SUNDAY
Feasting Or Fasting
Remove one little “e” from the word feasting and you have fasting. There’s not much difference in the two words, but a world of difference in their meanings. Fasting can be done in prayer for spiritual purposes, and fasting can be done for physical purposes. Moses fasted several times for 40 days and nights on the mountain but I believe that he was only able to do this because he was in the presence of God. God gave Moses laws about their feasts during the year, but I don’t remember any laws about fasting. It is much more enjoyable to have a feast, as at Thanksgiving, than to fast. Jesus spoke of fasting. In chapter 15 of the book of Matthew Jesus healed the multitude. “Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.” (Matthew 15:32) He fed 4,000 men, plus women and children with seven loaves and a few little fish. He did not want to endanger them by having them fast longer than the three days they had been there. In Chapter 17 Jesus indicated that there is a time to fast for spiritual needs. “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21) I have read in several sources that the slogan, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, was invented in the early 1900’s to sell breakfast cereal. We grew up believing this and many still feel like they need a big breakfast to start the day. It may not be the same for others, but I found out years ago that when I eat breakfast I stay hungry all day. If I skip breakfast it may be several hours before I feel hungry. I learned about intermittent fasting and my doctor encouraged me to try it. “Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between scheduled periods of eating and fasting, focusing on when you eat rather than what you eat. It aims to deplete the body's sugar stores so it switches to burning fat.” (Johns Hopkins Medicine) There are several ways to follow intermittent fasting. If I eat lunch at noon and then finish dinner by 8:00 pm, this gives me 16 hours without food giving the body’s cells time for repair and energy. There are several different types of IF and several benefits. It works for me, but it is not for everyone. If you are interested in trying it, please check with your doctor first. Here is another verse the Lord showed me as I was reading recently, “Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!” (Ecclesiastes 10:16)
MONDAY
What About Figs?
When we were working with the youth at church we had a Bible feast. I asked each family to bring a food that was found in the Bible and that would be our meal. It turned out great and we had several different foods, which we ate with water, milk, and pomegranate juice. I was able to get some figs, and I don’t think anyone in our group liked them. I also fixed a pot of lentils, which I like, but most of the kids did not. I was trying to think of what Jesus ate. We have several stories that tell us He ate bread and fish. He ate the Passover meal, which is lamb. The only other thing I could think of that is mentioned specifically is figs. When Jesus was going from Bethany to Jerusalem He came to a fig tree, but there were no figs on it. (Mark 11:13) So, I was already thinking about figs when I came to the 38th chapter of Isaiah. King Hezekiah was sick and the prophet Isaiah told him that the Lord said to set his house in order because he was going to die. The King turned his face to the wall and wept and prayed and God heard his prayer and said that He would add 15 years to his life. God said that he would deliver them out of the hand of Assyria, and give him a sign that he would live. “Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.” (Isaiah 38:8) I don’t know of any other time when time went backwards. Now we have come to the part about figs. “For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.” (Isaiah 38:21) I don’t know if there is any healing power in figs. I do know that they are mentioned throughout the Bible. When Naaman dipped 7 times in the Jordan River, the healing power was not in the water of the river. (II Kings 5) When the oil and meal was replenished each day for the widow of Zarephath, the miracle was not in the barrel. “And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.” (I Kings 17:15-16) When Jesus healed the blind man with clay, the healing was not in the clay. There may be some healing properties in figs, or it may have been the simple fruit that God used to fulfill His Word. The trees in the book of Revelation will be for healing. “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2) God gave us the food we eat and I’m sure we don’t know all the benefits of His provision.
TUESDAY
God Still Has The Power To Heal
Several years ago when friends and family were dying of Covid, I was lying in the hospital bed when the doctor told me that I had Covid Pneumonia and Sepsis. I knew that either one of these diseases could take my life, and I had both. I asked the Lord to let me live, and He graciously did. We just looked at the miraculous healing of King Hezekiah, and when I was reading about it in Isaiah, I thought about how God has healed me several times. He didn’t make the sun go backwards, or give me a sign that He was going to heal me. But, I knew that I was sick enough, it was the power of God that brought me through. I stopped breathing after the last two chemo treatments and the last one I knew that I was dying, but God opened my airway and I started breathing again. When Michael had heart surgery, he was in Code Blue three times, but God brought him through it and I am so thankful for these added years. God may have brought you through times that you could see it was the hand of God Almighty. There may be times in all our lives that God has delivered us from accidents on the highway that we don’t even realize. I never complain when I make a wrong turn when I’m driving, because God may be leading me out of harm’s way. Some are not healed here on earth. But, for all who are saved, we can rejoice that one day God is going to deliver us from all pain and sorrow. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
WEDNESDAY
Something Sweet
We began this series on, “Seek And Ye Shall Find” and I am happy that the Lord is still showing me verses as I continue through the book of Isaiah. This morning I read Isaiah 43:24, “Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.” Most sources say that sweet cane was used to make sweet oil. It reminds me of the sweet cane that is used today to make sugar. God has blessed us with sweet things, not only in the foods that we enjoy, but also in our lives. Do we give back to God of the sweet things in our lives? Do we give the Lord the sweet time of our day? I enjoy reading my Bible first thing in the morning, before the day gets busy. Others may choose to read the Bible at the end of the day and meditate on God’s Word as they drift off to sleep. We shouldn’t get too busy to give the Lord a sacrifice of our time. We could refer to our youth as our sweet time in life. I am glad that the Lord called to me when I was young. Don’t put off serving the Lord. Give God the good years of your life, the sweet years, before your body grows old. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” (Ecclesiastes 12:1) One of the sweetest, most precious things in our lives is our children. When the Lord blesses us with children we should give them back to Him. Ephesians 6:4 tells us to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” The Israelites gave offerings of a sweet savor to the Lord. “Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.” (Numbers 28:2) The Lord has blessed us with sweetness. “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103) Let’s give to Him a sacrifice of praise! “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15) “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” (Ephesians 5:2)
THURSDAY
Water Of Life
We have another verse in Isaiah. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters…” (Isaiah 55:1) I don’t know what your weather has been like, but here in central North Carolina, we have had temperatures in the high 90s and periods of no rain. I am thankful that God has blessed us with rain the last few days. A few weeks ago I worked in the garden for a couple hours and got dehydrated and it turned into a trip to the Emergency Room and some IV fluids. We need water. I have read that 60% of the weight of an average adult is water. Please remember to drink plenty of water, especially if you are spending time outside in the sun and heat. You may have to work in the heat, please remember to stay hydrated. Jesus said, “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41) I recently saw a man working in the severe heat and I asked him if he would like a bottle of water, and he told me he would. I gave him the water and a gospel tract along with it. Use every opportunity to give out the gospel message that Jesus saves. Not only do we need water for our physical body, but we need spiritual water. Jesus is the living water! “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 17:22)
FRIDAY
Our Daily Bread
Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11) I always had a hard time trying to stay on a diet that didn’t allow bread. A hamburger just isn’t a hamburger without the bun. I always thought, “Jesus ate bread, so it can’t be that bad.” But, our bread is not the same as it was years ago. I was in the grocery store recently and overhead a conversation about bread. The man had worked for a flour company and he explained that the difference in our bread recently is in the flour. Bread doesn’t seem as soft. He said that the flour had been modified so that it wouldn’t mold so quickly. I had been wondering why the bread I buy doesn’t mold like it used to. I don’t think the food modifications are good for us. There are different types of grain in the Bible for their breads. God has given us so much more than bread to eat. We have nuts and fruit. “I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.” (Song Of Solomon 6:11) I have only tasted pomegranates once, but I plan to try them again. They must be very special because they were used to decorate the hem of Aaron’s priestly garments. “And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen. And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;” (Exodus 39:24-25) Other foods mentioned in the Bible are beans, cucumbers, melons, olives, grapes, and raisins. They also had spices, oils, and onions and garlic to flavor their food. The law of the Old Testament gave specific instructions on clean animals which they could eat and unclean, which they could not. In the New Testament we are under grace and not under the law. God showed Peter that the Gentiles were also given the opportunity to be saved.
“12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (Acts 10:12-15)
I am so thankful that God saved me! And I am thankful that He has given us such a variety of foods to eat!
SATURDAY
Sleep
My doctor tells me that I need 8 hours of sleep at night. My watch tells me that I usually get between 5 and 7 hours a night. When I lay down to sleep my mind sorts out all the things that I didn’t get sorted out during the day. I try to pray at night before I go to sleep and sometimes I pray for everyone I can think of and other times I don’t even get through my family before I fall asleep. A little honey at night helps me sleep. And when I work in the garden or some other activity I sleep better. The Bible verse I have for healthful sleep is Psalm 127:2, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Knowing that the Lord is watching over us should help ease our fearful minds so we can sleep better. “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.” (Proverbs 3:24) Another thing that helps me when I am stressed or weary or bothered by something and can’t sleep is to start being thankful. I start thanking God for His blessings in my life. One by one I remember how good my Lord is to me and it calms my mind and my heart and I am at peace. Being thankful eases my troubled mind and I can feel the burdens lifted when I’m talking to my Lord.
