Scripture
9Then 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!
10Feed 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.
11The 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.
12Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
and a restorer of homes. Isaiah 58:9-12
Observation
God didn’t want religious games. He didn’t need the pious people who fasted food while treating their neighbors like trash. He wanted them to fast from selfishness, from pride, from greed, from hatred. This fast that God was calling His people to wasn’t so much about what they were keeping themselves from as what they were giving themselves to. He was calling them to a daily conversation with Him, “When when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.” He was calling them out of accusation to become agents of transformation, “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! 10Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble.” He was inviting them out of the dryness of empty religion into a the fresh flowing vibrant streams of a daily relationship where they would talk about anything and everything, “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.” This was revival that God was describing. When the brokenness inside is healed the brokenness around us is healed. The reciprocal effect of one person fully following God all day every day is felt far and wide. It starts in our homes and goes out from there. “Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.” This is what revival looks like where we wake, work, and worship!
Application
Last week Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of the Lenten Season, 40 Days of fasting and repentance leading to Easter Sunday. As I was praying about what to fast I felt the Lord lead me to this passage and call me to a peculiar kind of fast. One where every day I would ask Him this one question where I wake, work and worship, “Jesus, what are you doing here?” When it comes down to it religion feels easier than relationship. People prefer religion with God because it’s a way for us to assuage our guilty conscience without having to let go of control. Giving up a meal is much easier than giving out a meal (which God asked us to do this past Saturday). Relationship with God requires daily, hourly surrender to His direction and leading. The change I want to see starts with me surrendering to Him. Instead of 40 Days of Fasting it’s really 40 Days of Following. Gypsy Smith, the British 20th century evangelist, preached to audiences of hundreds of thousands. A delegation came to ask him how they could experience mass revival as he had. And this was his reply, “Go home. Lock yourself in your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle.” This is that command to stop pointing fingers of blame at others and to start repenting for what’s going on inside of me. This is a great start but God wants the circles everywhere we go! This is the movement of God we have been praying for, where every Christ follower moves with Him where we wake, work, and worship.
Prayer
100 years ago this month You brought revival to San Diego through Aimee Semple McPherson. Thousands were saved and hundreds were miraculously healed bringing joy to a city that had the highest suicide rate in the nation at that time. You did it then Lord and I know You are going to do it again. Except, this time revival will break out through everyday men and women in everyday places everywhere we go. Holy Spirit the revival starts here! It starts in this circle of my soul and then moves out into my circles of influence where I wake, work, and worship.
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