21 Days to Fast

Our church fast started today, and as Pastor posted a particular scripture, I got a chance to write something up for KidPak, sharing that based on the scripture from Isaiah.  Before moving on, I'll share that here:

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

 

     It’s a big moment!  When certain people mention the year 2020, the immediate thought could be about how bad it’s been.  And looking back, it could be said that this has been a very challenging season.  As a nation, it seems as if we’ve been weakened by so many withering attacks.

     But know this:  we’re right where we need to be.  The Bible shows us that when we are weak, He is strong.  You don’t need to look any further than your Bible to see this time and again.  Throughout the scriptures God shows His mighty strength, using those who seem to have no ability to find a way out of their trouble.  Remember when David was literally facing a giant?  Joshua was facing a impenetrable wall.  Elisha was surrounded by an enemy army with horses and chariots.  

     They discovered for themselves that when we are weak, He is strong.  Elisha prayed that his servant could see this for himself, and sure enough, suddenly that servant’s eyes were opened.  He could see that the enemy army was absolutely nothing compared to the army of the Lord that was all around them.  Peter saw an angel helping him out of a death sentence.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego saw a Fourth Man with them in the fiery furnace, saving them in front of the king and the whole nation.

     And you know something?  If Goliath could see what he was really facing when he saw little David, I guarantee you that giant would be fleeing in terror.  If the Pharaoh had seen what he was up against when he was chasing down Moses at the Red Sea, I believe that Egyptian would turn that army of his right around and run screaming all the way back to the pyramids.

     We serve the same powerful God today.  And just like our heroes from the Bible, right now we may be feeling pretty weak and small.  But don’t forget:  when we are weak, He is strong. 

     When we fast, and when we pray, we put our hope in the Lord.  And those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

     So be encouraged, and have faith.  Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength.  That’s you, by the way.  We serve a mighty God, and He has promised to never leave our side.  You might not be able to see it, but a major victory is coming.  The tide of the battle is shifting, and you’re about to soar!  

     I wrote a few things today, including this and a few other devotional items simultaneously, moving forward with those as best as possible.  Speaking of moving forward, we went over to the store to pick up some school supplies.  We had binders and ear buds and all kinds of things on a list to get, so we were out there shopping with our masks on, and wound up getting everything that was needed fairly quickly.

     We're fasting today, so food was pretty limited to soups and so forth.  No sweets.  The important thing is the time of prayer, and dedicating more time filing out spirits with more Biblical resources.  For example, tonight we watched the story of Samson, a production put together by Sight & Sound.  

Back in April or so, we got about seven of these videos that were filmed of stories from the Bible, and we've been watching them all along here and there since then.  Tonight's production was a telling of the story of Samson, and it was actually really good.  The story was a story of grace, and yes he had flaws (as do all of us), but he's ultimately listed in the Hall of Faith, mentioned in Hebrews 11 along with many other famous names of the Old Testament.

It was good!  We've been enjoying these productions, and finding inspiration here or there, as we do a much smaller scale production at KidPak each week.  Or, at least we will again soon.  That's what we're fasting for.  We're fasting for a return to church, and a return to health.  Ba-Ba needs a healthy set of lungs.  Daddy does too.  We're praying for healing for us, and for this land.

This afternoon we were out in the garden, and wow, those tomatoes are just growing and growing.  We got a few off the vine, and we'll be doing something soon with those.  Maybe Mommy will make fried green tomatoes, or maybe we'll make a tomato sauce with them.  I don't know.  But some of these are monsters, so big they look like they'll burst!  These might come in handy during this fast...

We watered the garden, but later on during "Samson," we noticed an unexpected rain shower out there, one not in the forecast.  It's okay - we love the extra rain, certainly for the other plants that didn't get watered earlier.

Tonight we read from a "Heroes" devotional that I wrote some time ago, this after another episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."  It seemed only appropriate that this entry was about the character Daisy Johnson.  We prayed tonight, and did all the regular routines, including the throwing of plush animals at each other - that's been a recent trend.  And I'll close out tonight with that entry about one of Madison's favorite characters in the show, the one and only "Quake."

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing hymns to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake. It shook the prison from top to bottom. All at once the prison doors flew open. Everyone’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:25-26 NIRV

QUAKE

     Agent Daisy Johnson has an ability to shake things up – literally. She uses vibrations to break through walls, send bad guys flying, and can even cause earthquakes!

     She’s been an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a few years now, but recently she’s also been given powers that make her something the world isn’t so sure about. Daisy used to be like everyone else in the world, but after a remarkable change, she now stands out as someone really, really different!

     In our Bibles, there were a few heroes named Paul and Silas that could relate. They used to be like the rest of the world. But one encounter with Jesus can change all that. The difference is that these two weren’t inhumans – they were Christians!

     Throughout their adventures, they faced many challenges, but one of the most famous of their stories started with these two being thrown in prison. It was there at their lowest point that they started singing songs, praising God. And that’s when the real earthquake began! The jail cells shook violently and the doors swung open, and just like that Paul and Silas were free. The prison guard stood there quaking in his boots!

     But this wasn’t time for revenge. Daisy Johnson once explained, “You can catch a lot more flies with honey than with napalm.” Simply put, our job isn’t to rain down revenge and punishment on anyone. Paul and Silas would agree, as they used this opportunity to tell the prison guard about Jesus. In the end, it turned out that the prisoners there weren’t the only ones who needed to be freed: soon the prison guard himself became a Christian!

     Are you ready to shake things up? You’ve been freed, and changed – and you’re given a responsibility. It’s not to beat down everyone you see. It’s to be hero, and show the world how to be free.