What Is God's True Fast?

Isaiah 58:6-12

Is this not the fast which I choose?
To loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke?

Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry,
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.”
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness.

And if you give yourself to the hungry,
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness,
And your gloom will become like midday,

And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give you strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

And those from among you will rebuild
The ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

Without the Smell of Smoke in Your Clothes

Daniel 3:13-28 “...the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.”

One Sunday morning in a small but powerful church in east Texas I heard a sermon that has stayed with me. The pastor said, “Facts must fall in the face of faith!” Ever since that day I see it happening more and more. When we speak words of faith coupled with our belief in those words, unusual things happen. Fear is moved away. Blessings begin to flow. Resources show up that we never knew existed. I’m convinced that’s what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

King Nebuchadnezzar was in a rage. He had made a mistake by creating the wrong image from one of his dreams but he couldn’t see it. He had been blinded by pride and by listening to bad advice. So when Daniel’s three friends refused to bow down and worship the image from the king’s dream, the king flew into a rage. His wrath was full blown. When he also asked what god was there that could deliver them, they refused to engage in his conversation of doubt and unbelief to try to convince him otherwise. People are often impossible to reason with in the middle of rage!

What they did do was to state their faith emphatically. “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the blazing fire!” But not only that, “He will deliver us out of your hand.” Whether they lived or died, they knew they were delivered out of the hands of the king and into the hands of their mighty God. As the three held their ground the king grew angrier and ordered the furnace turned up even higher.

It took a miracle to open the eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar. Not only were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego not burned, the fire had no effect on their hair or their clothes. Verse 27 says that there was not even the smell of the fire on them! Plus, there was another person walking around in the fire who looked “like a son of the gods” according to the king.

By the time the three men came out of the furnace, King Nebuchadnezzar was worshiping their God! He said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego! He sent an angel to deliver them who put their trust in Him.”

When cold, hard facts are staring you straight in the face, whether it’s a bad health report or a bank statement with a zero balance, pay close attention to the next thing your mouth says. First your eyes see, then your mouth speaks. Be sure you say words of faith, words that confirm whose child you are and what your God can do. “It doesn’t matter what my eyes see, God is able to deliver me from this situation! I will come out of this without even the smell of smoke in my clothes!” Put your faith words to work today, and whatever facts are heating up against you they will fall at your feet in a pile of ashes!

Copyright Gloria Fisher 2011.
All rights reserved.

He Has Plans For You

“There remains yet the youngest, and behold he is tending the sheep.” 1 Samuel 16:11

It seems that most people hate Monday morning, and I used to be one of those people. Maybe on Sunday night dread begins to seep into your thoughts and before the night is over it has transformed your joy of Sunday into depressing gloom. Sometime about a decade ago I got tired of hating Mondays. So armed with the faith that it was possible to change my attitude, I made up my mind to start loving Monday mornings. In fact I found it quite easy. All I had to do was say it! I love Mondays! I love Mondays! And very soon I did.

Not only did I have to say it, I had to get a picture in my mind of something good that could happen on Monday and the following week. I would say my affirmation about Monday, and I would think about the possibilities that the week held. After a while I coined a phrase which all of my friends know I say, “The week is pregnant with possibilities!” And that is not merely wishful thinking, it is true.

Whenever the old dread tried to break free in my mind on Sunday night, I would take my thoughts captive and agree with my affirmations that every new day and every new week holds more promise and possibilities than I can possibly know about. Let’s think about David–the man who would be king. David was a young man living at home with his family. We know about his father, Jesse, and about his brothers, Abinadab and Shammah from 1 Samuel 16:8-9. Evidently, the sons had chores to do, similar to us, chores that kept the family prosperous and functioning. Perhaps it was a Monday although we don’t know that. But we do know that David was doing what he did on a regular basis. He was tending the sheep. A day like any other day. Doing what he did.

David had no idea that his week was about to change because God had plans for him. When he got up that day, it was just another day. Get dressed, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, comb your hair, head out the door. But somewhere in the midst of David’s day, it could have been a Monday, someone came to fetch him. “David! Your dad wants you up at the house!”

So David put down his rod and his staff, got someone else to watch the sheep for a minute, said he’d be right back. Little did he know that he was leaving the sheep a shepherd and coming back to them a king.

When David arrived at the house, there was a prophet there visiting. And his dad, Jesse, was there and his two brothers, so he could tell this was something unusual. Their day had also been interrupted. The prophet introduced himself and looked at David with wisdom in his eyes. It didn’t take him long to size David up and to hear from God. Yes, this boy was the one! He was to be anointed. As David stood there the prophet poured oil on him in front of his family and the Holy Spirit fell on David, and everyone in the room knew that something extraordinary was happening to David. The scripture doesn’t say it, but it would seem likely that there was joy and jubilation over the fact that David would be the new king of Israel.

God says, “...I know the plans I have for you...” (Jeremiah 29:11) Yes, God has plans for us. And we never know what day He’ll do something extraordinary for us to make those plans happen. When He does our lives change forever. Consequently, we should greet each day with high expectations! You could be sitting in an office or selling hamburgers in a café when someone will walk in whom God has sent to you. I know because it happened to me.

I was a legal secretary in a six-man law firm having an ordinary day when I looked up and an attractive man walked in the door that I didn’t know. He was there to see one of the attorneys. As I sat there looking at him from a distance God’s still small voice said, “That’s him.” Much like God telling Samuel when he saw David, “...anoint him, for this is he.” I didn’t know that day but I was looking at the man who would become my husband. And we’ve now been happily married for 32 years.

We never know when we get out of bed in the morning what God plans to do to bless us that day. But we should always arise rejoicing! Every day holds an untold amount of possibilities. Every week is pregnant with possibilities! Make up your mind not to look at your circumstances but to look at God’s resources and the possibilities each day holds because you belong to Him, and He has plans for you!

Copyright 2011 Gloria Fisher.
All rights reserved.

You Are Sent to Someone Today

"And the whole multitude sought to touch him; for there went virtue out of him and healed them all." -- Luke 6:19


During a day we meet from one to twenty people. Maybe they come into your office. Maybe you see them in the grocery store. Maybe it's simply a phone call. But everyone you meet has a need. You may not know what it is at first. But they might actually share their need with you if you listen. They might be lonely or sad. They might have health problems. Their children might be in trouble.

You are uniquely gifted to help someone today. Not everyone. But someone. Someone needs something you are gifted with. Maybe you have a gift to listen. Or maybe you are an intercessory prayer warrior. Maybe an encourager. You might have a golden opportunity today to minister to someone who needs just what you have to give.

A lot of people want to change their circumstances but don't know how. They need a word from the Lord. Maybe He has put you in the path of one of those people today. Jesus was a healer, a teacher, a comforter, a restorer. So are you. You have it within you to be kind, generous, and compassionate today. This is your opportunity to use your gifts for good.

Slow down today. Stop for a moment. Really listen to someone who pours out their heart. They may have been looking for you all of their life. Be a resource for them. Plant seeds of love and caring. Believe me it will come back to you. You will reap a harvest of blessing.

Copyright Gloria Fisher 2011.
All rights reserved.

When We Are Speaking

"When we speak of wisdom, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking about Christ. When we are speaking about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking about Christ." -- Ambrose of Milan

St. Augustine on Being

"Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation." -- Augustine of Hippo