September 28

Zech 7 and 8, Ezra 6

"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?' "
Zech 7:5-6

In today's reading, God questions His people's motives for following the fasting and feast traditions during exile. He wanted to make it clear to them that it was not just about going through the motions. It was important to know one's heart and motivations. If someone is fasting, but is not concerned with bringing God glory in the process, then there is a problem.

When thinking about feasting and fasting, I immediately thought of our daily readings. It is so easy to forget the real reason why we do this: to draw closer to God and to be changed because of it. How often to we read the passage of the day as if it's something to check off our to-do list? Remember that God wants us to read His word for a reason and our motives for reading are important.