of Jesus (the only power or ability we have to live a life pleasing to God is because of Jesus' death and resurrection on our behalf) so that the LIFE of Jesus will be evident in us. That's the great exchange that took place as a result of Jesus death and resurrection - He took our death, so we can have His life!
    That is the fasting the Lord takes sweet pleasure in - when we, by His grace and enabling, say "Yes!" to His redirections (Tit. 2:11-14), when we serve others not out of obligation or to earn "brownie points" with God or man, but because we love God and we love people. Then the Lord promises us in Isaiah 58:8-9: "Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’" "Here I am!" What sweet words to those who are fasting from self, who are wanting to hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" It makes every redirection, every failed goal, every thwarted attempt to carry out our own plans, worth it. What a gracious, merciful, powerful God we serve, who gives us everything we need in Christ to obey Him to the fullest, yet turns around and blesses us when we make even the feeblest attempt to deny self, take up our cross, and follow Him.
    Fasting from self is the fast that God delights in. Are we willing to do that? Are we willing to say, "Yes! Yes!" when the Lord reroutes us? He promises rich rewards when we are.


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