Gleaning from Isaiah 58

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Oh how rich is God's Word!  When we really let it soak in, the encouragement and strength we receive is unfathomable!  Italicized here are some verses from Isaiah 58: 6-11, as told in the first person.  

Backdrop:  the Jews had been fasting for the sake of fasting and had forgotten what the fast was really for: to draw closer to God, to break yokes of oppression, to satisfy deep spiritual needs - not to look "spiritual" or check it off our Christian to-do list.  

The Lord then goes on to list what type of "fast" does loosen the yokes, does set the oppressed free, and does feed the poor.

If I share with the poor and hungry and homeless. my light will break out like dawn!  My recovery will speedily go forth!  Righteousness will go before me!  And the glory of the Lord will be my rear guard!  Alleluia!

So how do I share with the poor, hungry and homeless?  Of course not every Christian takes these verses literally, or there would be no poor, hungry, or homeless among us now, would there?  But since they are obviously among us, either we're not doing our job, or there is another type of "feeding" that we are called to do.

There is spiritual food.  And oh, how we need to be fed the riches of Christ and His Word!  We all know that we spend far more time online feeding our souls with junk than we do in God's Word, getting fed by Him, etc.  Yes, I've done the pie chart and saw the visual of how I actually spend my time, not as I think I'm spending it.  

When I write here in my blog, my intention has always been to feed others.  Some of the things I hope to nourish you with are:

- God's Word
- Truth
- Faith
- Wisdom
- Honesty
- Hope
- Glorifying God
- Obeying and honoring God

I have, hopefully, fed you spiritually with the words I write here and also with my songs that I post here from my YouTube channel.

Then when I call on the Lord, He will answer.  If I remove the yoke from my midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, then my light will rise in darkness and my gloom will become like midday!

As we feed others, the Lord hears our prayers and answers us.  When I "remove the yoke" of perfectionism, distractionism, focusing on minutiae instead of Christ, to name a few - and when I don't "point the finger and speak wickedness" - by blaming, judging, or speaking foolishly - then my light rises in the darkness and it will become like midday!  "Fasting" from bad stuff allows our light to shine ever brighter with the light of Christ!

And the Lord will continually guide me, and satisfy my desire in scorched places, and give strength to my bones, and I will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail!

When the Lord "continually guides me," He will satisfy my deepest hunger and spiritual longings even in the "scorched places" - the "places" the the enemy has stolen from me, the areas that the locusts have destroyed - and the Lord will give me strength and I will be as a watered garden (which is fruitful) and like a spring of water whose waters are ever flowing outward to nourish and water others!  Alleluia!

Just consider all of the benefits the Lord wants to bestow on us!  I encourage you to meditate on these powerful verses in Isaiah and find freedom and strength for your soul!

Lord Jesus, show us what type of fast You desire from us and then empower us to do it!  For You have shown us the way to true life, godliness, hope, peace, and wisdom.  Use us to feed others in all of the ways that you want, Lord.  Those ways will look different for each of us, and that's ok.  The key is that we obey You in all things!  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.


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