Proverbs 30:8+9
"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God."
Falsehood: false shows | false appearances of happiness | every vain expectation | trying to live up-to something that is shallow and materialistic. *Derived from the Hebrew word: SHAV = vanity.
Lies: words of deception | empty pretensions | false promises | words that fail.
Let my heart not be set on anything that is not solid, true, durable and eternal.
Keep me at a distance from material temptations. Our appetite should not hunger after ways to satisfy meaningless desires; our appetites should hunger after the true and eternal God and HIS ways. This is the prayer of a true wisdom seeker. He seeks from the Lord honesty in heart and sufficiency in Him. This is a prayer to stay dependant on God and not to be self-sufficient.
Do not give me riches - preserve my heart from idolatry.
Give me my daily bread - that I may continue to depend on YOU alone.
Give me an honest heart that honours the name of my God.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
draw near to God and he will draw near to you
Isaiah 58
"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. 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'
How many of us can remember times when we've asked ourselves "where is God?" How many times have we felt like God has ignored our prayers or overlooked our hurts and needs. Maybe even now, you feel like God isn't coming near to you. Maybe you wonder why you can't feel God in your life the way you see and hear others describe… I absolutely love how Isaiah 58 starts out with questions just like these. If you skipped over the passage up above - go back and read it. The people are saying 'we've fasted and sought you out so that we can know your ways - get some direction - some help! We've come before you so why haven't you noticed us?!'
The problem is… the people '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…' Its all outward. You can call it a show, call it fake, call it religious - their hearts just aren't in it. They are a nation that ISN'T doing what is right… they HAVE forsaken the commands of their God and yet they expect God to just answer their every request when they come before Him….
I imagine God thinking, "it's not going to work that way." The very beginning of Isaiah 58 (vs 1) starts with "Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins." Isaiah is about to do just that… so keep reading. We ALL need this wake-up call.
Isaiah is saying to the people… yeah right! Maybe you should focus first on what God wants to do IN you rather than being SO focused on what YOU want God to do FOR you. Look at your life, look at your heart; is there even room for God to do what he needs to do in there… you are so self-absorbed and insincere in your worship (fasting). Here's how...
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarrelling 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?"
"you do as you please and exploit all your workers"… He's saying, how does it make any sense at all for you to spend a day fasting out of worship to me, yet you make your workers continue their work so as to keep you from losing profit!!!! You aren't willing to lay it all aside. In today's terms… sure we go to church, we spend a day in rest in order to focus our lives on God - but do we turn off the cellphones and the pagers? Can we leave the office at the office? Can we leave e-mails unchecked and phone calls unanswered OR are we so consumed and concerned about continuing our work out of fear of losing money or business etc.?
Is our day of rest - is our fast - truly focused on the Lord as it should be? Are we fully consumed by HIM or are we only giving him a piece of ourselves because we aren't willing to take our attention off of ourselves, our money, our joy, our pleasures etc.
"Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists"… Can we really fast - or go to church, yet continue to argue with others, fight with our family, yell at the kids, be bitter with the spouse, hold grudges against a friend, be angry with a coworker… does it work that way? NOPE! "YOU CANNOT FAST AS YOU DO TODAY AND EXPECT YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD ON HIGH!"
BAM! You won't be heard. You aren't sincere. You aren't humble. You aren't selfless… and he won't have any of that.
Can you fast one day and feel all tingly inside and the very next day just be back at the same old life routine - nothing changed - no growth? NO! Can we seriously just walk into church and then walk out again - feel all spiritual on Sunday and then on Monday be completely back at our selfishness? NO! And then when we feel like we need an extra hand, we'll cry out to God and expect Him to respect our plea?
"Is is only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on a sackcloth with ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?" Are you doing what you should be on the outside? Back then, a genuine sign of a fast was marked by tearing of the clothes and putting on sackcloth and pouring ashes over the head - but unfortunately the people took away the significance of these things when they started to do them in a shallow and insincere, heartless way. It wasn't genuine… they did what they needed to to look all spiritual on the outside - but on the inside, they were dirty. They would bow low to the ground, call aloud to God - but it was a show. They wanted to get God's attention by using the symbols, but without having to surrender their hearts.
and Isaiah is saying it's not going to work.
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords 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?"
We want God to hear us? We want him to draw near to us so we can experience him on a deeper more intimate level? Well then we first need to deal with our sin as Isaiah previously touched upon (I imagine he was more-so yelling at the people to get it together…) and then we need to hear God's words on how to get it right…
Loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yoke. Get rid of the sin in your life that is holding you down and holding you back. Sometimes we have blatantly obvious sins that we KNOW we need to deal with {pornography, lust, lies, alcohol, addictions, anger, jealousy, greed, the list goes on.. and on.. and on} so start DEALING with them! Not alone, but by the power given to us through Christ! We CAN overcome because He HAS overcome. Galatians 5:1 "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!" Sometimes there are things that we are chained to that we aren't even fully aware of, so pray that the Spirit will open your eyes to those things and that he would help you feel release and freedom; freedom to start walking in the right direction without anything burdening you or slowing you down. Get right before God. Thats where we need to start.
Whats next? GIVE to the needy and HELP those who need help. Don't wait for someone else to come along, some homeless shelter or humanitarian - take action yourself. We all need to get this - its OUR job! Care for those who need help taking care of themselves, give to those who need help financially, feed those who are hungry, clothe those who are left on the streets in the winter, encourage those who need it, love those who feel lonely… start ACTING! The Freedom mentioned above, that freedom we find in Christ WILL express itself outwardly in our actions. If we are set free - we will work to help free others.
and.. once we begin to pull ourselves together…
"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 I am!"
How amazing is our God? Seriously… GET THAT! Isaiah is telling the people to get it together and THEN they will experience God on a new level. They will feel that deep personal love for Christ that will change their mindset - that will change their life. Healing will come - they will be seen as righteous people. Isn't that what we want? To be seen as righteous? Living a life that when tempted is able to choose Christ. Living a life that is reflecting the life of Christ? Isaiah says that "the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard"… AMAZING! God will be there with us all the way - all the time - through it all. He will be watching us, protecting us, guiding us… that is OUR GOD! There will be times of trouble, but when we call for help he will answer us, he will not delay!
I guess in the end, this entire passage just remind me of the verse in James (4:8) "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." We need to give our full-hearted attention to God - all of who we are - truly - sincerely. Realize that we NEED him. We WANT him. Draw near to God - put aside your sin - stop living for yourself - stop living for the world - live for the King and for the Kingdom. Let Christ manifest in our hearts so that we reflect Christ himself - giving to the needy - caring for the orphan and the widow - sharing the gospel with the lost. When we do our part - God is more than willing to blow our minds. He is just waiting for us to GET IT. His gift of grace and mercy is free - but it came at a price - we need to realize what that price was and let that work in our hearts to change our attitude and our mindsets.
"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. 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'
How many of us can remember times when we've asked ourselves "where is God?" How many times have we felt like God has ignored our prayers or overlooked our hurts and needs. Maybe even now, you feel like God isn't coming near to you. Maybe you wonder why you can't feel God in your life the way you see and hear others describe… I absolutely love how Isaiah 58 starts out with questions just like these. If you skipped over the passage up above - go back and read it. The people are saying 'we've fasted and sought you out so that we can know your ways - get some direction - some help! We've come before you so why haven't you noticed us?!'
The problem is… the people '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…' Its all outward. You can call it a show, call it fake, call it religious - their hearts just aren't in it. They are a nation that ISN'T doing what is right… they HAVE forsaken the commands of their God and yet they expect God to just answer their every request when they come before Him….
I imagine God thinking, "it's not going to work that way." The very beginning of Isaiah 58 (vs 1) starts with "Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins." Isaiah is about to do just that… so keep reading. We ALL need this wake-up call.
Isaiah is saying to the people… yeah right! Maybe you should focus first on what God wants to do IN you rather than being SO focused on what YOU want God to do FOR you. Look at your life, look at your heart; is there even room for God to do what he needs to do in there… you are so self-absorbed and insincere in your worship (fasting). Here's how...
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarrelling 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?"
"you do as you please and exploit all your workers"… He's saying, how does it make any sense at all for you to spend a day fasting out of worship to me, yet you make your workers continue their work so as to keep you from losing profit!!!! You aren't willing to lay it all aside. In today's terms… sure we go to church, we spend a day in rest in order to focus our lives on God - but do we turn off the cellphones and the pagers? Can we leave the office at the office? Can we leave e-mails unchecked and phone calls unanswered OR are we so consumed and concerned about continuing our work out of fear of losing money or business etc.?
Is our day of rest - is our fast - truly focused on the Lord as it should be? Are we fully consumed by HIM or are we only giving him a piece of ourselves because we aren't willing to take our attention off of ourselves, our money, our joy, our pleasures etc.
"Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists"… Can we really fast - or go to church, yet continue to argue with others, fight with our family, yell at the kids, be bitter with the spouse, hold grudges against a friend, be angry with a coworker… does it work that way? NOPE! "YOU CANNOT FAST AS YOU DO TODAY AND EXPECT YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD ON HIGH!"
BAM! You won't be heard. You aren't sincere. You aren't humble. You aren't selfless… and he won't have any of that.
Can you fast one day and feel all tingly inside and the very next day just be back at the same old life routine - nothing changed - no growth? NO! Can we seriously just walk into church and then walk out again - feel all spiritual on Sunday and then on Monday be completely back at our selfishness? NO! And then when we feel like we need an extra hand, we'll cry out to God and expect Him to respect our plea?
"Is is only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on a sackcloth with ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?" Are you doing what you should be on the outside? Back then, a genuine sign of a fast was marked by tearing of the clothes and putting on sackcloth and pouring ashes over the head - but unfortunately the people took away the significance of these things when they started to do them in a shallow and insincere, heartless way. It wasn't genuine… they did what they needed to to look all spiritual on the outside - but on the inside, they were dirty. They would bow low to the ground, call aloud to God - but it was a show. They wanted to get God's attention by using the symbols, but without having to surrender their hearts.
and Isaiah is saying it's not going to work.
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords 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?"
We want God to hear us? We want him to draw near to us so we can experience him on a deeper more intimate level? Well then we first need to deal with our sin as Isaiah previously touched upon (I imagine he was more-so yelling at the people to get it together…) and then we need to hear God's words on how to get it right…
Loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yoke. Get rid of the sin in your life that is holding you down and holding you back. Sometimes we have blatantly obvious sins that we KNOW we need to deal with {pornography, lust, lies, alcohol, addictions, anger, jealousy, greed, the list goes on.. and on.. and on} so start DEALING with them! Not alone, but by the power given to us through Christ! We CAN overcome because He HAS overcome. Galatians 5:1 "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!" Sometimes there are things that we are chained to that we aren't even fully aware of, so pray that the Spirit will open your eyes to those things and that he would help you feel release and freedom; freedom to start walking in the right direction without anything burdening you or slowing you down. Get right before God. Thats where we need to start.
Whats next? GIVE to the needy and HELP those who need help. Don't wait for someone else to come along, some homeless shelter or humanitarian - take action yourself. We all need to get this - its OUR job! Care for those who need help taking care of themselves, give to those who need help financially, feed those who are hungry, clothe those who are left on the streets in the winter, encourage those who need it, love those who feel lonely… start ACTING! The Freedom mentioned above, that freedom we find in Christ WILL express itself outwardly in our actions. If we are set free - we will work to help free others.
and.. once we begin to pull ourselves together…
"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 I am!"
How amazing is our God? Seriously… GET THAT! Isaiah is telling the people to get it together and THEN they will experience God on a new level. They will feel that deep personal love for Christ that will change their mindset - that will change their life. Healing will come - they will be seen as righteous people. Isn't that what we want? To be seen as righteous? Living a life that when tempted is able to choose Christ. Living a life that is reflecting the life of Christ? Isaiah says that "the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard"… AMAZING! God will be there with us all the way - all the time - through it all. He will be watching us, protecting us, guiding us… that is OUR GOD! There will be times of trouble, but when we call for help he will answer us, he will not delay!
I guess in the end, this entire passage just remind me of the verse in James (4:8) "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." We need to give our full-hearted attention to God - all of who we are - truly - sincerely. Realize that we NEED him. We WANT him. Draw near to God - put aside your sin - stop living for yourself - stop living for the world - live for the King and for the Kingdom. Let Christ manifest in our hearts so that we reflect Christ himself - giving to the needy - caring for the orphan and the widow - sharing the gospel with the lost. When we do our part - God is more than willing to blow our minds. He is just waiting for us to GET IT. His gift of grace and mercy is free - but it came at a price - we need to realize what that price was and let that work in our hearts to change our attitude and our mindsets.
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