Isaiah 58

Monday, I posted about how reading through Repenting of Religion was like having water poured out on a dry and weary land. (see "All We Need Is...") The very next day in Jesus Calling one of the Scripture references was Isaiah 58:11.

And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire (soul) in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. (NASB, emphasis mine)

What a great visual to apply to what I was already feeling. I definitely wanted to post something about this, but didn't get around to it. Today, I copied this verse down on two index cards, one for my bathroom mirror and one for my purse. I like to think of the purse Scriptures as my "promises on the go!"

Then, just a few hours ago, I found a stray index card with a Scripture on it laying on my desk. Hmmm...interestingly enough, it was Isaiah 58:12. I remember writing it down when I went through Living Beyond Yourself the second time. Here's what I read when I picked it up:

Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places.
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. (NKJV)

Having read these back to back on two consecutive days, I decided to give a read through to the entire chapter of Isaiah 58 so I could understand the context. I invite you to do the same now by clicking on that link.

Verses 1 and 2 sound like first, a call to Isaiah to call out the sin in Israel, but then He switches gears and talks about how much the people delight in Him, so maybe there's a little more to this than I understand by just diving into the passage at chapter 58. But here's what began to catch my eye...verse 3. It seems the people are fasting and humbling themselves and they feel like God isn't taking notice. But He reminds them that even during their fasts, they still satisfy their own desires and "drive hard" their laborers. By verse 4, He's all out accusing them of not fasting so their voice will be heard on high, but rather they fast for "contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist." Obviously, the outward practices don't line up with the truth that is hidden in the heart.

In verses 6 and 7, God proceeds to tell Israel the type of fast that He would choose...a fast that

• loosens the bonds of wickedness
• undoes the bands of the yoke (heavy burdens in the King James)
• lets the oppressed go free
• breaks every yoke
• divides your bread with the hungry
• brings the homeless poor into the house
• when you see the naked, covers him
• hides (veils) yourself from your own flesh (nakedness)

What happens when we participate in God's type of fast? (verses 8 and 9)

• your light will break out like the dawn (talk about the most amazing Breaking Dawn ever!)
• your recovery will speedily spring forth (not walk forth...spring forth!)
• your righteousness will go before you
• the glory (true character) of God will be your right guard (yep...He'll have your back!)
• then you will call and He will answer (you don't even have to go without food, humble yourself or lay on a bed of ashes...verses 3, 5)
• you will cry and God will answer "Here I am"

Sounds incredible doesn't it? Oh, but there's more in verse 9, when we:

• remove the heavy burden from your midst which is the pointing finger and speaking wickedness
• give yourself to the hungry
• satisfy the desire (soul) of the afflicted

What's the result? We're coming up to the verses God gave me over the last two days, the second half of verse 10 along with 11 and 12 :

• your light will rise in darkness
• your gloom will become like midday
• the LORD will continually guide you
• He'll satisfy the scorched places of your soul
• He'll give strength to your bones (not just your muscles...but all the way down to your bones!)
• He'll water you like a watered garden...it will be like a spring of water whose waters don't end
• Those that fast God's way will rebuild ancient ruins (NO life has been ruined so long that we cannot aid God in the rebuilding of it! Hallelujah!)
• We will raise up age-old foundations (We won't be building for this temporary earthly kingdom...rather working on the foundations of a kingdom that has existed before time on earth began!)
• We will be called the repairer of the breach (Wherever the "walls" have been breached in the past by sin, they will now be repaired!)
• We will be known as the restorer of streets to dwell in

This is a lot of lists, I know...but what I hope you draw from them is that sacrificing "things" like food or going without (fasting) so that we can hear from God, may not be what He really wants from us. He'd much rather that we'd find a way to bestow honor with food, clothing or shelter for those whom society overlooks. Sacrificing our comfort for others is what reveals God's kingdom to the world. Loving others out of our limited resources is a blessing in and of itself. And although giving sacrificially is what we're called to without expecting any reward...there are rewards, benefits or blessings that are evident when we live this way...that's what the last list is.

Look at that list again. Wow! Over the last year, I've been learning more about the discipline of fasting...but maybe I've had it all wrong. While abstaining from food is admirable and does produce a spiritual awareness and discernment...it appears that God's kingdom is best lived out fasting the way that blesses the poor and downtrodden. Not only do we receive the blessing of giving to others, but in the process of serving, we are revived, refreshed and renewed.

Time and again, God tells us to serve the poor, love the downtrodden and bless those who are afflicted. What will it take before we listen? Maybe passages such as these that list the blessings of a sacrificial life will enourage us to do so. I pray this is true...there is a lost and dying world that's counting on it!