“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Isaiah 58: 6-14
1 comment:
Oh, Shannon, you do not know how deeply this spoke to me today....right now. I won't go into detail here, but our youngest daughter has mental health issues and her behaviors over the years have made us very guarded when she comes around. She asked if she could come today and spend the night and we cautiously said yes...but were not into it due to how her antics stress us out and being sick this affects our health. We prayed about it as we have been praying lately about helping others...and Isa. 58 pretty much says it all doesn't it...helping our OWN family too. I expect God to bless this time for her and us as we are obedient to His word. Your story today confirmed to me today that God is watching to see how we treat our own family in order to open us to a ministry to help others......
I think the love of Jesus runs deep in Ravenna's heart and it is very exciting to see once again how she wants to help the helpless...as she did at the orphanage. Amazing grace....
Praying for your venture..
Post a Comment