Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
March 3, 2024
Isaiah 58:6-12
6 Isn’t this the fast I choose: releasing wicked restraints, untying the ropes of a yoke, setting free the mistreated, and breaking every yoke? 7 Isn’t it sharing your bread with the hungry and bringing the homeless poor into your house, covering the naked when you see them, and not hiding from your own family? 8 Then your light will break out like the dawn, and you will be healed quickly. Your own righteousness will walk before you, and the LORD’s glory will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and God will say, “I’m here.” If you remove the yoke from among you, the finger-pointing, the wicked speech; 10 if you open your heart to the hungry, and provide abundantly for those who are afflicted, your light will shine in the darkness, and your gloom will be like the noon. 11 The LORD will guide you continually and provide for you, even in parched places. He will rescue your bones. You will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water that won’t run dry. 12 They will rebuild ancient ruins on your account; the foundations of generations past you will restore. You will be called Mender of Broken Walls, Restorer of Livable Streets.
Good Morning! This is the day of the Lord! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
It is appropriate in this Lenten season to examine fasting. Generations have seen fasting as a way to purify themselves before God. The problem arises when your heart is not as it should be. Do we restrain our food intake as a sign of righteousness while we continue to point fingers and oppress the least of these? God is calling for a different kind of fasting.
The words of Isaiah included conditional thoughts beginning with if and then. The people are complaining that the Lord is ignoring their fasts, but through Isaiah, God reminds them of the fasts that are needed. Fasting should be a time when our eyes and hearts are opened so that we may see God’s will before us.
We must love and care for one another. We are to set free the mistreated and seek to find all those who are in need. If we humble ourselves by walking among the sinners and feeding the hungry, we are doing God’s will. Then we will be blessed with the living water, and our thirst will be forever quenched.
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. It is easy to go through the motions without taking the time to embrace them. Open our eyes, ears, and hearts, so that we may lovingly serve others. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: When we open our hearts, we will be blessed.
Fast from judging others! Pastor Liz