Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “Nehemiah”. As I read the memory verse, I just needed to write this week on fasting, highlighted in Sunday’s lesson (for October 6). I think fasting has been misunderstood by many of us. I know I misunderstood it myself. I believed that weeping, fasting and earnest pray was necessary at times to move the hand of God. So wrong. So, so wrong. Let’s take a look…
As noted many times before, one of the tenets of faith that are always true for me is the concept that false doctrines are indeed false because they put our God in a false light. False doctrines say or imply something false about Him. This concept is a touchstone to determine the truth of things. So my statement above, that earnest pray and fasting are necessary to move the hand of God, implies He is unwilling to “move” on my behalf UNTIL I do something. And this concept is most obviously false. He is not ever unwilling to act on my behalf, as demonstrated by the life of Christ. And my actions are not necessary to change God, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob” (Malachi 3:6). My actions do not change God. Repeat, my actions do not change God. This false idea comes straight from Satan and is the “raison d'être” for the practice of sacraments. A sacrament is something a person does to make God act. I partake of a sacrament (for example: eat the “bread of the presence” in communion) and this act of mine moves the hand of God to act in my behalf. Until I do this, so goes this false reasoning, He will not so act and is, in fact, unwilling to so act. And it isn’t just Catholics that are prone to this false idea. We Adventists, too, can fall prey to this subtle deception.
Have you ever felt that the good things you do leads God to be pleased with you and to act favorably in your behalf? I know at one time, I did believe this. But this is false. God acts in the best interest of all at all times… saint and sinner alike. My actions or lack of them does not lead God to love me more or love me less. He loves. And His love leads Him to act on my behalf. I need not perform any act, any sacrament, any “fast” to make God willing to act in my behalf. So what is the purpose of praying, weeping fasting? It is not to change God, but to change me. It does not bring God down to us but us up to Him. Praying and fasting are designed to change me.
God’s heart is always reaching-out in love to each of us. God in Christ coming to us, not waiting for us to come to Him, is proof of this and His intention toward us. But the good God wishes to do for us cannot often be received by us, because we might take the credit for it all. Making us proud and leading us even farther from Him who alone is life. True fasting is not to move the hand of God, but to enable us to clearly see the things of God and to see how we can be His hands of mercy (read Isaiah 58). AHA! Prayer and fasting are to change us! We are such selfish sinners that we cannot even see straight. Even when we sinners reach-out to others, it is often from a selfish motive. A self-centered perspective. As such, God is hindered from doing all He wants to do. WE ARE HIS BIGGEST OBSTACLE! We who claim Him as our Lord are His biggest obstacle. God does not require fasting. He never suggested this idea of fasting at all (see SDA Bible Dictionary under “fast”). But He knows that we humans need to put action to our faith in order for our faith to be stronger, to be real.
Let us not misunderstand nor misrepresent our God of Love. We so often even talk as if our actions are necessary to make God act. But our actions from a heart of trust in God are only a means to help us see the love of God clearly and His loving will for each of us. To see Him and His heart of true love. To be available to be used by Him to act sincerely for the good of others. The need is all-around us. And if we fast or pray to move the hand of God we could miss God’s work literally under our feet (like the priest and Levite who passed-by the one truly helped by the Good Samaritan). Our fasting and praying are not to move God’s hand but to see best how to be His hands (again, see Isaiah 58). Let us pray honestly and transparently, weep sincerely and passionately, and fast to be seen by God alone to be open to His leading. Not to move His unwilling hand. He is willing. We must “keep the way clear” (Hymn # 322 “Nothing Between”). Let us be on His wavelength and not our own. To be His hands, His feet, His heart indeed.
With brotherly love,
Jim