Life Journal July 29, 2008
Today's readings: Isaiah 57-59; Psalm 103; 2 Peter 3

Fasting

Scripture

"No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hid from relatives who need your help.

"Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply.

"Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring."

Isaiah 58.6-11

Observation

Rather than be "religious" we are called to live out our faith in very real and tangible ways.

Application (How will I be different today because of what I have just read?)

It is easier to be religious than it is to serve God and obey His commandments. Following a set of rules is measurable--we know what to do and how to measure whether we have completed our task or not. But the commandments that God wants us to obey is to "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22.37-39] These are not as easy to measure and require us to love and be in relationship. It means caring about people we would probably rather not care about and doing things that we would rather not do.

The Scripture today reminds me what God calls me to do--how I am called to live in a dark world. And it reminds me that I don't do it alone--"The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring."

Today I will rely on God to guide me and to give me all that I need as I look for ways to reach out and love others in very tangible ways--letting my light shiine out from the darkness--recognizing that it is God's light in me that removes the darkness.

Prayer

Creator God, thank You for creating me to be in relationship with You! Thank You that You created me to love and be loved. Help me to live out that calling today with all those that I come in contact with. Open my eyes and help me to see others as You see them. Help me to stay rooted in You so that I strong, because on my own I can do nothing. Lord, today may I fast "Your way"--by living out my faith. Thank You for using me to bring light--Your Light--into the darkness.