One of my favorite verses is Job 23:12, "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." It's a challenging verse that I rely on when I'm fasting.
One of the surest signs of a mature believer is that he knows what to starve himself of, and he knows what to feast on.
Just in the natural course of living our lives, we create these attachments and dependencies that, while most of them are morally neutral, more often than not rob our passion for the things of God. By nature all of us are too easily satisfied, pouring our affections out on sports, hobbies, careers, etc. Again, these things usually aren't bad, but when it comes to fasting, it's not so much about denying or depriving yourself of food as much as it is about redirecting your affections towards something altogether more satisfying. That's part of the lesson Jesus was trying to teach the woman at the well in John 4:7-15.
Just like food, all of this stuff will only satisfy you temporarily. Sex, money, sports, family, food...are all great, but we'll never experience the fullness of those things apart from God. Apart from God these things will betray you over and over again. Sex will turn to lust, the pursuit of money will turn to greed, food will lead to gluttony, our hobbies and even our family can make us slip into idolatry and pride.
So, in the end, we fast from food, gadgets, TV, etc. so we can free ourselves up to feast on God. I want to empty myself so that I can be filled with His peace, strength, love, grace. I want to detach from those things I am used to running to for peace, approval, and comfort and come to God empty-handed.
Figuratively, I am emptying myself of food and telling God that I am relying on Him to be my spiritual sustenance. Fasting forces you to loosen your hands up on the things of this world and become dependent on God alone. It puts you in a position to where you are dependent on God as your source and sustenance, and you learn to seek God first instead of fleeing to temporary substitutes.
Matthew 6:16 -*33
