A few days ago I wrote the following....it is in agreement with a few of the posters on this thread.
Isaiah 58:3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and Thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and Thou takest no knowledge?
Here, those that love God fasted and afflicted their soul yet asked why God didn't see them, why He took no knowledge of them. He answers....
58:4-5 Behold, in the day of
your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all
your labours. Behold,
ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Our Father tells us that He doesn't hear because of the manner of fasting chosen by us. We may call it a fast but...it is not what He has chosen. He then tells us what we are to do....
58:6-7
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to
loose the bands of wickedness, to
undo the heavy burdens, and to
let the oppressed go free, and that
ye break every yoke? Is it not to
deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou
bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou
seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou
hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
The fast He has chosen for us is not to sit and "afflict our own soul" only. That is certainly part of it for we aren't to hide from our own flesh, our own carnality, our own sins...which is loosing the bands of wickedness, but to fast is also to help others. Help financially, spiritually, stop criticizing, accusing (putting forth of the finger) and stop speaking vanity (of ourselves).
58:8-11 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Speaking vanity....putting ourselves before others, using our words, seeking our pleasure, doing what we want to do....
58:13-15 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
When we lose our egos we receive continual guidance from God.
In these last days fasting is very important. Joel, prophesying of the last days, said....
Joel 1:1-2 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
Hear this ye old men...meaning, our old carnal natures (our old man), better hear this! Look around, turn on the news, see what is happening..."hath this been in your days?" Has the world ever been like this?
1:11-13 And the LORD shall utter His voice before His army: for His camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth His word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.
1:15-17 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
Fast, weep, mourn, rend our hearts....for these days may now be...the last days.
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