agri.church

Isaiah 58:2-3 (God is speaking) They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’

The peoples’ compaint has a familar ring to it - at least it does to me. I’ve often asked God: “Why don’t you answer me?” “Why don’t you speak?” “Don’t you see that I’m doing all of the right things?”

I’ve been wondering these last few weeks if the reason why I often (not always - but often) don’t hear from God is because I am living the way Israel lived. Notice God’s promise in verse nine:

Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

The “then” of this verse (also used in verses 8, 10, and 12) is key, I think. If I’m reading the text right (and maybe I’m not…but if I am) then it seems that God’s response to us is directly tied to our pursuit of justice, or lack thereof. God tells us that when we remove the chains that bind people, then our salvation will come like the dawn. When we feed the hungry, then the Lord will guide us continually. And the list goes on.

The promises of Isaiah 58 are breathtakingly amazing. But I will only begin to live into these promises when my heart beats for justice. One does not happen without the other. So this is what I am praying for. I am asking for a heart that beats differently - a heart that is able to see injustice and stand up against it.

If it seems to fit where you are I’d encourage you to spend some time today - it could be just a few minutes - talking to God about these promises, asking for a heart that beats as Jesus’ heart did. God wants nothing less than to give this to you.