"And Jesus said to them, 'Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.' " Matthew 9:15
Fasting is for Today
In this text, Jesus tells us that it would be time to fast once He returned to the Father in heaven. That means that now is the time to fast. Fasting draws us nearer to God. It makes sense that the Disciples did not fast when they were with Jesus, He was right in front of them, but now that He is in heaven, we fast. Fasting is a practical work of faith that we can use to renew ourselves in Christ. It is a physical act that reconnects our body and soul to the Spirit, strengthening our spirit-man.
Renewal
Life tends to get us stuck in ruts. We build routines that help us accomplish what we need to, but after a while, those day-to-day tasks become so habitual that they become automatic and mundane. If we are not careful, we will do the same with our relationship with God. We will feel distant from Him. Remember what He said in Matt. 9:15, "when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast." If we have lost Him or just pulled away from Him, fasting will bring us back to Him. The following verses in Matt. 9 say this...
"No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16-17
Many people pull this part out and separate it from what Jesus was saying about fasting, but I believe it connects. Think of it this way. Fasting is a way we cut off our flesh. Essentially, we are peeling off the old and putting on the new to hold a new level of glory from the Father. A new place of relationship, a renewed love and passion, and a greater understanding. If we stay in the old wineskin, we cannot receive the refilling of the Holy Spirit. If we keep wearing the same old clothes, God cannot connect to us at a different level. That is why fasting renews us. It helps us get out of the old routine and refocus on Jesus. It reminds us of our first love.
Activity
As we are fasting, let's take a good hard look at the routines in our lives. Have we allowed ourselves to slip away from God? Let's ask ourselves, "What areas in my life are dead and need to be cut off?" Then let's cut them off and allow the Holy Spirit to renew and refresh us. Let's find time in prayer as we fast to allow our love to be renewed toward our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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