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Fast Day 27: Satisfied
Jesus taught what is known as the Beatitudes or the Blessings to start off His Sermon on the Mount. I love that He began this teaching by defining what it means to follow Him in such a positive way, not in a condemning way! The follower He describes is someone who is humble spiritually, who…
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Fast Day 26: Hungry and Needy
What is the difference between hunger and greed and gluttony? Your fast may help you to explore these three aspects: Hunger, first and foremost, is a compelling need or desire for food, but we may characterize any strong and compelling desire or craving as a hunger. For example, a hunger for more in life, a…
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Fast Day 25: Hungry and Homeless
Hunger and homelessness is not a modern phenomenon. Lamentations was written by Jeremiah, the prophet of God, in the 6th century before Christ and this book of the Bible is known for its imagery and poetic brilliance. Jerusalem and the temple were judged by God and then destroyed by the Babylonians. They felt their rejection…
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Fast Day 24: Compassion
When Jesus felt compassion for the crowds, He knew the specific distress, oppression and burdens that each person was experiencing. He wanted to free them from all these things! Seeing the crowds, Jesus felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9: 36 The Lord of the…
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Fast Day 23: Full
We are fasting so that we recognize how God longs to feed us from His heritage, the land of milk and honey (Isaiah 58:14)! He has created a promised land of true Life for us. It is full of things that are good to feast on, that give us strength and that will fully satisfy…
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Fast Day 22: Crying Out
We live in a world where it is considered rude, disrespectful and maybe even bullying to raise your voice at work or in public. At home, we may yell at our kids or even at our spouses, but probably feel guilty about it. In church, we do raise our voices in song, but most church…
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Fast Day 21: Hearing His Answers
Even though we may be unused to the fasting part of our commitment, it probably feels pretty straight forward! On the other hand, the prayer part can be harder to pin down until our fasting helps us realize we want it to be a deeper two-way conversation. The psalmists felt the same. Hear me, LORD,…
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Fast Day 20: Wisdom
The Lord is our rear guard (Isaiah 58:8)! In a battle, the rear guard protects the backs of the main force who are engaging with an enemy army. When the eyes of the main force are focused on looking ahead, the eyes of the rear guard are looking behind and to the sides. They will…
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Fast Day 19: Seeking
Jesus shares a beautiful illustration of how God cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field in His creative world design! This is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than…
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Fast Day 18: Generous
“Generosity changes everything.”1 If there is a poor person among you … you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand but shall fully open your hand to him and generously lend him enough for his need in whatever he lacks. Be careful that there is no mean-spirited thought in your heart … you…
happy hunger
HABITS OF JESUS, MARCH 12 – APRIL 4
Daily posts to learn more about how Jesus modeled His life for us. For 21 days leading up to Easter, explore the habits of Jesus that kept Him hungering for His Father and continuing His mission. Even though He was separated from Him on earth and about to be separated in a different way by His death on the cross, He was faithful and believed in His resurrection.
Coming Next: FASTING IN THE BIBLE, APRIL 8 – MAY 29
Posts every Wednesday and Friday to learn about fasting in the Bible. We will review the whole Bible, exploring what happened when fasting was a special focus for the people of Israel, in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Keeping in mind the way that Jesus taught us to fast, we will find new ways for us to enact a spiritual habit of fasting in our modern lives.
happy hunger 