How is the Fasting?

How is the fasting going?
How is the month of fasting?
Yeah, the fasting is hard.
I'm not feeling well, it's the fasting.
The fasting is so hard in the hot season.

Almost all of the conversation these days when we are out is about the Fasting. It is one of the five pillars of religion of the people with whom we work. It is one of those things that they believe must be done yearly to have their sins forgiven. It is often not done, or at least carried out, in a way to actually grow closer to the Father or to know His will better, but rather as a penance for sins and a way to show everyone else they are doing the right thing.

(Lest, we become too pious in our own faith. Let us remember when we have been dramatic over things we have given up to follow The Lord. Even a couple of months ago, in a gathering with other expat workers, several of us began comparing how much harder life is where we are than the others.)

The Lord was pretty clear though in Matthew 6 of how we are to fast. We are not to dramatize how terrible we feel nor even let others know that we are fasting. It is to be done in secret for the One who sees in secret will see and repay. If we do it in such a way as to be seen by men, then we have our payment, and the Almighty will not answer. The Lord is the one who sees the heart.

Sometimes it can become wearying to have the constant chatter about the struggle of the fasting, that I can forget that The Lord also promised that those who seek Him would indeed find Him, when they seek Him with their whole heart. Even in going to a government office yesterday with a teammate, the subject was broached by the head of the office. It was an opportunity to share how it is that we fast, in secret, such that no one would know, for it is between us and The Lord. My teammate was able to share about having found truth in the Way.

It is easy to forget with all the chatter, that there are those who are earnestly seeking Him. My teammate was approached the other day by a man who returned the next day. On the second day, he shared with her that he had a dream of a white woman with a piece of paper. He sought a religious leader to explain the dream. The interpretation he was given was not accurate. My teammate shared some and will be sharing more with this man what the dream actually meant.

Ask that we keep our ears tuned for those who are actually seeking earnestly and to not grow weary in the chatter. Ask the Father for dreams and visions for those who are seeking Him that would lead them to know Him more.