S. Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-11
O: Observation: Key words - help, pour yourself out
A: Application: God makes himself clear about the type of sacrifices He wants us to make. Rather than withhold superficial things for fasting, marking ourselves as sacrificial in the eyes of others but continue to give in to the desires of the flesh in private, God wants us to do the opposite. He wants us to serve Him and sacrifice our own lives, our own desires, our own comforts for the sake of others. But wait... there's more... He wants us to do these things in private. God knows our hearts... he knows our intentions. If we are serving to make ourselves look good, He knows. If we are serving others to serve ourselves, He knows.... and He loathes that. It's dishonest and impure. It's selfish and it does not demonstrate love. God is glorified through true, pure, wholehearted living and THAT is what He wants from us... THIS is the kind of fasting that He wants from us... to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to remove the chains that bind people, to free the oppressed... to HELP. To lend a hand. And to do it when no one is looking - for the sake of glorifying and loving Him.
P: Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that I am here on this earth to love and serve you through loving and serving my fellow man. Help me to show love to the people that it is hard for me to love. Help me to have honest, loving conversations. Help me to not seek glory or recognition from man, rather, increase in me the desire to glorify and recognize your face among men.
Until tomorrow...
Peace give I to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Peace give I to you.
~Sara
O: Observation: Key words - help, pour yourself out
A: Application: God makes himself clear about the type of sacrifices He wants us to make. Rather than withhold superficial things for fasting, marking ourselves as sacrificial in the eyes of others but continue to give in to the desires of the flesh in private, God wants us to do the opposite. He wants us to serve Him and sacrifice our own lives, our own desires, our own comforts for the sake of others. But wait... there's more... He wants us to do these things in private. God knows our hearts... he knows our intentions. If we are serving to make ourselves look good, He knows. If we are serving others to serve ourselves, He knows.... and He loathes that. It's dishonest and impure. It's selfish and it does not demonstrate love. God is glorified through true, pure, wholehearted living and THAT is what He wants from us... THIS is the kind of fasting that He wants from us... to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to remove the chains that bind people, to free the oppressed... to HELP. To lend a hand. And to do it when no one is looking - for the sake of glorifying and loving Him.
P: Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that I am here on this earth to love and serve you through loving and serving my fellow man. Help me to show love to the people that it is hard for me to love. Help me to have honest, loving conversations. Help me to not seek glory or recognition from man, rather, increase in me the desire to glorify and recognize your face among men.
Until tomorrow...
Peace give I to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Peace give I to you.
~Sara
Amen.
ReplyDelete