Reading the word of God and eating the word of God are two different things. It is very easy to walk away from your daily reading without digesting anything. Have you ever eaten so fast that you didn’t stop to really taste the food?

The world and its people are a field that God desires to prepare to receive seeds of eternal life. The Lord desires to send out willing workers into these fields to pray and to proclaim truth in order to break up these fallow grounds and to plant life giving seeds in good soil.

In meditating on the New Testament church, former revivals, and giants in the faith I long to see the dead rise, the sick healed, the demonic set free, and the lame walk. I want to see the lost fall on their faces in repentance. I want to see my children encounter the Cross.

In Isaiah 58 we read of God’s thoughts and intentions toward Israel and for all of His creation to be both saved and restored. The process would begin with proper worship being put into obedient practice by His people. The truth is, Israel had been a failure in their worship. They had not practiced worship in truth but only in ritual. Israel wanted the blessings of God but God would not answer their prayers.

My father, who is now with Jesus, was a man of great faith. He’d smash his finger with the hammer and mutter, “Well, Praise the Lord!” One of his favorite books was Merlin Carothers Prison to Praise. What a heritage to rejoice always and in everything give thanks.

God clearly desires a changed lifestyle – a caring NOT only for myself, but for all the needy around me, whether in bonds of sin, oppression, hunger, homeless or naked. When I “fast” from providing for only my own pleasure, and begin to look at the needs of others, I bring God glory and the fast fulfills its restorative purpose. Then verse 11 is possible: “You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

There are no wasted words in the Holy Scripture. Every word has value to teach something, to correct or rebuke, to train one to be righteous and equipped for the Lord’s good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Knowing this, though, one wonders, “Was it really necessary to state that Jesus was hungry?”

Jesus was temped in all of the ways we are tempted, but He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). He was hungry when the tempter came to Him. He was most likely physically weak and tired. Perhaps, as the devil enjoined Christ to make bread from the stones, perhaps in His mind, Jesus could already smell it. Perhaps His mouth began to water. He was tempted, but He resisted. He resisted by offering a better bread—the Word of God.

In reading the Bible this past week, I was reading the story again of Ananias in Acts 9. We don’t know much about Ananias other than that he lived in Damascus and was probably a member of the synagogue there. Scripture says he was well regarded and devout. Ananias had heard stories about Saul. When there is a threat, news of the threat tends to spread quickly. Saul had Christians bound, cast in jail, and even murdered for believing there was salvation in the name of Jesus.

During the time of our fast, our ears get fine-tuned to the heart of God and we can hear Him speak to us clearly - because many of the distractions of the world are set aside. Oh, how do we desire this for all times!

In the spiritual discipline of fasting we gain a strength, through our weakness, in HIM. By not feeding the body (food, sweets, social media, TV, news, etc.) and instead consuming the provisions of God’s word, prayer and meditation, we exercise our new nature. If I can choose to fast by refusing to feed certain appetites, then I gain more strength from HIM to not do what I know is wrong. My ability to resist sin is strengthened without my blood being shed.

Many of us have trust issues that have hindered our walk for far too long. It is time to break free from the bondage of the past and move into your future.