RTW September 12
Fake Fasting
Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?
Zechariah 7:3
My Takeaways
Something Old
How long should we remember and mourn over our past? Should we do things to remember either our sin or the tragedies of the past?
Something New
- “A few days of fasting every year could make up for the rest of the year lived for yourselves.” (Guzik)
- “Everyday obedience would make their times of fasting meaningful, but their neglect of everyday obedience made their fasting hypocritical.” (Guzik)
- “It was easy to spend fast-days mourning their losses, but harder to face up to God’s continuing demands.” (Baldwin)
Something to Do
Fast right or don’t fast at all. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Thank you Wendy, you gave me food for thought. I never fasted in a “religious” way up till now. The only time I fasted it was based on a diet where you should fast one day in the week. But I didn’t keep up with that long because I got physically so ill from it. Dizzy, headache and not able to function properly. Maybe because it was for a completely different reason than out of getting closer to God. I never got that so well either. But I do find myself interested. I have several books on fasting which I never read. I just bought them “to once read”. I do want to be in close connection with God and I also believe that God makes you acquainted with certain things when you are ready for it and need to know this. I certainly don’t want to fast for the wrong reasons! So my to do is: to find out more about it. Thanks again!!! And.. your lessons are Never Boring (because you said, I hope this was not boring to you for the people that had never fasted). There is always something in every lesson that speaks to me and I am sure the others feel it like that as well!!!! Have a wonderful blessed day!!! Love from Germany!!
My Takeaways: Keep the Motivation
Something Old: These readings in Zachairiah continue to be very difficult for me. I will be honest – it’s not always easy to get motivated to write my takeaways everyday, but I have to remind myself, from what yesterdays reading was all about, sometimes I just have to “take the plumb line in my hand” – and get started with my takeaways and God shows up. So though todays reading was again difficult and hard for me to understand I’m going to “start the work” anyway.
Something New: I found an easy read in Ezra today about the completion of the second Temple! I stopped and meditated for a while on the thought that this second Temple, was the same Temple that existed during Jesus’ ministry!
Through all the excitement of the Temple reconstruction, the Lord reminded the people not to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors and fall into habits of having an attitude of worhship without a sincere knowledge to know and love him. “Even now in your festivals, you don’t think about Me but only of pleasing yourselves” (Zechariah 7:6). God wanted them to practice righteousness. “Judge fairly and honestly,” He said, “and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans,foreigners, and poor people; and do not make evil plans to harm each other” (7:9, 10). He continued, “Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace… Stop the habit of swearing things that are false. I hate all these things” (8:16, 17).I have a choice I can have a sincere desire to have a loving relationship with God and receive His Blessings or I can choice to just go through the motions out of habit and live a life of ruin.
Something To Do: Remember my responsiblities to God if I am expecting Him to do His part. Make sure I am doing what God wants. Desire a true heart for what God desires for me.