Monday, August 25, 2008

40-day Fast


As Arlen and I have been talking lately and realizing our need for simplification, we have also realized how confused we really are. We read books and listen to sermons. It seems like everyone has a message, but they don't always agree.

Who is right? What should we believe? We can't even explain some of the truths we hold dear.

In his first letter, Peter says this:

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." ~ 1 Peter 3:15


It seems like I constantly have so many questions, and rather than taking the time required to seek out God's truths in His word I look for an easier answer. This is not what God has called us to. So often He speaks of persistence in coming to Him.

Arlen and I have decided to take a 40 day fast. We are not fasting from food. Rather we are taking 40 days apart when our only guide, the only influence we seek, is that of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. We will not read anything other than the Bible for 40 days.

For Arlen, this means searching God's word for business advice and principles. For me, it means going to God for answers on parenting and what it means to be a woman. For both of us, we must face God and discover how to truly draw near to Him.

We picked 40 days because that is the amount of time Jesus spent in the desert before His public ministry. We thought we would start by following Christ's example from the beginning.

Why am I telling you all this? First of all, I want to share with you the lessons I am learning as I drink deeply from the words of life. Secondly, because I want you to join us on this journey. Put away watching TV or reading books, blogs, or magazines that are a substitute for real spiritual meat, and take all the time you would be putting into those things to turn to the Bible.

If you want to take this challenge, feel free to leave a comment below along with the date you are starting the challenge, and we will pray for you as you embark on your journey.

May God bless you.

2 comments:

laurettabear said...

I guess I'll start the posting for the challenge. Today is our fist day, and we are set to be done on October 2 - we'll let you know how it goes.

laurettabear said...

I just realized I never posted progress on this challenge. It turns out it came at a time with many decisions coming up in our lives. We so wanted to read literature to find out about things or listen to sermons, but we were forced to go straight to God's word.

I was especally struggling with the particular issue of who it is that God calls us to be and what it means to be a Christian. This took me on an incredible journey through the book of John. I learned so much from simply exploring Jesus' interaction with those He came in contact with.

I couldn't have gotten anything like that from other forms of media.