Tuesday – September 10, 2024, Elul 7, 5784
CONTENTION AND STRIFE
Video link: https://youtu.be/kbOi3rNkHuc
Greetings dear friends, partners, and followers of this Ministry and The Three Minute Word. The Lord is good and greatly to be praised. Dear ones we are so blessed to have the whole of the Word of God, light for our path. These people in the time of Isaiah did not have what many today unfortunately take for granted. The featured picture is of a beautiful Church in the State of Alabama. These Church pictures are to remind us to pray for the Church, your local Church, and the greater Church.
Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible Text. Please continue to read out loud, yes, out loud, you know why.
Isaiah 58:3-6 (NASB)
3 ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers.
4 “Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.
5 “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD?
6 “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?
As we get into our study for today, we find the Lord telling His people of that day that they have the appearance of fasting but in the midst of sin. Let’s look at the 4th and 5th verse in the New Living Translation.
Isaiah 58:4-5 (NLT)
4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling?
This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.
5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD?
Can we see that this people are just going through the motions but their heart is not in it. Lord, help us not to be like this, but to have a heart that is completely His. Can you see how disruptive “contention and strife”, “fighting and quarreling” are to our fellowship with the Lord. This is in the context of a nation, a people, that are just playing Church, what about today? They are fasting and playing all holy in plain sight so that others know but they do not have a heart focused towards God. In this setting they are also engaged in conflict with those around them. Any of this sound familiar?
As we look at verse five, we see the Lord really zero in on the play acting of His people. This is something we must be very serious about in our own lives. Is our heart really in it, or is it something we do, go through the motions, a ritual. It is very easy to fall into patterns of thought, talk, and action but not be focused. This is fine if we are talking about eating our cereal but it is far from fine if we are talking about any interaction with the Lord. Our interactions with the Lord need to be very focused with great intent on hearing from Him. This includes our time in a Church service, in our prayer time, and when we address Him at any time through out the day. These are not rituals that we get out of the way so we can get about our day.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
REMINDERS
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