Turning on the Lights
Ever get the feeling that God isn’t listening? It’s frustrating because I am trying to do everything I am supposed to do. I’ve got my “God list” and most of the boxes are checked.
So God leads me to Isaiah 58:3-5:
…The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit. You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won’t get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, God, would like?
Alright… I get it. It’s not about me. So now what?
God’s answer (Isaiah 58:7-9):
What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.
What a great analogy…”Do this and the lights will turn on.” Start making it about others and you’ll finally get it.
Guess I have been working off the wrong list.
July 9, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Very nice incite..
Sometimes our prayer can be so loud we drowned God’s voice out. It is so much better when you can read God’s word(His voice to us) and it speaks for itself without us having to struggle to figure it out. I have to thank those are the times when we have shut up long enough to hear what He has to say.
July 9, 2008 at 8:22 pm
That’s it isn’t it…
All of those things take tremendous humility, and a servants heart…
Heart …
Heart …
Heart ….
How can you measure what’s in a man’s heart?
July 9, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I’ve seen this verse mentioned in a book somewhere. The same book mentioned that the Bible refers to helping the poor more than 500 times and that one in 16 New Testament verses speak about this.
Must be pretty important.
July 9, 2008 at 9:16 pm
CK - You gotta love it when it is as straightforward as this one.
Avery - Sorry, are you trying to say something about heart? You mean its not all about wisdom?
Tim - Never heard that before. Might have to look that one up.
July 10, 2008 at 5:30 pm
This is the best read of my week. Thanks for the post.
July 11, 2008 at 12:17 am
I can’t believe how long it took me to a)hear this message and b)believe and follow it. Changed my life.
July 11, 2008 at 6:43 am
Thanks, Hope. There are still two days left in the week. Surely something better will come along.
Joni - Not sure how I missed that verse before. It really put things into perspective for me.