Message: Today my reading was in Genesis and Matthew, but because I am currently on day one of a fast with our church I also read Isaiah 58 a few times to really soak in the purpose. In this chapter God was saying that the people were complaining that they fasted and afflicted themselves, but God didn’t notice. He called them out for the hypocrisy that they would suffer and afflict themselves while also indulging in abusive and selfish behavior. The point of the fast is not to make ourselves look spiritual or puff ourselves up with arrogance for our pathetic sacrifice. The point is to see chains broken and people set free. To hear from God and allow him to break us so that he can heal and restore us to be healthy and whole. Tonight as I drove home I prayed for God to reveal to me the things in myself that I am blinded to. A concerning thought hit me as I realized that these kinds of things aren’t really just shown to us apart from an experience. These lessons come when we hurt someone and God shows us where we were wrong. Tonight I prayed for those around me that I am hurting and am blind to it. I prayed that God would open my eyes to the issues so he can work change in my heart. I felt reluctant to pray this until I realized that I’m not praying disaster on myself and those around me. I’m already living out the disaster and damaging people around me. I am praying that God would open my eyes to see it so that healing and wholeness can come.
