Monday, January 5 Devo:

Making The First Move

by Pastor Mike Caforio

". . . At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD." - Genesis 4:26 (NIV)

In our scripture verse, we see something happen that l believe blessed the heart of God. For the first time we see mentioned in scripture people making a willful and intentional choice to worship, seek and call out to the Lord. This prompting seems to be an organic attempt on the part of mankind to make a move towards God. This wasn’t an act done out of obligation or duty, but out of desire. In this season of seeking God through the discipline of fasting, I want to encourage anyone that may feel inadequate or ill-prepared to engage in this holy practice.

~ Making Your Move ~
Over and over in scripture we see the promise that when we take steps towards God, He reciprocates. We see the wonderful promise that as we humbly, “draw near to God, He will draw near to us” and as we “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added to you (us).” (Matthew 6:33) It is not a matter of give and take, but of give and receive more in return. When we take one step towards God, He responds with multiple steps towards us. Truth be told, we can’t even take credit for the “moves” we make towards God, because even those moves and inclinations were placed in our hearts by Him. 1 John 4:19 states; "We love Him because He first loved us." (NKJV) More directly stated in Philippians 2:13, is the promise; "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (NKJV) Thank God that we are not left alone in our own flesh to carry this out. Through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, we can rely on Him to give us the strength we need to make the first move and begin making forward motion in our devotion to Him through fasting. If we are honest, God stands firm in His position. He does not move away from us. It may appear that He does, but in reality, we are the ones that are often on the move. Be it towards Him or away from Him. God is steadfast. His footing is sure. We may cry out for more of God but He counters that cry with “I want more of you!” A.W. Tozer once said; “Everybody is as full as they want to be. Everybody has as much of God as they desire to have.” God stands waiting to reveal His glory. As we initiate the practice of fasting, our awareness of His presence will be amplified. It all begins when we make a move.

~ It Has to Start Somewhere ~
There’s a well-known saying, “it’s not how you start, but how you finish.” This is a true statement, but in regards to spiritual disciplines such as fasting and prayer, starting the habit can be crucial. If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes starting something can be our biggest challenge. Discipline is needed no doubt, but we can be tempted to ignore the practical in favor of imposing unrealistic expectations on ourselves. In our well meaning attempts to gain momentum and consistency, we can have aspirations to run a marathon, before we’ve even walked a mile. This can be the same way we approach spiritual disciplines. More often than not, small beginnings will lead to fruitful endings. Progress of any kind is progress. Small victories are worthy of celebration. Fasting is no different. Moreover, just as important as the act of fasting and even more so is our attitude when fasting. Jesus when speaking about the Pharisees and their practice of fasting, He didn’t have a problem that they fasted but how they acted when they fasted. Getting back to Genesis 4:26, how can we position ourselves to be blessed in the discipline of fasting.

1) “At That Time”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 states "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven." These next 14 days are a season of fasting. The time to start is now. If we wait for a more opportune time or believe we are not in a mature enough place spiritually, we will never start. Keep your focus on the starting line and you will make it to the finish line.

2) “People Began”
You have to start somewhere. Start where you are at. If fasting is new to you, start with one meal. If you have experience in fasting and feel led to go 24 hours, go for it. The amount of time does not make one more spiritual. Again, our hearts and attitudes will actually be the qualifier determining if our fasting will be blessed. Avoid the temptation to mimic Moses in your fasting. You are not called to be Moses. You are called to be you. God will honor and bless the fasting done with a humble and prayerful heart.

3) “To Call on The Name of The LORD”
Fasting and prayer go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. Crucial to the practice of fasting is designating that time to prayer. Fasting without prayer is a diet. Fasting is the time to give words to the hunger pains you feel in the natural, to become nourishment to your soul in the spiritual. Be strategic to align your time of fasting with your time of prayer.

~ It’s Time to Move ~
As we begin to embark on this season of fasting, remember God is ready to meet you where you are, your time to move is now, set yourself up for blessing with realistic, attainable goals and boldly call upon the Lord in your times of fasting, knowing that He hears and desires to answer as you seek His face and call on His name.

~ Pastor Mike Caforio ~