Isaiah

Sin While Fasting

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I believe that fasting is one of the most powerful ways we can get God’s attention. As we deny ourselves food for a period of time, sacrificing our basic physiological need, with every hunger pang, we are reminded of our goal to press into God as we appeal to him. Some fast out of desperation, crying out to God for an answer to a pressing issue or for deliverance from something or someone, while others fast regularly as a spiritual discipline, beating their flesh into submission as they also refine and hone their spiritually submission to God. Whatever the reason for our fast, our behavior, and our actions, during our fast are just as important as the act of fasting itself. Isaiah puts it this way in chapter 58 of his book, in verses 3 and 4 which says:

“‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” 

God honors the fast. I’ve seen it with others and I’ve experienced it myself. There have been times when I’ve fasted where God has given me a clear answer to a problem I’ve been facing, when he has redirected my ministry work, or when he has moved mightily on my behalf. You may have experienced the same. But, as we learn in Isaiah, our heart and our actions must be in step with the Spirit during our fast for our efforts to be most effective. God said, “you cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” We cannot walk in sin, or disobedience to God, and expect our fast to move God’s heart. So denying ourselves food for a period of time is only part of the fast. We must also walk in step with the Spirit by disciplining our heart and our will. And I believe that this can best be accomplished if we are in regular communication with the Father through prayer and the reading of his word. That way, not only will he influence our actions and our countenance, but God can uses these two communication methods to speak back to our heart and answer our cries.

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Isaiah reminds us that fasting is more than an act of sacrifice. I believe it is also a purification process, and an act of spiritual submission in obedience and humility. To most effectively move God to action through our fast, we must have our entire self involved in the process; body, mind, soul and spirit. After all, Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is for us to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. So it would track that our fast should engage these parts of ourself as well. And if we fast the way that Jesus modeled; denying ourself while honoring God, I believe that it would be his pleasure to move on our behalf.

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A Mother Comforts

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So many times in the Bible we find that the characteristics of our Heavenly Father are compared to the characteristics of a good earthly father. God is often times described as strong, a protector, and a husband to his bride - the church. And like a good father he carries us, disciplines us, trains us and rewards us. But did you know that he is also compared to a mother in the Bible? In Isaiah, chapter 66, verse 13 God says this about himself through the prophet Isaiah: 

“As a mother comforts a child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” 

I believe that God compared himself to a mother because it is a mother’s natural instinct to comfort her child. When I think of a good mother I conjure images of her kissing a child’s boo-boo, making sure that her child is dressed warmly for the winter, nursing her child back to health when sick, and holding her child close as she sings them to sleep. It is true that fathers have a loving nature as well, but when I consider the roles of my mother and father, it was always my mother who did the lions share of the comforting. So when God compares himself to a mother who comforts her child, I would encourage you to consider why he decided to chose a mother over anything else. The Holy Spirit, one of the three persons of the trinity, is described as the comforter. Even before I was aware of this verse in Isaiah, I automatically thought of a mother’s arms wrapped around me, providing comfort. And it seems that God may have had a similar idea when choosing the comforter to describe the Holy Spirit as well.

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Isaiah says, as a mother comforts a child, so God will comfort you. When you hear that, I hope your mind is flooded with images and memories of when your mother comforted you. I hope that it stirs a feeling of peace, warmth, protection and love because that is what I believe God wanted to inspire by this verse. If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to appreciate your mother today. If you are one who was raised by a loving mother, honor her with how you live and how you show love. And if thoughts of your mother conjure thoughts that are negative and hurtful, I would encourage you to reflect on the kind of mother God envisioned for his children - one who is kind, loving, supportive, and proud of you. Only then can you truly appreciate the sentiment behind the saying; as a mother comforts a child, so God will comfort you.

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Higher Ways

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It always amazes me how we, as a human race, think we are so wise. Proverbs warns us not to be wise in our own eyes, but often times we are quick to ignore that warning. As a society, we think we know best, purposefully ignoring the will of God or denying his existence. Even those of us who call ourselves Christ-followers fall into the trap of thinking we are wise in our own eyes. We my find ourselves questioning God, ignoring his leading or neglecting his counsel before we make a decision or go in a certain direction. And when things don’t go the way we think they should, we my even blame God as if he should be following us. When we forget that God is the potter and we are the clay, not only do we forget our place, but we forget that his ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. That is why we need to remind ourselves of Isaiah, chapter 55, verses 8 and 9 where God says this through Isaiah: 

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” 

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways higher than our ways. It is our pride that elevates us to think we know better than God. But it is our humility that helps us remember the truth of this verse. We are nothing compared to God. If he is wise enough to have created you, me, and the entire universe with all of its laws and complexity, we should remember that he is wise enough to guide our future, wise enough to answer our prayers in his way and in his timing, and he is sovereign enough to allow certain levels of hardship and pain for our benefit or for his will. God is God. He is almighty, all-knowing and his ways are higher than our ways. I would encourage you, as I encourage myself, to never forget that.

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If you are a chess player, you might be able to appreciate someone who is a master at the game. Somehow they are able to anticipate what their opponent is going to do almost as if they can read their mind. They are able to see several moves ahead as if they are in complete control of the game. And they are able to know what moves to make to put them in a position to win. But as great as they may be at the game of chess, they still have their limitations. God has no limits. When it comes to the game of life he is not merely a master at the game, he created the game. He created the board, the pieces and all of the rules. He has the power to manipulate the pieces, is wise enough to see infinite moves ahead, and even has the authority to change the rules. We will never comprehend his ways, and we will never fully understand his thoughts. That is why he says about himself in Isaiah, “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” So I would challenge you to never rely solely on our own wisdom. But in everything humbly seek the Lord and his wisdom.

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Hearts Far

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How is your Christian walk today? Are you close with the Lord or are you far away? Is your heart toward him and your worship of him true, or are you just going through the motions? If you find that you are faking your faith by saying and doing the right things, but your heart is far from God, I’d like to admonish you with these words from the Lord in Isaiah, chapter 29, verse 13 which says: 

“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” 

If your Christian walk is only for show; if you come near to God with your mouth and honor him with your lips, but your heart is far from him, I want to encourage you to stop pretending. God knows your heart. He knows your spiritual state. You are not fooling him, and fooling others is ultimately fruitless. That is why the Bible explains that God likes a broken and contrite heart, one that is real before him. When we come to him and confess our sins, it is never a fun thing. But if we do it with a repentant heart, we are real before him. Only then can we be made clean. It is when we stop faking it, when we stop going through the motions, and we stop pretending to be in right relationship with God that he can truly restore us. If you are putting on a false front before God, it is time to be real with him. Because being honest before God is the only way we can truly be honest with ourselves.

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If you are pretending to be in right relationship with God before men, it is of no benefit to you. In fact, being fake before God will only hurt because God is interested in the true state of your heart. In Isaiah, God said that the Israelite people come near to him with their mouth and honor him with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. Is your heart far from him? If you find that you are going through the motions in an effort to seem righteous in front of your believing family and friends, I would encourage you to be honest before Him. God knows the truth anyway, and to him faking it is just as bad as lying.

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Return to Him

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I’m not sure if we, as believers, can truly understand just how loving, forgiving and merciful our God is. For him, these attributes go far beyond what any human can muster, and I would argue even far beyond what we can comprehend. Like the story of the prodigal son, God is waiting with open arms for the sinner who is returning to him. He is able to wipe away all of our offenses and remember them no more. He is able to give us a clean slate no matter what we’ve done. I don’t know of any human that can claim to have a heart like that. When the Israelites began to chase after other gods, it was like a stab in the heart of the Lord. It was a betrayal similar to that of a wife committing adultery on her husband magnified by 10,000. Many of us would consider that an unforgivable sin. But God is forgiving. He said through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 44, verse 22:   

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like a morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” 

And earlier in chapter 43, verse 25 it says:   

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgression, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” 

Our God is like no human. His love is great. He will forgive the most grievous of sins. The number one commandment given to Moses when he received the 10 Commandments was “you shall have no other gods before me.” Even Jesus said the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength”. Yet, the Israelites sinned knowing full well what they were doing. They broke the greatest commandment, and yet God was willing to forgive them; he was willing to sweep away all of their offenses like a cloud, like a morning mist. He told them to return to him for he has redeemed them. If he could forgive them for breaking the greatest of all commandments, then whatever you have done, he is willing to forgive you if you would only return to him.

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If you are away from God, I would implore you to return to him today. It doesn’t matter if you have been away from him for a few weeks or several years, his arms are open wide. Like he did for the Israelites of old, he will do for you. He will blots out your transgression, for his sake, and remembers your sins no more. How do I know? Because this is the character of God. We see his pattern of forgiveness strewn throughout the Bible. God is not like us. He is slow to anger and abounding in love. Return to him today. Allow him to swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like a morning mist. Return to him today, and he will forgive you.