April 11, 2024 Morning Devotional
Morning Devotion: Read Isaiah
Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. 3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
God is admonishing His people for false worship. They worship the lord expecting from the Lord and receive nothing. They worship the Lord in falsehood.
We see that same thing today, people living in sin yet take delight in approaching God, verse 2.
They do the things of God but with a double heart and cannot understand why God does not hear them. Verse 3 and 4 describes how they fast and pray and seek God but God does not hear because they retain wickedness in their lives; yet, they think God will overlook it.
In verse 4 they fast to win arguments and fights over another when they themselves are separated from God.
God asks, it is a fast the I have chosen. Verse 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
God says this is not the fast that I have chosen. He further states that it was their sins that separated them from God.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
It is impossible to worship the God when sin is prevalent in your life. There are a whole lot of people that expect God to answer their prayers for loved ones who are sick and for help to alleviate them from their problems and for deliverance from certain circumstances and other things of life while they themselves embrace sin.
My friend, the only way to be free from the bondage of sin is to repent of sin and place your faith and trust in Jesus.
Jesus said in Matthew 9:13 “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Those who worship God must do so in truth. He did not call people who think they are righteous to worship Him, but to repent from self righteousness and trust Him.
Are your prayers being heard? If not why not?
The choice is still yours,
Pastor Cook
