Bible League: Living His Word "Is not this the fast that I choose:to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?" What does it mean to go on a fast? Typically, it means that someone abstains from food for a period of time. Sometimes, it even means abstaining from food and water for a period of time. The reason for doing this is to deny oneself in order to get close to God. The idea is to deny the sinful self's demands for what it wants when it wants it, even necessary and good things like food and water, in order to show God that there is nothing more important than Him. The idea is to seek God's favor and help by whole-heartedly turning to Him, instead of catering to the sinful self's cravings and demands. God, however, had a problem with the fasts of the people of God. As the context of our verse for today makes clear, the problem God had was that at the same time His people were fasting they were also oppressing their fellow countrymen. They were denying the sinful self's demands for food and water, but caving in to its demands for exploitation and oppression of others. From God's point of view, they were guilty of gross inconsistency. From God's point of view, their fasting was worthless. He said to them, '"Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high" (Isaiah 58:4). The trouble was that the people of God thought they could get on God's good side simply by fasting for a relatively brief period of time, while continuously indulging their wicked lifestyle. They thought that a brief period of denial would cover for a lifestyle of indulgence. God, however, rejected their kind of fasting. He said, "Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?" (Isaiah 58:5). In response to them, God spoke the words of our verse for today. Real fasting is more than just abstinence from food and water. Real fasting is abstinence from all the works of the sinful self. Although no one is perfect, real fasting is to be just and righteous in every area of life. God wants us to go on fasts, but in the context of a lifestyle of fasting. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingZephaniah Zephaniah 1 -- The Word of the Lord to Zephaniah: God's Severe Judgments against Judah NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zephaniah 2 -- Judgments on Judah's Enemies: Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush and Assyria NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zephaniah 3 -- Woe to Jerusalem; The Remnant of Israel Will do no Iniquity NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Revelation 15 Revelation 15 -- The Seven Angels with the Seven Last Plagues NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!Insight It is not shameful to suffer for being a Christian. When Peter and John were persecuted for preaching the Good News, they rejoiced because such persecution was a mark of God's approval of their work. Challenge Don't seek out suffering, and don't try to avoid it. Instead, keep on doing what is right regardless of the suffering it might bring. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 40:5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.We anticipate the happy day when the whole world shall be converted to Christ; when the gods of the heathen shall be cast to the moles and the bats; when Romanism shall be exploded, and the crescent of Mohammed shall wane, never again to cast its baleful rays upon the nations; when kings shall bow down before the Prince of Peace, and all nations shall call their Redeemer blessed. Some despair of this. They look upon the world as a vessel breaking up and going to pieces, never to float again. We know that the world and all that is therein is one day to be burnt up, and afterwards we look for new heavens and for a new earth; but we cannot read our Bibles without the conviction that-- "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun Does his successive journeys run." We are not discouraged by the length of his delays; we are not disheartened by the long period which he allots to the church in which to struggle with little success and much defeat. We believe that God will never suffer this world, which has once seen Christ's blood shed upon it, to be always the devil's stronghold. Christ came hither to deliver this world from the detested sway of the powers of darkness. What a shout shall that be when men and angels shall unite to cry "Hallelujah, hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!" What a satisfaction will it be in that day to have had a share in the fight, to have helped to break the arrows of the bow, and to have aided in winning the victory for our Lord! Happy are they who trust themselves with this conquering Lord, and who fight side by side with him, doing their little in his name and by his strength! How unhappy are those on the side of evil! It is a losing side, and it is a matter wherein to lose is to lose and to be lost forever. On whose side are you? Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Samuel 29:3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?"1 Peter 4:14,15 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. • Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; Romans 14:16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 1 Peter 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 2 Corinthians 6:14,16,17 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? • Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. • "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
Click for Video Devotionals     |