“YES, I WILL HELP YOU”
January 10, 2025GOD DESIRES “TRUE HEART” FROM HIS “CHOSEN PEOPLE”
January 12, 2025As the “People of God” and a Christian, each of us would long to know the heart of God, on any given day. One of the best ways to truly know the heart of God is, to read the books of major and minor prophets, in the Bible. These seventeen books – five major prophets, and twelve minor prophets – give to us, the unadulterated, unfiltered and undiluted insights, into the very heart of God, and what He truly desires, from all His “Chosen People” – across all the ages.
For our meditation, let us look at Isaiah 58:1-3. The historical and spiritual context in which, God used prophet Isaiah, is a reflection of their sad and tragic state, as the Chosen People of God. It is sadly, the same, even today, with Christians, and the Church of the Living God. “Isaiah prophesied from 739–681 BC to a nation that had turned a deaf ear to the Lord. Instead of serving Him with humility and offering love to their neighbours, the nation of Judah offered meaningless sacrifices in God’s temple at Jerusalem and committed injustices throughout the nation.” – Overview – Book of Isaiah – Insight for Living Ministries. Can we see Christians instead of the Israelites?
The text reflects the accurate and honest state of affairs, with the “Chosen People of God” and by extension, the Church of God – a true reflection of Israelites, and the Christians. The text also gives us, a truthful insight into the heart of God, and what He eagerly desires from His Chosen People.
– “1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. 3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.” – Isaiah 58:1-3
Commenting on the above text, David Guzik expresses beautifully, the heart of God, and the sinfulness of the Chosen People, in the following words…
– “God spoke loudly and directly. His people need to hear their transgression – God first described the appearance of their spiritual life. On the surface, it seemed that God’s people loved Him and were devoted to Him. They had the reputation of a nation that did righteousness, and they looked like people who would take delight in approaching God. With this spiritual veneer, they felt God was unfair to them. It was as if they said, “LORD, we have fasted, but You still don’t answer our prayer. Don’t you know that we seek you daily, delight to know Your ways, do righteousness, and take delight in approaching You? Yet You do not answer our prayers!”
The same duplicity is seen in us, even today, isn’t it, as Christians? Instead of looking deep into our hearts, and have an honest introspection, we seem to be “demanding” the LORD, for His blessings upon us, as though, He is obligated to do so, and we are deserving to get them. How about this morning, for a change, can we look deep into our hearts, honestly and critically, rather than, lifting up our eyes to the LORD, for any blessings? Can we do that? It is good to do so, as often as possible. For our hearts are desperately wicked, and so totally sick, beyond any human help, except God – Jeremiah 17:9-10. What say dear Christian?
