As I was preparing to speak to our congregation about the twenty-one day fast we participate in annually, the Lord took me to the second chapter of Joel and began to deal with me about the significance of this season of fasting. I shared this publicly from the pulpit on January 3, 2010 but I felt I should put it in writing here as well so it can be read and considered in our community of faith.

Joel’s prophecy was written during a time of some type of disaster in Judah. On the surface, it appears that there had been a swarm of locusts that had come and consumed all the vegetation in the land. This swarm was so bad this is how Joel described it:

“It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again. Fire burns in front of them and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.” (Joel 2:3-4, NLT)

We are tempted to think that an event like this is demonic in origin. On the contrary, however, we find in verse 11 that the Lord is leading this army:

“The Lord is at the head of the column. He leads them with a shout. This is His mighty army, and they follow His orders. The day of the Lord is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive?

What is the reason for this? Isn’t God a God of blessing and not cursing? Doesn’t He come to bring peace and favor on His children? The answer to this question is yes and no. God is certainly a God of blessing and favor. He desires to see His children prosper as their souls prosper (see 3 John 1:2). But our God is aware of the bigger picture. He knows that His day will come when He will judge the universe of sin and righteousness. And because He knows this, He loves us too much to stunt our spiritual growth and vitality in favor of our comfort. In other words, God will do what is necessary in our lives to bring us to a place of total dependence on Him. He will work to bring down our man-made efforts at religion and our personal kingdoms that we build that take away from His glory. Spurgeon says it this way in his sermon “The Withering Work of the Spirit:”

“I am persuaded, that wherever there is a real work of grace in any soul, it begins with a pulling down: the Holy Ghost does not build on the old foundation. Wood, hay, and stubble will not do for Him to build upon. He will come as the fire, and cause a conflagration of all proud nature’s Babels. He will break our bow and cut our spear in sunder, and burn our chariot in the fire. When every sandy foundation is gone, then, but not till then, behold He will lay in our souls the great foundation stone, chosen of God, and precious.”

The good news for us is that if we turn our hearts toward the Lord and humble ourselves before Him, He is quick to hear our cry and bring healing and restoration to our lives. And this is why this fast is so critical to us at this moment. I believe the Holy Spirit has been doing His withering work in the church for the last 24 months or so. But over the last couple of weeks, I have heard the Lord saying to me that this season is about to come to an end. But in order for that to happen, we must fully and completely turn our hearts toward the Lord. Let’s look to Joel’s writings to give us the prescription for healing and restoration:

First, HOW should we fast? Joel says in 2:12-13a,

“That is why the Lord says, ‘turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.’”

The Lord is calling us to come to Him with broken and repentant hearts. He is not interested in an outward show of religion, but a true heart-felt humility.

Secondly WHO should fast? Look in Joel 2:15-16 where he says:

“Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Gather all the people – the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.”

This fast is not to be limited to a few select “super-disciples.” It is not to be limited to the adults. I am convinced that we should all participate. From the youngest to the oldest, we need to find some way to consecrate ourselves to the Lord. Teach your children why we are doing this and help them find something they can offer that is meaningful to them – video games, television, sweets, etc.

Finally, WHY should we fast? Again we read in Joel 2:18-19:

“Then the Lord will pity His people and jealously guard the honor of His land. The Lord will reply, ‘Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations.’”

God is not going to stand by and see His people suffer for long. As soon as we truly humble ourselves and cry out to Him for His help He will respond. You may feel like the enemy of your soul has been laughing at your imminent downfall and pending failure. But when you call on the Lord with a broken and contrite heart, He will come and take care of the situation. Whatever has hindered you from making your best offering to the Lord will be dealt with and moved out of the way when you fast and pray!

Remember, this is a season where God is going to Rebuild, Revive, and Restore. This 21-day fast is a crucial piece of the puzzle for River of Life Church, as well as for all believers who are seeking God’s help in these troubled times. Be encouraged – God is on our side and He will come through!