Is That Fasting?
24009
Isaiah 58:5-7 The context: The people are wondering why God's blessings are missing in their lives. They "seek God daily," they "delight to know His ways," they "do righteousness," and "ask for God's righteous judgments, delighting to draw near to God." They "fast," they "humble themselves," but God doesn't seem to see or acknowledge it. (58:1-3)
God Asks Us: Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? 06 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 07 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
JNE: Our human nature tends to think we are pleasing God when we are not. We tend to think that doing religious things automatically pleases God. We find it quite easy to act humble, to bow our head, to do humbling things is what God asks us to give. We think that sacrificially giving up a day is pleasing to God. But God sees it differently. God's readily sees when our religious actions are done to make ourselves look good. And that is precisely what He is not wanting from us.
Our offerings, our fasting, pleases God when we live in our world in ways that He can use to meet the needs of others; to do things that represent Him accurately; that point people to Him and His powerful mercy and grace. Our religious behaviors are pleasing to God when His goodness, His righteousness, HIs Glory is the thankful motive. It is so easy for me to do things to make me look good. God is pleased and blesses when He is the reason and the object of my life; when I do things so that He rather than I is seen and praised.
Isaiah 58:5-7 The context: The people are wondering why God's blessings are missing in their lives. They "seek God daily," they "delight to know His ways," they "do righteousness," and "ask for God's righteous judgments, delighting to draw near to God." They "fast," they "humble themselves," but God doesn't seem to see or acknowledge it. (58:1-3)
God Asks Us: Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? 06 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 07 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
JNE: Our human nature tends to think we are pleasing God when we are not. We tend to think that doing religious things automatically pleases God. We find it quite easy to act humble, to bow our head, to do humbling things is what God asks us to give. We think that sacrificially giving up a day is pleasing to God. But God sees it differently. God's readily sees when our religious actions are done to make ourselves look good. And that is precisely what He is not wanting from us.
Our offerings, our fasting, pleases God when we live in our world in ways that He can use to meet the needs of others; to do things that represent Him accurately; that point people to Him and His powerful mercy and grace. Our religious behaviors are pleasing to God when His goodness, His righteousness, HIs Glory is the thankful motive. It is so easy for me to do things to make me look good. God is pleased and blesses when He is the reason and the object of my life; when I do things so that He rather than I is seen and praised.