This post covers the same subject as Jay and Miss Szymanski for this week. However, I will focus on another dimension. It began Tuesday night; it was late, I was stressed from a long hard day, and in stressful anticipation of the day to come. When something like this happens, it’s imminent that the devil is trying to get me distracted, to miss something that will set me free, to steal from me the words of Life that are just around the corner.
I opened my Bible to Isaiah 58 (funny, a lot of us have been reading there 
). Jay and Miss Szymanski covered extensive ground on this topic, explaining “the fast,” so I needn’t cover there. What I wanted to share is that for some reason, the section that stood out to me was this:
“ Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“ If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
“ If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the LORD honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 58:6-14)
The rest of my reading for the day began in Romans 5.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
How do the two go together? Well, it’s a long story. Let’s start with the message in Romans 5: What great a salvation we have! Christianity is not a sub-culture like Islam or Judaism or any of the other religions. It is not on the outside; no, the essence is not the man and his works, but Christ consuming him from the inside out. How free, how different everything is now that Jesus saved me! What amazing grace, that I might be called the friend of God– I am totally undeserving of this gift. But what precious blood of the perfect Lamb of God was poured forth for me! How can we, with this understanding, live for ourselves? How can we fast to do our own thing? How can we live our comfortable lives for our pleasure? If we are truly thankful for this precious gift, we will show mercy to the oppressed, extend our soul to the hungry, help those in need.
At the same time, we can fret and become so anxious over the state of this world–God, they are so lost! I was once like them, but God, You set me free! Lord, I see that horrible yoke they are carrying, and I remember that was my state! How can I reach them? Lord, I feel helpless. I don’t know how to help these people.
I am glad now that I never got around to the Word for Wednesday, because it took me until today to get the answer.
Isaiah 59 (the very next chapter!)
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear…
Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him…
“ The Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the LORD.”
I must trust in Him, that He is in control. So often I can fear that I will miss an opportunity, but I must remember Him who holds the universe. He is in control not only of my life, but of everyone’s. My God is mighty to save! He wants me to live in His glorious freedom; the freedom undeserved by me. I’ve got to keep my focus on the one who saved me, when I was at the end of my rope, so surrounded by darkness, and to think–I almost missed the light! But His arm is not shortened. Father, I decide to trust in You to fulfill Your will, and Your promise that You hear when we call. Now, Lord, I lift up the lost to You, the Good Shepherd, and trust that You are strong and well able to find them.
I remember now what my last word from the Lord was, when I was, once again, so concerned about those millions of lost souls, who were just like I had been, wandering astray. I asked the Lord, “Where will I go? What will I do?” He led me to Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I AM God.” Lord, help me to keep my eyes not on myself, but on You, for it is You I live for; You are faithful, You are my strength, my hope, my peace, my healer, my Redeemer, my wisdom, my righteousness. You are all I need.
It is true; God does not have us do nothing about the lost. That is where Isaiah 58 comes in. You see, to be saved costs us nothing, in that we did not earn it, but to be a disciple costs us everything, in that we must carry our cross and follow Him. God demonstrated His love while we did not deserve it, and calls us to do the same, but we must trust that it is Him who does the saving! Just as we trust in Him for salvation, we trust in Him for our mission: to bring others to salvation. Jesus gave us two commands: Love one another, and go and preach My gospel. Care for the widow and the orphan, remember those in chains as if bound with them, be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks, look after the least of these my brethren. In all of this, TRUST IN ME. For I am with You always, even to the end of the age.
And if you still haven’t gotten your full dose of Word for Wednesdays, visit Yeah, Right…
Oh, and to conclude, this song speaks just what I have said, only in different words. Please do listen!
I know I’ve posted it before, but it is SO worth a repeat! If you want to read the words, see here.
1 Comment » 
and favor with God and men. That’s what Jesus did for the majority of His lifetime. Isn’t it so amazing? God’s Word made flesh, doing ordinary stuff, coming in the form of the very least, delighting to do the will of God. Yet He lived to die for me! Amazing!