“Just Between You And God!”

“Just Between You And God!”(Mt.6:16-18).
A man visited his mother-in-law. The mother-in-law had a palm nut she wanted to crack. She told the son-in-law that she had this palm nut and a small pepper stone, but nothing to place the nut on to crack. The son-in-law said, “Give me. I’ll crack it on my knee.” She gave him the nut and he placed it on his knee and started hitting it with the small stone. The nut did not crack, but he wounded his knee cap so badly. Hence the Mungaka proverb, “Ma tshi bañ tuku’ bo’.” “Do not crack palm nut on your knee.”
Do not try to do things simply because you want to impress – especially in matters of faith.
Fasting is recommended as one of the means by which our souls elevate to God in the same way prayer does. Fasting should not be done to impress others and when fasting, it should not be a public demonstration. Fasting is intended as an individual activity between you and God.
True fasting is not an end in itself; it is a spiritual excercise to purge us of whatever is evil. Fasting is not just about going without food and drink for a prescribed period of time. Fasting is intended to upgrade one spiritually while downing the filth within us, which alienates us from God’s presence and deprives us of his grace.
When we fast and pray, we do so, so that God should hear our prayers, see our remorseful conditions, have pity on us and answer us positively. But when our fasting ends up in quarrelling, and striking each other with wicked fists, God will surely not answer us.
Fasting which the LORD appreciates and which he has chosen is for us to “loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke to set the oppressed free…to share your good with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, clothe him…Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear…Then you will call, and the LORD will answer, you will cry for help and he will say, ‘Here I am'”(Is.58:1-9a).
Dear friend, do you want to fast? Do not do it to impress! Do not do it as a public show! When you fast, have a right relationship with fellow humans and be concerned about justice, fairness and obedience to God.
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit condition me to fast the way God wants. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Prayer point: Pray that the Holy Spirit should reveal true fasting to you.
Rev Babila Fochang.