Fasting Day 18 – 1/29/2009

Adult / Teen Journal

January 29, 2009

Day 18. Blessing others

    Isaiah 61:2-3

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

It can’t be real. You looked at your calendar twice, it is! It is almost the end of the fast. You are close enough now that you are most likely going to make it. You are surely not going to die, or melt, or have some kind of breakdown. You have learned to handle your feeling of fleshly emptiness without killing your children, spouse, or co-workers. Not quite there yet, but close enough to know that the light at the end of the tunnel is not that proverbial oncoming train. Enough about yourself! What? That is right, enough about you. During an extended time of prayer and fasting it is real easy to get wrapped up in yourself, some of it good, some of it not so good; I will let you sort that out. As you draw this spiritual journey to a close it is now time to find out how your spiritual growth of the last three weeks is supposed to help others. Isaiah suggests that we are to be about the business of lifting up heads, encouraging others, swapping the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness so that God will be glorified. See, the fast, although it has hopefully caused much growth in you in the last 17 days, is not just for you so you can be all grown up. It is also so you can serve your generation. Take some time today and talk to God about this and see what He has in mind for you!

Children’s Journal

January 29, 2009

Day 18. True Friends

Because the crowd where Jesus was healing people was so big one man couldn’t get in to see Him. His friends carried him up on the roof. They made a hole. And then they let him down with ropes to Jesus.