Pastor Bob DuPar
September 29, 2008

Journal Entry



Scripture

Isaiah 57:14-59:21; Philippians 1:1-26; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 24:9-10

Observation

Isaiah 58:3-10 is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture!

“Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.”

I love the phrase, “if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed…” This fits right in with what we talked about Sunday - about working and investing in things eternal rather than things which are temporal.

Philippians 1:6 is a great reminder,

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

I totally identify with Psalm 71:5-6,

“For You have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on You; You brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise You.”

Finally, Proverbs 24:10 really caught my attention and convicted me,

“If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!”

Application

Christianity is so much more than pious religiosity – of numbly going through the motions without allowing God’s Truth to engage and transform our hearts and minds into action. A true relationship with God is also more than just social justice – of doing the “right thing” or even things in God’s name, and yet not personally knowing Him and operating out of His power. Saving faith is knowing Jesus personally and allowing Him to energize us through His Holy Spirit to reach a world in need – both physically and spiritually.

Prayer

“Lord, empower me to spend my life on behalf of the hungry and oppressed. I pray the words of Paul in Philippians 1:9-11: ‘May Your love abound in me more and more in knowledge and insight so that I might be able to discern what is best and might be pure and blameless until the day of Your return, filled with the fruit of Your righteousness that comes through Your Son Jesus – to Your praise and glory!”