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I had the opportunity this last week to spend some time with a friend grieving a loss and the resulting suffering. My friend has a deep and rich faith in God’s sovereign hand, making it a sorrowful but simultaneously joyful conversation (2 Cor. 6:10). We read through Psalm 91 together, a song of divine protection and safety that has comforted the hearts of God’s people for centuries.

Praise for a Beautiful Day (a poem based on Psalm 65:8-13)

Fasting is a fantastic way to experience closer communion with the Holy Spirit in often very special ways, and I know whenever we touch on an experiential aspect of our faith, some can get a little protective of their expression of that experience. So, let me say off the start, I don’t think there is a “right” way to fast. It should be a Holy-Spirit led exercise, which means it will look different from person to person.

Love for others is obviously a central tenant of our faith. Jesus said love for others would be the defining mark of His disciples. John 13:35. Jesus commanded love for others repeatedly as one of the two great commandments that fulfilled the entire Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:37-39. Specifically, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And the same concept is repeated throughout Paul’s letters, e.g., Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the struggle it is for me to keep my mind centered on the eternal when the temporal realm is so noisy and persistent. After re-memorizing a key New Testament passage on this topic (e.g., 2 Cor. 4:17-18), I was asking the Holy Spirit to give me more clarity so I could fight the battle better.