Fasting

by Pat Strefling

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. 

I’m not one to fast but one day years ago when God said, “shut the door and don’t eat”, I did.
I slammed the refrigerator door shut, fasted and prayed, “God I want to marry him.” I loved a young man but we had broken up. Several long, difficult years had passed. Both his life and mine were a mess. I had recently recommitted my life to the Lord when he called to tell me he had prayed for Jesus to come into his heart. I was elated and “knew” the Lord had planned it all. He was now a Christian. What could possibly hinder us?
Exactly five months after I shut the refrigerator door, I received another call. He was dead at age 27.
God answered my prayer. Boy did he ever…not only would there be no marriage, but he was taken out of the world. I was devastated. After months of grief and not always understanding why God chose to answer my prayer the way He did, a question suddenly came to me. I knew it was God asking, “Would you rather have had this man be saved and know Me before he died or would you rather have Me answer yes to your prayer?”
God did not bring that man back into my life for marriage; He brought him into my life to be saved because He knew his time was short. I will always be grateful for that moment at the refrigerator when God said, “Shut the door and fast.” And that I obeyed.

Prayer: Lord, help me to obey—without question.