For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart (Jeremiah 24:6-7).
During this season of our church life, our commitment has been to seek God wholeheartedly- to pursue Him relentlessly, endeavoring to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of us (Philippians 3:12). To be wholehearted indicates that every part of the heart is geared toward the same goal. No section of the heart is compromised. No part of it seeks anything different. No part of it veers away from the goal, regardless of the cost. What might be almost impossible to stir up naturally becomes almost effortless because the Lord places within us a heart to know Him. If God places such a capacity within us, what, then, is the impediment? What keeps us from gliding into a reality of seeking the Lord, hearing His voice, and walking with Him in sweet communion every day?
While we are in our physical bodies, our physical reality will oftentimes eclipse our spiritual reality, a reality that is in fact an eternal one. Our outer shell imposes upon us certain needs, desires, and drives that must be brought under the subjection of the Holy Spirit. Being deliberate in our commitment to seek the Lord will enable us to live a life above the mundane physical realm. The discipline of fasting can sharpen our spiritual awareness. Consecrating a time for prayer and fasting can be our signal to our God that we are serious about this pursuit. If medical restrictions keep some from being able to go without food, then they should let the Lord’s wisdom prevail! What the Lord is looking for is what underlies the willingness to fast: a heart wholly committed to Him. He does not seek sacrifice per se; He seeks that which causes us to want to sacrifice to start with. He will show each of us what the expression should be.