NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

REFLECTIONS
Humility and repentance is the theme for our reflection. Humility is to have reverence and fear for the Lord and to count oneself unworthy in His presence through obedience to His word. Repentance is to be remorseful over one’s sin or transgression and to earnestly seek for God’s forgiveness and regeneration. We shall consider the lesson that fasting must produce humility and repentance.

Beloved in the Lord one of the significance of fasting is that it leads to humility and repentance. Ahab demonstrated this fact when the Lord condemned Him for His disobedience. Elijah said to king Ahab “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. ²¹ He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. ²² I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’.. (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. ²⁶ He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.” (1 Kings 21:20-22,25-26).

In ancient Israel, one of the outward demonstrations of humility and repentance before God was to rend one’s clothes, and sit in ashes while wearing sackclothe. This is done with fasting, penitential prayer and cry before the Lord. Fasting, humility and repentance were the countenance and posture of King Ahab. “When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. ²⁸ Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: ²⁹ “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day…” (1 Kings 21:27-29). Beloved in the Lord, humility and repentance must come from our hearts. We greatly admonished in Joel 2:13 that when we fast, we must first “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” Fasting must draw us closer to God in humility and repentance even as we allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of regeneration in our lives. No matter who we are, we must from time to time, observe a period of solitude and fast and go before the Lord in prayer seeking to develop a deeper relationship with Him through a life of humility and repentance. Our chapels and their surroundings are more quiet within the week and can be used for this purpose. This is why I always advocate that our chapels must remain open during the week and members should be able to have access to the chapel during the week. There are times we can fast and pray with our family in the comfort of our homes so long as the environment is convenient. Some people may travel to retreat centres for this purpose. The goal is that “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9) Fasting and prayers in a quiet environment while focusing on the Word of God bring spiritual satisfaction, fulfilment and restoration. We need time to get off our busy schedules and the stressful pressures of the world to engage in a spiritual journey with the Lord to rediscover ourselves through a period of rest, fasting, prayer and Bible study. Its significance or benefit is that we come back more humble, regenerated, refreshed, revived, restored, balanced and well-equipped to live a purpose-driven life.

In summary, we have reflected on the theme ” humility and repentance” We have learnt that fasting is a spiritual exercise that produces the fruit of humility and repentance through prayer and Bible study. Shalom.

PRAYER
1. Let us pray for the enablement and awareness to make time to fast and pray even as we seek to live a life of humility and repentance.
2. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us to make fasting, prayer and Bible study an important part of our lives so as to overcome the temptations in our lives.
3. Let us pray for God to raise a generation of godly and prayerful leaders who will be humble and obedient to the Lord.

Almighty God, we humble ourselves in total repentance and obedient to Your Word. May the Holy Spirit continually guide our steps and may we live according to the perfect image of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Amen.