“Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” – John 2:16

 

Every human on earth is searching for one thing: satisfaction. As Christians it may be easy for us to give the Sunday School response of “only God can truly satisfy.” Yet knowing that intellectually and actually believing it can easily be on totally different spectrums. But why is that?

 

The reality is Satan is extremely competent at making the lie that we need something more than God to be happy irresistible to us.  We look for pleasure in friends, significant others, entertainment, or hobbies just to name a few. And while none of these are inherently bad, to believe they have the power to make us truly happy is folly.

 

This is why there are seasons in life where God says, “Take these things away.” Even when Jesus first told the Jews this, it was only because these things really only distracted the people from God. Other times God takes these things away from us because we cannot do it on our own. And we won’t be truly satisfied with God until we believe without a doubt that he is all we need to be happy.

 

“O Lord, I have heard a good word inviting me to look away to Thee and be satisfied. My heart longs to respond, but sin has clouded my vision till I see Thee but dimly. Be pleased to cleanse me in Thine own precious blood, and make me inwardly pure, so that I may with unveiled eyes gaze upon Thee all the days of my earthly pilgrimage. Then shall I be prepared to behold Thee in full splendor in the day when Thou shalt appear to be glorified in Thy saints and admired in all them that believe. Amen.”

– A. W. Tozer

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Dear Beloved,

The day I first met you

You told me you’d never fall in love

But now that I get you

I know fear is what it really was

Now here we are

So close yet so far

Haven’t I passed the test

When will you realize

Baby, I’m not like the rest

Don’t wanna break your heart

Wanna give your heart a break

I know you’re scared it’s wrong

Like you might make a mistake

There’s just one life to live

And there’s no time to wait, to waste

So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break

Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break

On Sunday you went home alone

There were tears in your eyes

I called your cell phone, my love

But you did not reply

Don’t wanna break your heart

Wanna give your heart a break

I know you’re scared it’s wrong

Like you might make a mistake

There’s just one life to live

And there’s no time to wait, to waste

So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break

Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break

There’s just so much you can take

Give your heart a break

Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break

 

‘Cause you’ve been hurt before

I can see it in your eyes

You try to smile it away, some things you can’t disguise

Don’t wanna break your heart

 I can ease the ache, the ache

So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break

Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break

There’s just so much you can take

Give your heart a break

Let me give your heart a break

 your heart a break

Love,

your Husband

[lyrics by Demi Lovato]

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Every Christmas season is a time for remembering. It is a time of being grateful for the time being spent with loved ones. It is a time of joy. A time that is not easily matched by anything else. Tied in with the Christmas season is the beckoning of the new year. New Year’s Eve, which is also a moment to look back on what has happened the past year and look forward to all the wonderful things that await us in the following.

 

 

So what are we looking forward to this new year? This is simple. The Minot State Cru students are extremely excited to see what God will do on our campus this coming year, and will continue to do in years to come. But another question should be asked. How much do we want to see God’s work unfold on our campus, and by extension our community? To answer this we would like to do a fast the first week in January. As John Piper put it: “fasting is an expression of longing to God with your hunger.” We have decided not to fast from food, but from one thing that consumes ample amounts of our time. We want to tell God, “We yearn, we desperately hunger to see you work through us and around us this coming semester/year more than we hunger for _____.” Maybe for you that is technology, social media, news media, entertainment, or a hobby. Maybe you would fill in the blank with “I hunger to see God’s kingdom furthered more than I hunger to be on Facebook.” Maybe this is a good time to really ask ourselves: Are we really satisfied in Christ alone?

 

Fasting occurred throughout the Bible, which apparently gives it God’s approval, probably even his recommendation.  Jesus even told his listeners: “when you fast” (Mt. 6:16). That doesn’t leave room for it to be extra credit material for those Christians who love going above and beyond. It was meant for everyone, including us. The church in Antioch saw no other way of finding God’s will of how, when, and with whom Paul’s first missionary journey should begin (Acts 13). If that’s how God chose to enable Paul’s missional career to begin and  work through Paul in truly miraculous ways, imagine what God might choose to do if we fasted for just a week.

 

I should clarify. Yes, it would be awesome if God did something because of our fast, but in no way is he obligated to. Our mindset for fasting should have nothing to do with trying to make God owe us something. That is completely ludicrous. The only reason we should be doing this is to experience a little more of God in our lives.

So now the question is will you join us? We would feel honored if you embraced Jesus’s call for us to fast. We would deeply appreciate it if you likewise prayed with us that God’s kingdom would be furthered, through the ministry of Cru as well as through Chi Alpha and Lutheran Campus Ministries, the other ministries on campus. We are also hosting an informal night of worship the evening of Sunday, January 6th at the Skjervem’s house, which is open for anyone who can come.

 

But what else can we say? Will you welcome the new year alongside us with a week of fasting?

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