03/02/2020
Do you ever separate yourself spiritually from your physical life and become immersed in your faith? Fasting is one of those denials of self that when used properly will heighten our spiritual concentration by placing our body under subjugation to God in a very real way. By causing ourselves to suffer in this way we feel a constant reminder to pray and worship... it focuses us heart, soul, mind, and strength, on our God. This is one of the few acts we perform that brings all of these to bear at once.
“And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
Matthew 4:2 ESV
There are different ways to alter your life in such a way as to cause a separation of our spiritual lives from our physical lives. People seeking a spiritual experience use such methods as forced solitude, fasting, self denial of some sort, and a few other less common, and often harmful practices, but by far the two most common spiritual practices are solitude, and fasting. To be clear, fasting is not to be confused with starvation... in our scripture reading Jesus was hungry, and not near death.
There are basically three physical stages to actual starvation that the body undergoes. In the first stage the body uses up stored glycogen and fats in the liver. During the second stage our bodies begin to break down fats in the body, and in the final stage the body becomes desperate and starts breaking down protein, which it finds in muscles (including the heart). The first stage only lasts a matter of hours, but the second stage begins after about a week, and can last for weeks. However, the final stage is what we recognize as true starvation, and in this stage a person is listless, immune compromised, and can experience nausea, hallucinations, heart arrhythmia, and convulsions. It is important to remember that fasting is not meant to bring a person to stage three... it is meant to bring us bodily to that place where associating our discomfort to faith is unavoidable, but in which we are not threatening our health... Fasting should NOT compromise your health, and absolutely go no further than stage two.
In our scripture reading Jesus faced solitude, and fasted. With His removal from everyday life, and the constant pangs of hunger, He was brought into a constant spiritual focus. When we fast, or go for treks into the wilderness to be alone with God, this should be our motivation as well.
You can read accounts of people stranded at sea, or lost in some remote area, that starved, or died of thirst. Many movies have been made that attempted to depict such a struggle for life, and although some of these people survived, and a few claimed to have had a religious experience, their primary focus was on survival.
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.”
Psalms 107:28-30 ESV
Fasting, and these other spiritual experiences are not meant to focus us on living, bring us to the brink of death, serve as an act of religious pride, or endanger us... they are meant to distill our faith into its very essence, and intensify the flavor of our relationship with God. Jesus didn’t leave the wilderness confused... He left it focused on scripture, and able to rebuff the devil’s attempts to tempt Him. Had He been in the third stage of starvation that would not have been the case.
“But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"”
Matthew 4:4 ESV
“Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"”
Matthew 4:7 ESV
“Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"”
Matthew 4:10 ESV
In this way we separate ourselves from our daily lives to gain focus. Fasting is a very personal means of doing this, but churches do it together as well by holding tent revivals, camps, pilgrimages, and retreats.
So when I asked if you ever separate yourself spiritually from your physical life, and become immersed in your faith, I Was asking this question with these safe considerations in mind. Periods of time, even if they are for a few short hours, or a couple of days, in which you can be alone with God, heighten the awareness of your faith by fasting, or perhaps by attend a spiritual retreat, are uplifting and strengthen us in faith. Jesus wasn’t driven into the wilderness to break down or challenge His faith, but to strengthen Him for the temptations to come. Separating ourselves in this manner is good for us today, but we must always beware that it doesn’t become an act of self righteousness.
“"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
Matthew 6:16 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the solitary times I spend with you in prayer, fasting, and walking alone with you in the wilderness beyond my daily life. Thank you for strengthening my faith as we walk, by removing me from the distractions of life, and by causing the slightest pangs of hunger to remind me of the good food I find in your Word. Help me Lord to keep my focus on you in everything I do, and to visit you in a very personal way each day. Give me the strength you gave Jesus as He spent those 40 days with you, and left your company hungry, yet ready to face temptation without so much as a single misstep. Bind me together eternally with you during our quiet times of relationship, and love. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who walks alone with me, and strengthens me with each step we take together. You are my God who awaits me with the nourishment of your Word when I am hungry for you. Praised be your name my Loving Father for lifting me up, and hearing my prayers. Great are you who bends low to be with me in the wilderness. Gracious are you who places His hand on my shoulder, the shoulder of an undeserving man, and leads me to His table. Glorious are you Lord God as your light shines on me, and lights my every step. Hear my prayers, hear the rumblings of my stomach, taste the tears of my contrition, and forever hold the cup of your living water to my lips to quench my thirst for you.
“"Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.”
Joel 2:12-13 ESV
Rich Forbes