Good morning all!

Father, Your word declares the earth is Lord’s and the fullness thereof, there is nothing that exist that You haven’t made perfect. You poured out wisdom and power and gave birth to life, You have removed all darkness with the brightness of Your coming so the world would shine bright forever, Amen.

Isaiah 58

4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as [ye do this] day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Why fast if all you do is fight with each other over who’s right or wrong? you make demands of one another, you think the Lord will honor this fast but you will NOT be heard.

5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? [is it] to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes [under him]? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
The fast that I have chosen is a day when a man’s heart breaks to be more like ME, to bow in humility and have a heart to repent of his ways, this is the acceptable fast to the Lord.

6 [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
It’s not just to deny yourself food but to stop holding people captive, quit placing burdens on them, set them free and forgive them once and for all.

7 [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?
I’ve called you feed the hungry and gather those you cast out because you see NO value in them, when they’re naked cover them, which includes your own family.

8 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.
That’s when your light turns ON and you have some pep in your step and feel good and your RIGHTEOUNESS will be right in front of you and you will bring glory to God your keeper.

Bottom line

Have you ever felt like you’re just going through the motions in life? You know your life is on auto pilot sought of speak? No real purpose, no real joy, no sense of success or failure, it’s all the same to you? That’s what God is dealing with in this chapter as He addresses the church, we pray, we fast and show up for Sunday service…going through the motions with NO real change, no real conviction, no engagement. What happened?

[Psa 17:10 NIV] They close up their callous hearts,and their mouths speak with arrogance. How does a heart become calloused?

[Heb 3:13 NIV] But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. The heart becomes hard by the deception of sin, the deception of what we think is right and wrong. The church prays and will even fast, however, they’re just going through the motions of religion. What causes that deception? ARROGANCE!!! This is us going through the motions of religion but in our heart, we have elevated ourselves, we treat others callously, we don’t see any value in them and lay heavy burdens on them. What’s that? That’s when we say it’s your FAULT, is there a heavier burden to bear when a friend or a loved one speaks those words? Notice the fast God has called us to we are to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, this is the nature and character of our God. He expects the fast to change our heart, change our attitude towards people, to see the value of every human heart, not anyone above the other. There is NO place for arrogance in the kingdom of God, it opposes the nature and character of God…it is public enemy number one…a proud look and a lying tongue…I’m better than so and so…that’s the lie we believe and then we lay the heavy burden on them. Scripture says Eve was deceived and gave birth to sin; how did God handle that?

[Gen 3:21 KJV] Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. God was moved by ACTION; HE MADE them coats and CLOTHED their NAKEDNESS. When we fast it’s a picture of us denying ourselves, denying a nature that opposes the nature of God…KINDNESS. It’s easy to see the nakedness of others, to see what we consider to be wrong with them but notice God didn’t say anything. What did He do? He simply fixed their problem. He broke the yoke of guilt and shame; He let the oppressed go FREE…true forgiveness. If your fast doesn’t lead to forgiveness, you got the wrong fast. Did you notice the effects of the calloused heart? DARKNESS!!! You want your light to shine forth it begins with forgiveness; you want to experience true peace and joy it begins with forgiveness. Notice how fast our heart is healed when you forgive others…SPEEDILY. Our heavenly Father does expect us to take on His nature, not our will but HIS be done…go cover the NAKED, go feed the hungry. Does our life bring glory and honor to God?

[Pro 19:11 AMP] Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment]. You SHINE when you clothe others NOT expose them…honor & glory!

Point to Ponder

What do they see?

[Mat 5:16 KJV] 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Action, let the world SEE our good works which bring glory to God.

Let’s all shine and bring God glory, In Him Phil

Faith – Family – Friends