FASTING DEVOTIONAL #1: DIGGING HOLES
Pro 26:27 NKJV Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
I often wake up with a thought running through my mind, and it’s usually the Lord trying to get my attention. If I get right up and pursue Him, it’s wonderful! If I get distracted… well, I definitely miss something heaven has to say – and that’s never good.
Today, this was running through my mind upon awakening: “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.” I recognized it as Scripture but had no clue what God may be saying to me. I’ve always thought of this verse as a warning: Don’t set a trap for others, because you just might fall into it, yourself! In fact, this verse actually promises that will definitely happen…
“Hmmm… good Word, thanks, Father – but (to my knowledge) I’m not digging a pit for someone to fall in. So, what on earth is heaven talking about? Oh well…”
If I were to dismiss this little tidbit as the fruit of taking melatonin, I would have missed something important the Lord wanted to tell me, personally. Thankfully though, I have often prayed these verses from Isaiah – and God answers prayer.
Isa 50:4-5 NKJV “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. (5) The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.
So, after initially dismissing my thoughts as random, He spoke again: “This doesn’t mean what you think it does…” and all of a sudden, I had a flash of insight that had to come from Him. “You are applying this only to setting a trap for someone else, but it also applies to YOU.”
It didn’t take long for the Lord to fill in the picture: I can dig a pit for myself to fall into by developing bad habits. Whether good or bad, harmful or helpful, when we repeat actions over and over, they become habitual. They say that practice makes perfect, but that’s not necessarily true. Practice does, however, make permanent!
This is a good warning…
Each day I dig the same pit, it gets deeper and deeper. Shovelful after shovelful, I am just setting a trap for myself – and one day, the Word promises me, I will definitely fall into it!
Further, if the pit is deep enough, I may not be able to climb out of it. In that case, I need to ask others for help. If it’s really, really deep, only the Lord may be able to reach me. His arm is not shortened that He cannot save, hallelujah! Nevertheless, if I dig a pit, any pit, the Word promises that I will fall into it – and I’ve no one to blame but myself.
So, here we are at the beginning of 2016, a time when people make all sorts of New Year’s resolutions to fill in the pits they have dug. After carrying around the guilt from last year’s resolutions, we can finally put our burden down! It’s time to make new ones, to start all over again…
Guess what? This year won’t be any different – unless we are different.
So, I’m going to take the Lord’s admonition to heart. When He speaks to me personally, and the fear of God comes into play, I snap to attention! However, even with a word from heaven that wakes me up, I need God’s guidance and grace to respond.
As we move into this season of prayer with fasting, we are positioning ourselves to receive His grace. Ask the Lord what personal goals He may have for you during this season. Ask Him to reveal the pits you may be digging for yourself and fill them in. He will help you, shovelful by shovelful, until you stand with Him on even ground, and together, can build the structures in your life that glorify Him.
Php 2:12-13 NKJV Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
