Holston Daily Devotional February 17, 2021

Focus Scripture

Isaiah 58:1-12

58 Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast; tell my people of their sins! 2 Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and are so delighted to hear the reading of my laws—just as though they would obey them—just as though they don’t despise the commandments of their God! How anxious they are to worship correctly; oh, how they love the Temple services!

3 “We have fasted before you,” they say. “Why aren’t you impressed? Why don’t you see our sacrifices? Why don’t you hear our prayers? We have done much penance, and you don’t even notice it!” I’ll tell you why! Because you are living in evil pleasure even while you are fasting, and you keep right on oppressing your workers. 4 Look, what good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 5 Is this what I want—this doing of penance and bowing like reeds in the wind, putting on sackcloth and covering yourselves with ashes? Is this what you call fasting?

6 No, the kind of fast I want is that you stop oppressing those who work for you and treat them fairly and give them what they earn. 7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and bring right into your own homes those who are helpless, poor, and destitute. Clothe those who are cold, and don’t hide from relatives who need your help.

8 If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. 9 Then, when you call, the Lord will answer. “Yes, I am here,” he will quickly reply. All you need to do is to stop oppressing the weak and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors!

10 Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day. 11 And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. 12 Your sons will rebuild the long-deserted ruins of your cities, and you will be known as “The People Who Rebuild Their Walls and Cities.”

Devotion

There is a phrase that comes to mind from my childhood and teens when I read this scripture. Mothers and grandmothers would gently attempt to correct misbehavior in their daughters and granddaughters by saying, “Pretty is as pretty does.” Upon hearing this phrase, you instantly knew you had been behaving poorly in word or deed. It was a rebuke that let you know your outer behavior wasn’t matching how you had been taught to behave or treat others. This is the same message the Lord is telling Isaiah to share with the people.

The Lord saw that they were going through the motions of worship and devotion, but not putting their hearts into it. Among other things, they were quarreling with one another, and ignoring those who needed justice, food, and clothing. This included ignoring needy relatives and mistreating employees. “Pretty is as pretty does.” Isaiah was to let the people know in no uncertain terms that God wanted them to change their hearts and let His love flow from them to the helpless, poor and destitute.

This scripture is also a reminder to me that faith is an active and outward flow. God pours love into me, and I can then pour it into others. Instead of focusing on myself, and waiting on God to answer my prayers, I can look around and try to be the hands and feet of Jesus. The wonderful thing is, I don’t have to wait to do this. I can start today.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Creator, please help me to focus not on myself, but on those You have called me to help: the helpless, poor, and destitute. Let me realize that I can be Your hands and feet now, and do not have to wait. While I am waiting on You to answer my prayers, please use me to answer the prayers of others for basic human needs and comforts.