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Feasting & Fasting-Part 4: Prayer and Fasting
It’s a little ironic that as I begin writing this last piece of our series, I am recently recovered from an unintended fast due to a GI virus. Thankfully these viruses are usually short-lived, and although I’m fitting in my “skinny pants” today, most of us survive these illnesses without any long term effects, including lasting weight loss. Of course fasting when you’re sick or for medical purposes is a completely different topic than what we’re discussing here, so let’s go to the Bible to begin our real discussion. To summarize the Biblical definition, fasting is a voluntary reduction or elimination of food or drink for a specific time and…
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Be My Valentine…
It was at the beginning of this month that I asked God for a word, and within a few moments “love” came to mind. I thanked God, acknowledging that it seemed very timely in this Valentine season and went on my way. Over the course of the days that followed, I’ve pondered this crazy thing called love and wondered what God wanted me to see beyond all the red and pink hearts and tantalizing chocolates decorating the shopping aisles. It wasn’t until yesterday that I began to understand that God wanted me to consider more fully the unconditional sincerity of his love. He wanted me to see what it means…
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What we learn from Martha
You may not have been fortunate enough to have a grandmother named Martha, like I did, but if you’ve spent enough time in church you’ve heard of Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. They were friends and followers of Jesus who generously offered hospitality in his travels. During a particular visit recorded in Luke 10:38-42, Jesus was teaching a number of people in their home and Martha was apparently busy with preparations of some kind, possibly waiting on everyone, while her sister, Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus listening to him teach. Martha being slightly disgruntled at having to do all the work, interrupts Jesus to complain, and…
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Feasting & Fasting Part 3: Preparation for the Feast
We’ve finally made it to the main course and are ready to talk feasting. So at this point you’re probably hungry and wondering what there is to talk about. We all know “feasting” and need no instruction on the subject, right? Yet in our culture, where food is so much more than sustenance, I wonder do we really know feasting or is it just another day of eating? If we look to the Bible, feasting is always associated with a celebration or a holy day. It’s important to understand that although a celebration may include feasting, the feast isn’t usually the focus of the celebration. Some may come to a…
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Feasting & Fasting Part 2: The Provision Between
In part 1 we began our discussion by recognizing there is a natural provision of rations on the earth and there can be a supernatural provision as well, something incredibly different and capable of sustaining life beyond expectation. Like anything with God there is always a purpose when he intervenes in such an incredible way. Which is where we left off. If there is truly a purpose for everything God does, then what is the purpose of us having to eat to refuel? We know the need to eat is not something that entered the earth with sin because Adam and Eve were permitted to eat of the trees in…
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The Life of a Child
I’ll be the first to tell you living with three young children is challenging. They are constantly making demands, throw annoying tantrums and have difficulty listening when you tell them to do something. Then just when you think you’re at the end of your sanity and patience, you look into an obscure corner of a room and notice little toy soldiers surrounding a blue beast and suddenly your heart warms and you can’t help but smile and maybe tear up a little. The innocence of a child is priceless and to be cherished. Jesus even told us we must become as children to enter the kingdom of heaven. At that…
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And Then There was Grace
When God formed Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7), God knew man would fall. He saw the depravity of the human condition long before that sixth day of creation, yet he created us anyhow. When God spoke to Abraham in the desert wilderness and told him to count the stars illuminating the unpolluted expanse of darkness overhead (Genesis 15:5), he knew the Israelites would wander far from him like an unfaithful bride, yet he made a promise to Abraham despite this. For thousands of years we see God’s children fail him time and again. They drew near in one generation, only to…
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What God’s Provision Really Looks Like
We all know what it feels like to be in need: humbled, broken, even broke. The trials of life show no favoritism. In one way or another, we will all experience our share of pain and heartache, and in those times of crisis we may turn to God, whether it’s something we normally do or not. So if we call out to God on our darkest of days, what can we expect? Many say prayer works, yet there’s an entire population of disheartened souls out there wondering why it didn’t work for them. Maybe their loved one still died, their partner still left, they continue to struggle in addiction or…
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Straight Up and Over: navigating the faithful journey
In the movie Homeward Bound three family pets decide to make their way home after being left temporarily with a family friend. As they escape and set out for a mountain range in the distance, the old retriever, Shadow, tells his companions, home is straight up and over, assuring them they would be home by dark. How many of us can relate to their despair as they crested the ridge, and looked out over an expanse of mountains and wilderness, instead of their cozy, suburban neighborhood? Is it really so different when we believe God has called us to something and we set out on that adventure, expecting blue skies…
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Just a Taste
My little man is a big fruit eater and absolutely loves almost any kind of fruit, especially berries. As he’s getting older he now has the ability to invade the kitchen and search at will, frequently opening the refrigerator and climbing inside to find fruit. There may be blackberries from two weeks ago, with white fur growing on them, stuffed behind the bread and last night’s leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes, yet he’ll see them from three feet below. It was during one of these recent raids, he discovered my fresh bag of cranberries in the produce drawer and asked about them. I explained they were cranberries, but they weren’t…
