Our YWAM base was led by God to do a base-wide 3 day fast.
I’ve never fasted more than one meal at a time before, so I knew this was a
challenge that I would be walking into. The thing is, I love to eat! I love the flavors of foods, and I love the company
that I scarf those foods down in!
I have to say, on this side of things, I have an entire new
love for Jesus!
I began the fast by asking God to satisfy my food cravings.
I said I wanted to completely focus on what He had for me and would he do
it…and because we have a good Father that gives good gifts to His children, I
never had hunger pains!
On the physical side, I had a new revelation of how food is
for nutritional purposes and how we are meant to savor and enjoy it. Also,
reminded me to really appreciate the relationships that I have while sitting
down to eat three times during the day!
On the spiritual side of things, I finally hunger for the
word. I cannot get enough of it! I know the verse that says if you seek me you
will find me, but I always pictured myself having to strive in order to find
Him. Truth is, with just one glance, with one whisper of His name, He is
running after me.
I re-read
prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, and I chose to look at just the goodness of the
Father. Here’s what I found: He immediately did what they asked, with an open
hand as they asked for their inheritance, even before it was suppose to be
given. He even gave above and beyond what they asked. (God does the same for
us!)
Next, He felt compassion for His son. In that day, men of
his stature surely didn’t run! When he saw his son, he wasn’t ashamed. He ran
to him and embraced with a kiss! (God is not ashamed of us, He has compassion
on us, He knows our frames!) After the son had a spill of how undeserving He
was of his fathers love, the Father didn’t even address that, He chose not to
dwell on it. (Forgiveness is immediate and He does not condemn.) When He was
wanting to adorn His son, He had a sense of urgency as He spoke with His
servant. (God has urgency for our intimacy.) He dressed him with a robe, that
signifies righteousness, cleanliness, and a new identity. He also gave him a
ring, that shows his covenant and promises. Lastly, a pair of shoes that shoes
him that identity will follow him where ever he goes. Then the Father asks for
the best meat to be brought in! The best cow now cost even thousands of
dollars! He threw a party without even one thought of the cost. (God isn’t
limited on how much to give us. He wants us to have the best!) When I say this,
I am not thinking materialism, although it’s not a sin to have nice things. God
knows our hearts and how we steward things that we are given!
During this celebration the Father rejoices over the son.
(God exalts us higher than we even think of ourselves.) He doesn’t stop there.
Not only does the Father go to meet the lost son, but He actively leaves the
party to go and beg the other son to come and join. (God is always pursuing us,
even if we are coming to him, or if we are choosing to sit out.) Although this
son was angry and felt entitled, the Father simply reminds him that all that
the Father has is already the sons. (God doesn’t withhold inheritance,
sometimes we just don’t realize what we have.)
Both sons thought they had to strive for it, the truth is,
it was already freely given!
So the truth that I learned over all is that Jesus just
wants us to know how much the Father enjoys us. I want to and I encourage you
to run to Him fearlessly and not from Him due to rebellion and weakness!
At the conclusion of the fast, I have gotten a deeper
revelation of how much the Father loves me, how He sustains me, and have a true
hunger to know him on a more intimate level.
This week has been absolutely crazy following the Fast. We have had Circuit Riders in from Hawaii teaching us all about evangelism and demolishing doubt, passibity, and unbelief!! More to follow on that later!
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