Off of Ourselves

Isaiah 58:6-12

⁶ The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.⁷ Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

⁸ Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side.⁹ When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

   If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word;¹⁰ if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.¹¹ And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry.¹² Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.

God cares for those who are oppressed, those are treated injustly, to the hungry, to the homeless, to the poor, to even our relatives…

God calls for us to do something about that – the kind of fasting that removes our cares for ourselves and for what we want to accomplish. 

Sometimes as human beings, we like to fast for the sake of tradition or because it gets us what we need or want – but God calls otherwise.  He wants us to fast so we can be “off of ourselves” and be focused on what He ultimately wants for us to do; or what His will is. 

// During this fast for CSM and future fasts that I will do… I must be diligent in filtering out my selfish motives and making sure that I assess everything I pray about; how I am conducting myself as a result of and/or the process of fasting – to see if I am acting more in selflessness or selfishness.  Out of the fasts I do, I must be able to be more Christ-like more than “getting what is needed” out of a fast.

// Lord, again, fasting is really about just removing ourselves from the picture and letting you be the center focus of everything.  May you help me filter out the selfish things that may come in my mind and heart as in the process of fasting.  Please help me to be more Christ-like as a result and in the process of each fast.  Help me to be more sensitive to others; to see the need and filling that need so others may enjoy and feel comfortable in their lives just as You’ve blessed me.  Help me to just see things the way You do.  Though I may not understand it all, I know that You will guide me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.