“On this rainy day, the Lord filled me up, and I could not help but cry, feeling His love.”
Having a slow day in fast-paced New York City. I’m fasting, it’s raining and cold, and I can’t get out walking. Slow days with God are effective. He slows me down to draw me nearer to Him, to do those simple things like worship, spend time in prayer and Bible reading. To people that don’t know God, such activities are bound to seem dreadfully boring but for a Christian, this is where we get our strength. It’s a gift to slow down, turn off the TV, read the Bible and let the Holy Spirit encourage and strengthen. Food can be a distraction.
I have found that when I don’t eat and only juice fast, feelings surface that otherwise stay buried. I can deal with them through prayer, and God can heal. It is wonderful! Through times of stress, fasting is the hardest and best thing I can do. It is a gift to me; yet, it is by God’s grace that I can even go one day without food and only by His grace that I can walk in His Spirit.
I have often said I function best when busy. I’m a multi-tasker and definitely a proactive “Type A” individual. Fasting is God’s way of slowing me down and reminding me how much I need Him. It’s a tool God uses to allow me to see things going on emotionally within that I would not otherwise see. I don’t realize the building anxiety until I put down food. Then, God can start to heal, resulting in real peace. Living in such peace determines my success in life and defines me. It is not about how many days I can go without food or how many Bible verses I can memorize—my success depends on whether or not I can abide in Christ. Abiding in Him always involves denial of the flesh in order to be fully alive and at my best, living by His Spirit, abiding in the joy of the Lord. If I can’t put down the food for a while, it is a sign that something is far off in my walk in the Spirit.
I am thankful for this slow day with God. As the day progresses and I press in, my heart fills up. Food is replaced by “chewing” on the Word. Physical food cannot satisfy emotional needs, but God’s word is the Bread of Life.
This morning I had water to drink and “ate” one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, Psalm 139. “Oh Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought from afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” The Lord filled me up, and I could not help but cry, feeling His love. As God uses fasting to keep me focused on Him, it affects the way I look on the outside.
For lunch, I plan to eat 1 John. For dinner, devour the book of James. I feel full! I have a peace that Jesus gives me, not as the world gives, and I thank Him for healing me from the inside out.
By Singer Dwayna Litz www.DwaynaLitz.com
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