Do We Really Want It?

God has something in store and we can be a part of it. Did you know that?

Growing up in a home where Jesus was always front and center and church was an integral part of life, you would think that fasting was something I had a grasp on but it wasn't until I was in my early 30's that I began to understand how crucial fasting is in the life of a believer.

Several years ago I was in a personal time of fasting when I read Isaiah 58. My approach to fasting has never been the same since. I encourage you right here to pause and click on the link and read the passage before finishing this but, that's up to you. I'm not your boss. You do you.

I am not Isaiah...she said with a bit of sarcasm cause, duh. However I am someone who God has burdened with the realization that things aren’t right. When we read this, God isn’t talking about a people who are far from Him. He is grasping for the attention of a people who have gotten distracted by the duties and the traditions of religion. He is calling out to them to recognize their hypocrisy and exposing where they have failed to be faithful to God’s purposes for their ministry.

Verses 1-5

Like Israel, we have prayed and fasted seeking revival but when we really break it down, it’s insincere because it’s lip service. We are unwilling to make the changes that are necessary.

One preacher writes, “We long for revival but all too often we are willing to point fingers at others and expect revival to start with them. We are all too willing to pray that God would convict someone else, without first asking him to convict us. We long for a sweeping revival as long as that means everyone else has to change, and we get to stay the same.”

As a teenager I would hear people say things like, "Revival often starts among the young people." or "The youth are the church of tomorrow." And you know what I wanted to say even back then? "THEN WHO IS SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR THE YOUTH? WHO IS THE CHURCH OF TODAY?" And I stand on those questions today. Are the original statements wrong? NO! Not at all. But how can the adults in our churches expect young people to lead if they aren't shown how, given opportunity, or discipled? If the adults in our churches can't set the example then they can't expect the youth to set the pace.

It’s easy to give an extra hour a week to attend a prayer meeting to ask God to send revival. (or maybe it’s not). It’s easy to place an extra dollar in the offering plate to reduce deficit or to make renovations possible. But it just gets too hard when it means that WE have to change and do something different than what we’ve always done.

What got us here, won’t get us there.

God wants us to stop just going through the motions. He wants us to stop being apathetic towards Him. You wouldn’t settle for an apathetic relationship with one of your children or even a friend. It’s wrong to expect God to settle for anything, let alone an apathetic relationship with Him.

When we put Him first and sincerely seek after Him and His plan and will for our lives, both personally and as a body, we see that His will and plan is straight forward.

6“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? 7 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?

The plan, His will, is to use us in the world to meet the needs of the people around us. He wants us to be Agents of Grace and Healing in this broken land. Meeting the practical needs of others is one of the best ways to show our love for the Lord.

This starts when we make a sincere effort to discover the needs that exist in our community and especially within the local church congregations and then commit to helping in whatever ways we can.

It’s the whole “if/when” concept. I am sure that you have used this concept before. I do it with my children daily! “if you do this, then you can do that”. It’s the same with God. If we help the oppressed find freedom, loose the chains of injustice, untie the bonds and break the yoke, feed the hungry, provide for the poor with shelter, cloth the naked and care for our own, THEN....

When we have a heart like is described in verse 6 and commit to the actions of verse 7 THEN God will pour out the the blessings in verse 8.

8Then 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.

Verses 8-11

What exactly are the blessings? There are 7 listed here.

1. Light of God—His favor and influence in our lives and our positive influence on other’s lives.

2. Healing and Restoration

3. God’s protection and presence

4. God’s help though answered prayer

5. Relief from spiritual darkness and oppression

6. God’s guidance, strength and productiveness

7. True spiritual revival and restoration in our own lives and for the lives of others.

We will see revival and healing in our land when we as individuals AND as The Church look for ways to be God’s Ambassadors to a hurting world. Then will His Kingdom begin to break forth and we will see the revival for which have been praying.

Young people may lead a Revolution but they need your (adults) help!

As I said earlier, we can be used as an Agent of Grace and Healing in this broken land. But it's going to take us all working together. The responsibility cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of ministers, pastors and evangelists and missionaries. The Great Commission is to ALL believers and it is to go and tell. We all have a role to play in reaching the world with the life-changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And let's be really honest...Just because you are willing to help doesn’t make it possible either. We can only do it because of God’s grace at work in our lives. We experience that grace when we realize our own mortality and our own brokenness. We are empowered by God’s grace when we confess our own dependence upon Him.

Verses 11-14

God will guide us. He will make us a refuge! We must continue to honor Him with our lives and keep the main thing, the main thing. Putting God first everyday but being sure we are keeping His day holy by not doing as we please. We will be filled with more joy and even be more productive physically!

How many more can you reach for Jesus when you feel good? How many more will be open to the message you have if you walk around with a smile on your face and kindness in your heart?

Let us not get caught up in routine. Let us not get hung up on the fact that we are unworthy but let us be reminded that we are made worthy by God's Grace! We are saved by grace FOR work. It’s not the other way around. May God help us to remember that He will equip us as we seek Him with sincere hearts, dependent upon God alone and are willing to do whatever He asks of us.

Even fast.