Zechariah 7

Scripture Reading:  Read Zechariah Chapter 7.  

A Wasted Fast:

Zechariah 7:5-6 - “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?   And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?” (NIV)

Have you ever done a fast for reasons that could have been better?  I don’t necessarily mean the reasons you publicly told people you were fasting, but the real heart behind why you did the fast.  I’ve done several fasts with a group of people in the church, and I can say that each fast benefited my spiritual life.  However, there were some moments during those fasts when my heart behind the fast wasn’t right. 

The Lord asks His people in this text if their worship is genuine.  The answer is straightforward:  If your worship is about you, you’re doing it wrong.  For example, when you fast, do you loathe every moment?  Does everyone around you know everything about your fast?  What has changed in your spiritual life because of the fast? 

Fasting isn’t the only behavior in question.  Our religious practices, in general, should be more about growing our relationship with the Lord than bringing public attention to ourselves.  As we raise our hands in worship this Sunday and plan our next fast, may we do so with the right motivation to draw near to our God and bring glory to Him, not us.