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Isaiah 58:6-7, 9a – 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? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? … Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, “Here I am.”
The stuff Isaiah asks for is very simple. He says, “Stop exploiting your workers. House the homeless, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and take care of your own relatives who need help. Behave like the people of God you truly are, and see how quickly God answers your prayers!”
And instantly I feel this urge to say, “But it’s not that easy, Lord!” If You expect us to raise salaries and give people the benefits they need to survive without working multiple jobs—well, our profits would go down, and our shareholders would scream. Are You serious, Lord, when You suggest I take this dirty, smelly, possibly criminal, possibly mentally ill person into my home? What’s that You say about donating to shelters or long term housing programs? Well, I could … but that would really squeeze my budget, and I have to have some comforts in life! As for taking care of my relatives—seriously, Lord, You know that “X” in my family grumbles all the time. I know her house is falling down, and she’s starting to lose her memory, but there are programs for her. Aren’t there?
God makes us squirm. We know what to do, but how can we do it? That’s only possible if the Spirit of Jesus is living inside us, working to change us into His image.
Because it is Jesus who did all these same things for us—who came down from heaven to do all these good things for us. Through His own suffering, death, and resurrection, He sets us free from slavery to evil and gives us good, blessed work in His own kingdom. He takes us into His own home and clothes our shame with His own goodness and innocence. He makes us part of His family, and never hides His face from our needs—no matter how much trouble it costs Him. He does all of this because He is Love, and He loves us. And He forgives us our failings, even the ones we’ve been discussing.
And He doesn’t stop there. He gives us His Holy Spirit to begin changing us more and more into the image of Jesus. Like little children, we begin to imitate Him—doing what He does, not in our own power or wisdom, but relying on His.
This doesn’t have to be a guilt trip. Because Jesus loves us, and has already forgiven us all our failings, it can become more of an exploration—as we say to Him, “Where should I start? Give me the wisdom and love to take baby steps with You.” Because He will.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, show me some small thing I can do that would make You happy. I love You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- What is an area of need you care about?
- Pray and ask the Lord for some specific small step you could take to help.
- Go ahead and do it, and tell the Lord it’s your way of saying “I love You” to Him.
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