The feasting we are fortunate enough to participate in for most people in our country, allows us to enjoy lots of our favorite things whether it is food or fun or ability to be working to earn the means to get those things.
I think that the idea of fasting something is that it has value to us but we want to show
that the thing we are intentionally fasting from is less valuable than what we are fasting for. Like to hear from God more clearly on a matter. And maybe the time I would be spending eating would be spent praying for others or meditating on God's words to me from His book.
But sometimes I fast from the wrong thing like fresh reading of His word. Don't get me wrong, remembering and thinking on his word is good and something to be doing, but really I don't like eating stale food when it comes to what I am putting in my mouth. I need to freshen it up even as much as I like to eat leftovers for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Kind of like when we pray give us this day our daily bread...Jesus being the bread of life is what I need daily...remember He is the word of God so meeting with Him in His book and in prayer feeds me on a deeper level that affects all of me...
And now that I think about it more, fixing a good meal to enjoy just takes some time and effort. I love reading but reading a novel, reading how to or informational books even books about the Bible all take little effort for me. There is something different about the Bible. It engages me on so many levels. It is not just a book. It is what God tells us it is...Words he was inspiring men to write...words that are a discerner of my heart (yikes!), a two edged sword, Spirit and LIFE, a mirror, bread, a light and lamp, a revealer of WHO GOD WAS, IS and WILL be, who WE are and more...yeah a lot going on when reading that book...it is more effort than a novel.
Then there is famine. I have not ever experienced famine. There are times I have had scarcity of some things and that was hard for me but true famine never. That happens in many places in the day we live in which is why relief efforts are established to participate in. When times were tight for us, I would remind God of His word that I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his children begging for bread. I knew I was not righteous on my own scale of good things but because I believe He gave His life to make me that way. Or I would remind Him of the time He multiplied the few loaves and fish from a little boys lunch for feeding thousands and surely I could trust Him to take what I had and make it enough for the 10 of us.
But the Bible tells us of times of famine.
There were 400 years of no one hearing from God before Jesus was born...that is a famine of His word. Apparently "we don't know what we've got til it's gone" as the old song goes. And then in the FULLNESS of time God sent His Son Jesus, Immanuel (meaning God With Us). He showed up not just as a whisper in a prophets heart to be spoken aloud. But in that baby's cry, as the Word of God made flesh dwelling among us, born of a Virgin, in a stable in Bethlehem (which means house of bread. Interesting the bread of life would be born in the house of bread!)
Make time to hang out at His table this season. He loves you and wants to BE WITH YOU.
