Day 14 A 40-Year Fast

The longest fast in scripture is 40 days, when Jesus started his ministry with a fast. During that fast He encountered His arch enemy in the wilderness.  He was face-to-face with the one who in three years He would defeat on the cross.

40 days is a long period of time to fast. But what if a fast lasted 40 years?  If you answered, 'Impossible!' you would, of course, be right when it comes to food.

But what if you weren't fasting food? 

What if you were 'fasting' your time, in the process of waiting? 

The number 40 in the Bible is used by God as a time of testing and judgment.  

• It rained forty days and night in judgment during Noah's day (Gen. 7:4)  
• Moses was with God on Mt. Sinai forty days (Ex. 24:18)        
• There are at least 32 portions of scripture in both the Old and New Testament which mention the number 40 in this context.

But the one that strikes me the most is the 40 years Joshua and Caleb spent in the wilderness waiting to enter the Promised Land.  They fasted 40 years of their lives and it wasn't their fault they were there. They had not been disobedient.  Neither had they doubted what God promised. But they were required to spend 40 years wandering with the Israelites until God's testing and judgment was over and the new land was opened for their right to conquer.

So what's that got to do with you and me? 

Maybe a lot more than you think.  Has God made you a promise and not fulfilled it yet?  Have you prepared yourself for something in ministry and the door hasn't opened yet? 

You just may be in a time of testing which, like Joshua and Caleb, requires you to remain faithful no matter the length or duration of the season before God fulfills his Word in your life. We can use specific verses in the Bible to comfort us in lots of different situations, but let me help you try one on for size when it comes to waiting. 

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  (Isaiah 40:31)

The promise of God through the prophet is that strength will come while you're waiting! Thankfully, fasting isn't prolonged beyond our human ability, but when God asks of you more than you think you can possibly do, you can certainly trust Him to provide what you need for what you are facing.

That's a divine promise!

Keep praying and, no matter how long it takes, don't get discouraged--God's Word will come to pass. As you 'fast' your time in the waiting process, strength will rise as you wait upon the Lord.

I'll meet you at the Throne,
Pastor George