Highlighted Verses and my thoughts:
"'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.'" Isaiah 58:3-4
"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." Isaiah 58:6-7
How many times have I tried to be 'godly' for the sake of being 'godly', not to truly make a change in my life. So often we have a list of things we are supposed to do to show that we are Christians: fast, pray, read our bible, tithe. We do those things and think, hey, I am okay...even more 'Christian' than my neighbor because they are not fasting, praying, reading their bible, and tithing. But, those are not the things that make us a Christian. Our hearts must change. We must put God before ourselves, others before ourselves. Fighting with your children about losing their offering envelope on Sunday morning doesn't really seem like the righteous way to be giving to the Lord. Loving your children is more important than their offering envelope making it into the plate on time.
"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 tor talk idly." Isaiah 58:13
This is a command that seems to have been put on the ignore list by so many. We are to put aside a day to be holy and to only pursue things of the Lord. But, the reason should not be because we want to 'follow the law', but because we want to show honor to the Lord.
"I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler. Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there." Isaiah 60:17b-18
Oh, what a glorious day this will be!
My response to God: Lord, I praise you for your gift of salvation and long for the day when I am where praise to you will be on the lips of all who enter there. Soften my heart to those in need and make it abundantly clear when my response has not been adequate. Help me to keep your day holy and give me the desire to relish in your presence all the day long.
My response to God: Lord, I praise you for your gift of salvation and long for the day when I am where praise to you will be on the lips of all who enter there. Soften my heart to those in need and make it abundantly clear when my response has not been adequate. Help me to keep your day holy and give me the desire to relish in your presence all the day long.
No comments:
Post a Comment