Food is necessary for life. When we do without food to focus more fully on God we are saying we need God more than food. That is right.
When we engage in the discipline of fasting to focus on God He meets our need, He shows us the way, He gives us strength. He does these things all the time but we experience them, or maybe we appreciate them, to a greater degree when we put ourselves completely at His disposal.
Some random thoughts on the discipline of going without food for the glory of God:
1. Gluttony (which is overdoing food intake, going beyond what is necessary) is an enemy of fasting.
2. Fasting doesn't preclude feasting (which is enjoying God's good gifts), it just puts it on hold for a while to feast on God Himself.
3. Fasting is a chance to celebrate God's presence in a way that a full stomach sometimes overshadows.
4. Isaiah 58 sheds some light on "active fasting" in a life-altering way: when I refuse to go my own way and I resolve to go in a God-honoring way, I find myself not being deceived by fool's gold; sharing my bread with the hungry and interacting with people who hunger to see God in action through His people.
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