The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and he will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 58:11 NIV
The Lord, as a guide, always leads one to think of the Great Commission from Matthew 28:16-20; where Jesus states in verse 20b: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
This verse is a part of Isaiah where proper fasting is contrasted with improper fasting. Fasting is an action, a refrain from food.
The Bible Dictionary describes 3 types of fasting. A normal fast, or abstaining from food and not water (Luke 4:2); an absolute fast, or total abstinance from both food and drink (Acts 9:9); a partial fast, a partial restriction of diet
(Daniel 10:3).
The Godly purpose of the fast is to seek to know God in a deeper experience as we read here in Isaiah 58 and also in Zec. 7:5 where the question of why did fasts occur?
The people hearing Isaiah were fasting, not to bring glory to God; but elsewhere, perhaps to themselves. As a result, fruits of the Spirit were absent as we read about exploitation of workers, quarreling, strife and fights being the fruits of these improper fasts.
We can consider our lives and our walk in reading this passage. When we fast, attend worship, or even pray; we can pause and reflect on where the focus is. Is the focus on God to bring Him glory, honor, praise in our petitions or is it on us to make us look good or be a better person.
One needs not look far for the resultant fruits of our activities. Are fruits of the Spirit; peace, joy, love, self-control, and unity seen? Or are other fruits seen?
With a proper heart, the Lord will guide your path, satisfy needs, strengthen your frame, and make you like a well watered garden. What kind of fruit is your garden growing?
What kind of guidance do you seek from the Lord?
How do you go about looking for that guidance?
Pray for the Lord's protection and guidance.
In Christ,
David P
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