It is always a good thing when the Lord finds many people through whom He can work. That is the greatest desire of His heart.
However, to face facts, those who seek God wholeheartedly are few. Those who walk before Him in humility are few. Those to whom He can entrust Himself without reservation are few. God is greatly limited by the types of vessels that are available to Him.
As you read what God can do through the ministry of fasting, you may be asking yourself what the Lord will do in your situation, in which those you know are not interested in fasting. This chapter is written to encourage you. God can use you to do great things if you will walk humbly before Him in fasting and prayer.
When God does not see many people through whom He can work, He always looks around to see if He can find one man who meets His requirements. If He finds one such person, He will go ahead and work through that one person. He may and He often does use that person as a starting point and then raises others who will stand with that man. So if you are that fasting believer after God’s heart, there is great hope for you.
The Lord said:
“Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth; that I may pardon her. Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ yet they swear falsely. O Lord, do not thy eyes look for truth? Thou hast smitten them, but they felt no anguish; thou hast consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent. Then I said, ‘These are only the poor, they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the Lord, the law of their God. I will go to the great, and will speak to them; for they know the way of the Lord, the law of their God.’ But they all alike had broken the yoke, they had burst the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, a wolf from the desert shall destroy them. A leopard is watching against their cities, every one who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great’ (Jeremiah 5: 1-6).
God sought for just one man who did justice and sought the truth. If He had found one, He would have pardoned the city. He found none and so He did not pardon the city. If you are a man who does justice and who seeks the truth and you had been in Jerusalem then, you would have made all the difference. She would have been spared because of you. You alone would have done it for your city.
The Lord again said: “ ‘ The people of the land have practised extortion and committed robbery; they have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without redress. And I sought for a man among them, who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath; their way have I requited upon their heads,’ says the Lord God” (Ezekiel 22: 29-31).
Again in this situation, God was looking for one man. If He had found one man who met His requirements, things would have been different. He did not find one, and so He poured out His wrath upon them. If you were the man who would have built up the wall and stood in the breach before Him for the land that He should not destroy it, He would have spared the land. If you are such a man today, do not give up, however bad the situation may be. Build the way of prayer with fasting, stand in the gap of intercession with fasting and, because of you, the whole land, the whole nation, and the whole continent can be spared.
Your fast can save your family, even though they be very wicked. God will use the fast and the prayer to liberate them. You can save an entire town, even though you be the only devout person there who seeks God’s purposes and is committed to doing something about it and doing it God’s way.
You can save the nation. You can save your continent. You can save Planet Earth.
The Lord said:
“Ask of me, and l will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2: 8 – 9).
“You” here can be plural or it can be singular. If there are no people to stand with you so that the plural aspect of the promise be fulfilled, you can claim the singular aspect and act. The Lord will surely hear you and do the impossible through you.
God has used individuals to do mighty things in the past.
He used Nehemiah’s fasting and intercession as a starting point that led to the rebuilding of the walls of the city. He used Moses’ fasting and intercession to save the nation of Israel from total destruction. He used Joseph to save Egypt and Canaan from total ruin. He used the Lord of all glory to save the world. He did it in the past. He will do it today. He will do it through you, if you will meet His requirements.
You may be God’s man for the salvation of this city, nation, continent, and planet. Do not say that you are alone. Do not say that it is impossible since you are alone. Remember, you and the Lord constitute a majority. Move ahead. Believe the Lord. Begin to pay the price in seeking the Lord. Begin to pay the price in holiness. Begin to pay the price in fasting. Begin to pay the price in prayer. Begin to seek God’s will. Begin to do it.
The Lord will use you as a starting point. He will raise others to fast with you, but He wants to start with you. Let Him have His way.
A BIBLICAL EXAMPLE
The Bible says:
“While Israel dwelt in Shittim the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.’ And Moses said to the judges of Israel, ‘Every one of you slay his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.’ And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation, and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the inner room, and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through her body” (Numbers 25: 1 – 8).
Thus the plague was stayed from the people of Israel.
There was sin and judgement, and while the people were mourning, another man blatantly continued in sin. He went on in the way of sin before Moses, who did nothing about it, and before the entire congregation, who did nothing about it. Phinehas acted alone. God was pleased and stopped the plague.
Even if the leader or leaders will not fast, you should fast.
God can spare the whole assembly, nation, or continent, because of you. Do not give up because the leaders are taking it lightly. Refuse to be discouraged. Press on and win God’s approval, and, in addition, save a local Church, a work, a town or city, a nation, a continent, or a planet.
When the Lord starts with you and later on raises others to join you, do not be jealous of them. Do not try to exclude them. Make room for them. Work with them and together you will accomplish great things for Him.
God bless you today as you begin to seek Him, fast and pray, and move into all the fullness of God. Amen.