Author's Note: Every day on the YWAP Fast Jan. 6-26, 2020 we’ll write about our experience as we respond to what God plants on our hearts during our extended time with Him.. Eventually the story will be chronicled into a book. “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.” Matthew 6:33 AMP
The End of A Fast Is Another New Beginning
The seeds in the Heart Farmers bag were excited. Soon they would reach the end of their long journey of life in the bag and be planted in the ground. Their lives as seeds would be forever changed and they would never see each other in their current existence ever again. Born as single seeds, their life journey would now cause them to die so they could produce a greater amount of seeds.
Some of the seeds were scared by the thought of being alone and separated from the others. The stronger seeds encouraged them. They told positive stories of other seeds who had left all behind and began the journey from the earth to the sky. They would only be alone for a short while under ground in the darkness, but soon they would change and grow toward the Light. They had to die to themselves to be able to grow into a vine capable of producing an immeasurable amount of fruit and new seeds.
The big day arrived and the bag of seeds was loaded onto the Heart Farmers tractor. The seeds had peered out of tiny holes in the burlap bag and watched as the farmer plowed the fields. "Why is he breaking the ground?" One of the seeds asked the other seeds. The stronger seeds smiled and one of them said, "The farmer is breaking the ground and creating empty furrows so he can plant us as seeds of potential. Nothing grows without brokenness and emptiness. We are the seeds of hope and the farmer has faith that we will grow from the earth to the Light."
One by one the Heart Farmer dropped the seeds of hope into the furrows and covered them up. When his work was finished, he looked upon the field of unseen hope seeds and smiled in gratitude. The next day he started getting the silo of faith ready for the harvest that was yet unseen. He smiled again, in his heart he could see the unseen harvest and made plans for the season he knew was coming. The day would arrive when the seeds of hope would reach maturity as they grew toward the Light of Heaven. The Heart Farmer kept smiling as he listened to the beauty of the birds singing in a nearby tree. He thanked God for multiplying his seeds for sowing and increasing his harvest. A tear welled up in his eye as he thought to himself, "On earth as it is in heaven."
The 21 Day Fast is over, but a new beginning has arrived. In every ending is a seed of a fresh start and a new beginning. A child leaving home, retirement, changing jobs, ending an addiction, the end of a relationship, getting fired, and even death, represent the possibilities of being filled with new potential. Most of these things aren't easy life changes to make. They represent the end of something you knew very well. Death for someone with a relationship with Christ represents an eternity in heaven.
A fast is a way of breaking your flesh and emptying your physical self to be filled spiritually. The end of a fast is not a time to consider going back to life as you knew it before the fast. That would be like backsliding from the level of intimacy that you had reached with God while you were fasting. Consider this a new beginning and make plans to maintain the spiritual level that you attained as you fasted. This would be a good time to think about scheduling your next fast. Maybe it's only a Sunday morning fast before church or fasting from one meal several times each week. Fasting is something that Jesus implied was extremely important in following Him.
WORDS FOR HEART FARMERS
Zechariah 8:12 (AMP)
“For there the seed will produce peace and prosperity; the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will produce its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit and possess all these things.”
Zechariah 8:12-13 (MSG)
“But things have changed.
I’m taking the side of my core of surviving people:
Sowing and harvesting will resume,
Vines will grow grapes,
Gardens will flourish,
Dew and rain will make everything green.
“My core survivors will get everything they need—and more.
You’ve gotten a reputation as a bad-news people,
you people of Judah and Israel,
but I’m coming to save you.
From now on, you’re the good-news people.
Don’t be afraid.
Keep a firm grip on what I’m doing.”
A PRAYER FOR HEART FARMERS
Thank you God for carrying us through this fast. You knew when we were weak and your strength carried us. You helped us sow seeds that you watered and you helped to grow. You are the Light of the world and all seeds of hope have faith as they grow toward you. Lead us on as deep calls to deep. Don't leaves us in the shallows of superficial intimacy. Help us to stay vulnerable, transparent and empty - always ready to be filled anew with revelation from your Holy Spirit. Amen.
DEEP THOUGHTS FOR HEART FARMERS
Some of the seeds were scared by the thought of being alone and separated from the others. The stronger seeds encouraged them. They told positive stories of other seeds who had left all behind and began the journey from the earth to the sky. They would only be alone for a short while under ground in the darkness, but soon they would change and grow toward the Light. They had to die to themselves to be able to grow into a vine capable of producing an immeasurable amount of fruit and new seeds.
The big day arrived and the bag of seeds was loaded onto the Heart Farmers tractor. The seeds had peered out of tiny holes in the burlap bag and watched as the farmer plowed the fields. "Why is he breaking the ground?" One of the seeds asked the other seeds. The stronger seeds smiled and one of them said, "The farmer is breaking the ground and creating empty furrows so he can plant us as seeds of potential. Nothing grows without brokenness and emptiness. We are the seeds of hope and the farmer has faith that we will grow from the earth to the Light."
One by one the Heart Farmer dropped the seeds of hope into the furrows and covered them up. When his work was finished, he looked upon the field of unseen hope seeds and smiled in gratitude. The next day he started getting the silo of faith ready for the harvest that was yet unseen. He smiled again, in his heart he could see the unseen harvest and made plans for the season he knew was coming. The day would arrive when the seeds of hope would reach maturity as they grew toward the Light of Heaven. The Heart Farmer kept smiling as he listened to the beauty of the birds singing in a nearby tree. He thanked God for multiplying his seeds for sowing and increasing his harvest. A tear welled up in his eye as he thought to himself, "On earth as it is in heaven."
The 21 Day Fast is over, but a new beginning has arrived. In every ending is a seed of a fresh start and a new beginning. A child leaving home, retirement, changing jobs, ending an addiction, the end of a relationship, getting fired, and even death, represent the possibilities of being filled with new potential. Most of these things aren't easy life changes to make. They represent the end of something you knew very well. Death for someone with a relationship with Christ represents an eternity in heaven.
A fast is a way of breaking your flesh and emptying your physical self to be filled spiritually. The end of a fast is not a time to consider going back to life as you knew it before the fast. That would be like backsliding from the level of intimacy that you had reached with God while you were fasting. Consider this a new beginning and make plans to maintain the spiritual level that you attained as you fasted. This would be a good time to think about scheduling your next fast. Maybe it's only a Sunday morning fast before church or fasting from one meal several times each week. Fasting is something that Jesus implied was extremely important in following Him.
WORDS FOR HEART FARMERS
Zechariah 8:12 (AMP)
“For there the seed will produce peace and prosperity; the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will produce its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit and possess all these things.”
Zechariah 8:12-13 (MSG)
“But things have changed.
I’m taking the side of my core of surviving people:
Sowing and harvesting will resume,
Vines will grow grapes,
Gardens will flourish,
Dew and rain will make everything green.
“My core survivors will get everything they need—and more.
You’ve gotten a reputation as a bad-news people,
you people of Judah and Israel,
but I’m coming to save you.
From now on, you’re the good-news people.
Don’t be afraid.
Keep a firm grip on what I’m doing.”
A PRAYER FOR HEART FARMERS
Thank you God for carrying us through this fast. You knew when we were weak and your strength carried us. You helped us sow seeds that you watered and you helped to grow. You are the Light of the world and all seeds of hope have faith as they grow toward you. Lead us on as deep calls to deep. Don't leaves us in the shallows of superficial intimacy. Help us to stay vulnerable, transparent and empty - always ready to be filled anew with revelation from your Holy Spirit. Amen.
DEEP THOUGHTS FOR HEART FARMERS
- Each growing season is unique. All people - fallen or following Christ, have the potential of becoming multipliers of fruit in God's kingdom.
- The Heart Farmer first must break the ground before he can plant potential.
- The Heart Farmer must let go of the seed of potential and let it become unseen.
- In faith, a Heart Farmer plans for a harvest when the underground seed is still unseen above ground.
RSS Feed
