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!
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I welcome your comments and honest discussion for the purpose of edification. Please keep your discussions civil as any comments that berate one another will be removed. May we all encourage one another in the Lord, acting in love, as He desires us to do. If you are not a Christian, you are welcome to post comments and questions here, but be considerate of those with differing beliefs.
In His Grace!