Imagine you were one of the women followers of Jesus during his three-year ministry on earth. What would it be like as you heard his teachings, walked by his side, and watched his ministry?
Dear sister,
Jesus continues to teach us new lessons that challenge me to consider why and how I perform our religious ceremonies. We follow so many rules, but we often do not even understand the meaning of them.
Since being with our Lord, we have not fasted. Some people questioned Jesus about this. His response was that there is no need to fast when the bridegroom is present. He is likening himself to a bridegroom. I am reminded of Isaiah’s prophecy in which God compares Himself to a Bridegroom saying, “As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”
Jesus says he will be taken from us and after that we will fast again. I am not sure what all this means, but I realize that Jesus is asking us to think about the meaning of all that we do for God. Sister, have you thought about why we fast? We do this along with prayer to show God our dependence on Him during a repentant, needy or troubled time. When we fast, we humble ourselves before the Father as an act of surrender. Instead of food filling our hunger, we are looking to God to satisfy us. He fills our need for forgiveness, provision, protection, and guidance in His will.
As we walk with Jesus, the Father is speaking directly to us through the presence of the Son of Man. Jesus is revealing the Father’s will. He is bringing forgiveness to us. He is providing and protecting us. However, he says that when he leaves us, we must again seek the Father through the act of fasting.
I have come to love our Lord like a bride loves a bridegroom. I pray he will never leave me. Sister, Jesus is doing a new work among us. He likens it to a new patch on a new piece of cloth or new wine in a new wineskin. I pray you too are drinking up this new wine and learning new ways to walk in faith.
Feasting in the Bridegroom’s love,
your Big Sister
Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 62:5; Luke 5:33-39; Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22
Today’s Application: Have you considered fasting? As we learned from the Big Sister in our story today, fasting is an act of utter surrender and dependence on God to fill our need for forgiveness, provision, protection, and guidance in His will. A spiritual fast is not for the purpose of dieting or getting more work done. It is to be a time of increased and focused prayer. Ask the Lord if He wants you to fast and for how long. If you have any medical condition or are pregnant, please consult your doctor first. For further guidance, refer to articles on the internet such as; https://www.allaboutprayer.org/prayer-and-fasting.htm
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