“How sweet are your living promises to me;
sweeter than honey is your revelation-light.”
(Psalm 119:103 TPT)
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the liturgical season of Lent. Ash Wednesday begins a forty day season of preparing for Easter – a time of preparation that involves deep introspection as we ponder the reality of what Jesus did for us on the cross. But it’s also (traditionally) a time of fasting – giving up food or drink or pleasures or (more recently) television, social media, news, etc. – giving up something so we might spend more time with God in his Word or in prayer.
For several weeks I’ve had this idea that “the fast is a feast.” I don’t know that I completely understand it because I generally think of a fast as a time of going without something. Or that you fast and pray in order to petition God for something really important or extraordinary. Neither one sounds like feasting to me.
If I were to guess, you are enough like me that you’re not really wild about fasting from food (or drink, or sleep, or…). You do it because you know the benefits, you are obedient to God’s call to fast and pray, and you believe it makes a difference. But it’s probably not really “fun.” I’ve been wondering, though, if we need to turn the concept of “fasting” into a “feast.”
Instead of focusing on giving up chocolate or desserts or sugar or food, maybe we should focus on feasting on God’s goodness as we spend time in prayer and, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8 NIV)
Instead of focusing on giving up television, movies, social media, or other entertainment, maybe we should focus on feasting on the Word of God and the reality that, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV)
Instead of focusing on the things we feel we lose, we could focus on the feast we are experiencing.
More time with God.
More time in his Word.
More of God.
Maybe fasting can be a feast this year.
Timeless God,
Your love, God, reaches to the heavens and your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You preserve us and your unfailing love is priceless, O God. Thank you that we take refuge in the shadow of your wings and feast on the abundance of your love. You give us drink from the river of delights, your fountain of life, and we live in your Light. Continue your love to those who know you, who have confessed that we are sinful and have rebelled against you. You are merciful and forgiving and you hear the prayers of our hearts. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. This year we pray that as we enter into the season of Lent, we will view the fast we take, no matter the form, as a feast on you. Help us to give up the things you call us to give up and, instead, to feast on you in your word, prayer, and your presence. Holy Spirit, help us taste and see that you are good and that we live from every word that you give us. May this Lenten season be a season of fasting from distractions and feasting on your goodness and grace. In the strong name of Christ we pray, Amen.
5 “Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10 Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise!” (Psalm 36:5-12 NIV)
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.
““Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Daniel 9:3-10, 17-19 NIV)