-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN) – Originally Jeremy chose just THIS day to write devotions this week – but he then took on several more days when he very recently became aware of the need for more days to be filled. Thank you, Jeremy!
I believe that today’s devotional may be the most important one I ever write. In fact, I normally write a “block” of articles in a group, to create less of a headache for the lady who runs this website, but today is different. I singled out this one specific bit of today’s reading because it is so important, so absolutely critical, that it may literally save your life (as I believe it did mine). Even more critically, this may make the difference on whether you enter the kingdom of God, or are cast out “where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”, it’s that important. So please, listen closely today, because a whole lot could depend on it.
Isaiah 58:1-5 goes right into it, God (through His servant Isaiah) is chastising the people for the manner in which they are fasting. The people are making grand displays of deprivation and wondering why God isn’t hearing them, thinking that fasting is like some magic trick that you perform to manipulate God, while continuing to act unrighteously. That’s not what God wants, and if you want God to listen to your prayers, first act righteously (See for reference: John 9:31, Proverbs 15:29, Ps 66:18). This is also what God spoke into my heart on about day 3 or 4 of my own fast after my father went blind, which led to a complete lifestyle change. Reading through verses 1-5 here will give you a great idea of how not to do it, but the next verses immediately go into a remedial course on how you should do it.
Isaiah 58:6-12 gives us not only a laundry list of things we should be doing, but an even more extensive list of why we should be doing them and what benefit it will bring. This is the good stuff folks, pay heed. I suppose I should also say that attitude matters; if you go into some of this thinking “Well, I’ll just do this and God will owe me…” you’re wrong. God owns you already, and nothing you could ever do will be able to repay the debt that you owe God. This is a way to humbly obey some of the things He has told us to do that please Him. Going down line by line (this is from the LSB translation):
Isaiah 58:6-Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to release the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?
Wickedness is a trap, and people are enslaved by their sin. When you choose to fast it’s not just a denial of food, it’s an opportunity to loosen the noose that is constricting your holiness before the Father. Are you addicted to something that is taking your attention and focus away from God? Drugs, alcohol, sex, entertainment, money, your appearance, social media, cars, stuff: anything and everything that takes your attention away from God can be a sin. Take a break from it. This is an opportunity to loosen the leash a little, to not be a slave for a time, for freedom under God. Take it.
Isaiah 58:7-Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the afflicted homeless into the house; when you see the naked, you cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Feed, shelter, and clothe people. Engage with your family. When Job was protesting his righteousness, one of his arguments was that he had done these things (Job 29:12-16, Job 31:16-17). Keeping that in mind, remember how proud God was of Job at the beginning of the book. These are the things that please God. When we are told to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18, Mark 12:31) it equates this action to loving God. Think about that, the next time you drive past a homeless person. You were created in the image of God to have dominion on the earth, to represent the Creator to His creation. This is an opportunity to love God, take it.
Isaiah 58:8-Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of Yahweh will be your rear guard.
This is one of the most important bits. Not just that your illumination will rend forth from the darkness around you, not just that your recovery will speedily spring forth (and that’s a pretty important bit, if you’re struggling physically), but that your צִדְקֶ֔ךָ ( Tzedakah, or Sedaqa) will go before you. The translation of “righteousness” is a pale shadow of the actual meaning, which can be more accurately translated as: “righteousness, fairness, justice”: all rolled up into one. Do yourself a favor and look up Tzedakah on Wikipedia, and read it very carefully. If you by your own actions are about to receive a bad judgement from God, to have your name erased from the Book of Life and written in another, less favorable book: this is one of the 3 things that can avert that judgment according to Jewish tradition: Tzedakah (not charity, but equity towards your fellow man), Tefila (sincere prayer, “crying out” to God), and Teshuva (repentance, turning away from evil and changing behavior). Add all of those things to the fact that you’ll no longer have to watch your back, because Yahweh will be your rearguard, and it makes it a little silly not to actively seek to do these things. When you help others you are literally helping yourself.
Isaiah 58:9-12: 9 Then you will call, and Yahweh will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, 10 and if you offer your soul to the hungry and satisfy the soul of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your thick darkness will become like midday. 11 and Yahweh will continually guide you, and satisfy your soul in scorched places, and fortify your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you will rebuild the ancient waste places; you will raise up the foundations of past generation upon generation; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the paths for one to inhabit.
I have felt at times that when I called out to God He wasn’t listening to me. On reflection, why would He listen to me? I hadn’t been listening to Him! He has given us very clear instructions on how to make Him proud, and how we are supposed to act, and told us very plainly when we do these things He will answer when we cry out. He will reveal Himself to us. He will continually guide us and satisfy us, even in uncomfortable or dangerous places, and strengthen us.
The unfathomable grace of God can not be overstated. He’s trying to give it to you now. Please believe me when I tell you that these things are absolutely true, I’m not speaking from a confident book-learning but from an experiential knowledge and certainty based on my own life experiences that God will do all of these things, and more. If you want to truly experience God in your life, to have God whisper to you in your sleep and at quiet times, to have God utterly smash the things that come at you sideways to do you harm: try living this chapter. Do you need healing? Do you feel lost and enslaved in darkness? Do you want to see miracles? Then humble yourself, do these things in Isaiah 58, cry out to God, turn from any wickedness and stand back and be amazed.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- How many times a week do you seek an opportunity to perform Tzedekah (see above for definition)?
- Is there something in your life, any yoke or chain, that is distracting you from God that you could either loosen or remove?
- Do you have a time scheduled for fasting?
PRAYER
Father God, help us to listen. Guide us, satisfy us, and help us to reflect your love to the rest of your creation. Thank you for everything, you are amazing. In Jesus name, Amen.
