One Desire Fast is HMCC’s annual fast so we can start off the year hearing from God, both individually and as a church. This year’s theme is Witness.
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When we think about the lifestyle in Hong Kong, whether as a student or working adult, the word ‘hectic’ can come to mind. In this highly competitive society, we might spend most of our time worrying about deadlines or projects. They fill our hearts with doubt and fear. Even in church, while we might think “Surely, if I am serving God through the ministry, I am honoring Him, right?” We could be more like busybodies than worshipers. Either way, we often find ourselves tired and joyless because we’ve forgotten about our limits. It ultimately begs the question, when will we ever have time to rest?
God answered this question in Genesis 2:2-3. After creating everything, God, who is all-powerful, rested on the 7th day. God has also commanded us to set apart a day named Sabbath in order to experience complete rest (Exodus 16:23), because He knows we, as limited humans, need it desperately. And it’s not just a command or task we tick off our list, but something God created for our good and an opportunity for us to delight in Him (Mark 2:27).
While many of us would agree that the Sabbath is biblical and important, how many of us actually practice it? It’s easy to make the excuse that it’s impossible to drop everything, sit tight, and pray for an entire 24-hour period? Without saying it explicitly, our inability to practice Sabbath shows that we believe we are more important than God. But without being legalistic, there are actually many ways to humble ourselves and delighted in Sabbath. For example, you could reserve one evening a week to worship with music, read His word, draw, or hike and bask in His majestic creation! Setting time apart for God doesn’t mean being unfaithful to everything else, but it does mean saying no to other things so we can say yes to God. So, in the midst of our busy schedule, let’s find ways to intentionally make time to rest and enjoy Sabbath, the blessing God has created for us.
Reflection and Application
- Throughout this fasting period, How have your understanding of Sabbath changed, and when do you want to schedule in your Sabbath?
- In your next Sabbath time, reflect using KEY tool (Knowing the goodness of God, Engage the Great Commandment, Yield to the Holy Spirit) and text out to your accountability.
Prayer Requests for HKU
- See salvations and baptisms in our LIFE Group by the end of the season
- People growing in ownership and love for HMCC by becoming covenant signing members and serving in ministry teams
- Raise up disciple makers outside of the leaders who can lead people to love God and love people
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