Day 14 of 21-Day Sugar Fast
This 21-Day Sugar Fast seems easier than the first time I did it this past summer, but it’s still been challenging. I’m hungry a lot. When we remove sugar from our daily diet, it’s noticeable. Also, when we don’t eat as much as we are used to eating because of all the things that have sugar in them, our whole system notices the lack.
The same thing is true spiritually. If we remove Jesus from our daily lives or if we don’t take in enough of Him, our whole system notices. During this sugar fast, I realized I’m hungry for Jesus too! Are you hungry for Jesus?
Jesus Feeds Our Hunger
In Matthew 15, we read about when Jesus feeds the four thousand who followed Him for three days. He fed them spiritually, but He was also concerned about their physical need for food.
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Matthew 15:32 (ESV)
I love how much Jesus cares about both our physical and our spiritual nourishment. In fact, He cares so much He’s unwilling to send us away hungry.
Furthermore, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 (NIV)
Not only is Jesus unwilling to send us away hungry, but when we go to Him, we will never go hungry. But we have to go to Him.
During this sugar fast, my body needed to adjust to no sugar. This is challenging on many levels. As the first days passed, I could feel my body adjusting. Oh, how the body wants sugar. In fact, our body craves sugar for energy. But given enough time, our bodies can figure out how to do without sugar. However, it’s a process.
Still craving some sugar on Day 14? Yes, I am. And walking down the grocery isle where candy lives challenges this craving. Walking by the bakery and smelling the aroma makes my mouth water. In the evening when I finally sit down for the day to rest, I long for a nice glass of red wine. Cravings are part of the process.
Do we notice the same kinds of responses when we try to live without Jesus daily? Do we crave Him morning, noon, and night like we crave food? I think we do, but we don’t necessarily notice that’s what we are craving. Because we don’t recognize our craving for Jesus, we fill it with other stuff.
Hence, fasting reveals just how hungry we are for Jesus. Fasting helps our spiritual body reset. And fasting reconnects us to Jesus. Without Him, we will always be hungry.
Are You Hungry for Jesus?
The next time you are hungry, and you fill your tummy with something good, remember your soul is also hungry. Your soul longs to be fed too, and not just with a quick sugary snack of Jesus, like an Instagram or blog post about Him.
Go to Jesus and spend some time sitting with Him at His table. See the abundance of good things on His banquet table that He’s prepared for you. I promise He will satisfy with good things. You won’t leave hungry.
“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” Psalm 107:9 (ESV)
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