- “The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
For many of you the fast has just ended. You started January 3 and went 21 days. For those that go to church with me the fast will end this weekend. You started a little later. And for those pesky Branches folk the fast will end on the 31st. Whenever you fasting time ends, it will end. Jesus said a lot more about celebrating in the Gospels than He did about fasting so let’s get back to the party.
But, before we do, here are a few words about ending the fast. I have found it is important to be as intentional about ending a fast as beginning one. It puts a stamp on this period of consecration to pause, give thanks, reflect, recommit, and then move on. And, by the way, to start the celebration on purpose, a good old fashioned declaration to God might be good. “You are my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” It’s kind of like saying, “Lord, if I can do without a Big Mac for three weeks, You and I can do anything!”
4 things to do as you end your fast:
1. Be positive—maybe it wasn’t as spectacular as you hoped. Maybe you did not receive some Nostradamus kind of revelation. Maybe you even had a few slips along the way (I ate a piece of Jon-Mical’s birthday cake last night). None of that was the point. You took a step in your walk of faith so be positive.
2. Be prepared—remember what happened to Jesus near the end of His fast? Old Liar attacked Him. The temptations started with the bread, then worshiping the wrong thing, then testing God. The devil will jump on you right away as your fast ends. He will either try to puff you up with pride or beat you down with doubt. Say no and move on.
3. Be practical—depending on how extensive your fast was, ease back into things. If you fasted all or most foods for three weeks, don’t end your fast at Dairy Queen (Pastor Eddie). If you fasted caffeine don’t make your first jolt a Starbucks Super Shot Espresso (Pastor Bryce)😂 Just start slow and work your way back. And by the way, if you fasted something that really isn’t good for you, maybe use this fast to stop it or reduce it from now on. If you fasted cigarettes maybe cut back to two packs a day (Pastor John). 😂😂😂 I’M JUST KIDDING!
4. Be proactive—the fast has ended but what can you do next to strengthen your connection to God and grow your faith. Here I go…you might take some time to write down the things that God said to you and put a plan in place to follow up.
You did great. Congratulations. I am proud of you. Now go get a bowl of soup and let’s see what God has for us next.