This week, my Old Testament reading had me in Ezra and Nehemiah – both of whom practiced times of fasting.

I am thankful for a pastor who teaches and encourages Biblical fasting. It is not a subject that is widely taught yet Scripture portrays it as an expected practice among believers.

“Moreover WHEN ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, WHEN thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Notice the wording, “when ye fast”, not “if ye fast”.
How often have we made statements such as, 

“The God of _______(Bible character) is still the same God today! He is still a God of miracles! What He did for _____, He can do for ME!”

Yet, we fail to remember that many of these same “Bible heroes” practiced times of fasting. In addition to the two already mentioned:

Moses fasted; David fasted; Elijah fasted; Esther fasted; Daniel fasted; Anna fasted; Paul fasted; Jesus fasted; and others.

Jonathan Edwards fasted for 3 days prior to delivering “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” which began the First Great Awakening.

George Mueller practiced fasting on a regular basis.

George Washington wrote in his diary on June 1, 1774: “Went to church, fasted all day.”

John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on July 12, 1775:

“We have appointed a Continental fast. Millions will be upon their knees at once before their great Creator, imploring His forgiveness and blessing; His smiles on American Council and arms.”

Fasting is not the idea of refraining from eating until God gives us what we want. (Think of a child holding their breath until they get their way.) That is stubbornness which is rooted in pride. And God hates pride.

Fasting is meant to humble us and, very often, it is a time for God to show us areas in which WE need to make changes in our OWN lives. 

Fasting can also be a time where our hearts and minds are decluttered, the “spiritual fog” we have been experiencing is lifted, and our hunger for God’s Word becomes vibrant once again.

Fasting can:

Give clear direction in a troubling matter.

Reveal the source of the problem in a difficult situation.

Bring to light problems of which we were not aware.

Bring victory in spiritual warfare.

Result in Divine intervention.

Give needed holy boldness.

Soften hearts and mend relationships.

Magnify specific promises from God’s Word. (And, although it may be awhile before we see those promises fulfilled, they will be fulfilled. God ALWAYS keeps His promises.)

The above are some examples of what the Lord has allowed me to personally experience during or after seasons of fasting – to God be all the glory. I share them in hopes of encouraging others in this area. God truly sees the one who, in dire need, is serious enough to deny the flesh in order to receive help from above. Very often, the question is – do we see our need?

“And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Bear up the hands that hang down, by faith and prayer; support the tottering knees. Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down.” ~ John Wesley 

“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.” Ezra‬ ‭8‬:‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Other times, those memories take us completely off guard. A song, a smell, a place, a spoken word, etc. can immediately take us back in time without any warning whatsoever.

I took this picture back in September.

The girls and I were up in town and decided to use up some Panera gift cards for lunch. When I stepped into the restaurant, without warning I was overcome with emotion. It took me completely by surprise.

My mind was flooded with memories of sitting in Panera Bread across from my sister, Naomi, and just talking…laughing…sharing…crying…and committing to pray for each other’s burdens. We didn’t do it very often. We lived 2 states away. But when we did, Panera Bread was our place.

Today, whether expected or unexpected, I’m thankful for sweet memories.

“The memory of the just is blessed…”
Proverbs 10:7

“True friendship implies mutual helpfulness. It is not all on one side; where such friendship is, there are always two shoulders under every burden. Friendship knows no limit in serving; it gives all, life itself, if need be. Its yearning is not to receive—but to give; not to be ministered unto—but to minister.”
~ J. R. Miller

Orpah gave Naomi a kiss.
Ruth clave to her.
Orpah showed passion.
Ruth was resolved.
There is a difference.

“Strong passions, without a settled judgment, commonly produce weak resolutions. Thoughts ripened into resolves by serious consideration are likely to be kept always in the imagination of the heart, whereas what is soon ripe is soon rotten.” ~ Matthew Henry

I am resolved no longer to linger,
charmed by the world’s delight;
things that are HIGHER, things that are NOBLER,
THESE have allured my sight.
~ Palmer Hartsough

“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Children should be taught that even they are responsible for their own words and actions. I did it with my children when they were young and I am now observing them teaching their children to say, “I’m sorry.”

But, should not this humbling Biblical principle carry on into adulthood? If children should be expected to acknowledge and confess their wrongdoing to their parents, siblings or little buddies, how much more important is it that adults do the same?

Healing in a relationship is more than just “turning over a new leaf”.
Healing in a relationship requires more than one individual determining in their own mind to “do better”.
Healing involves WORDS to the one we’ve offended:

“O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. TAKE WITH YOU WORDS, and turn to the Lord: SAY unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.”
‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This morning, do we need to “take words” to someone?

Words such as,

“I am sorry for ____.”
“I was wrong.”
“Please forgive me.”

It matters not that the other person is partly or maybe even mostly responsible for the broken relationship. We are only responsible for our part in the matter. Very often, when one individual takes the first step, a hardened heart begins to soften and a sincere apology from the other person is quick to follow. Other times, however, our apology may be received with silence…or possibly anger. We need to approach the situation with much prayer and be prepared for a variety of responses.

In order to avoid discouragement we need to remember that RECEIVING a confession shouldn’t be our motive behind asking for forgiveness. We should desire to do right and clear our own conscience with ZERO expectations from the other party.

(It’s very important to understand that asking for or receiving forgiveness does not always mean a relationship automatically goes back to its healthy state. Very often trust has been broken and must be rebuilt. But that is another topic for another day.)

There may be situations in which we are unsure of what to do. In times like this we need to remember that God knows our hearts. If it is our sincere desire to do our part in restoring a relationship, He will be faithful to give us clear direction if we will only ask Him. (James 1:5)

It was Leonard Ravenhill who said,

“The self-righteous never apologize.”

Has it been awhile since we have offered a sincere, “I am sorry” to someone? If so, we may have a pride problem because, quite frankly, none of us are that perfect.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed…”
‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

What’s the one “thing” in which you will not believe God?
Are not “ALL things” possible to him that believeth?
Has not God done many wonderful “things” in your life?
That one “thing” that you’re still holding on to is better off in His hands.
This morning, let go of that one “thing” and let God do the impossible!

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭26‬ ‭KJV

“And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Only believe, only believe;
All things are possible, only believe;
Only believe, only believe;
All things are possible, only believe.
~ Paul Rader

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…”

To my shame, I continued in my own troubled thoughts and He reminded me once again,

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…”

I stopped and told God of my desire to obey Him as well as the struggle going on in my heart (we may as well tell Him – He already knows anyway), and then I ASKED HIM for wisdom! Within a minute or two, the Lord gave crystal clear direction as well as perfect peace concerning His direction.

You know what? This verse is one of many promises we can claim – but how often do we fail to take God at His Word? How often do we lose time and often sleep simply because we fail to ASK GOD for wisdom?

This morning, my New Testament reading had me beginning the book of James.

Now, isn’t that just like our God?
What a loving, personal, patient Saviour we serve!

My friend, are you puzzled about what to do concerning a situation in your life?
Ask God. He’s waiting to hear from you!

“Who can find her? This intimates that good women are very scarce”
~ Matthew Henry

Dear single lady,
Just like the virtuous woman is very scarce, so is the virtuous man.
Remember that.
BUT, although there may not be very many “Daniels” and “Josephs” and “Davids”…etc…there are some!
And you only need one!
And THEY are praying for a virtuous woman!

As you pray and wait on the Lord in this area of marriage, it may seem like the world is passing you by.
It’s ok.
Let it pass on by.
Your “Daniel” is not among the worldly-minded.
I’m reminded of a quote I heard at the beginning of this year that went something like this:

“Far better to want something you don’t have than to have something you don’t want.”
~ Alton Beal

Matthew Henry defines a virtuous woman as:

“A virtuous woman is a woman of spirit, who has the command of her own spirit and knows how to manage other people’s, one that is pious and industrious, and a help meet for a man.
A virtuous woman is a woman of resolution, who, having espoused good principles, is firm and steady to them, and will not be frightened with winds and clouds from any part of her duty.”

Dear single lady,
If you desire to be a virtuous woman, don’t allow anxiety or desperation to weaken your resolve. In this season of waiting, resist the temptation to “help God out” by dropping your moral standards in order to attract a guy. Yes, you may get the attention you were seeking but it WON’T be from that special guy who is praying and waiting for that special girl that stands out from the rest.

Virtuous men have no desire for worldly women. They are a dime a dozen. A virtuous man is praying for a virtuous woman. And, when God brings that special someone into his life, he will recognize and value her for who she is – a treasure worth far more than rubies!

Dear single lady, don’t settle for anything less than to be truly loved and valued the way God intended.

“The unspeakable worth of such a one, and the value which he that has such a wife ought to put upon her, showing it by his thankfulness to God and his kindness and respect to her, whom he must never think he can do too much for.”
~ Matthew Henry

“A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I am thankful for my goodly heritage. It is a heritage that is founded upon God’s Word.
BUT, just being thankful is not enough. (Imagine being thankful for a gift but never opening it.) If I want my goodly heritage to continue in my lifetime, I must TAKE it as my own.

“Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever…”

That is my responsibility for my generation.

In order for my goodly heritage to continue to the next generation, my children, in turn, must TAKE it as their own. That is their responsibility for their generation. It is not enough for them to say, “I am thankful for my heritage.”
And so on.

A good indication that an individual has TAKEN their goodly heritage is found in the latter part of the verse:

“…they are the rejoicing of my heart.”

To take a goodly heritage is to rejoice in God’s Word.

Morning thought:
Do you have a goodly heritage?
If so, have you taken it for your own?
What is your attitude towards God’s Word?

If you were not raised in a Christian home but are a first generation Christian, have you embraced this new goodly heritage that your children or future children have?
What is your attitude towards God’s Word?

Although we can’t MAKE our children embrace their goodly heritage, we must at least set the example for them. That is our responsibility during our time here on earth.
Are we fulfilling our responsibility?
Do we rejoice in God’s Word?
What would our children say?
Are they convinced that we have taken our goodly heritage for our own?
Does our attitude whet their appetite?
If we don’t treasure our goodly heritage by delighting in God’s Word, how can we expect our children to want to take it as their own?

“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119‬:‭162‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in THINE heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭71‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭78‬:‭4,‬6,7 KJV‬‬

I write the following because I have been on both ends of the spectrum:

• The rebellious teen looking for approval.
• The praying parent waiting for a wayward child’s return.

While we may not think much about giving a thumbs up or “loving” a social media post, we must remember that one characteristic of a rebel is seeking acceptance in their sin. People of all ages are looking to justify their choices that are contrary to God’s Word and one avenue that offers a large audience is the internet community. Although we cannot see the heart behind any individual’s post, I do believe we can and should be more cautious in how we respond. For example:

• Would God be pleased with this photo?
• Would God give a “thumbs up” to this statement?
• Would I be feeding a teen’s rebellion by loving this story?
• Would I be strengthening a young adult’s bitterness by applauding this thought?
• Would I be encouraging an individual’s backsliding by sharing this post?

As Christians, if we are going to be on social media, we should treat it the same as “real life”.

We are called to be a light to this dark world. (Matt. 5:14-16)

We are called to be examples of the believers. (1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Cor. 11:1)

We are called to be ambassadors. (2 Cor. 5:20)

Leaving live interactions to enter the internet community does not change our calling.

Remember, we don’t have to give our stamp of approval on every post we see – even if “so and so” loved it. Instead of checking to see who else liked something before deciding whether or not to respond, why not check with God?

If we wouldn’t look an individual in the eye and say, “I agree wholeheartedly with what you just said” then we shouldn’t “like” or “love” that same thought on a social media platform.

If we wouldn’t tell an individual in person that we love their choice of entertainment, outfit, associations, etc. then we shouldn’t “like” or “love” those same things on social networks.

Real life and social media should have the same “approval guidelines.” These guidelines should always be based on Biblical principles.

Think about it.

Is the approval of Christians via various platforms keeping prodigals in the hog pen?

While we “love” a photo without giving it a second thought, is there a Godly momma who is struggling to function from another sleepless night of crying out to God for her wayward child?

An individual that is running from God doesn’t need our applause in their sin. Just like the prodigal son, they need to come to the end of themselves and see themselves as God sees them.

• Continue to love THEM? Yes!
• Continue to pray for THEM? Yes!
• “Like” or “love” their worldliness? No!

Backsliders need to understand that no matter how many positive responses they received on that last story,

“The world’s smiles can never shelter them from God’s frowns.” ~ Matthew Henry

May we, as Christians, refrain from smiling upon that which God is frowning.

“They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.” Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“…whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“…a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” Proverbs 26:28 KJV

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

And now, I have the chorus of the following song running through my mind.

Be strong in the Lord and be of good courage
Your defender is He, will be always the same
Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending
Victory is sure when you call on His name

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord
And be of good courage, for He is your guide
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord
And rejoice for the victory is yours

Put on the armor the Lord has provided
Place your defense in His unfailing care
Trust Him for He will be with you in battle
Lighting your path to avoid every snare

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord
And be of good courage, for He is your guide
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord
And rejoice for the victory is yours

Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage
Your mighty commander will vanquish the foe
Fear not the battle for the victory is always His
He will protect you wherever you go

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord
And be of good courage, for He is your guide
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord
And rejoice for the victory is yours
~ Linda Lee Johnson

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬