Sometimes you get a little peek into the extraordinary. It's rare. It's fleeting...you know it when it happens. The little hairs on your arms raise. The excitement in your spirit man bubbles up and you sit back in awe and marvel. That's what this sunset did to me. It made me marvel. It makes me tear up just thinking about it. Holy ground...God's creation in all it's splendor. Right there. Over me...around me. Close enough to touch...to breath in. I did nothing to these pics, but crop and add my watermark. It was just that breathtaking.
I've been in a fasting place. I'm on my fifth day. The first couple were challenging. I just wanted to crawl into bed and never leave. I had no energy. I still have moments of this, but I feel better. I know what to eat...which really hasn't varied much from day one. I know this is where I'm at right now and I feel myself settling into it. There isn't a struggle. I'm not fighting. I'm loving what's coming. I can feel it. It's called expectancy!
During a fast you are supposed to lean in. Tune in to God. Listen to what He's been telling you, but you've been too distracted to notice. I've been reading in Daniel...since I'm doing the Daniel Fast it seemed like a good place to start. It's not the first time I've read Daniel, but for some reason I've got fresh eyes on it. I'm reading about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace. I'm learning about these great men of God that when challenged to bow before false gods they said no.
It's like my eyes are being peeled back. Is this what my God wants? Am I to have that kind of faith too? Am I to boldly declare my faith and stand strong against the heat? Am I to be fearless in the midst of danger?? I don't know, but I feel my skin prick as I think those thoughts. Would I trust Him enough to be thrown into that fiery furnace? Oh my...
I have this sense of God wanting to reveal himself to me in a big way. He doesn't need to prove His power or His might, but regardless He is. He's giving me glimpses of His splendor and it literally brings me to my knees. I want to cover my head...hide. It's almost too much. I can feel His presence. I can.
Some of you have asked me about the spiritual component of doing the fast and I've just taken lead from the Daniel Fast book I've been reading. Susan Gregory suggested reading through Daniel, and maybe reading a chapter of Proverbs and a few chapters of Psalms daily.
I've made a prayer list of things I'd like to see God work out in my life and I've also added the needs of my family and friends. I've set an alarm on my phone to ring three times a day to remind me to pray...like Daniel. I haven't been perfect in following this. I don't want to be ritualistic. This isn't for God to see...it's for me to draw closer to Him. I'm not trying to be perfect. I can't be, but He sees my heart. It's a heart matter.
Be a blessing.
939. sunsets
940. silhouettes of my girls in the night
941. tamara
942. adventures
943. birds that twirled and danced just for us...on cue
944. a God who loves me and wants to delight me with His presence
