The Vine - FastingSample

Devotion: In Hong Kong we always seem to be in a rush. We live in a fast paced city that never sleeps, and for many of us our lives are a flurry of activity. We are constantly on the go, whether commuting, working, connecting with friends, or spending time with our families. We can easily find ourselves rushing from one appointment to the next, and trying to cram as much as we can into a single 24 hour day. The challenge is that we bring this fast paced lifestyle into our spirituality and faith. Where we naturally rush from one thing to the next in our working lives, we rush in and out of our moments with God, squeezing them into short bursts of time here and there. Where we expect people to reply to our emails or texts the instant we send them, so we expect our God to answer our prayers as soon as they leave our lips. We have taken our fast paced lifestyle and assumed that our faith needs to work in the same way. We want a "McD's" Christianity - instant, immediate, easy, now. The issue is that our scriptures teach us something different. While God is ever attentive to our prayers, he is not at our beck and call, forced to fit into our demands and time frames. God is sovereign, and his sovereignty means he moves in his timing, which is always the right timing. Psalm 27 is a wonderful example of the need for the people of God to understand this, trust him, and embrace the wonder of waiting on the Lord. God teaches us so much in the waiting, and the spiritual discipline of quieting our hearts before him, slowing down, and allowing ourselves to wait on him is key for us in the city we live in. Don't make your fast fast! Allow it to slow you down. Your fast is a great opportunity to practice what Psalm 27:14 speaks of - waiting on God and trusting in his timing. Reflection: Take a moment to think about your past week. At what speed do you live your life? Are you rushing too much? Where might you need to slow down, in order to make sure you faith is not a by-product of your busyness? Offer this to God today. Prayer: Father, I recognize that in the fast paced city of Hong Kong my life can become too busy. Thank you that you teach us to wait on you, to pause and slow down and be with you. Help me to slow myself down so I can listen to your voice, and be with you. Amen.