Return of the Eagles

We were riding down the street, about to enter and intersection, when an alarm went off in my spirit. Even though the light was green, I let off of the gas and began to brake as I reached over and put my arm across in front of Cathy as many of us are apt to do with our loved ones when we see danger ahead.

But the thing was, there wasn’t any danger to SEE ahead. There was no indication of anything bad about to occur.

And yet I said, “Watch out.” About that time, a car came careening across the intersection, running through the red light from their direction, spinning out of control. If we had been a couple of seconds earlier from our direction, the car would have hit us broadside.

I would like to say that the Holy Spirit has warned me of danger EVERY time it was about to enter my personal space in my life but unfortunately, either He hasn’t, or I haven’t been sensitive enough to hear Him.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said… Matthew 4:1-3

In the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, He is continually preparing us for what is ahead of us. It could be preparing us by protecting us from a car spinning through an intersection. But here in the famous section of Scripture above, He was preparing Jesus for the temptation of the devil by first leading him to fast for forty days.

Over the past nine months, I have spoken of fasting from time to time so often that our folks are probably about ready to stone me. The reason I have done so is because I have seen how ESSENTIAL it is in order to be PREPARED AHEAD OF whatever the Holy Spirit sees coming down the road toward us.

In my case, there is absolutely no doubt I would have been steamrolled by the circumstances that have occurred this year if that preparation had not taken place.

Let me be clear: I have NO DOUBT I would not have made it through without the preparation that God called me to beforehand, which in my case primarily took place during a 40-day fast.

Now, before you write me off, look back once again at the Scripture in Matthew 4 and explain to me why Jesus fasted before His encounter with the devil if it was not important. After all, Jesus was and is the Son of God, and if HE and the Holy Spirit felt it was important enough to LEAD with that…

WHATEVER it is the LORD leads you to do, fast, give, set aside things, get apart, just do it in order to prepare! And if He is preparing you, that doesn't necessarily mean bad things are headed your way either! He may be preparing you for leadership, for doing something important for His Kingdom! Just be prepared! 

Love.