It is an Injustice
Spend Yourself – Part 1

Scripture Reading:  Isaiah 58:7-10

Key Verse: Isaiah 58:8

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

There are many wonderful promises in Isaiah 58.  Things like God’s righteousness going before us; His glory coming behind us (Isaiah 58:8).  Isaiah continues with things like: God will guide us always and He will satisfy our needs, even in a drought (Isaiah 58:11).  Who wouldn’t want God to fulfill these promises and the many others mentioned in this chapter in their lives?  However, these promises are based on God’s people living out a certain lifestyle.  Let’s look at our responsibility.

First, we are to spend ourselves in behalf of the hungry (Isaiah 58:10).  The Hebrew word for this phrase is “puq.”  The literal translation would include words such as “furnish, promote, go out, issue.”  In other words, God wants us to focus on the hungry…to furnish food for them.  He wants us to promote their cause; make hunger an issue!

Referring to the last few devotionals, we see that God’s people were fasting and humbling themselves before God but it wasn’t producing any actual changes in their lifestyle.  They were ignoring those who were hungry rather than making it an issue.  Could anyone accuse us of doing the same?  Do we turn away from the sight of starving families simply because they don’t live next door to us?  Every one of us knows of the horrible realities of starving children around the world!  (Continued)

Father, forgive me when I ignore that which you are focused on: hurting and hungry people.  I will give myself to their cause.  In Jesus’ name, amen.