Don’t Fast, Feast!
I frequently practice “preventative hunger eating.” That’s when I do not eat because I am hungry, but so that I won’t get hungry. It’s the reason there is usually an emergency snack in my bag and why my carry-on is so heavy when I travel. This practice has saved my family from countless toddler meltdowns and adult “hangriness” through the years. Furthermore, this quirk of mine actually mirrors a deep spiritual principle that the Lord has been showing me the past two weeks.
Let’s begin in the Old Testament with the prophet Elijah. Elijah performed many miracles, including raising a young man back from the dead. God also used him to confront Israel’s King Ahab and Queen Jezebel about their sinful practices and to defeat the prophets and priests of Baal in an awesome display of God’s power. Following this, however, Elijah was worn out and ready for God to use someone else. He lay down in the wilderness and prayed, and the Lord answered him.
“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.” All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 1 Kings 19:4b-8 NIV
Elijah’s answer came in the form of supernatural food. God was not finished with him. Elijah’s journey was not yet complete, and he needed to eat before he got back on the road. The food strengthened him to continue his journey to the mountain of God.
Another example of the Lord providing supernatural food to sustain His people is found in the gospels of Matthew and Mark, which tell the story of Jesus feeding four thousand men, and the women and children who were with them.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. Matthew 15:32-38 NIV
What a miracle that the Bread of Life blessed, broke, and gave bread to the people that day. It was sufficient to satisfy, nourish, and sustain them on their journey home.
I must say, after keeping a harried pace with school, children, and the demands of life and ministry, I’ve been looking forward to some time off. However, when the Holy Spirit illuminated these biblical accounts to me, I received it as a correction to my course. Now is not the time for me to just lie around or zone out. While my body may need rest, my spirit requires nourishment from the Lord Himself to strengthen me for what lies ahead—supernatural nourishment only found in Jesus’s presence and His word. It is not the time for me to fast, but to feast, to be satisfied and filled up daily.
Indeed, this journey is not complete—God is not finished with me or you! In anticipation of the road ahead, let us renew our urgency, hunger, and desperate need to draw closer to the Lord. His Word and His presence feed, strengthen, and sustain us so that we do not collapse along the way. No doubt, this journey is too difficult for us to make it on our own strength. Praise God for His faithfulness and attentive care in providing the Bread of Life for every step!