The Well
The Well |
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Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Tuesday
July 22, 2008
"Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Tell my people Israel of their
sins! Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem
delighted to hear my laws. You would almost think this was a righteous nation
that would never abandon its God. They love to make a show of coming to me and
asking me to take action on their behalf. 'We have fasted before you!' they say.
'Why aren't you impressed? We have done much penance, and you don't even notice
it'"
I will tell you why! It's because you are living for yourselves even
while you are fasting. You keep right on 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 a blade of grass in the wind. You
dress in sackcloth and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call
fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD?"
Isaiah 58:1-5
Most of us know people who are "all show" about their "worship" of God. They are much like the people Jesus described as standing on street corners saying their prayers so that other people will think they are good! Oh, well, they may be impressing people, but the One they are supposedly worshiping isn't impressed!
I know I haven't "arrived"! I know that I have a long way to go in becoming one who pleases the Lord 24/7. Yet, it is my heart's desire to be that way. I hunger to please Him, but fail each and every day in some way or another.
God wants us to be people who are faithful to Him and love one another. I don't know how many times we are going to have to hear that in order to get the message. It is all about His holiness and our willingness to humble ourselves and be our brother's keeper. I believe that God truly honors people who fast for the right reasons, but I also believe He turns His face from those that fast and then neglect people who are being oppressed while fasting. We need to work on our heart issues.
There are people I know who stand before God's people day after day, week after week and make a public show of their "holiness," but have a hard time with forgiveness. Now, again, let me assure you that I have not arrived at the perfect "forgiveness" peak. I too have to remind myself on a daily basis to forgive people and love them no matter how they may have hurt me.
If we are going to please God and determine to worship Him in spirit and trust, we are going to have to humble ourselves and confess our shortcomings first! Maybe after that we can work on fasting!
Father, I am so sorry that too often I don't forgive as You have forgiven me. Thank You for the reminder that You want us to deny bitterness toward someone who has hurt us before we deny ourselves of food. We need the reminder often!
