True Fasting

ISAIAH 58:1-14

The LORD says, “shout as loud as you can!  Do not hold back, Raise your voice like a trumpet; Declare to my People their rebellion, and to the house of Jacob their sins.   

For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its GOD. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.”  

The people ask, “Why should we fast if the LORD never notices? Why should we go without food, and humble ourselves and you have not pay attention?”

The LORD says: “The truth is that at the same time you fast and worship you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers.

Your fasting makes you violent you quarrel and fight, and in striking each other with wicked fists.  You can’t fast as you do to day, and expect your voice to be heard on high.  Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? You can not have everything of your desire and God. (Wrong)  When you fast you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on you fast as you pleased to day, is that what you call worship a day acceptable to the LORD?  do you think I will be pleased with that?  you’re fighting with people all weeks and come to worship me?  Behold if you’re not right with people, don’t think to be right with God.

Sometimes God ignore your prayers and comment compliant because, the way you sin in your hearts keep you from God.  See: The same hypocrisy is mentioned in (29:13) when 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.   To day there are people around the glob in different religions who fast and pray, yet they’re not sure of their salvations.  (Hypocritical religious activity is a hindrance to prayer).   You can abstain from food but not from sin? Is this the kind of fast I have chosen?  only a day for a man to humble himself?  Where is self denial and repentance of sins?  God wants as His worship in His own terms and ways, not in men ways.

The kind of fasting I want is this; remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free, break every yoke of hate and self righteousness, and keep your hands from shading blood, take your evil deeds out of my sight, stop doing wrong and learn to do right!.  Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor.  Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, And do not refuse to help your own relatives.

Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be healed quickly, I will always be with you to save you, my presence will protect you on every side, when you pray I will answer you, when you call to me I will respond. if you put an end to oppression to every gesture of contempt and to every evil word. If you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, defend the cause of the fatherless, and plead the case of the widow. Then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon, and I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things.  I will keep you strong and well, you will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.

Margaret Abdulla