For twenty-one days, I am going to eat nothing. I'm going to drink fruit and veggie juices instead. Really? Me, the consummate foodie?!
I felt God leading me to do this, so I'm following that call. I'm 5 days into this and I'll tell you that it's going well. But those cheeseburgers I made for dinner really got to me. And the chips. And the salad. It's the first time in these five days that the lure of food was strong.
But I resisted. Why? Because I want this time for reliance on God to be my portion. I am wanting to draw even closer to him because I want to walk in obedience. I want his light to shine through me. I am praying for wisdom as I serve the church this year. I am begging for discernment and wisdom as we look to start a new business.
That means I need "big God." I am wanting him in my life in a big way, so I am sacrificing in a big way and relying on him. I have previously only fasted for one day at a time. This is out of my realm of experience, but I'm excited to have him sustain me. Let me share a story with you.
We had just returned home from the grocery store, and I was putting the week's worth of groceries away. Oh, yeah. Not groceries for my meals, but those for my family! I was down to my last bag and the kids had their chips and cheese dip out. "God," I asked, "how does my not eating glorify you? Does my fasting really honor you?" Everything I had read stated that fasting and prayer are both important parts of a Christian's discipline. But I wanted to ask him.
A minute later I opened a drawer to look for an item. In front of my face was $170 and a picture of a GPS from a Target ad. This money had been missing for two weeks! I had set this money in this drawer, I thought, after I removed it from the card. I was going to the bank the next day and couldn't find the money. I searched everywhere in the kitchen. I looked in that drawer at least 20 times. I took everything out. I went through the trash, rummaged through the recycling bins, and the empty Christmas boxes. The money was nowhere to be found. Until God asnswered my question. Yes, fasting honors him.
So I fast. And those hamburgers didn't smell nearly as sweet as the possibility of hearing the words of Jesus one day when he says, "Well done."
