Am I Called to Fast?

                                               Called to Fast

  I really hesitated to write about fasting. After all, if there is one passage everyone knows about fasting it is Matthew 6:16-18. This is where Jesus says, “And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” I really wrestled with how can I be okay with writing about something so private, but I believe God has given me permission to discuss fasting so that we can grasp a better understanding of a much neglected spiritual discipline. Matthew 6 is simply reminding us that we are not to fast so that people will think we are “good Christians”. We are to fast for spiritual, internal reasons. A fast should be between God and ourselves.

  Why should fasting be a part of our life? In the above passage, Jesus says, “When you fast…” He clearly expects fasting to be part of our spiritual journey, but we must be sure we are fasting because of a clear call from God. Jesus Himself fasted often. In fact, Matthew 4:2 says that He fasted forty days and forty nights.

  Many times throughout Scripture we have awesome examples of fasting. II Chronicles 20 tells us that Jehoshaphat was afraid of an advancing army, so what did he do? Verses 3 and 4 tell us. They say, “And Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord; and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.”

  Ezra 8:21 says, “Then I [Ezra] proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and our possessions.” Verse 23 goes on to tell us, “So we fasted there and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.”

  Nehemiah 1:4 says, “Now it came about when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

  Esther 4:16 says, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

  Job 23:12 says, “…I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”

 David tells us in Psalm 35 that he “…humbled [his] soul with fasting….”

 Jeremiah 36:9 says, “…all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the LORD.” 

 We also have examples from Daniel, Joel, Jonah and several in the book of Acts. Fasting is found often in the Bible and we have simply neglected it. The Word of God has shown us how to deal with serious issues and we have chosen food over God’s intervention. There is nothing on this earth that can compare to our God, especially not a candy bar.

  On a side note here, obviously be smart about any medical issues that you have. If you are on a medication that requires food, ask your doctor how best you could obey God through a fast. Let’s be honest though, most of us are not eating for our health; we are eating in spite of it. Don’t use a medical condition as an excuse, just be wise.

    Oftentimes, as mentioned in the Scriptures above, corporate fasting is encouraged. Ezra, Esther, and Jehoshaphat all asked that everyone fast so that God would protect His people. In each situation, God answered in a miraculous way. God has not changed. Maybe we have.

  Many times in Scripture corporate fasting is done in conjunction with repentance. In Joel 1:14, God tells Joel to consecrate a fast. In Chapter 2 of the same book, the Lord tells His people to ‘Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping, and mourning….” Fasting humbles us in ways that other disciplines do not. Fasting causes us to depend solely on the Lord. The Holy Spirit then reminds us of sin and we confess. At other times, we know that we have sinned as a people, as a church, or as a nation and we fast as the people of Nineveh did in Jonah’s day to evoke God’s mercy over His wrath.

  We also see corporate fasting in the history of the early church. The whole body of believers would come together to fast and pray for direction (Acts 14:23). The early church also fasted in communal worship (Acts13). No decision was made without prayer and fasting. They fasted UNTIL they heard from the Lord. They never assumed. They never decided among themselves. They fasted.

  Corporate fasting is vital, but often we are called to a time of personal fasting. We see examples of this in Nehemiah, Daniel, Jonah, and the Psalms. We also see fasting in the life of Jesus and the apostle Paul. Personal fasting can bring us closer to God and further away from the world. We are able to differentiate His voice from others because we are depending more fully on Him.

  Any major decision, any minor decision, any decision with a lasting impact needs not only prayer, but fasting as well. But, we must make sure that we are hearing God’s voice calling us to fast. It is not another box to check. It is drawing in closer to our precious Savior. Before we fast, we must make sure that God is calling us to it. I Thessalonians 5:24 assures us that when He calls us to something, He brings it to pass. You will not fail when you are depending on God in an area that He has called you to. Fasting is no exception.

  When God chooses the fast exciting things will happen. Isaiah 58:6-12 tells us, “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am’…And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places. And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.”  

  Do you have any wickedness that you feel has a grip on you? Any yoke of bondage that is choking your spiritual life to death? Do you not even see the homeless and hurting who have needs? Do you have an illness that needs healing? Do you need your light to break forth in the darkness? Do you need the Lord’s guidance, protection, His strength? Do you need nourishment in a dry place? Are the ancient foundations in need of repair? If so, maybe you are being called to fast.

  As you are discovering whether God is calling you to fast, be careful of your motivation. God told Zechariah to ask the people in chapter seven, “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?’” That’s a great checkpoint for me. Why am I fasting? Am I fasting to hear God’s voice and invoke His power for His Kingdom here on earth, or do I want my desires to be met? Isaiah 58:3-4 is another example of this. It says, “Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and Thou dost not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers. Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.” The Israelites were asking God why He wasn’t doing what they wanted. After all, they had fasted. But, God was quick to remind them that they fasted for their own purposes, not His. A true fast requires a heart willing to be molded and changed into whatever God wants. It is humbling ourselves so that God can have His way.

  Many times I have went into a time of fasting thinking that I was seeking God’s face for a certain issue when in reality He wanted to deal with another issue entirely. As long as we are open, that’s okay. Maybe there is a loved one who is far from God. Is it okay to fast for them specifically? Absolutely; but, just know that God may want to deal with you about other matters as well. What if your finances are a mess? Is it okay to fast for that? Of course; but, realize God may want you in that situation a while longer to make you thankful for daily bread.

  I believe that you can certainly fast for specific answers, just keep in mind that God controls the direction of the fast. Listen for His voice. Fasting is primarily not to reach God with our voice, but to listen for His. Psalm 32:6 says, “Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found….” God is still willing to hear us, let’s draw in closer to Him so that we can hear Him.

  O, Lord, Help us to hear Your voice in the area of fasting. Help us to be wise and victorious through the strength of Your Holy Spirit. Help us to be willing to do whatever it takes for Your power to reign in our lives. Help us to want You more than food, more than control, more than anything. Help us to love You as You love us. In Jesus’ Name…

 

Am I Called to Fast?

                                                 

 

 

 

                                   Called to Fast

  I really hesitated to write about fasting. After all, if there is one passage everyone knows about fasting it is Matthew 6:16-18. This is where Jesus says, “And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” I really wrestled with how can I be okay with writing about something so private, but I believe God has given me permission to discuss fasting so that we can grasp a better understanding of a much neglected spiritual discipline. Matthew 6 is simply reminding us that we are not to fast so that people will think we are “good Christians”. We are to fast for spiritual, internal reasons. A fast should be between God and ourselves.

  Why should fasting be a part of our life? In the above passage, Jesus says, “When you fast…” He clearly expects fasting to be part of our spiritual journey, but we must be sure we are fasting because of a clear call from God. Jesus Himself fasted often. In fact, Matthew 4:2 says that He fasted forty days and forty nights.

  Many times throughout Scripture we have awesome examples of fasting. II Chronicles 20 tells us that Jehoshaphat was afraid of an advancing army, so what did he do? Verses 3 and 4 tell us. They say, “And Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord; and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.”

  Ezra 8:21 says, “Then I [Ezra] proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and our possessions.” Verse 23 goes on to tell us, “So we fasted there and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.”

  Nehemiah 1:4 says, “Now it came about when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

  Esther 4:16 says, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

  Job 23:12 says, “…I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”

 David tells us in Psalm 35 that he “…humbled [his] soul with fasting….”

 Jeremiah 36:9 says, “…all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the LORD.” 

 We also have examples from Daniel, Joel, Jonah and several in the book of Acts. Fasting is found often in the Bible and we have simply neglected it. The Word of God has shown us how to deal with serious issues and we have chosen food over God’s intervention. There is nothing on this earth that can compare to our God, especially not a candy bar.

  On a side note here, obviously be smart about any medical issues that you have. If you are on a medication that requires food, ask your doctor how best you could obey God through a fast. Let’s be honest though, most of us are not eating for our health; we are eating in spite of it. Don’t use a medical condition as an excuse, just be wise.

    Oftentimes, as mentioned in the Scriptures above, corporate fasting is encouraged. Ezra, Esther, and Jehoshaphat all asked that everyone fast so that God would protect His people. In each situation, God answered in a miraculous way. God has not changed. Maybe we have.

  Many times in Scripture corporate fasting is done in conjunction with repentance. In Joel 1:14, God tells Joel to consecrate a fast. In Chapter 2 of the same book, the Lord tells His people to ‘Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping, and mourning….” Fasting humbles us in ways that other disciplines do not. Fasting causes us to depend solely on the Lord. The Holy Spirit then reminds us of sin and we confess. At other times, we know that we have sinned as a people, as a church, or as a nation and we fast as the people of Nineveh did in Jonah’s day to evoke God’s mercy over His wrath.

  We also see corporate fasting in the history of the early church. The whole body of believers would come together to fast and pray for direction (Acts 14:23). The early church also fasted in communal worship (Acts13). No decision was made without prayer and fasting. They fasted UNTIL they heard from the Lord. They never assumed. They never decided among themselves. They fasted.

  Corporate fasting is vital, but often we are called to a time of personal fasting. We see examples of this in Nehemiah, Daniel, Jonah, and the Psalms. We also see fasting in the life of Jesus and the apostle Paul. Personal fasting can bring us closer to God and further away from the world. We are able to differentiate His voice from others because we are depending more fully on Him.

  Any major decision, any minor decision, any decision with a lasting impact needs not only prayer, but fasting as well. But, we must make sure that we are hearing God’s voice calling us to fast. It is not another box to check. It is drawing in closer to our precious Savior. Before we fast, we must make sure that God is calling us to it. I Thessalonians 5:24 assures us that when He calls us to something, He brings it to pass. You will not fail when you are depending on God in an area that He has called you to. Fasting is no exception.

  When God chooses the fast exciting things will happen. Isaiah 58:6-12 tells us, “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am’…And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places. And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.”  

  Do you have any wickedness that you feel has a grip on you? Any yoke of bondage that is choking your spiritual life to death? Do you not even see the homeless and hurting who have needs? Do you have an illness that needs healing? Do you need your light to break forth in the darkness? Do you need the Lord’s guidance, protection, His strength? Do you need nourishment in a dry place? Are the ancient foundations in need of repair? If so, maybe you are being called to fast.

  As you are discovering whether God is calling you to fast, be careful of your motivation. God told Zechariah to ask the people in chapter seven, “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?’” That’s a great checkpoint for me. Why am I fasting? Am I fasting to hear God’s voice and invoke His power for His Kingdom here on earth, or do I want my desires to be met? Isaiah 58:3-4 is another example of this. It says, “Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and Thou dost not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers. Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.” The Israelites were asking God why He wasn’t doing what they wanted. After all, they had fasted. But, God was quick to remind them that they fasted for their own purposes, not His. A true fast requires a heart willing to be molded and changed into whatever God wants. It is humbling ourselves so that God can have His way.

  Many times I have went into a time of fasting thinking that I was seeking God’s face for a certain issue when in reality He wanted to deal with another issue entirely. As long as we are open, that’s okay. Maybe there is a loved one who is far from God. Is it okay to fast for them specifically? Absolutely; but, just know that God may want to deal with you about other matters as well. What if your finances are a mess? Is it okay to fast for that? Of course; but, realize God may want you in that situation a while longer to make you thankful for daily bread.

  I believe that you can certainly fast for specific answers, just keep in mind that God controls the direction of the fast. Listen for His voice. Fasting is primarily not to reach God with our voice, but to listen for His. Psalm 32:6 says, “Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found….” God is still willing to hear us, let’s draw in closer to Him so that we can hear Him.

  O, Lord, Help us to hear Your voice in the area of fasting. Help us to be wise and victorious through the strength of Your Holy Spirit. Help us to be willing to do whatever it takes for Your power to reign in our lives. Help us to want You more than food, more than control, more than anything. Help us to love You as You love us. In Jesus’ Name…

 

 

My Face Changed – Part Two

                                

 

 

                             –My Face Changed – Part Two–

 

  Over the last few weeks we have been discussing Nebuchadnezzar’s face changing towards Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The King went from looking upon them with favor to frowning very quickly. We talked about when we have fallen from someone’s favor how we could choose to deal with it.

  We have also talked about what to do when our face changes towards someone. How do we reconcile feelings and trauma that has made our face towards someone change? How do we address situations where friendship used to abound, but now there is strife and contention?

  This week, we will deal with a third issue: when our face changes toward God. I have said often that it takes one kind of faith to believe God can do anything, but a whole different kind of faith to deal with the fact that God absolutely could have fixed a situation, but chose not to (at least in the way we were expecting).

  When my father was diagnosed with cancer in 1996, I knew that God could heal him. I had no problem believing that He is the Great Physician and in one moment, my dad’s cancer could be gone. But, when He chose not to, I had to come to terms with God about His choice. It took me a while…a long while… and in the process of grieving, my face changed toward God. I did not know the depths of my God and the lengths that He sometimes has to go for us to come to a place where we are willing to hear His voice, no matter what He might be saying. I had created a false image of God and it crumbled before my eyes. I never doubted His ability, but because I knew He could “fix things”, it actually made me all the more frustrated.

  In Daniel three, Nebuchadnezzar knew that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the ability to bow, they just chose not to and it infuriated him all the more. It is one thing to accept that someone does not have the ability to do more, but quite another when they are perfectly capable and simply make a different choice. I have a dear friend who is a school teacher and she has said that the most frustrating students are those who have the ability to do well in their work, but choose to fail.

  That is how I felt about God. I knew He had the ability to heal my dad, but He chose not to. I thought He had failed me. He was not the God I thought He was, because He did not meet my expectations. My face changed.

  God was not surprised by my anger. He knew that His choices would cause me to turn my face from Him in resentment, but He knew that the best thing for me was to learn who He is on a deeper level. He was tired of the superficial and wanted me to trust Him through some very tough things. He knew that we would come out on the other side stronger and he was willing to have my face change toward Him to get us to that point.

  The same happened with King Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. After the fire, their relationship was stronger. King Nebuchadnezzar had a superficial friendship with them before. As long as they were serving him, all was well. As long as they were obeying his every whim, he liked them. When loyalty to his friendship with them came up against his pride though, his face changed.

  Oftentimes, our expectations of God lead to our face changing. As long as He is serving us well and He is obeying our every whim than our superficial friendship with Him is good. But, as soon as God’s desires are different than our own, our face changes. We know He could give us what we want, but He won’t. We get so frustrated because we believe our way is best.

  I thought that life with my dad was the best thing for me, but in reality my dad was my god. I wanted his life to be longer on earth instead of a deeper relationship with God. I am so glad God chose His way and not my own. At the time though, my face changed. My rage was boiling!

  Nebuchadnezzar felt the same way. He believed that his way was best. He could see no better alternative than to worship himself…until he saw the one, true Son of the Living God in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When he was willing to see God, nothing else mattered. All of the expectations folded because he could finally see God working in the situation.

    We have got to ask the Holy Spirit to do this for us. We have got to ask Him to change our face back to God. We must choose to pour out our hearts before Him. Admit that our face has changed. Maybe a loved one was not healed, maybe ministry was not what we expected, maybe finances are not what we envisioned, maybe the people in authority over us are ungodly…whatever the situation, admit that we are upset. Tell Him that this is what you thought He would do, but He didn’t do it and you are disappointed. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” He wants us to pour our hearts out to Him.

  How many times in human relationships do we know what is wrong, but until it is spoken aloud, true restoration cannot happen? We have to be open to hear God’s side of the situation just as we would be open to hear another individual’s. Our face cannot turn back toward God until we have addressed our disappointments with Him.

  Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Only the Holy Spirit can do this for us. Only He can turn us back to God. He has been leading us in that direction the whole time, but our chins have been set, our teeth have been clenched and we have been furious.

  Psalm 46:10 says, “Cease striving and know that I am God;” We have got to quit fighting and start trying to see the “fourth Man in the fire.” Often, we cannot see the miracle because we are turned the other way. We ceased to seek our Lord, so we did not see His beautiful work. Part of seeking His face continually (Psalm 105:4) is being able to still see Him when the fire is blazing and things are not going as expected.

  After we have come clean before Him, we also must simply trust that He is good. I John 1:5 tells us that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. This is such a beautiful verse. It tells us clearly that God is good…always. He cannot help Himself. The Holy Spirit can give us that assurance. He is good.

  We must also realize that as Isaiah 55:8-9 says, His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He is God and we are not. This might hurt our pride a little, but it’s the truth. He is God. He is good and He is our faithful Friend. His desires are on a higher plane than we realize, so we must simply trust Him.

  Many times in my life my face has changed toward God. But, praise His Name, He has never stopped pursuing me. He has never stopped trying to get me to smile at His goodness. He has never stopped purifying me for the next season and turning my face back to Him.

  That’s your God too. He is so desirous of a deeper walk with you, not for His sake, but for yours. He is willing to risk your face changing so that you can see Him more clearly after the fire. He loves you that much. He is willing to chance your face changing because He believes in you. He knows that you will allow His Holy Spirit to soften your face and that your relationship will be stronger in the end. He loves you that much. How much do you love Him?

  O, Lord, may our faces change toward You once again. May we ever trust in You and believe that You are good. Help us to see Your goodness. Help us to see Your face. Help us to see Your faithful love.

 

 

When My Face Changes

                                     

                              

                      When My Face Changes

    Last week we saw in Daniel three that King Nebuchadnezzar’s face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He had put them in authority, but when they chose to serve their God instead of his gods, they lost favor with him. We discovered that sometimes this happens to us when we follow Christ. Sometimes, people who were once a friend now look at us with contempt. We discovered how to address such a situation and still find favor with God.  

  This week, we will be looking at faces changing from a different angle. This week, we are King Nebuchadnezzar. Our faces are the ones that are changing. Someone who we used to look at with delight is now someone that we are not pleased with. What do we do in that situation?

  If you remember, Daniel 3:19 says, “…Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.” Why? They were not doing what he wanted them to do. His expectations of them were not being met.

  Why did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s refusal enrage the king so quickly? Why did it affect him so violently? What was behind his expression being altered so drastically?

  Part of our answer lies in verse fourteen. Young’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible says that King Nebuchadnezzar asks them, “Is it a laid plan?” Our translations today do not mention this, but the exact translation indicates to us that King Nebuchadnezzar believed that they were plotting a coup. He thought that they were staging a takeover and this refusal to bow was the beginning. He became suspicious of their motives.

  That kind of thing makes us all furious, doesn’t it? Someone trying to get our job? Someone trying to usurp our authority? Maybe that person is simply trying to adhere to their beliefs, but if they question ours in the process, it infuriates us. Why?

  I believe it is pride. Ick! I said it. Pride. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride cometh before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” Pride is never a good thing. King Nebuchadnezzar had it in spades and so do we. God dealt with King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride later in Daniel and He will deal with ours.

  Proverbs 13:10 says, “Arrogance leads to nothing but strife….”

  If our face has changed towards someone, then we must ask ourselves if our pride is involved. Actually, we need to ask ourselves where the pride is involved, because believe me, it is. Sometimes, it is just hiding a little better than usual. Pride is a constant battle for all of us, all the time. We must be willing to lay ourselves open before our Father for close inspection.

  James 4:6 tells us that “God resists the proud….” When we are full of pride, God has to resist us. We must ask ourselves if our feelings toward another human is worth losing our right standing with our Father. We must ask His Holy Spirit to reveal to us our pride; ask Him to give us the power to remove it from our life and confess our sin before our Father. Psalm 103:10 says, “He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses.” That’s our God, always willing to forgive. We have to allow Him to reveal to us our pride and have Him to remove it from our lives.

  So, we know that pride is a piece to the puzzle, but what do we do with the everyday struggle? How do we deal with the day to day issue of having to toil with someone who our faces have changed towards? How do we go from suspicious pride to the place where God would have us to be? How do we get back to a right relationship with those in the world around us?

  Another piece of the puzzle is peace. We must turn our face toward good relations and the making of peace. Jesus Himself is our Prince of Peace and we want to be like Him. Psalm 34:14 says, “Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.” We are to seek peace with everyone, not just those who we favor. Romans 12:18 tells us “If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.” Verse sixteen of this chapter says, “Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.”

  I dare say, if I were living these verses my face would never alter toward someone. If I were “not wise in my own estimation”, I would not have to have my own way. I would not resent someone’s opinion, I would invite it. I would not be scared of losing my job, I would encourage teamwork and support. Living out these verses takes total abandonment to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We cannot do this in our own strength. Being submitted to the Spirit is another piece to the puzzle.

  Yet another piece to the puzzle of our face changing back to where God would have it to be is found in Daniel three once again. It reveals to us why King Nebuchadnezzar’s face changed back to favor towards Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Do you remember what happened to cause him to look on them with delight once again? It was when He saw the fourth man in the fire.

  The final piece in the puzzle? We have got to see Jesus in the situation. Oftentimes, we just want the person to go away that has affected our pride or, caused us harm. We might not want them to be thrown into a literal fiery furnace, but our anger definitely causes us to daydream that we would never have to see them again. But, Nebuchadnezzar shows us the key. We have got to see Jesus in the fire. Then, our focus is on His work, not what others are doing. King Nebuchadnezzar stopped noticing that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not adhering to his expectations and started focusing on Jesus. The result? He simply saw the work of God’s Son. Seeing Jesus returned the favor that the king originally had toward the three because his focus had changed. Ours can as well.

  There is freedom in seeing Jesus in a fiery situation. Freedom for ourselves and others. The binding that holds our focus to them and their actions is gone and the binding that we placed on them in our mind’s eye has vanished because we are focused on the one, true and living God. We are not concerned about others, we are seeing Jesus. We are open to His work. The Lord Himself speaks to us in Psalm 27:8. He says, “…You are to seek My face.” Our response should be as the psalmist’s was “Lord, I will seek Your face.” When this happens, our face is changed back to the image of Christ. It is not mauled by envy and strife, but beautiful because His expression towards others is now our expression as well.

    I confess that just a few weeks ago my face changed towards someone. I would have NEVER thought that my face would change toward this particular person, but it did. As I look back, it was a somewhat gradual alteration with a final “fiery eruption”. I found myself praying things like “Lord, Your Word tells me to be angry and sin not so, I know it’s possible. You have got to get me through this day without sinning.” But, while praying this prayer, I admit that I still wanted them to know that I was upset. I wanted them to see that my face had changed. Instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to convict, I wanted to speed along the process. As you probably can gather, if I can avoid a situation and have a “cooling off” period, it is much better but, it was simply not possible. I had to deal with it head on, in the heat of the moment. The furnace was blazing and my face was altered. I could feel the intensity of anger and pride and hurt. The person was standing before me and I knew that only God Himself could get me through that moment. It was such a struggle and in all honesty there is still some tension, but I am trying, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to see Jesus in the flames. I am trying to focus on Him because He is here with me and the other person. He is doing a great work and I am praying to perceive it. I know that when I can hone in on His face, all else will fall away. The fire is hot at times, but God is here in the flames and I’m praying to see.

  O, God, of all gods. Help us to see You in the flames. Help our faces to shine Your light, Your love and Your hope to the world. If our face alters, may they only be altered into the beautiful image of Your Son and our Savior, Jesus.

When Faces Change

Tags

changes, expressions, faces, fiery furnace, fire, focus, fourth man, Jesus, reconciliation

 

 

 

                                       When Faces Change

 

In chapter three of the book of Daniel, we find the famous story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and the fiery furnace. We read how a decree was made in Babylon which said when music was heard from the palace orchestra, everyone was to bow down and worship the idol that represented the king. Everyone did just that, except for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They would not bow to the king’s idol and were brought before him for punishment.

In verse thirteen of Daniel three, we read that King Nebuchadnezzar was in a furious rage when he heard they would not bow; but, when they arrived he gave them another chance. After all, he was a reasonable man. Verses fifteen and sixteen tell us that the orchestra was all ready to play so Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could fulfill the law and bow to the idol, but the three still refused. In fact, they answered with an incredible amount of faith. They said, “Nebuchadnezzar … if the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of the blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

Daniel 3:19 says, “Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression of his face changed towards Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…” Hmmm… “The expression of his face changed” towards them.

Unfortunately, I think many of us have experienced something like this in our lives. The expression of someone’s face towards us used to be favorable, but now it has changed. Sometimes, the reason is obvious. Sometimes, not so obvious and we are left wracking our brain trying to think of what we have done or, what could have warranted the new expression, but we are drawing a blank. We want the relationship to return to the previous favor, but it is not happening. So, what should we do when someone’s face changes towards us?

Before anything, we need to see if reconciliation is possible. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.” If you know the situation can be rectified, do it. If you are confused as to why their face has changed toward you, see if they are open to telling you what has changed. Sometimes, a simple misunderstanding can be rectified by open communication.

There are times though, when God has called you to take a stand and people simply will not comprehend it. They will not understand and it will cause them to look at you differently. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced such a situation. There was no way they could agree with what King Nebuchadnezzar required of them. Their God was the one, true God and required monotheistic worship. They simply could not worship any other god and stay in right standing with their Creator. They could not straddle the fence. A stand had to be made. The result? The king’s face changed towards them.

When our beliefs go against the grain of our culture, oftentimes we find people’s faces changing toward us. When we stand up against homosexuality, pornography, promiscuity, gossiping or grieving The Holy Spirit, some people simply do not understand why we are so “straight laced”. Their faces change toward us. Do we like it? No. Do we invite it? No. We simply cannot straddle the fence any longer. We must keep standing and grow deeper in our walk with Christ. We must remember First Peter 3:10-12. It says, “For the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, and he must turn away from evil and do what is good. He must seek peace and pursue it, because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their request. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil.”

We obviously would rather have a human’s face turned against us than God’s. We must pursue what is right before His eyes above all else. Many human faces may change toward us, but we must be focused on the face of our Lord.

For those of you familiar with what happens to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, you remember that they were not killed in the fiery furnace and that they, in fact, regained the favor of King Nebuchadnezzar. How did things turn around so quickly?

Daniel 3: 24-26 tells us. It says, “Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisors, ‘Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?’

‘Yes, of course, Your Majesty,’ they replied to the king.

He exclaimed, ‘Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’”

This chapter goes on to tell us that King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that they come out of the furnace and declared that no one should say anything against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s God. Verse 30 tells us that the King then rewarded the three and they became strong leaders once again in Babylon.

What in the world happened?! How did the face of the king go from being against them to being for them?

The answer is simple. He saw their close walk with God. He saw that God was with them and they were safe in His presence. He saw that his fury did not matter. What mattered was their God. His focus turned from the three to their God.

When someone’s face changes towards us, we need to use it as a time to press in closer to Jesus. When someone is so focused on us, we need to be so close to Jesus that when they see us, they cannot help but see Christ as well. We need to be willing to be where He is, even if it means going into a blazing furnace, so that others can see Him.

Oftentimes, I want to run around and try to fix things, try to make people like me again, when in reality, if I simply draw closer to Jesus, He will take care of it. He will draw people to where they need to be. He will draw them in to see that we are walking free with Him in the middle of great adversity. They might rejoice with us and help us out of the fire or, they may choose to not see the “fourth man”. But, we are where we need to be. We are in the arms of Jesus. His face toward us is delight. That’s our goal, His face. Psalm 105:4 says, “Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always.” If I am looking at His face, it is much harder to see others’.

Numbers 6:25 says, “May Yahweh bless and protect you; may Yahweh make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may Yahweh look with favor on you and give you peace.”

Let’s remember Whose face we want looking at us with favor. Let’s strive to walk with Christ even in the fire. Let’s press in closer to Him so that others may see Him when they are trying to see us.

O, Lord, grant us the blessing of Your face shining on us. When others look at us in contempt instead of friendship, may we press in closer to where You are. Let others see You walking beside us, residing in us and un-fettering every chain as we walk unbound with You. O, Lord, may all of our faces be ever turned towards Your grace.

 

 

Unity

                                             

                                       

                           

                                             Unity

I have been hearing A LOT about unity lately. It seems to be on many people’s hearts this year, unity in the Body of Christ. People are trying to pull every denomination into a unified pursuit of Christ. That would be amazing, wouldn’t it? Denominational lines that have been drawn for centuries coming down to reach the world for Christ?

In Revelation, God reveals to us a picture of heaven that shows complete unity. Believers of all nations and sects come together in complete worship of our Savior. How beautiful that will be! Complete, unified, pure worship before the Lord.

In the meantime, as we look around, the last thing that many Christians could be called is unified. Not only across denominational lines, but also across churches within our own denomination. But, why are we shocked when churches of different denominations cannot intermingle well when our own denomination is in competition? Why are we surprised that churches within our denomination cannot be unified when our own church is not unified? Why are we perplexed when our church is not unified when our families are not united? Why are we astounded when our families are not in unity when our own heart is not in tune with God?  We are often trying to “put the cart before the horse”. We find ourselves working from the outside in, instead of working from the inside out.

The psalmist says in Psalm 86:11, “…Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name.” The KJV puts it this way, “…Unite my heart to fear Thy name.” We must be willing for God to mold our hearts to be in complete unity with Him. Why? Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable – who can understand it?” The Bible tells us that our heart is naturally more deceitful than anything else. No matter how much love I feel, how much compassion I have, how much unity I desire, without Christ working in me, my heart is even more deceitful than those things that I feel so strongly. It can trick me into viewing love, compassion and unity in the way it desires, not as God desires.

Verse 10 in Jeremiah 17 goes on to say, “I, Yahweh, examine the mind, I test the heart…” God knows that we say we want unity, but let’s be honest, we want unity on our own terms. We all picture unity in a different way with our own twist. My heart deceives me into expecting unity to look a certain way.

For example, when I am in right standing with Christ, I expect things to go smoothly. After all, Jeremiah 29:11 tells me that God’s plans for me are good. His plans are for me and for a hopeful future. My heart deceives me into expecting no trials, no difficulties. I pick and choose Scripture in a way that molds God into my way of thinking. God has to unite my heart with His so that my thinking comes into line with His truth. Unity is me coming to Him and allowing Him to mold me, not the other way around.

You can see that unity is hard work. We often struggle with wanting our own way versus God’s best for us. We need to pray that God would unite our heart so that we can live a life of unity with Him. We need to surrender to The Holy Spirit and allow Him to change our desires to unite with His desires.

Paul describes our struggle with unity so well in Romans 7:15-25 by revealing his own. He says that what his spirit wants to do, his flesh struggles with. He found himself doing things he did not want to do because his flesh was in disharmony with the Holy Spirit living inside of him. He was consistently frustrated with the situation until he remembered that Jesus had saved him from the bondage he was dealing with. He was now a slave to God and not to his flesh. His “deceitful heart” was no longer his master, Christ was.

Paul gave a great example of being on guard, constantly watching for unity between ourselves and God. He was aware of the relentless struggle and laid it before his Father.

Having a united heart before God is vital before we pursue unity in other areas. If I am not in unity with Christ, how can I encourage unity within my family, my church and beyond? If my heart is not in harmony with God’s heart, how can I even see the unity that is there? My heart consistently wants its’ own way, so I must consistently submit it to God.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (KJV) Solomon, the wisest man on earth, recognized how important our hearts are in making decisions. He recognized that it must be kept with diligence, or attentiveness. We must be careful to continually pray as David did in Psalm 139:23 and 24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Then, we have a chance at unity. Then, we have a chance to unite our family. Then, we have a chance to be in unity with our local church, our denomination and others whose one desire is to seek the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

O, God, may we seek unity today. May we be aware of our struggle and place our heart at Your feet. Unite our heart with Your heart. Unite our heart with Your ways. Unite our heart to fear Your Name, the Name above all names. May we pursue You daily, hour by hour, minute by minute. Unite our hearts with one another in the way that You desire and not the way in which we expect.

 We love You, Lord. Help us to love You more.