Fasting

Use this as a devotional tool. Look up the Scripture provided. Journal about it and/or talk about it with family and friends. Feel free to share, leave comments, or message me at pastorjacobhayward@gmail.com

To desire what are the desires of God

Isaiah 58:3-7

'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 

Fasting may not be on the top of many people’s lists when it comes to spiritual disciplines. We all have those lazy Sunday afternoons or hungry evenings when we run a constant loop to check the food in the fridge or what is left in the pantry. Food is a constant in our lives. It is a place of joy, of connection with others, and a place of stability. And yet, fasting is an essential piece of our faith journey, even though many of us rarely take part in it. 

What is Isaiah saying in Isaiah 58?

The passage in Isaiah speaks to the reason as to why God encourages our fasting. The message in the waning chapters of his large prophetic book are written to the future people of God, as well as addressing the problems of the past. By the time chapter 58 is written, Israel has been completely overrun and the people are in exile, awaiting a freedom brought through Cyrus, king of Persia. We see the old Israel cry out to the Lord that he did not see them while they fasted. They are offended that they had humbled themselves only to still have their nation taken from them. Isaiah responds with sarcasm, pointing out significant problems with the way in which they fasted. 

First, Isaiah points out that the reason that the people of Israel fasted was because it was what people considered pious, or an act to live a reverent life. They were not fasting for the Lord, then, but rather that the community around them may approve of them. This is not the point of fasting, as Jesus also teaches in Matthew 6 that we ought to do everything in our power to behave as normal. Instead fasting is intended to bring our lives into alignment with what God is willing for the world around us. And this is precisely what Isaiah points towards a next: that fasting should be done that we may be brought low and the concerns of the Lord be elevated, both in our own lives and in the world around us. 

How do I conduct modern fast look?

Your decision on doing a fast needs to be between you and the Lord. But that does not mean that you should do it alone. I always encourage you to have one person praying for you or fasting along side you. It is good to include others in our journeys. 

As far as what to give up, that also is up to you. Fasting is traditionally a food fast, and I encourage you to commit to this type of fast at some point (of course only if physically able, please do not do anything to jeopardize your health). But it can be anything. Delete social media for awhile. Commit to not watching Netflix, or all of TV in general. Maybe you spend too much unnecessary time on projects. Or, maybe you eat too many hamburgers and fries. 

The point of fasting is to give up something; something that takes up your time, thoughts, effort, and money. We give it up that we may use those same resources and put them to use for the purposes of the Lord. Maybe you fast from coffee, that you can use the three dollars a day you spend on a pumpkin spice latte and instead save that money and sponsor a family for a thanksgiving meal. Maybe instead of watching hours of TV after work you use an hour and donate that time at the food pantry. 

Fasting is that we may come to love what the Lord loves. Fasting is to loose the binds of wickedness, undo the heavy yoke of the world and to free the oppressed, to share our food and our homes with those in need, to cover the naked instead of ourselves. It is to put first those whom God places as first in the kingdom. To bring light to the dark places. Fasting, then, is a means by which our eyes are drawn away from the needs of ourselves and instead look to the needs of those around you. 

May God direct your eyes and hearts to where you are needed. 

Challenge: Schedule a Fast

It doesn’t have to be today, but sometime in the future schedule a fast. Use it for prayer, to volunteer, to study, to spend time with your family. Whatever it is, make sure that the thing you are giving up is replaced by something that shows your humility to the Lord and his desires, that through your fast you grow more deeply with him. 

Make sure to ask and answer these questions on your own and with your family. There may be things that I missed, so please feel free to comment them. If you’d like to continue the conversation, feel free to contact me at pastorjacobhayward@gmail.com. Thanks for joining me, I hope to continue this journey with you soon. God bless.