Nation Building God's Way

7“Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

8“Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9“Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,

10And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.

11“And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

12“Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

(Isaiah 58:7-12)

These passages speak on the building of a nation through fasting. A fast is all well and good, but the attitude and actions that come with it are necessary components to make an effective appeal to God.

I was surprised to be led to this passage this morning, and to think about our own nation.

We are the most generous nation in the world. Of course, critics like to point out that we are the richest, but that is only because we are a generous people. We give to causes regularly - an act of giving which is voluntarily done, not forced. Things which speak volumes about our nation and why we are blessed by God.

It is that kind of heart that the Lord blesses, and we need to put that in the forefront of our actions. In this day and age, we are probably not going to be inviting the homeless into our homes. But, it doesn't mean that we don't give and volunteer to bless others in the ways that we can.

For my own self, I have been pretty focused on my work life and career. Since I've had so much additional responsibilities as a husband and father - and then on top of that to get better at my work, it's been a journey and an effort to get the point of becoming proficient with a measure of expertise.

The acts of charity are a core part of our Christian walk however. They cannot be ignored even when life gets so hectic and overwhelming. As we enter the New Year, there has to be some changes to allow for charitable giving to be done. It is a key reminder for me to remember the heart of the Lord even as we try to pray to Him in our daily lives.

A Heart That Is Ready For The Master

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food, in due season? ... Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servants says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mt 24:45-51)

We don't know the "when" of Jesus' second coming. Like all things of God, there is a purpose for that because if men knew when to "be good" and "have a come to Jesus moment", they would live selfishly until that very moment. It would be part of our sin nature to say, "I know exactly when the Lord will come back (or when I'll die) and so I don't have to care about how the Lord asked me to act until the very moment of his return."

God knows that our sin natures and ability to fall for rational lies are so strong that we are prone to do the minimum - just enough to scoot by. Take premartial sex - it is only human nature, especially when it comes to something with such a strong allure, to want to try and find where "the line" is and not cross it. That's how Christians get into trouble however because they are trying to follow a rule that gets revised to a worse and worse level until all lines are crossed.

Yes, the Bible has rules and commandments. However, it isn't done for the sake of the rules. It is a lifestyle of abiding in the Lord that is the real emphasis. To have a relationship with Him and to walk alongside the Lord in what He wants to do in and through each and every one of us.

Why? Because that is Heaven - that is the original plan. For us to be with God and living in a manner which is optimum for us - according to the instruction manual that was written by our Creator.

I think this Word is a great reminder for me. In a fast food world, soundbites such as one commandment here or there are easy to digest, but they don't provide a whole picture. Jesus doesn't want us to be rule followers, prone to failing time and time again in our quest to be good while having sin-filled minds. Instead He wants to abide with us and transform us completely from the inside-out. Our thinking, our natures and then down to our actions.

Such a person will stand during times of temptation because they will not be focused on their own struggles, but instead will have the strength of the Holy Spirit within them - a strength that trusts in the Lord through tribulation and desires to follow rather than to simply "get by".

Lord Jesus, I desire to be that kind of believer. One that abides with You and leans on the strength of the Holy Spirit to direct me. If I simply follow You and step where You step, I will not misstep. My deepest desire is to be faithful to You. Sometimes that desire gets covered up by the emotions, problems, fears, and wants of the moment. But as I spend time with You, those extraneous things are brushed off and my heart becomes true. Thank You for allowing me to walk with You. In Jesus' name, AMEN.