Isaiah 58
Today's Passage: Isaiah 58
In our passage, Isaiah is confronting God’s people because they have been “obedient” to God’s
commands, but not in a way pleasing to God. They were doing the spiritual discipline of fasting,
but their actions were either hypocritical or for their own gain. God gives them three conditional statements for blessings.
1. If they fast correctly (v. 7-9).
2. Again, if they fast correctly (v. 10-12).
3. If they will keep the Sabbath holy (v. 13-14).
God wanted to bless His people, but it had to be under His design for how things were to be done. Also, it was not so much about the action as it was the heart. The people of Israel were just going through the motions and wondering why God was not moving in their life.
We, at times, can do the same exact thing. We want to be like, “God, did you see how many days I read the Bible?” or “God, I fasted yesterday. Why aren’t you doing what I wanted?” We go through the motions without our heart being aligned to God during whatever we are doing.
Reading your Bible consistently, fasting, or whatever spiritual discipline is not wrong, as long as the right heart motive is behind it. If we, do it for our own glory, then God does not honor it. But, if we do it for His glory and to grow closer to Him, He honors it.
Proverbs 2 says: yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
We must actively pursue God with the right heart motives – for His glory.
In your spiritual disciplines, are you doing them to get something from God or are you doing them to grow closer to Him?
Written By: Brice Stockton
In our passage, Isaiah is confronting God’s people because they have been “obedient” to God’s
commands, but not in a way pleasing to God. They were doing the spiritual discipline of fasting,
but their actions were either hypocritical or for their own gain. God gives them three conditional statements for blessings.
1. If they fast correctly (v. 7-9).
2. Again, if they fast correctly (v. 10-12).
3. If they will keep the Sabbath holy (v. 13-14).
God wanted to bless His people, but it had to be under His design for how things were to be done. Also, it was not so much about the action as it was the heart. The people of Israel were just going through the motions and wondering why God was not moving in their life.
We, at times, can do the same exact thing. We want to be like, “God, did you see how many days I read the Bible?” or “God, I fasted yesterday. Why aren’t you doing what I wanted?” We go through the motions without our heart being aligned to God during whatever we are doing.
Reading your Bible consistently, fasting, or whatever spiritual discipline is not wrong, as long as the right heart motive is behind it. If we, do it for our own glory, then God does not honor it. But, if we do it for His glory and to grow closer to Him, He honors it.
Proverbs 2 says: yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
We must actively pursue God with the right heart motives – for His glory.
In your spiritual disciplines, are you doing them to get something from God or are you doing them to grow closer to Him?
Written By: Brice Stockton
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