Isaiah 1:16-17
“Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:16-17 NIV
The Bible has always been an encouraging medium for us to do the will of the Lord by making ourselves clean, remove our evil deeds, seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless and plead the widow's cause. A man must take care of his own needs. Yes, it is important to be responsible. Being responsible is part of being blessed, at least as God sees it. It is important to help others, care for the poor, and intervene when they are being exploited. We are “brother and sister’s keepers. The natural course of any people group is for the rich to become richer and to take advantage of the poor and powerless for their own gain. Human nature is corrupt that way. Social goodness requires communities to act together to interrupt these cycles and hold the powerful accountable for wrongdoing while standing up for those without resources to stand up for themselves. God's chosen people Israel, above all people, should practice this goodness. God is talking to a people who worshiped him regularly through their offerings and their sacrifices. Picture it like they were in church every Sunday, yet they were missing the whole point. And so God speaks clearly, sternly to them, says, Wash, make yourselves clean. Remove the evil of your doings from my eyes. Cease to do evil. They were walking in disobedience to Him and using their worship as a coverup for that. Is it possible for you and I to go through the routine of worship and not pay attention to areas of disobedience in our lives? Absolutely, that’s possible for any one of us. God says stop it, learn to do good, and then he defines that. Seek justice, worship that doesn’t lead to doing justice is not true worship. Rescue the oppressed. Worship that doesn’t lead to rescuing the oppressed is not true worship. Defend the orphan. Worship that doesn’t lead to defending the orphan, the fatherless, is not true worship. Plead for the widow. Worship that doesn’t lead to pleading and working for the widow is not true worship. This is strong language from God that should drive all of us to our knees in prayer, for sure, and to repentance in any way that we are prone to worship God and not do any of these things that he commands us to do with exclamation points at the end!!!
Father we thank You for this day and for Your amazing mercy and grace. Lord let Your abundant blessings fall from the windows of heaven over my friend and family today. Lord we praise You for dying on the cross, rising from the grave and sending Your Holy Spirit in to our hearts, cleansing us and filling us and so we pray that You would help us, by Your power and blood-bought sacrifice for us, Your indwelling spirit in us. Lord help us to walk in obedience to You and to repent of every evil thought, desire, word, action we are doing or have done. Lord use my friend to boldly proclaim Your truth to all today. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !
Comentários