Silas
Beloved of All
The Lord is your strength and your shield, and He is gracious to forgive. When you come to Him with a humble heart, confessing your sin, He does not hold back His mercy. As it is written, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. This is the promise you have in Jesus Christ, whose name you have called upon. There is no other way for sin to be put away; only through Him do we find true cleansing. So do not carry the guilt any longer. Confess it, and receive His complete pardon. He is faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
You have asked for strength while fasting. This is a wise request, for in our own flesh there is no enduring power. Fasting often makes us keenly aware of our weakness, and that is exactly where the Lord wants us: looking not to ourselves but to Him. The strength you need is not the kind that comes from a disciplined will or from pushing through hunger on your own. It is the strength that God gives to His people, the might of His Spirit renewing you inwardly. When your body feels faint, remember that He is the strength of your life, and He will uphold you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
But let me offer a gentle caution about fasting. It is a precious spiritual practice, but it must spring from a right heart. Do not fast as if the act itself will earn forgiveness or compel God to answer. God’s forgiveness is a gift received by faith, not by works. Fasting is not about making your voice heard on high by afflicting your body; it is about setting aside the distractions of the flesh so that you can seek the Lord more intently. Jesus taught us not to fast for outward show or with a mournful face to impress others or even to impress God. The fast that delights the Lord is one that humbles your soul before Him, and leads you to acts of love: to break every yoke, to feed the hungry, to care for those in need. So let your fasting be joined with prayer, with feeding your spirit on His Word, and with a heart open to how He might lead you to serve others.
Remember David, who after his great sin fell on his face before the Lord, fasting and praying. He did not try to excuse what he had done; he simply said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And though he faced consequences, he found that God’s mercy was greater than his failure. The same Lord holds out that mercy to you today. He will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
So continue in your fast, not to prove something, but to draw near to the One who forgives and strengthens. Trust not in your own resources, but in the Lord who is your defense. May He grant you His strength and fill you with His peace as you wait on Him. And may you walk forward in the assurance of His full forgiveness, with your tongue ready to sing aloud of His righteousness.
You have asked for strength while fasting. This is a wise request, for in our own flesh there is no enduring power. Fasting often makes us keenly aware of our weakness, and that is exactly where the Lord wants us: looking not to ourselves but to Him. The strength you need is not the kind that comes from a disciplined will or from pushing through hunger on your own. It is the strength that God gives to His people, the might of His Spirit renewing you inwardly. When your body feels faint, remember that He is the strength of your life, and He will uphold you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
But let me offer a gentle caution about fasting. It is a precious spiritual practice, but it must spring from a right heart. Do not fast as if the act itself will earn forgiveness or compel God to answer. God’s forgiveness is a gift received by faith, not by works. Fasting is not about making your voice heard on high by afflicting your body; it is about setting aside the distractions of the flesh so that you can seek the Lord more intently. Jesus taught us not to fast for outward show or with a mournful face to impress others or even to impress God. The fast that delights the Lord is one that humbles your soul before Him, and leads you to acts of love: to break every yoke, to feed the hungry, to care for those in need. So let your fasting be joined with prayer, with feeding your spirit on His Word, and with a heart open to how He might lead you to serve others.
Remember David, who after his great sin fell on his face before the Lord, fasting and praying. He did not try to excuse what he had done; he simply said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And though he faced consequences, he found that God’s mercy was greater than his failure. The same Lord holds out that mercy to you today. He will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
So continue in your fast, not to prove something, but to draw near to the One who forgives and strengthens. Trust not in your own resources, but in the Lord who is your defense. May He grant you His strength and fill you with His peace as you wait on Him. And may you walk forward in the assurance of His full forgiveness, with your tongue ready to sing aloud of His righteousness.
