THE HEART OF A FATHER

Introduction

There are many titles we could use to describe God—Creator, Savior, Comforter, King, etc—but this week I want to consider God's role as our “Father.” Not only did God create us and, figuratively speaking, give birth to us, but also He is our Father (Deuteronomy 32:6). What does it mean to be a father? To be a father is to have a child, to care for a child (Deuteronomy 32:10), to raise a child (Isaiah 46:3)—if necessary, to discipline a child (Hebrews 12:5-6). It is to provide for your child (Nehemiah 9:19-21), to sacrifice for your child (1 John 4:9-10), to experience your child's heartaches and wipe the tears from their eyes (Isaiah 25:8). To be a father is to delight in your child and to rejoice over them (Zephaniah 3:17). And sometimes, to be a father is to endure a broken heart. Your child may rebel (Isaiah 1:2)... They may despise and reject you (Isaiah 1:4)... They may run away from home (Luke 15:11-13)... But, to be a father—to be a parent, really—is to pour your love out onto your child, regardless of whether or not they love you back. I hope in this week's devotion you will marvel at how God has the heart of a Father—that He loves us unconditionally and that, like any good Father, He only wants the best for us.

Foreknowledge

I can only imagine the emotion of the father of an unborn child. All the hopes and expectations rolled up into some very big questions: “Who is my child going to grow up to be? What is he or she going to be like? Will they disappoint me? Will I disappoint them? Will they love me? Will I love them?” Even though the father may fall instantly in love with his child the moment they are born, still he cannot say, “I chose you.” This is why, no matter how great our human fathers may be, God's love for us is always better. Why? Because God, knowing who we would be and all the mistakes we would make, still chose to make us. As Psalm 139:13-16 says: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb... My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

ccc God did not use an assembly line to create you. You were hand-crafted, uniquely and individually shaped in the hands of the Potter. You are a custom piece that God was delighted to make. There is no one else quite like you, and you can be sure that God wanted you, individually, to be born. The same thing cannot be said of our earthly fathers—as wonderful as they may be. So, what is the difference between our earthly father and our heavenly Father? In a word—foreknowledge. For each one of you, God can say, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5).

God's Fatherly Qualities

I titled this section “God's Fatherly Qualities.” But really I should call it “a fathers' godly qualities,” because God does not take after fathers, but rather, fathers take after God. The Bible says that we are made in God's image (Genesis 1:27)—not vice versa. It also says that we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). In the same way, all of the good qualities that we see in our earthly fathers are qualities that come from God. Our heavenly Father is the perfect picture of what a father should be.

ccc Hosea 11:1-9 provides us with a beautiful picture of how God feels about His children (in this example, Ephraim and Israel): “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms... I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them... How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? ...My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused... I will not come in wrath.” I hear, in this passage, a deep longing. I sense how God's heart aches for His rebellious children. Not only have they gotten in with the wrong crowd and put themselves in harm's way, but also they have forsaken their Father... their Father, who raised them from birth, who gave them His love, who taught them to walk, and stooped over to feed them.

ccc Several times in Scripture we hear that God “will never leave... nor forsake” His children (e.g., Deuteronomy 31:6). There are few things a father wouldn't do to help his child. A father would jump into a raging river to save his drowning child. And if his child were lost, he would stop at nothing to find them. The story that I am going to share with you is not quite so dramatic, but I think it illustrates my point. When I was in High School, I decided to get involved in caving. (Some people are more familiar with the term “spelunking.”) Being the impulsive young adult that I was, I wrote to all of the caving groups in my home state of Illinois (and even a few in some of the surrounding states as well). Receiving a good response from one of the groups in particular, I decided to become a member. The meetings for this group were held on Friday evenings. Unable to drive myself at the time, my dad drove me to the meetings so I could pursue my passion for the underground. (Did I mention that the meeting place was 2 hours from home one way?) I quickly started going on caving trips, but I was still underage. As a result, the leaders of the cave trips required my father to come with me. He did.

ccc Of all the caves I dragged my father into, perhaps the one most worthy of mention is “Wayne's Cave.” Although the first little stretch of the cave is fairly mild, it quickly reaches an apparent dead-end. The astute caver, however, would probably notice the small hula-hoop-sized opening at foot level. The only way to continue on into the rest of the cave is through that opening... so my dad got down on his hands and knees—and at times on his belly—to navigate his way through “the crawlway” towards the more open cave passages on the other side. The length of the crawlway is 1500 feet—that is to say, all crawling and no standing for 1500 feet. At the tightest point of the crawlway, your belly touches the floor, your back touches the ceiling, and—at least with the typical caving helmet on—you have to decide which wall (right or left) you would like your head to face as you squeeze through on your belly. In total, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour of crawling—30 minutes if you're in good shape—just to get yourself through the crawlway. One way in... one way out. And it always took longer once you had worn yourself out. It certainly wasn't something my father would've chosen to do on his own. But out of love for me, he got down on his hands and knees—and even on his belly—and made his way through that cold and mucky stone-encased crawlway.

ccc This story of my father's love for me is a picture of God's love for humanity. The Bible says that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). We have rebelled against our heavenly Father (Isaiah 1:2). We have run away from home. We—like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-24)—have spent our inheritance of eternal life on worthless things and have gotten ourselves stuck in the crawlway of our own muck and sin. No more inheritance—no more eternal life. But God said of us, “How can I give you up? How can I hand you over to death?” And so God came down to earth, joining us in our mucky crawlway, just as the Bible says (John 1:1,14): “The Word”—who also “was God” (verse 1)—“became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (verse 14). God the Son took on flesh and died that He might redeem us from the entrapment of our sin: “For God [the Father] so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son”—God the Son—“that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God did not abandon us to our fate. As He has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Final Thoughts

This week, I hope you will join me in giving thanks to God for your earthly fathers and all of their God-given qualities. Not only that, but I hope you will also be thankful that God Himself is your father—He is a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5-6). Please know that God holds you close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11) and cares for you deeply. For those whose earthly fathers have passed away, may God give you comfort in His unfailing promises (Isaiah 46:4): “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Happy Father's Day!

GOD'S CHOSEN FAST

Introduction

This week, we continue our biblical investigation of fasting by looking at a unique passage of Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-7. Before you continue reading, I highly recommend that you read Isaiah 58 through in its entirety. In this week's devotion, we will examine the first half of this chapter (verses 1-7), which is most relevant to our topic. For the purpose of this devotion, I have divided this section of Scripture into two parts. The first part, Isaiah 58:1-5, is a description of faulty fasting. The second part, Isaiah 58:6-7, is God's description of true fasting. Although we are not going to consider the last half of the chapter in this devotion (Isaiah 58:8-14), it describes the benefits of obedience.

Isaiah 58:1-5: (1) Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. (2) For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. (3) 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. (4) Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. (5) Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

Faulty Fasting

Isaiah chapters 40-66 are prophetic writings that foretell the exile of the Israelites by the Babylonians. Presumably this is the context for their fasting—they were seeking deliverance from God. Yet in spite of their fasting, God was silent to their cries. Why? “For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God.” The Israelites' sins had separated them from God (Isaiah 59:2). They claimed to know God, but by their actions they were denying Him (cf., Titus 1:16). If they had really known God, they would have known God's commands, and they would have, therefore, recognized the error of their ways: “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Instead of recognizing what God was asking of them, they were fixated on their own desires—what they were asking of God: “They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.” Having forsaken God's commands and having therefore rebelled against God Himself, the Israelites were in no position to ask God for anything. To give an analogy, what they did was like quitting your job and then asking your ex-boss for a raise. It makes no sense. Before fasting “for just decisions”, the Israelites needed first to turn to God in repentance. Before asking for God's blessings, they needed to stop being rebellious.

ccc The Israelites' response to God's silence expresses their indignation: “Why have we fasted... and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?” Although outwardly the Israelites appeared to be people of God (through their sacrifices, their prayers, and their observance of the various fasts and festivals), all of their religious activities were only a pretense. They were not really seeking God Himself, they were seeking relief from their troubles. They wanted the benefits of God without the relationship—without the obedience. Their seeking was a selfish seeking. They were idolaters, because their hearts were not set on God. As Martin Luther has said (in his Large Catechism), “...whatever you set your heart on and put your trust in is truly your god.” Describing the Israelites, God said, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13).

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This heartless form of religion was also a problem in Jesus' day. To the Jewish leaders He said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:23-27). Jesus has harsh words for those whose seeking of God—and, therefore, of Him!—is only pretense.

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The Israelites had asked, “Why have we fasted... and you have not seen it?” Although God had indeed seen the Israelites' fasting, He certainly didn't approve. In the second part of verse 3, God gives His rebuttal: “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” Even as other nations had oppressed them, they were disobeying God by oppressing one another. The Israelites' fasting—indeed, their whole “religion”—was faulty. God speaks against this kind of religion in Jeremiah 7:9-10 when He says, “Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, 'We are safe'—safe to do all these detestable things?” In these verses, God is saying that if we live of a life of sin, we cannot continue to come before Him with our sacrifices, expecting to be rewarded. Isaiah 1:11-13 expresses God's view of all such sacrifices: “The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me? ...I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings!...” The Israelites' religion was faulty because God was no longer at the heart of it. Their religion consisted only of empty rituals.

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And so God asks, “Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself?” This is a question for us as well. Is it only a day that God is asking for—one day of fasting, one day of worship, one day of sacrifice? Is He not asking for our entire life? And is it only outward religion that God is asking for—“for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes”? Is He not asking for our entire self—heart, soul, mind, and strength? Are we not “to offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” as a “spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1)? From these passages we see that fasting is not something that is done in isolation from the rest of our lives. We can't use fasting as a way of making up for a sinful lifestyle, nor should we think that God will disregard our sinful lifestyle just because we have “humbled” ourselves with fasting. Clearly there is much more to fasting than abstaining from food. This brings us to the next section of Scripture that we will consider:

Isaiah 58:6-7: (6) Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? (7) Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

True Fasting

In Isaiah 58:6-7, God asks two rhetorical questions. One thing we must consider is whether or not this is a stand-alone passage that we can use as a definition for true fasting. To consider this, let me pose a question: If we do all of the things described in this passage, and nothing else, are our lives pleasing to God—are we fasting? Since biblical fasting is fasting for God (Zechariah 7:5), the answer to my question must be “No.” A person can do all of these good things and still fail to acknowledge God. What God really asks of us is “...to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees...” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). And all of these commands are summarized in Jesus' statement to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40). And when Jesus says that “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments,” He means to say that if you obey these two commands, all the others will follow.

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More than anything else, the rhetorical questions in Isaiah 58:6-7 suggest that these things in particular—loosing the chains of injustice, sharing food with the hungry, etc—were commands from God that the Israelites had failed to obey (e.g., Exodus 23:9, Deuteronomy 15:7-8). In these questions, God was speaking to the spiritual deficit of the current generation of Israelites. Reading between the lines, I can start to make out the multifaceted thoughts and intentions that God was (and is) communicating through this passage: (1) God didn't approve of the way the Israelites were treating one another, so it's as if He's saying to them, “Woe to you, you hypocrites! You seek Me with fasting, but you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (cf., Matthew 23:23). (2) God was also frustrated by how quickly the Israelites had forgotten and strayed from His commands. Through these verses He says, “Don't you remember what I've been telling you all along? That I want you to love Me above all else? And to love your neighbor as yourself?” (cf., Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18). (3) I also hear within God's questions a warning that says, “Abstain from your sins and your excesses! Stop taking advantage of others, and start standing up for the needs of your fellow man! Take an interest in the poor and the homeless! Don't you realize that to love Me is to love all of them as well?” Surely this is what Jesus meant when He said, “whatever you [do] for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you [do] for me” (Matthew 25:40).

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Isaiah 58:6-7 is God's plea to the Israelites of Isaiah's day to reform their ways—to give up their empty religious practices and to seek Him with their whole heart. God wanted them to exchange their false religion—devoid of love—for a relationship with Him. This is still what God wants from us today: to respect and trust Him, to walk in His ways, to obey His commands, and—most importantly—to love Him with all of our being. It is only when we do these things that our fasting (and other religious practices) can have any meaning.

Conclusion

In the last few devotions, we've scratched the surface of biblical fasting. It was not my intention to provide a detailed explanation for how to fast, nor was it my intention to provide a comprehensive description of Bible passages dealing with fasting. Instead, I have simply tried to answer a few basic questions: (1) Is fasting relevant for Christians today? Is it something we should even consider? (Yes.) (2) What is the purpose or significance of fasting? (It is not just an empty ritual, but an attitude of humility and total dependence on God.) (3) What are some reasons for fasting? (Mourning, Repentance, More focused prayer.) (4) Is there a wrong way to fast? (Yes! Mindless and hypocritical fasting are unacceptable to God.) The conclusion? Seeking God wholeheartedly is more important than any other thing we can do. Although fasting is an appropriate method for seeking God, it must be sincere.

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In light of this week's Scripture, I encourage you to fast from your indifference. Consider the poor, the homeless, and the oppressed around the world and take a moment to pray for them. Take the time to find out more about the persecution, poverty, and injustice that is taking place in the world right now. Request a free copy of the book "Tortured for Christ" to learn more about persecution. Browse the websites already listed or read “The Hole in Our Gospel” (by Richard Stearns) to learn more about how to get involved. Just remember that Jesus has commanded you to “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).

"...ALL FOR THE GLORY..."

Introduction

Last week we made the connection between fasting and humility—and between humility and relying on God. We've learned quite a lot—not only about fasting, but about how we should live in general. But there is still much more that we can learn about fasting from the Bible. Over the past two weeks, we had an in depth look at Jesus' quotation (Matthew 4:4) and its historical background (Exodus 15-16, and Deuteronomy 8). This week, we will examine the basic circumstances that motivated Biblical fasting.

Bad News for the Jews

Besides humility and helplessness, there are several conditions or circumstances that are commonly associated with Biblical fasting. Mourning is the first condition we will consider. In Matthew 9:15, Jesus equates fasting with mourning when he explains why His disciples are not conforming to the practices of the Pharisees: “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” Fasting and mourning are connected in several other passages of Scripture. For example, after a battle in which many of their people died, “David and all the men” responded to the bad news by tearing their clothes and weeping, mourning, and fasting until evening (2 Samuel 1:11-12). Mourning is almost always the result of receiving some kind of bad news.

ccc The book of Esther contains a prime example of bad news followed by fasting and mourning. Esther 3:8-14, 4:3 tells the story: “Then Haman said to King Xerxes, 'There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them...' So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman... the king said to Haman, '...do with the people as you please.' ...Haman's orders... were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and little children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day... In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.” Mourning—or bad news—is one circumstance that motivates Biblical fasting.

Fasting and Repentance

In the Old Testament, Joel (1:1-2:11) prophesies about the judgment that God is going to pour out on the Jews because of their sins. When we read about judgment, it is tempting to point a finger at God and wonder how He can be so cruel. But think for a moment about the purpose of Joel's prophecy. Why does God tell the Israelites about the coming devastation? Isn't Joel's prophecy a warning from God? Aren't his words a call to repentance? God's mercy is clearly evident in the following passage: “'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (Joel 2:12-13). In this passage of Scripture, the word “return” means repent. We turn away from God by ignoring Him and His commands. We turn away from God whenever we sin. Therefore, when we realize we have sinned, we need to return to God. How do we return to God? We return by confessing our sins, asking for God's forgiveness, and resolving to obey His commands in the future. Our sinfulness, then, is another kind of bad news that should cause us to fast, mourn, and repent.

ccc Jonah chapter 3 is an excellent example of repentance-associated fasting: “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 'Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.' Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: 'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.' The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: 'By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.' When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.”

Fasting and Prayer

So far, we have talked about the relationship of humility, mourning (or bad news), and repentance with fasting. Whereas mourning and repentance are somewhat circumstantial, humility (or helplessness) is a fundamental aspect of fasting. In other words, fasting and humility go hand in hand. However, prayer is also a vital component of fasting. When we find ourselves in humiliating and helpless situations, we should pray. When we receive unchangeable bad news, we should mourn and pray. When we come face-to-face with the magnitude of our sinfulness, we should repent and pray. As Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

ccc As we have seen in past devotions, fasting is a way of acknowledging that without God we are truly helpless—even when we feel self-sufficient. Fasting is a way of acknowledging that God is in control. Should we acknowledge God's sovereignty in our lives and then not ask Him for His help? No—that would be absurd! Especially since God wants us to ask Him for His help (Matthew 7:7-11)—in everything!

ccc Ezra 8:21-23 is a good example of fasting and prayer in the Bible: “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, 'The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.' So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.”

Pomp or Circumstance?

In the examples described above, difficult circumstances caused people to turn to God with fasting. It is important to remember that God should always be the focus of our fasting. If we make ourselves the focus of fasting, then we are like the hypocrites that Jesus described in Matthew 6:16, and we are merely putting on pomp—an “ostentatious or vain display.” In Zechariah 7:4-6, we read God's words as spoken by the prophet Zechariah: “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?'” And in 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul gives us the following exhortation: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” So, when you fast, when you pray, when you worship... what is your motivation: (1) pomp or (2) circumstances that drive you to acknowledge and rely on God? This week I encourage you to “do it all for the glory of God.” Next week, we will continue our Biblical examination by looking at a more charitable view of fasting.

IN FOOD WE TRUST?

Introduction

Last week we talked about some of the problems associated with fasting. It's common misuse has left a bad taste in our mouths and has discouraged many of us from attempting it for ourselves. Then we looked at some Scriptures which showed that fasting is not just a thing of the past. Starting with Jesus' temptation, we then began to try and determine the purpose of Biblical fasting. And this is what we found: fasting puts food in its proper place. Life comes from God, not from food. In this week's devotion, we will explore the larger context of Jesus' Old Testament quote in Matthew 4:4. Recall that this is a quote from chapter 8 of Deuteronomy, which recounts the journey that the Israelites took through the desert after they fled from Egypt. The original account of this event is given in Exodus 15-16, which is where we will begin this week's devotion.

Give us this day our Daily Bread

During their 40-year journey through the desert, the Israelites were totally dependent on God. After their escape from Egypt, the Bible says that “For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water” (Exodus 15:22). When they finally came across some water, they couldn't drink it because it was bitter. As a result, the Israelites started grumbling. Soon thereafter, God provided for them by making the bitter water turn sweet (Exodus 15:25). In response to their lack of food, the grumblings continued: “If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death” (Exodus 16:2-3). But again, God provided for them by raining down bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4), which they called “manna” (Exodus 16:31). God promised to rain down manna from heaven every morning (and quail every evening). The manna was God's daily provision of bread for the nourishment of the Israelites.

ccc Exodus 16:13-20 describes the Israelites' first encounter with the manna: “...in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.' " The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed. Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning." However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.”

ccc The Israelites' reaction to the manna is interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, it illustrates how the Israelites were totally dependent upon God. There was no natural source of food in the desert. By raining down manna from heaven, God Himself was their source of food. The Israelites could collect as much manna as they wanted, but they couldn't store it up for the future because it wouldn't keep—by the next day it had already spoiled. God didn't allow the Israelites to keep any of the manna until morning because He wanted them to rely on Him. The Israelites' disobedience is an indication that they didn't trust God. They wanted to be self-sufficient. They wanted to be in control. Since they couldn't create their own bread (as God had done for them), they decided to take control by storing some of it up for the future as a safety net.

ccc Another reason this story is so interesting is because it is relevant for us today as well. In our case, we are not storing up manna, but rather wealth. We store up wealth for a variety of reasons (e.g., emergencies, retirement), and, in so doing, we feel secure because we have created for ourselves a safety net. There's nothing wrong with having a savings account or a retirement fund, but how would you feel if you suddenly lost it? Or how would you feel if God asked you to give your excess money to the poor instead of saving it for yourself? (See e.g., Matthew 19:21.) Most of us, I think, feel quite uncomfortable with this idea. Like the Israelites, we like to have a safety net. But a safety net (wealth in our example) is just an idol if we trust in it more than we trust in God. It gives us a feeling of security, but our feelings are false. Wealth, health, and all of our assets can be lost in an instant. God is our only true source of security in this life.

Examining Jesus' Quote

In the last devotion, we saw how Jesus used an Old Testament quotation to respond to the devil's temptation to turn the stones into bread. The quote comes from chapter 8 of Deuteronomy, which provides an explanation as to why God tested the Israelites in the desert: “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you” (Deuteronomy 8:2-5).

ccc This text describes how God imposed fasting on the Israelites. He caused them to hunger (and thirst), but in the end He provided everything they needed—not only food and water, but also durable clothes and healthy feet. Why did He do this? The passage of Scripture above associates hunger with humility. Fasting, then, is a way of humbling ourselves before God (see e.g., Ezra 8:21, Psalm 35:13). As we have already discussed, fasting in and of itself is meaningless. Our fasting should not be mindless but rather, when we fast, our focus should be on God (see e.g., Zechariah 7:4-6). In the same way, fasting in and of itself does not generate humility. So how do we cultivate an attitude of humility?

ccc When we fast—and even when we don't—we need to recognize our total dependence on God. Being dependent and asking for help is itself a humbling thing. The more we see ourselves from God's point of view, the more humble we will be. The truth we need to recognize is that God is so much bigger than we are. In Isaiah 55:9, He says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The way we live our lives reveals whether or not we truly believe this about God. How do we react in the face of great troubles—with fear or with faith and trust? How do we react when things are going well—with gratitude or with boasting and pride?

Fear & Pride vs. Gratitude & Trust

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” When life looks bleak we have two options. Since we are unable to help ourselves we can either (1) worry, fear, and despair or (2) “lean not on [our] own understanding” but instead choose to trust in God. The first option—worry—results in grumbling. This was the Israelites' reaction to their lack of food and water in the desert. Faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, we sometimes do the only thing we feel we can—we complain about our problems. We feel trapped by our inability to change our situation. Our problems become the focus of our life. Have you been there? I know I certainly have! It is important to keep in mind, though, that fear, worry, and despair are the same as unbelief. We can't worry and, at the same time, be trusting God. Faith and fear are mutually exclusive.

ccc The second choice—trusting in God—causes us to lean more on Him. When we trust in God, He becomes “our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). In our helplessness we do the only thing we can do—pray, fast, and seek God with all our heart. When we do this, God becomes the focus of our life. When we seek God wholeheartedly and lay our needs before Him, something miraculous happens. God becomes our refuge—He looks out for our best interests (Romans 8:28). He changes our hearts and answers our prayers—although not always in the way we expect. Although at first we may be worried and fearful, as we seek Him, our anxiety turns to peace (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV): “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

ccc When life is going well, it is tempting to take credit for whatever success we are experiencing. In this case, our two choices are (1) to boast about “our” success or (2) to give credit to God. The first reaction is pride; the second is humility. In Deuteronomy 8:10-14,17-18, God warns the Israelites about the dangers of success: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God... You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”

ccc Everything we have—including our talents—comes from God. Some people are really good at learning and reasoning. Some people have built up thriving businesses, capable of producing great wealth. Some people are great athletes. Some people are fashionable. Some have “street smarts.” Since all of these gifts come from God, taking credit for our talents and our wealth makes no sense. “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). When things are going well in our lives, the appropriate reaction is to acknowledge God with praise and thanksgiving: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Summary & Conclusion

It may seem as though we've strayed from our topic of fasting, but all of the themes in this devotion are related. Let's review. God imposed fasting on the Israelites to humble them. Dictionary.com defines the verb to humble in the following ways: (1) “to lower in condition, importance, or dignity; abase,” (2) “to destroy the independence, power, or will of,” (3) “to make meek: to humble one's heart.” Was it the hunger that humbled the Israelites? Perhaps in part—but it was more than that. The Israelites were especially humbled as they came face to face with the truth of their situation: they were helpless—they needed God. In the desert they had no food. Leaning on their own understanding of the situation, the Israelites concluded that they were going to starve to death. (Not a happy prospect!) Their reaction, however, was one of pride. A humble reaction would've been to seek God—to lean on Him. Instead, the Israelites looked only to their own strength. Helpless to save themselves, they grumbled in reaction to their worry, fear, and despair. Like the Israelites, the more we focus on our problems, the more insurmountable they become in our minds. We stop believing that God can help us, and we lose sight of how big God is. We forget that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). The story of the Israelites' reaction to their hunger in the desert is the perfect example of how not to fast.

ccc God put the Israelites in a low and humble position to emphasize the gap between them and Him. Whether we realize it or not, that gap is always there—even when life seems to be going well. But, as you have heard, pride comes before the fall (Proverbs 16:18). The Israelites had to be driven to a desperate situation before they could recognize their humble position before God. We see it in the Bible time and time again. The Israelites followed God and things went well. They became proud, started relying on themselves and following their sinful desires, and then things were bad. Then they sought God and repented and, once again, He delivered them. All you have to do is to read through the book of Judges to see this obvious pattern of pride and humility—of success and defeat (e.g., Judges 2:11 & 2:15-19, 3:7 & 3:9, etc).

ccc As we have seen, fasting is a Biblical way of acknowledging our humble position before God. Fasting is a way of saying, “God, I am totally dependent on you—I can't do this on my own.” It's a way of saying, “Lord, if you aren't with me, I know my plans won't succeed” (see Acts 5:38-39). But we shouldn't begin to think that humility is something we save only for a day of fasting. Humility should characterize our entire lifestyle. Every day of our lives we should resubmit ourselves to God. Every day we should earnestly seek Him and trust in Him as the source of all good things (see Hebrews 11:6). And even in the desert of life when things seem hopeless, we should “not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and [our] heavenly Father knows that [we] need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to [us] as well” (Matthew 6:31-33).

ccc This week, I hope you will join me in seeking God and learning to rely on Him anew. I also encourage you to read and ponder 2 Chronicles 14:2-16:14, which is yet another example of how God rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Here are some questions to consider:

1. According to 2 Chronicles 14:2-5, what does seeking God entail?

2. What was King Asa's (and Judah's) reward for seeking God? (See 2 Chronicles 14:2-7.)

3. When trouble came (2 Chronicles 14:9), how did King Asa respond? (See 2 Chronicles 14:8-15.) Describe his response in the context of this week's devotion. How does his response compare with that of the Israelites' in Exodus 16:3?

4. According to 2 Chronicles 15:2, what is the opposite of seeking God?

5. In 2 Chronicles chapter 16, King Asa stops seeking God. What are some of the mistakes he made?

6. What did these three chapters teach you about seeking and relying on God?