Seize the Moment – Day 1445
Fast to Break the Yoke of Slavery!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, March 1.
As I read Isaiah 58:6-11, I find myself contemplating the invitation to fast during Lent, which is an annual rhythm of preparation for Holy Week, which many Christians around the world participate:
Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? … Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.
Throughout this 40-day period, the church has historically participated in the spiritual discipline of fasting as a means of focusing oneself on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Good Friday) and His resurrection from the dead (Easter). When I consider the invitation to join with the larger church body in this ancient practice, I seek wisdom from Jesus, who said in Luke 5:34-35, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” These are those days as we await the return of Jesus Christ, who has ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He is interceding for us (Romans 8:34). Until His return, we fast to remind ourselves that there is nothing of this world that can satisfy our needs; we are fulfilled in Christ alone!
Seize the moment and find your satisfaction in the easy yoke of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-30), which shatters all other yokes that seek to enslave you (Galatians 5:1).
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.