Scripture and Meditation - David Hand
/I sit down alone,
Only God is Here;
In his presence I open,
I Read His Books;
And what I thus Learn,
I teach.
John Wesley
Self Denial and Fasting - David Hand
/The first thing that comes to my mind when the word self-denial is brought up this time of year is the Disciples.
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up the cross, and follow me." -Matthew 16:24
"Jesus tells his Disciples that following him will require self-denial and sacrifice. We do not gain virtue points by saying no to eating a hot dog or not eating chocolate during the season of Lent, but we do learn the habit of setting aside our desires to make room for pursuing God’s will." (Sytsma)
"We willingly give up some good things to better experience the best of things. We create margin in our schedules, we clear clutter from our lives, and crowd out noisy distractions in our heart so there is space for us to again taste and see the glory, grace, and goodness of Jesus." (indycrowe.com)
(Sytsma, Bill, https://todaydevotional.com/devotions/practicing-self-denial-2012-05-13)
(https://indycrowe.com/2019/03/06/a-word-on-self-denial-and-fasting)