Throughout church history fasting
has had a chequered history with some going down a very legalistic route and
yet others denying it all together. We obviously love to feast but what about
when it is time to fast!
John Wesley once said: “Some have exalted fasting beyond
all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it.”
Richard Foster wrote (in his book titled “Celebration of
Discipline”): “The central idea in
fasting is the voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of
intense spiritual activity. There is nothing wrong with these normal functions
in life; it is simply that there are times when we set them aside in order to
concentrate.”
Reading the text out of Isaiah
58: 1 – 12 the Bible gives me some very clear benefits of what true fasting
will produce in my life.
Verses 3 – 5: shows that the fasting of the Israelites as
a religious devotion didn’t match their behaviour toward their neighbours and
therefore they are accused of hypocrisy. Their adherence to fasting had become
ritualistic and their motives were wrongly tuned.
Versus 6 – 7: details the actions that are produced
through His people when they choose to fast the way that God has chosen. The
outcomes are vastly different!
Versus 8 – 12: indicates the benefits of the fast that God
has chosen if done with an attitude to worship him without distraction.
Isaiah helps me to see that there
are specific benefits to my life and the circumstances I face when my heart
attitude approaches fasting, or a Foster put it “…the voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of
intense spiritual activity”. Using the scriptures from Isaiah 58:8-12 let
me show you 12 separate benefits God has chosen to produce from a true time of
fasting:
- Revelation (v8 – Then your light will break forth like the dawn)
- Healing & wholeness (v8 – and your healing will quickly appear)
- Righteousness (v8 – then your righteous One will go before you)
- The presence of the Shekinah glory of God (v8 – and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard)
- Answered prayers (v9 – Then you will call, and the Lord will answer)
- Continued guidance (v11 – The Lord will guide you always)
- Contentment (v11 – he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land)
- Strength (v11 – and will strengthen your frame)
- Refreshment (v11 – like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail)
- Work that endures (v12 – Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins)
- Raising up future generations (v12 – and will raise up the age old foundations)
- Restoration (v12 – you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings)
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