Isaiah 58:3-8

saying, ‘Why have we fasted, but You did not see it? Why have we humbled our souls, but You did not know it?’ Because in the days of your fasts, you seek your own wills, and mistreat those under your authority. If you fast for condemnations and quarrels, and strike a humble man with your fists, why do you fast to Me as you do today, so your voice may be heard in crying? I did not choose this fast, and such a day for a man to humble his soul; nor if you should bow your neck like a ring and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself, could you thus call such a fast acceptable. I did not choose such a fast,” says the Lord; “rather, loose every bond of wrongdoing; untie the knots of violent dealings; cancel the debts of the oppressed; and tear apart every unjust contract. Break your bread for the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house. If you see a naked man, clothe him, nor shall you disregard your offspring in your own household. Then your light shall break forth as the morning, and your healing shall spring forth quickly. Your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of God shall cover you.”

Personal Challenge

God does not want our actions or our following of traditions and rubrics if our hearts are not pure. Isaiah reminds his people, as well as us, that it does us no good to perform acts of worship such as fasting when we are at war with our neighbor and ignoring those around us who are in need. Fasting at these times is just empty actions. He desires a humble and loving heart more than anything else. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Personal Challenge

What has been crucified with Christ? Not my physical self, but my sinful desires and passions. This is what I must do every moment of every day, take up my cross and crucify my desires and passions, in order to live a life that glorifies God and magnifies Jesus. It is my fleshly desires that continually draw me away from Him and the more that I feed them the further from Him I roam. He loves us so much that He gave Himself up on the cross for us. Our love for Him is shown by doing the same with our passions. This is how we live by faith every day, every moment, of our lives, by trusting in Him and seeking Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Isaiah 57:15

The Lord, the Most High who dwells on high forever, the Holy One among His saints, whose name is the Lord Most High, who rests among His saints, and who gives patience to the fainthearted and life to the broken-hearted,

Encouraging Words

As Christians, we do not just follow the teachings of some great man, but we follow the One, true God. He is our Lord, His Most High and is eternal. He loves His saints enough to dwell amongst us. And He gives us patience and life. He is my Lord. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 55:10-11

For as rain comes down, or snow from heaven, and does not return until it saturates the earth, and it brings forth and produces, and gives seed to the sower and bread for food, so shall My word be, whatever proceeds from My mouth. It shall not return until it accomplishes whatever I willed, and I shall prosper your ways and My commandments.

Encouraging Words

This is a promise from our Lord that we can hold on to. God’s Word is so powerful, so penetrating, and it is never wasted. Even though the bearer may ignore it or act as if they have never heard it, the seed has been planted. As parents and grandparents, we can claim this promise, if we have done our part by ensuring that His Word has been spoken, and more importantly, demonstrated, into the lives of our loved ones. That is all that we can do. It then becomes God’s responsibility to bring those seeds to fruition. Glory be to God!

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For My counsels are not as your counsels, neither are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “But as heaven is distant from earth, so is My way distant from your ways, and your thoughts from My mind.”

Personal Challenge

Oh, how often we try to do something with good intentions to please our Lord, just to find out that we have failed miserably. Why is that? The intentions were good. When I have taken the time to dig into these events to find out what went wrong, the answer is usually that I tried to do these things my way, on my own power. This passage reminds us that God’s ways are much more different than mine. Does this mean that I just stop trying? Heaven forbid! It means that I need to stay focused on God, exercising my faith in Him, and seeking His way of doing His work. This means letting go of my preferences and yielding to Him. Glory be to God!

Galatians 1:10

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE

We are bondservants of Christ. Even though He has set us free from the grip of sin and death, we have chosen to become His servants, bound to Him eternally. If we have truly done this, then we will stop trying to please our fellow human beings and focus our energies on pleasing God. This will cause us to be rejected by those who choose not to follow God, but that is better than being rejected by God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

2 Corinthians 9:7-8

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Personal Challenge

God desires the best for us. He desires that we receive His love and mercy in the abundance that He is willing to give it to us. He also desires that we be willing to give from that abundance to those in our lives who have a need. However, He wants us to give cheerfully and not grudgingly. If we desire what we have too much to give it away freely then He would rather that we not give at all. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!