Today's Devotional
June 12, 2006
Subject: The Good In Fasting
Isaiah 58:6 - "This is the kind of fasting I have chosen: Loosen the chains of wickedness, untie the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke."
Isaiah 58:9 - "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer. You will cry for help, and he will say, "Here I am!" Get rid of that yoke. Don't point your finger and say wicked things."
So the vow of fasting was cast in stone. We were not to eat anything until we had signed the documents at the closing for the home that we were about to purchase. The hunger strike had entered day 3 and we were spent. Negotiations were still taking place to decide if we were going to be able to close on a Friday afternoon. If it didn't happen then, it would have to wait until Monday and we were already a week behind. Not only that, but I had to return to work on Monday so that would make it that much more difficult, not to mention that the interest rate that we were getting from the bank on hour home loan was only good until that Friday. Monday would mean more negotiations in that arena as well. Yes we were feeling it. Then in one phone conversation, someone mentioned that we should just wait until Monday. That's when the reality of fasting kicked in. As Melanie, my wife, and I were both moved by that statement, we talked about what we would do if they tried to wait until Monday to close on the house. It all amounted to us being pretty direct with them. Feeling convicted about our aggression, Melanie made mention that we were fasting and that's when I replied, "well the fasting is great, but the fasting isn't designed to stop us from being upset, it just keeps us from killing them."
Okay maybe I was over the top and the message should be that we can be angry and not sin, but the bigger message is what God says above in Isaiah 58:9. When we really devote our time and energy to God by fasting or some other spiritual discipline, God shows up, says "Here I am" and shows himself mighty on our behalf. When God does that, we don't have to "point fingers or say wicked things." That's the good in fasting.
