His Work Here

Isaiah 58:1-14

     “Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins! Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’

     “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD?

     “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

     “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the LORD will answer.

     ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

     “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.

     “Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. Then the LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

Today I got online only to discover something I didn’t agree with. I commented on it and received a reply back that really upset me because only a very small portion of what I had said was acknowledged. My natural human reaction was to reply back trying to get this person to see things from my point of view, but something in my spirit held me back. I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me from inside asking me if trying to get this person to see things from my perspective would honor God. I recoiled immediately and even encouraged someone else to also not get into an argument online with this person.

I then pulled out my Bible, opened it up and read the passage of scripture at the top of this blog entry. I was immediately humbled at realizing that He was telling me all along that I need to put my efforts into serving others, not disagreeing or arguing with them because serving others will honor Him. It will meet the needs of others pointing them to the One who provides for us. It will satisfy my soul because I have listened to Him, doing what he has called me to do, and that will draw me closer to Him.

I love the Lord, my God, and I truly want to honor Him with my life today. I would also like to encourage you to do the same. Maybe He wants you to call a lonely friend today. Maybe He wants you to take a meal to someone who is struggling physically. Maybe He wants you to smile at the person in the grocery store with the biggest scowl on his or her face becoming the only bright spot in that person’s day. Maybe He wants you to spend time in prayer for someone you know is going through something difficult, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, financial or any combination of things. You never know what your actions may do for someone else. I urge you to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:37-46

     “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

     ”And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

     “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

     “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

     “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

     “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Should we only do these things as a penance to God to bring about His approval for a day? Absolutely not! It is my belief that this is the way He wants us to live daily as we walk in His grace. When we are His hands and feet wherever we may go, then is He glorified on this earth. Sure, we all struggle because we are human with a sin nature, but in His grace we can overcome these struggles we face and offer that same grace to those around us. Join me today!

In His Grace!