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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for May 21, 2010
“Fasting Humbles You Before God”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
How long has it been since you fasted?
Have you ever fasted?
Should you fast at all?
Well I believe in fasting, and here is what I get out of it.
First of all, fasting humbles me before God.
A short version of Micah 6:8 says, “…what does the Lord require of you? …to walk humbly with your God.”
That’s how I feel when I’m fasting, like I’m walking humbly with God.
Fasting has a way of knocking down your power and your pride. It weakens you in a way that really humbles you.
Here’s another effect of fasting. Do you remember the old lyrics “and the things of this world will grow strangely dim”? That’s what happens when I fast.
It’s like the time I had strep throat. Not knowing what I was doing, I decided to just power through. But instead of going away, it just got worse. It finally put me flat on my back.
Have you ever been flat-on-your-back sick? If so, did you notice how the world grew strangely dim?
When I had strep, my world shrank. I didn’t think about world affairs or even my own job. My world shrank down to about three rooms in my house.
That’s a picture of how I feel when I fast, it makes the things of this world grow strangely dim.
I’ve never been dying, but I imagine a similar effect. What seemed so important just falls off the radar when you are dying . . . and when you are fasting.
If you know anything about photography you know about depth-of-field. You’ve probably seen photos where one thing was sharply in focus and everything else was blurry. That’s due to the settings on your camera, adjusting the depth-of-field.
Well fasting does that to me. It adjusts my depth-of-field. What really matters – the Lord and eternal things – comes into sharp focus and everything else goes blurry.
So, fasting humbles me before God, and it shrinks my focus down to Him.
To encourage me while fasting, I have a little card with three Bible verses on it.
Acts 13:2 includes this phrase, “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said…”
It includes this phrase from Mark 9:29, “…but by prayer and fasting…”
And it includes these six words from Matthew 6:18, “…fasting…your Father will reward you.”
So why fast? Because God will reward you. Because some things only come by prayer and fasting. And because – now listen to this – fasting makes you more vulnerable to the Holy Spirit.
I heard a preacher say that one time, and I liked it. And I believe it to be true. Fasting makes us more vulnerable to the Holy Spirit.
I’ve also found this to be true. Fasting softens my spirit.
So do we need to fast? Should we fast?
Well if it was good enough for Paul and those early saints, it’s good enough for me.
Now what about the practical details? There are many considerations, such as your work and your health, but with those in mind, I would suggest a water-only fast. That means you intake nothing but water for a set period of time.
If you haven’t fasted yet, maybe start with just 24 hours. Just pick a time and gut it out. Just do it. Yes, your body will rebel. It wants what it wants, but denying it is kind of the point.
Or take it up a notch and try 48 hours, or 72 hours. I think you will see more benefits if you fast longer than just one day.
And I recommend you fast from things like the media and the computer, then use the extra time to pray and study and draw near to God.
One more thing, read up on the practicalities, especially how to come off of a longer fast. There are wrong ways to do it, so be careful.
If you’ve never fasted, or it’s been a long time, then I encourage you to consider it.
I think you will truly grow in your walk with the Lord if you make the effort to fast.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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