God's Chosen Fast
"Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6)
Before you read on, I encourage you to read all of Isaiah 58. The prophet is addressing the serious matter of substance over form in worship. In short, he is saying that the motions we go through in "worship" can be self-serving and, therefore, not God honoring.
Let me say at the outset that nothing in these pages is intended to diminish the value of observing a fast from food but to explore what I believe are other important aspects of fasting.
When we think of fasting only in terms of food that puts us in the precarious position of repeating the mistakes of others who miss what is at the heart of the matter. So, I believe it will be helpful for us take a look at this issue together.
Isaiah says that God’s chosen fast is 1) to free the oppressed from every yoke of wickedness, 2) to feed the hungry, 3) to welcome the homeless [nothing about shelters here – we welcome them in our homes – ouch!], 4) to clothe the naked.
It is no accident that the top priority to be addressed is the problem of evil. Breaking its grip on humankind is God’s priority and we are His co-workers in that project. That said, Isaiah turns our attention to the physical needs of others.
In a nutshell, we are to be ready to meet the basic needs of others in terms of food, shelter and clothing. These are people of genuine need, not many of the so-called needy today who choose to live life in careless dependence on others. That, we are not to support.
In our time, we have so isolated ourselves from the world that it has been a long time since many Christians personally did any of these things for another individual. We have given ourselves to missions and food banks which meet these needs, and abandoned personal, one on one contact with the world.
Doing so has robbed us of the blessing of spending time with those in need, and the opportunity to share the gospel it presents. It is much more convenient to write a check and let a "professional" Christian take care of the nitty-gritty.
There is a place for missions, but not to the exclusion of our personal, individual involvement with those in need. Our present system of social welfare is a major factor in the rise of our isolation from the needy, but it is not an excuse.
God wants us to reach out to others. In Galatians 6:10, Paul makes it clear that we are to give special attention to those in the "household of faith." By caring for one another, we demonstrate to the world, the love of God. Strengthened by one another, we extend to the world around us, that love which we have received.
How often we long for God to shed light on our path and bring healing to our wounded hearts. How we long to know the security which God alone can give. The questions which plague our lives are lifted before Him and we wonder why we can’t hear His voice.
Isaiah asks, are we keeping God’s fast?
He reiterates the task before us in verses 9-10 and then paints a beautiful word picture of the rewards of keeping that fast. Light arises in our lives and even the darkest moments are like midday. God will continually guide us and provide for our needs. I particularly like the end of verse 11 where he describes such ones as a "watered garden" and a spring which never fails.
Anyone who has gardened, knows how critical watering is. Too little or too much water and the garden suffers. When we observe God’s chosen fast, we are given precisely what we need to bear the fruit He planted us to produce.
"And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you." (Matthew 6:16-18)
Jesus is not silent on the issue of fasting. His ministry began with a forty day fast in the wilderness. His fast was not for the purpose of proving His righteousness to men; that would be demonstrated in the life He lived before them.
In His life, the redemptive history of man is taking a giant step forward. The focus is moving from external to internal, fleshly to spiritual, visible to invisible. Jesus makes it clear that true righteousness is not about outward appearances, but inward attitudes and motives.
We say a hearty "Amen" to His severe rebuke of the self-righteous Pharisees but often fail to see the "whitewashed tombs" in our own lives. In our exercise of Christian charity, do we give the best we can give, or do we give what we no longer want? If our contributions to the church and Christian ministries were not tax deductible, would we give as much? Are we more likely to give to a worthy cause if there is some recognition in it for us?
These and other questions help us to see whether we are keeping God’s chosen fast, or depending upon our own righteousness (or worse).
There is a serious warning to us in Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:15 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves."
Again and again, Jesus calls them "blind guides." While they are yet unable to see, they profess themselves to be leaders of men and demand the compliance of others to their own perverted way. In doing so they heap up judgment for themselves.
Remember the first item in Isaiah’s checklist for God’s chosen fast? ". . .To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke . . . ."
The Pharisees’ focus on the external ultimately resulted in the enslavement of those so unfortunate as to have crossed their path. Indeed, their conversion was so effective that those "helped" were twice as bad as their teachers!
God’s first priority is that which defines the rest. It is a tragic mistake to think that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked or housing the homeless will honor God and fulfill His purpose unless those deeds are saturated with the gospel message of redemption in Christ.
Government regulations require that food producers list the contents of their product on the package. That list has to be ordered according to the quantity of each component contained in the product. As we look at the church at large today, I wonder what would happen if God required us to post similar information on our signs?
I know what we all would want those signs to say, but what do our budgets and activities say? More personally, what do our individual lives say? Jesus says that it does make a difference.
It is a matter of the heart. Christians are to have the heart of God. Immersing ourselves in His Word prepares our minds for the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and guide: "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
Ananias and Sapphira are prime examples of the very thing Jesus warned about. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too. They sold their property and brought some of the money to contribute to the needs of the saints. Wanting to appear as generous as Barnabas, they said it was the full purchase price of the property. They lied.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit to know their hearts, Peter challenges them both and you know the rest of the story.
We can fool others. We can even fool ourselves at times. But God is not blind to our motives.
Jesus teaches us to make no effort to draw attention to our piety. At the same time, that does not mean that others will not notice the fruit it bears in our lives. Jesus makes it very clear that the world will notice that, and praise God for it.
Who gets the praise? That’s the ultimate test of our actions and motives. Both the world and our own hearts should praise God for what He does in, with, and through us. There is nothing wrong with feeling satisfaction and joy that God has used us. The problem comes when we think that we are the source of that satisfaction.
If we fall into that trap, we can easily become "blind guides." Let us diligently avoid that mistake.
" Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8
Would it surprise you, at this point, if I suggested that Jesus’ very entrance into this world was a fast?
In these powerful and familiar verses, Paul describes the most incredible of all fasts. Christ’s forty days in the wilderness without food pales in comparison to setting aside His personal rights and glory to be obedient to the Father.
His mission did not afford Him the luxury of an exemption. If was to be the Lamb of God, He had no choice, as a man, but to deny Himself the benefit of His heavenly estate.
Such an attitude is the essence of fasting. While fasting certainly has reference to food, food is not the exclusive venue for fasting. It touches every aspect of our lives. It is a matter of subjecting our own wishes and perceived best interests to the will of God.
To be very direct, fasting means to become so caught up in what God has called us to do that we forget ourselves. I’ve long been intrigued by the conclusion of the story of Christ’s temptation in the wilderness.
The gospels tell us that immediately following His baptism, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted. Well aware of what is coming, Christ spends forty days and nights focused on what the Father requires of Him.
The scripture says that at the end of that period, ". . . then He became hungry." During the period of intense devotion, His physical needs were not even on the radar screen. Haven’t we had times like that?
It might be at the death of one dear to us, during the illness of a child, or perhaps some personal situation which so grasps our attention that we aren’t hungry and food is of no consequence to us.
Such a fast is what I believe God desires of us. That is not to say there is no benefit in setting aside times in which we abstain from food in order to focus upon our walk with God. It is to say that I believe the benefit is greater by far when our walk with God so consumes us that our attention to our own needs is discounted.
In verse 17, Paul reflects the very attitude he is admonishing the Philippians to have, "But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all." He goes on in Chapter 3 to say, "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ." (vs. 7)
Once we get beyond the gospels and the Old Covenant fasts required, it is interesting how rarely fasting is mentioned. At the same time, we see the type it portrays lived out, first in the life of Christ, and then by those who followed Him.
Let’s close Paul’s teaching with his admonition to Timothy: "In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance." (1 Tim. 4:6-9)
" If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless." (James 1:26)
I know we don’t read this verse often; it’s just too uncomfortable! But, have you ever thought about it in the context of fasting?
Fasting is denying ourselves that which, in and of itself, is permissible for us, so I’m not suggesting that there are times when an unbridled tongue is acceptable. Instead, I want to let James connect the dots between our physical actions and the spiritual consequences.
He discusses this subject at length in Chapter 3 and opens with this telling observation in verse 2: "For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well."
Translation: If we want a measure of our maturity in Christ, an examination of our speech is THE indicator. I won’t rehash James’ teaching on the matter here, but it is painfully telling in my own life. In spite of growth in this area, I’ve got a long way to go. How about you?
Praise God that James says "we all stumble..."!
Not that I take satisfaction in my own stumbling or anyone elses, but it is comforting to know that he too is well aware of the problem of the tongue and the danger that it represents to our walk of faith.
Is our speech something we are willing to deny ourselves, even when we are correct in what we say. Can we be silent when we could legitimately speak? Christ before Pilate comes to mind. He certainly had every right to offer a defense, but He chose to abstain. Whatever reasons we might speculate about His action, the fact remains that His tongue was bridled in obedience to the will of the Father.
May we savor the delicacy of speech seasoned with grace, the glory of poignant silence, and the incredible power of words directed by the Master Helmsman.
Few people looking at my physical stature could be convinced that I am given to "fasting" in the sense that it is generally understood.
While I have observed brief fasts, I have not been among those committed souls who dedicate themselves for an extended period of time. Some who receive this newsletter are among their number. I appreciate the dedication of heart and desire to know God that such commitments reveal.
My study of scripture convinces me that fasting has a lot more to do with diligently seeking to live out our faith in obedience to the Father, than it does with abstaining from food.
Is my heart so captivated with being about His business that I don’t even notice I missed a meal, a favorite TV program, a special sporting event, or whatever else we might use to fill in the blank?
When a need arises, do I recoil at laying aside my own wishes? Do I meet the need out of a sense of duty but actually resent the intrusion? Dying is one thing. Laying down our lives in service to God and others is quite another.
I am willing to die for others should the circumstances so dictate, but I may rebel if they ask me to help them in some small way and it isn’t really what I want to do at the moment. That seems rather inconsistent doesn’t it?
Lack of diligence in our lives may show we are human, but it also hurts our testimony to the world.
We recently visited a congregation where the minister was preaching on the holiness of God and challenged the assembly to consider that we were in the very presence of the Almighty.
I couldn’t help but notice a grown woman sitting near me coloring a picture in a child’s coloring book. She had a young daughter but the child was content doing her own thing and mother was joining in the fun.
It would be unfair for me to judge whether or not she was actually listening. I’ve been known to doodle in a margin while taking notes on a sermon myself.
Nevertheless, the lack of any response to the preacher’s comments caused me to wonder if she was even attempting to understand what was being said. Can we not even lay aside the things of the world for an hour to hear God’s word?
Have we become a society that is so stuffed with chaff that we have forgotten what it is like to be truly satisfied? What will it take for us to "fast" from that which pleases our senses in order to receive that which feeds our souls?
God has prepared a feast for us. We have a standing invitation. May we learn to enjoy the glorious paradox that living God’s chosen fast, supplies the "meat" we need. (John 4:32)
The seminar which I mentioned to you last month has been rescheduled for April 20-21st. I apologize if the new date causes difficulties for you but the change was unavoidable. The subject will be that of fulfilled prophecy, or covenant eschatology. This is a subject that is gaining attention in Christian scholarship as well as in the church at large.
It is not a new idea at all, just one that has been placed on the back burner for the past 150 years while the church has had a fling with dispensational eschatology.
In contrast to the bleak outlook created by dispensational eschatology, covenant eschatology offers a living hope to the world. Are its claims valid? Let’s study and see for ourselves.
Join us for an introduction to this interesting and thought provoking study. There is no charge, but we would appreciate having a head count so let us know if you plan to attend. Depending on the number attending, the meeting location is subject to change. Those registering will be notified of any changes.
Friday April 20, 7-10 p.m.
Saturday April 21, 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Holiday Inn Express
201 West Hill Park Circle, Huntsville, Texas
Rooms $55 per night, 936-293-8800
Confirmation #60472033 ~ before April 6th!
Please register by calling me at 936-291-7711