Fasting Day 4 of 40 | First Saturday of Lent
“Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel? You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god—which you made for yourselves. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty. Amos 5:25-27
“Imagine God’s people bringing sacrifices and offerings to God for forty years. Forty years! But God was not satisfied. He did not want anything from them. He wanted them. Good news! He wants us too.
Jeanne Guyon teaches us how to give ourselves to God in Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ. “The only way to be perfect is to walk in the presence of God. The only way you can live in His presence in uninterrupted fellowship is by means of prayer… By withdrawing from outward objects, you will constantly draw nearer to God. The closer you are to God, the more you receive His nature. The more you receive His nature, the more you will draw upon His sustaining power.”
Whatever we think we need, we do well to let go of it in Lent. For many, the desire for control, money, security, and comfort are idols that God wants us to let go of. Why? When we hold on to them, we place our trust in them. He wants us to trust in Him instead and find life in His presence.
Jesus, I want to walk with You and live in Your presence. Amen.
Take a walk. Invite Jesus to join you in prayer. Be silent. Listen to what He has to say. Do this for forty minutes day during Lent. See what happens.