I opened the door to the pantry. My eyes grazed the shelves full of food that I couldn’t eat. It would have been a piece of cake to sneak a few crackers or grab some of the little bro’s Halloween candy. However, my food was at the bottom of the pantry in a special bag separating it from the rest of the food. My food had to meet strict requirements for the three week fast. Don’t get me wrong, I had plenty of good food, but all of a sudden I was painfully aware of all the food that was restricted from my diet for the three weeks of the fast.
I mentioned in a previous blog, DANG, I Am Hungry! that I had never fasted. My squad chose to try the Daniel Fast to help us prepare for the race by being rejuvenated in God and bonding as a team. A fellow teammate, Heather, provided us with a bible study for the book of Daniel so that we could explore Daniel’s life while doing the fast of his namesake. I won’t get into what I learned from that study, but here is the link to that comprehensive study. I promise it will stretch your understanding of Daniel and God’s faithfulness.
The first two weeks I did well. I survived Halloween without eating any candy. I endured living with a family that makes delicious meals every. single. night. I sat through two birthday parties without even a taste of frosting. I attended my hometown’s huge Oyster Festival and I wasn’t even tempted to eat any of the off-limits food. It was in the last three or four days where I grew weak. Thoughts like “does it really matter if you make it the whole three weeks without cheating just a liiiiiitle bit?” Or “If you’re feeling weak it’s ok to eat it.” Or “You’ve done so well, just reward yourself.” I had to rely on Jesus. There was one moment where I opened the fridge to look at some food and I heard “if ye love me, keep my commandments.” Sigh. It was hard. However, my love for Jesus is stronger than my passion for chocolate.
I wish that I could wrap up this blog here and tell you that the fast transformed me into a new person. I wish I could tell you that after the fast ended I understood that food is not a means for comfort and that I vow to give my eating habits strict boundaries. No, I cannot tell you that. Want to know what did I do as soon as my fast was over? I became a glutton. At midnight I went to Cookout and had a burger, fries, and a shake. The next morning I actually skipped breakfast because my stomach was still full from the previous night, but I had all I could eat sushi for lunch. That night I went to a small group party where I had plenty of food and s’mores. I can’t believe my actions. How could I possibly emulate Daniel one moment and the next be someone blinded by the opportunity to have anything I want? I’m still working on that, but what I did learn during the fast is that God is working! He is alive and active!
I think just as God chose Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, God is lifting up this generation. I think that he is creating an army of radical believers who will carry out his gospel to the ends of the earth. Even more, I think he is equipping us to reach our brothers and neighbors. As part of a group of young people choosing to deny ourselves food and rely on God’s provision to energize us, I was reminded of how God provided for Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness.
“He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 8:3
Wow! I totally forgot that for FORTY years God provided the Israelites with all the food that they needed.
Let’s be honest… Have you ever really been hungry?
hunger
noun
a feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat
verb
have a strong desire or craving for
Let me ask you again: have you ever been hungry?
For food?… For Jesus?
I want to challenge you to feast on God’s word.
Fill yourself with his presence through prayer.
Your hunger will be satisfied.
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
Psalm 119:103
