Wednesday’s Word

I used to be fast. As a competitor in my younger days I was a sprinter.  I swam fast, walked fast, made informed decisions fast, and drove fast. Now, nothing in my life is fast.  (I found a very interesting article and YouTube video concerning the difference between fast and slow twitch muscles. You may enjoy them.)

But that is not the fast I want to discuss here. My church is doing a 14 day fast between next Friday and Passover which will be in two weeks. We celebrate Passover meal by going through Scriptures of how Jesus Christ is our Passover lamb.  What is the correlation? Before the time of Jesus, the Israelites celebrated Passover with the blood of pure and spotless lambs. It started in Egypt before the crossing of the Red Sea. There was to be a plague to come upon the Egyptians, and God told them to put blood about their door posts so the evil would pass over their houses. (see Exodus 12)

Ezekiel 45:15  And one lamb shall be given from a flock of two hundred, from the rich pastures of Israel. These shall be for grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them,” says the Lord God.

Jesus came to earth specifically to die and shed his blood to be our Passover lamb. John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

We celebrate Passover to glorify God for his plan of redemption.

Fasts can be for a specific amount of days and you can fast by eliminating all or some foods or things or habits. During this particular fast I’m going to fast from social media. This will include WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. I will post an exciting collaboration that I’ve just been invited to join on Friday. I am very blessed for this new adventure!

The reason why I have chosen that is I’m already participating in a fast of certain foods as I intercede for my family. My family is torn apart by alcohol and drug addiction. I pray for healing, reconciliation, and victory!

And why do we fast? Below are some scriptures that talk about why we fast. The short answer is to draw nearer to God and as we draw near to God he draws near to us! See James 4:7-10.

Ezra 8:21  Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.

Psalm 35:13  But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing wassackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.

Joel 2:12  “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

Matthew 6:18  so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matthew 17:20-22  So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

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