From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God. Self cannot satisfy self. We must hunger for God.
This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God. Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.
“What matters is participating in the reality of God and the world in Jesus Christ today, and in doing so in such a way that I never experience the reality of God without the reality of the world, nor the reality of the world without the reality of God.”
—-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Day 25: Fasting Denial
According to Scripture, humanity’s story with God began in the Garden of Eden—an unspoiled place. This Garden was a gift from God to humanity. It was a place of abundant natural beauty, because God created it. But, instead of caring for it and honoring the boundaries God put into place, humanity spoiled it with disobedience and an unholy focus on self—sin. Denying the flesh is not pleasurable. When we demand our own way, we must face the authority of Truth and pay the consequences for our sin.
The Father sent his Son, to die for the sins of the world, so we could live in the unspoiled Kingdom realm of heaven. Jesus faced tremendous anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed for himself, his disciples, and future believers because he would obediently and unselfishly lay down his life for us (John 17). When Jesus prayed, he asked the Father if there was another way to provide salvation (John 17:6). However, the answer was already written, “Jesus is the Way…” (John 14:6).
I suppose each one of us have prayed and asked God to take a situation away so we would not have to drink of it, “Father if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (Matt 26:39). But life happens and God calls us to a place of surrender, “Not my will but your’s Lord.” We press on and endure the pain in our souls.
Today, we fast denial; we must be honest with God and stop hiding our sinful nature, because the Truth has the final authority. Jesus faced his emotions; however, he surrendered to the Father’s will and remained faithful with his commitment. Peter denied knowing Jesus and his work of salvation. We must not.
John 18:25-27 NLT Peter’s Second and Third Denials
25 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.”
26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for teaching us more about denying our flesh, today. We know you require honesty in the inner places of our hearts. Holy Spirit, please keep us in the will of the Father as we honor our commitment. In Jesus’ name. Amen.