by Dr. Bob Stouffer, elder:
8But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food,
or with the wine that he drank. . . .
15At the end of ten days it was seen that
they were better in appearance
and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food.”
(Daniel 1:8, 15 – English Standard Version)
Today, I broke my 40-day Daniel Fast.
“Huh?” you ask.
That’s right. I broke a 40-day fast which consisted only of fruits, vegetables, nuts, water, and limited dairy – with zero breads, pastas, meats, or desserts. The fast lasted from November 10th through December 19, 2011.
Do the math. The 40 days included Thanksgiving. I ate no turkey or pumpkin pie with whipped cream. I drank no egg nog. It was tough, actually. I was hungry all 40 days.
And that was the point. I needed to be hungry, because I had a strong desire to think about God every time I had pangs of hunger. My wife Cheryl had completed this fast a few years ago when we were going through a rough spot of parenting. She told me the fast really enhanced her relationship with God. She asked me to do the fast with her in November, and I was more than willing to fast, because I, too, am experiencing some real challenges in my life right now. I needed to come to the end of myself and seek the Lord.
Like Daniel. You know the story. The Babylonians had conquered Israel and taken the best and brightest of the Jewish youth: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were among those young men. The “brainwashing” into the new culture included filling these boys with rich foods and wine. But Daniel would not defile the One True God of Israel, so he asked for a special dispensation to eat only fruits and vegetables. Such was a risk for his “keeper,” but God worked in the Babylonian’s heart, and he relented. After 10 days, Daniel and his friends were in better appearance than the men who were eating the king’s rich foods and drinking the king’s wine.
What was my experience like? As I said, I was really hungry. Every time I was hungry, I sought the Lord. I prayed a lot. I called on the Holy Spirit to give me discernment and self-control during these 40 days. I did not want to break the fast before the prescribed date. Monday, December 19th was the last day of my fast, and I made it!
How do I feel now? GREAT! I’m eager to eat some of my favorite foods, but I also know that I need to be responsible about easing back into foods like spaghetti, waffles, pancakes, sandwiches, or steak. And, actually, I have no appetite for those items yet. My body got so used to my new diet that my hunger for those foods has greatly dissipated.
AND I believe I will be able to maintain my self-control with sweets and other junk foods. It’s amazing how much non-nutritious food I stuffed in my mouth when I had no self-control. I don’t think I will be drinking pop anytime soon, if ever again. I used to be addicted to 32-ounce Diet Pepsi’s from the nearest convenience store.
I lost 11 pounds during the fast, so my clothes fit better, and I feel much better about my weight. In fact, I would like to continue this downward weight trajectory by continuing to eat responsibly and exercising regularly. As I get older, keeping the weight off becomes more difficult, and I need to be a good steward of the body God has given me.
Most importantly, I have never experienced greater spiritual health. Did the challenges of my life go away? No. Not at all. If anything, they may have escalated. But God gave me the ability during these 40 days to draw my strength from Him in my weakness. I praise God for how He worked in my life during the fast. I pray that I can continue to draw closer to Him, even when I am not as hungry. I need to hunger and thirst for God. I need to hunger and thirst for His righteousness.
Would I recommend the 40-day Daniel Fast to you? That’s a loaded question. Some of you would benefit greatly from such a fast. Some of you would put yourself at risk by pursuing such a course of action. I definitely recommend fasting as a spiritual exercise. When done with the right spirit, and in the right way, you can very much draw closer to God. A few years back, I did a 40-day fast of liquids only, getting absolutely nothing spiritually out of the fast. I had completed the fast with the wrong spirit. A few weeks after that experience, I did a three-day fast, and it was one of the most remarkable spiritual experiences of my life.
What a wonderful time for me to fast. God was preparing me spiritually as I enter into the Christmas celebration. In a few days, I am going to eat a ham sandwich and pumpkin pie. And I’m going to drink egg nog. But I will do so responsibly. I will remember this excellent experience with the fast. And I will remember the birth of Jesus with a whole new appreciation for the sacrifices He made on my behalf.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
