Isaiah 54:10 – « Though the mountains fall away and the hills be shaken, My love shall never fall away from you nor my covenant of peace be shaken, says the LORD, who has mercy on you. » (New American Bible)
Congratulations! You have made it to the end of the Daniel Fast 2019, and this is our final entry in the Prayer Guide. But this is only the beginning of a great work that God will be doing in your life throughout this entire school year and beyond. Just believe that the seeds that have been sown in your heart during these past three weeks are good seeds, and that they will bring forth fruit after their own kind.
I would encourage you before you close this prayer guide for the last time to make a note of what God has done in your life during these three weeks, and especially the promises He has spoken to you.
There have been times in my life when I really thought I had lost everything in life. I had even lost the desire to keep living. In these times of despair I could say along with the prophet Isaiah, « The mountains have fallen away, and the hills are shaken to the very core! »
But in the confusion, in the pain, in the suffering, there was always something deep, deep down in my heart. When I could calm my mind long enough to somewhat still the storm of my feelings, I knew deep down in my heart that God loved me, and had not abandoned me, regardless of what my circumstances told me.
It’s easy to feel like the world will end if certain circumstances don’t change. You may feel like you need to quit, or shift your commitments because certain mountains that you trusted in have fallen away. No matter what happens in the material and physical world around you, there is one absolute truth that remains eternal: the covenant that God established through Jesus for you remains unshaken and eternal. It is the anchor of peace to your soul. It is the reason you remain optimistic about the future and about the potential to change yourself.
No matter how man may fail you; no matter how you may fail yourself; God and God’s covenant will never fail you. So make that your source of truth. Make that your source of joy and life. If you will continue to build on the absolute truth of God’s covenant, your life will never again be shaken.
So, continue to enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your tent pegs, being secure in God’s love and anchored in His truth.
I have seen just how powerful a time of fasting can be, and I have resolved in my heart to do this more often throughout the year. When I cam to Him at the start saying « what is wrong with me? » He replied: « There’s nothing wrong with you; you are just missing a few things! And I will provide them … if you trust me! » In response to a heart that hungers for God, He brings us to a deeper knowledge of His goodness, His love, His kindness, His authority. The obstacles to growth that are unveiled seem to melt away. The fears and insecurities and intimidation that hide in our souls seem to flee. Problems become possibilities. Attacks become opportunities. God Himself fills more space in our lives. Creativity, vision, and faith are restored. Courage, determination, and perseverance are renewed. Ultimately we don’t fast to « get more of God »…we fast so that He gets more of us!
J’aimeJ’aime