Daniel Fast (Day Two)

Before going to bed last night, I read some more of Forgotten God. I have been taking this book in little by little so that I can have time to absorb, process, and reflect upon the words. The last paragraph I read before putting the book down last time was highlighted and read,

"God said to Israel, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD" (Jer. 29:13-14). When is the last time you sought after God with all your heart? We are not Israel, but God still desires to be sought and found by His people. Ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to set everything aside right now so that you can seek Him wholeheartedly. Tell God that you want intimacy with Him, no matter what, even if it necessitates suffering on your part. When this relationship with Him is as it should be, there is nothing more satisfying or meaningful."

I read this paragraph sometime last week, not even thinking about fasting at the time it was read. But I did pray for the Holy Spirit to intercede and guide me to intimacy with Him. The two verses preceding Jeremiah 29:13-14 read, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you" (Jer.29:11-12).

These verses in Jeremiah, particularly verse 11, have been one of my favorite passages since my first semester of college. Now that it is my last semester of college, they are even more important to me. It's so neat to see how God has played this truth out in my life the past 5 years. When I prayed through these verses 5 years ago, God knew I would be praying through them again now. When I prayed through them last week, God knew the plans for me to begin this fast this week. He knew I would call on Him and pray to Him. And He promised He would listen. He knew I would take this time to seek Him with all my heart. I am seeking Him and finding Him. I am doing it no matter what. And He knew it would, as a matter of fact, necessitate suffering on my part. Believe me, fasting is no walk in the park. But when compared to His suffering on the cross, limited contact with the social world and living off fruits and veggies is nothing. Jesus gave up His life for me to have a relationship with me. He doesn't want to have a mundane, run of the mill relationship with me. He wants me to have a close, intimate, fruitful relationship with Him. He sacrificed for me. Now I am making my own sacrifices so that this relationship He has pursued to have with me will be as satisfying and meaningful as He has planned it to be.