Feeling or Knowing

As this fast has progressed, I have to admit I have been a little frusterated.  God has shown up, do not get me wrong, He is always so faithful, but I just have not had that "feeling" of His presence like sometimes.  You know, the goose-bumps when He speaks directly to you during your quiet time, the rush when He answers your questions before you even get them spoken, the warm-fuzzies when you hear Him whisper His praises for your obedience, or even the feeling of awe you get when you just get-it that the God of this universe could actually love and care for you.  I have felt AWEFUL the last couple of days, sick, tired, headaches, and then you add on top of that the lack of "feeling" Him at work, I was beginning to give in to the thought that maybe this particular fast was just powerless in some way...yes, some way associated with MY end of the deal, but powerless just the same.

Then I heard a message and it was as if God just put His Holy Hand over my mouth, so that He could get a Word in! 

  Luke 7:18-28 is the story of John the Baptist when he was in prison and sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus to assure him that Jesus was truly the one.  A couple of things have bothered me before about this story...1-he waiting for over an hour before acknowledging John's disciples request, and -2- he waiting until after they had left to say all the "feel-good" things about John that he had to say.  He simply sent John's disciples back to him with the message to tell John of what they had seen.  HUH??? What is up with that?  Well, this morning He cleared it up for me.  John did not need the "touchy-feely" and flowery words of Jesus his cousin, he needed the Truth of Christ.  In order to give that to John, it took a little time, but he loved John enough, that He spent the next hour performing miracles as hard and fast as it looks he could, and fulfilling prophecy, so that the disciples would have the PROOF and the TRUTH of the Word in Malachi's prophecies to take back to John. 

You see, it took a little while, and it was not the "feelings" that we would in our human mind expect and desire, but Jesus cared enough to send him the Truth.  And that is what we need to focus on these next few days.  Do not get caught up in the "feeling" or lack thereof of the fast, but hold out, persevere, and press-on until Jesus reveals the Truth of the fast to you.  The Truth of the spiritual battles that are being won by your obedience and discipline and even a small bit of sacrifice.

The same holds true in the story of Lazarus.  Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus, it is recorded in scripture, yet when He received word that Lazarus was sick, he delayed going...for days.  Why? again, Jesus could have cured the illness Lazarus had, but He loved those three enough, He wanted them to also have the fulfillment of scripture and prophecy, and the Truth of the Word, not the feelings of the world.

Hang in there, God is up to something, and Jesus has the Truth of the Word and is going to deliver that Truth right to your heart and your circumstance in His perfect time. 

In Him,
Connie