“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?”
Isaiah 58:6, ESV
Isaiah 58 challenges us in our practice of fasting. For most of us, fasting from food is a voluntary, temporary experience. But many go without food regularly, and unwillingly.
Fasting helps to deepen our trust and empower our prayers. We looked at these reasons for fasting last week. Isaiah 58 forces us to examine ourselves even further.
In Isaiah 58, God tells his people to deny themselves by practicing his righteousness, including feeding the hungry, freeing the oppressed from their burdens, clothing the naked, and welcoming the homeless. And this call to righteousness and justice comes with a promise. If we do this, God says we will experience his healing and restoration (v.8), his guidance and protection (v.11, 14); also, God promises we will reflect his glory (v.8, 10).
Read and meditate on Isaiah 58.
- What do you learn about God in these verses?
- What questions do you have for God?
- How is God asking you to respond?
Think about a different kind of fast this week. What would it look like to say “No” to some of the conveniences and privileges you enjoy at the expense of others? For example, examine the kinds of products you purchase online. When we buy cheap clothes (research “fast fashion”!), what is the impact on the people who make them? Or the planet when we throw them away? And what does “free shipping” really cost in terms of the people working in the warehouses or driving the deliveries? What if denying ourselves means reducing our participation in these unjust systems? Certainly, things like discount goods and “free” shipping save us time and money. But what might we gain if we divest ourselves from these and work instead for a more just world?
Emmanuel Reformed Church 