Fasting Beatitudes

~~~ Isaiah 58:1-9A ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 9:14-15 ~~~

Today's message highlights the pitfalls 

and the beauty of fasting.

Fasting is a spiritual practice designed 

to bring us closer to God.

We do not fast to let others think more highly of us.

A time of fasting is not to pretend we are a better 

person because we are not eating.

Fasting is a practice to remind ourselves of our dependence on God.

It is God who sustains us in all our needs.

We fast for blood work, we fast because it is prescribed 

by our religious beliefs.

Fasting is not so much about what we do or don't eat.

Fasting is more about our mindset.

We must ask ourselves what is our motivation for fasting. 

God reveals to Isaiah what amounts to 

the Beatitudes of Fasting.

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:

releasing those bound unjustly,

untying the thongs of the yoke;

Setting free the oppressed,

breaking every yoke;

Sharing your bread with the hungry,

sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;

Clothing the naked when you see them,

and not turning your back on your own.

Yours will be a clean heart...entrance into the kingdom.

...your wound shall quickly be healed...

If while you are fasting you focus on the care of others;

your own ills will be healed...

your heart will be cleansed...

you will be forgiven...

Your fasting will not be in vain...for all the wrong reasons.

The wounds of our soul are healed 

when we reach out to care for God's children.

The wounds of our soul from years past 

will be filled in smoothed over with the grace of God.

If you choose to fast do so with a loving heart...

for even if you are not aware of the wounds of your heart

healing will occur.

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn...

Fasting is not about being sad and gloomy.

Fasting is about surrendering our will to doing God's will.

It is in fasting where we can come to know

 what hunger for God truly is...

Our hunger for God is our hunger to be made 

whole again to be with him in heaven.

Blessings may come in restricting you food intake, 

but not by ignoring the needs of the poor.

~~~Peace~~~