| “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.” – Ezra 8:21 |
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| The Ezra Fast Ponder Ezra pondering. He has been assigned as the Jewish leader with the huge responsibility of leading a group of his people BACK to JERUSALEM from their captivity in Babylon and he is pondering the path to take. His diligent preparation for this journey has brought him to a moment of “I don’t know.” He is perplexed. He is unsure. He is struggling to finalize the crucial decision of the direction they will be taking. I am thinking you have been to this moment of “I don’t know.” I know I have. I know I am supposed to DO something but HOW TO DO is not clear. It is at these crucial moments I am reminded of Ezra and how he handles his perplexing moment of “I don’t know.” Let’s take a look at what he did. Realizing he did not know his next step he proclaimed a fast. Not knowing what to do has led him to go to the One who knows what to do! Ezra will FAST. He will call on those going with him to FAST. Instead of relying on his knowledge Ezra will humble himself and acknowledge to God his tremendous need for God to be the guide for the perilous journey! May I ask, are you familiar with fasting? I see fasting as a spiritual discipline to help laser FOCUS my attention on God. Fasting is the removal of something like food for a period of time (could be other things) that allows for a focused time where one is seeking the face of God. For me, a FAST is For A Serious Time. That serious time can be for a variety of things. Here is Ezra 8:21 it was FOR A SERIOUS TIME of seeking DIRECTION! Drawing from Ezra 8:21 I would encourage you to have times of fasting. If you want to learn more about how to fast, I highly recommend reading Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts by Dr. Elmer Towns. He not only writes as a Biblical scholar, but he also writes as a practitioner! While we cannot know if Ezra knew Proverbs 3:5-6 Ezra’s actions in Ezra 8:21 sure look like he was applying Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your path. Verse to DATE the Word on August 21 (8/21) is Ezra 8:21. It says, “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.” Pondering your next step? Is a FAST in your future so God can determine your future? Continue Strong seeking God, |