Another 40 Days… 040708
Christians like the number 40. Perhaps it is because many significant biblical events are associated with the number 40. God send rain on earth for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah (Gen 7:12). Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and wandered in the wilderness for forty years (Deut 2:7) and the Lord provided manna throughout all these years (Exo 16:35). Jesus was led into the wilderness for forty days to fast and tempted before He started His public ministry (Matt 4:2). Jesus also presented Himself alive after His death over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3).
In Church history, Christians began to commemorate the forty days period before Christ’s death as a season of Lent. Rick Warren has his famous and controversial forty days of Purpose Driven Life. And we Singapore Christians also have our forty days of fast and pray for our nation from the beginning of the month of July till 9th of August, which is also our nation day.
For the past few years, I have not really taken part in fasting and praying, because I feel that it is a propaganda initiated by a few “prominent” churches. Though it is a good idea to fast and pray for the nation, it may not necessary God’s idea. I have always seen this forty-days-of-fasting-and-praying-for-our-nation movement as a platform for those “prominent” churches to promote these churches. I have to confess that I am being bias and unfair to their good intention. I should not have judge their motives and I cannot read their hearts, only God can.
This year, somehow strangely, I pick up the forty-days material and decided to fast and pray. I have my personal motive and agenda to fast and pray. As I am embarking into a new phase in my ministry life, I really want to seek God for His guidance and direction, therefore I began to fast and pray.
I was surprised and have been blessed by the write up in the forty-days booklet concerning Isaiah 58. I realize that God is speaking to me through this write up. They are not anything new, but some a prompt and timely reminded as I begin my journey of ministry. I am thankful that I started to fast and pray. I know that God is going to speak, not because of there is anything magical about the number 40, or because of my piety in fasting and praying; but it is the word of God which I take time to read and meditate and allow it to sink and allow myself to soak in it. Abide in Me and I in you (John 15:4). This is the only way to really enjoy God, and enjoy His work. I pray that I may enjoy my work in church as His work. I pray that I can serve Him for another 40… years…
HHS…
Abel…
