Day 14 - Acts 9:9
A Fasted Journey for Spiritual Renewal
Day 14
“And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” -Acts 9:9
Saul of Tarsus had the authority to arrest all who called on the name of Jesus. In the beginning of Acts 8, Saul approves of Stephen’s execution and then is “ravaging the church.” He was arresting as many early Believers as he could find. As he confesses to later in Acts 26:10, once they were arrested and found guilty, Saul would approve of their death by voting against them.
Saul was the wicked enforcer of the governing authorities. Yet, in chapter 9 he is set apart. Jesus visits him on the road to Damascus and asks Saul why he is persecuting him. After the interaction, Saul is blinded. That is where we pick it up today and see that he fasted from food and drink for three days. Fasting is hard enough, even for three days for most people. Adding a dry fast on top of it has to be truly difficult.
Yet, Saul persisted with his complete fast. Why? Well, for starters he was visited by Jesus and left blind. Furthermore, Saul was, until now, a devout Jew. He was well versed in Judaism and thought he was doing God’s work by persecuting blasphemers. After being visitied by Jesus, Saul likely had some of the worst cognitive dissonance of anyone who has ever lived.
Verse 11 tells us that aside from the complete fast for three days, he was also praying. Again we see a biblical account of someone who is abstaining from eating for a true spiritual purpose. It also could have been that Saul completely lost his appetite considering all these recent events, but in light of those events and the knowledge that he also wasn’t drinking, it seems like we can point to this being an intentional time of fasting and prayer.
Later in this section we learn that Saul, who is referred to as Paul throughout most of Scripture, is a chosen instrument of God to carry Christ’s name “before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” We also learn that Paul will be shown “how much he must suffer for the sake of” Christ’s name. Paul did not yet know what would become of him. He didn’t know what our sovereign Lord had planned for the rest of his life. Yet, he turned from his evil ways, was shown how much he would suffer for Christ, and faithfully followed anyways. Paul did not shy away from boldly speaking the truth, even to the government. In Acts 13 a high ranking official even believes. We all must boldly proclaim the truth of Christ in the public square.
I am not a medical professional. This journal is about my spiritual path and about that which the Lord has placed on me. This is not medical advice, nor was this fast done for any medical purpose. If you have a medical interest, seek medical advice. If you have particular health concerns, seek medical advice and/or conduct your own research. Any fasting advice, effects, realizations or anything else related to my fast come from my personal reflection and experience. If you are considering fasting, consulting with a healthcare provider may be appropriate for you.
Dear Garret,
In the 1990's, I was around the 25th Infantry Division. Will in school, I was asked to study at Fort McNair Maryland to enhance my skills. While there one of the assignments was to study the sack of "Saigon". The library at Fort McNair was interesting to me... I took my job seriously and was the only one that would go there from my class. They loved to take the unsupervised days off, drink, and fall of balconies drunk or at least one managed that. I wanted to grasp my job to best of my ability. It was a hard climb every time, but I was one of the best among my peers. I have since moved on and worked for different engineering firms. My career was full of rejections, which made me try harder, like Wayne Gretzky avoiding the fights and playing harder hockey, like Michael Jordan avoiding the fights and playing harder, like Tom Brady avoiding the noise and focusing harder all tasks daily. Your life is different, it wasn't a game. I hope that you find more. I hope your family never gives up. You have done more in service for USA than most citizens including me. Rest and yet still move forward. God's speed.
Praise be to God, I am grateful for locating your podcast and substack. It has been an enjoyable fellowship sharing the word. I feel hearing others interpretation and insight in the word helps me think about it more deeply when we share. Thank you 🫶
‘Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?”
Acts 8:30b-31a