relationships (Isaiah 58:1-12) Security and Satisfaction

(Isaiah 58:1-12) 

1   “Cry loudly, do not hold back;
    Raise your voice like a trumpet,
    And declare to My people their wrongdoing,
    And to the house of Jacob their sins.

2   Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
    As a nation that has done righteousness 
    And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
    They ask Me for just decisions,
    They delight in the nearness of God.
3   ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see?
    Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’
    Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire,
    And oppress all your workers.
4   Behold, you fast for contention and strife, and to strike with a wicked fist.
    You do not fast like you have done today to make your voice heard on high!
5   Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?
    Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed 
    And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
    Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?
6   Is this not the fast that I choose:
    To release the bonds of wickedness,
    To undo the ropes of the yoke,
    And to let the oppressed go free,
    And break every yoke?
7   Is it not to break your bread with the hungry 
    And bring the homeless poor into the house;
    When you see the naked, to cover him;
    And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8   Then your light will break out like the dawn,
    And your recovery will spring up quickly;
    And your righteousness will go before you;
    The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9   Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    You will cry for help, 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 yourself to the hungry 
    And satisfy the need of the afflicted,
    Then your light will rise in darkness,
    And your gloom will become like midday.
11 And the Lord will continually guide you,
    And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
    And give strength to 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 ruins;
     You will raise up the age-old foundations;
     And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
     The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It doesn't matter how religious a person tries to be, or what they say and do so that they appear to be spiritual, if this is all done without God in the picture, it's all vanity.  We are all born with a sinful nature, so our flesh is selfish, greedy and full of pride, therefore we come into this world separated from God.  Because God is holy and cannot have a relationship with sin, the only way we can be reconciled to Him is to accept His forgiveness and salvation.  Because of His work on the cross, He paid the price for all sin in order to make this possible.

Once we are saved, we are clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, and we have been given the indwelling Holy Spirit of promise, as well as God's grace.  So, even though we cannot lose our salvation, we will still struggle with sin.  Therefore we continually need God's strength and guidance.  Because sin impedes prayer and inhibits our relationship with the Lord, we should confess our sins daily and continually seek Him and His word.  When we fast, pray and look for answers, if our desire is truly to be what the Lord desires, He answers these prayers and gives us His strength, wisdom and direction.  

Our salvation parallels the Abrahamic covenant where God promised the Israelites their land, seed and blessings.  It all belongs to the nation of Israel, but when they rebel and stray from God, they are not able to enjoy these things (in full, or to some degree).  It will only be completely fulfilled when Israel as a nation turn their hearts to the Lord and put their faith and belief in Him.  And from prophecy, we know this will happen in the end times.  They will see their signs of Jesus' second coming during the Tribulation and believe, and then Jesus will come to earth to set up the Millennial kingdom and fulfill all covenants

In the same way, when we become Christians, we are saved and become children of God.  Because of God's grace, we cannot lose our salvation, no matter what we do or don't do.  But when we rebel and stray from God, we will not be able to fully enjoy the blessings here on earth that we would otherwise have with Him.  It is to our benefit that we continue to humble ourselves and put away sinful desires.  As we earnestly seek the Lord, we will find delight in the nearness of Him!  And of course, one day, we will enjoy the fulness of our promised land, which is eternity in heaven!  It is only in God's faithfulness that we can find security and satisfaction!