Good morning all!
Father, we know that You rule heaven and earth and by Your word nothing is hid from Your sight. We pray Lord that You reveal Your word in us, that You give us the strength to live this life in the light of Your day. Give us the heart to see the needs and the confidence to be Your light and let us never be hid from Your sons and daughters and the life You’ve given us, Amen. Have you ever played hide and seek growing up? The best days ever, you always thought you had the greatest spot until they found you. Are you hiding?
Isaiah 58
Isa 58:7 KJV – Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Shouldn’t we feed the hungry? Shouldn’t we comfort those that have been rejected? When you see someone exposed will you cover them and not hide yourself as though you haven’t seen the need.
Isa 58:8 KJV – Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
This is when a light will break through the night, and healthy relationships will come quickly; and righteous living will lead the way; and God’s glory will follow close behind you.
Isa 58:9 KJV – Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
And when you call on God He’ll answer you; when you cry out He will say I’m right here. IF you stop oppressing folks and you quit pointing your finger and stop speaking empty words.
Isa 58:10 KJV – And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
And if you extend yourself beyond your comfort zone to those in need, and comfort those that are hurt; then shall THY light rise from OBSCURITY, and your darkness end as quickly as the noon sun.
Bottom line
Remember nothing is hidden from God, not even you in your best hiding spot…don’t work.
Heb 4:13 NIV – Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Makes sense, if God’s plan is to change our heart then He has to see it…NOTHING that has ever been created is hidden…mankind. What’s the change look like? Eze 36:26 KJV – A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. God doesn’t give a NEW heart after you die, He said he takes away the stony heart out of your FLESH…you’re alive. This is the message Isaiah is delivering to the church, they thought they were supposed to live this privileged life with God tucked away from everybody…a life without compassion for others…God removes the hard heart and gives us one that is filled with compassion and love, what else would you find in God’s heart? When Jesus found the sinner he didn’t reject them, He came to save them…help them…heal them…to have a relationship.
Mar 1:41 KJV – And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. Jesus didn’t hide from the leper, the sinner, they had an appointment with destiny and He TOUCHED them and made them clean. This is the message to the church, did you notice when the light came forth? It comes after we touch the lives of the “so called untouchables”. It’s not light first and then go do God’s work, it’s be obedient and light will shine out of our darkness. Faith without action is worthless, Israel believed in God, prayed and fasted and yet God didn’t hear them. When did God tell them “here I am”? It was when they stopped placing burdens on people, when they stopped pointing their fingers at others. The only way God will speak to us, the only way to have light shine out of darkness…we have to trade religion for relationship. The light represents a relationship with God, and when does the light shine in you? When you’re moved with compassion and forgive the sinner, heal the hurting and feed the hungry…sounds like Jesus to me. What’s our relationship with God look like?
1Jo 1:7 KJV – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. A relationship with God looks like relationship with one another, we are to walk in the light…LIVE it. Is that possible? Why do you think He closes that verse with the blood that cleanses us from SOME sin…oops…ALL sin. There is nothing stopping you and I from having fellowship with one another or with God. The only reason I don’t fellowship with others is because I have no fellowship with God…no relationship. When we believe we’ve been cleansed from ALL sin we can truly have a relationship with God, if not, chances are we’ll think we have to hide from Him until we’ve finished our time of shame or punishment, also known as the yoke in our midst. There is nothing stopping us today from walking with God in fellowship, all we have to is extend ourselves to the world around us and we’ll walk in the light as He is in the light.
Point to Ponder
Remember Shakespeare’s most famous line, “to be or not to be, that is the question”. Mat 5:14 NLT – “You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Jesus didn’t state a question, He said be a light…it’s who you are!
Let’s all shine together, In Him Phil
Faith – Family – Friends
