Heather and I continue to be pretty busy In Colorado spending time with family, visiting friends, and doing things for the wedding. Today we are meeting with a florist and then we are taking the rest of the day “off” to spend together having fun in Boulder. We leave early Saturday morning to fly to Dallas to spend the week with my family and then drive up to Oklahoma the following weekend to visit with friends and to be at Generations Church.
Yesterday I had a great conversation with Heather’s grandfather about the core beliefs of our faith. I’m happy to say that I passed the test and he approves of me. As we shared our beliefs, the things we are learning, the things that we are struggling with, and how we are growing, it was just a great reminder that we need to active in our faith.
Yesterday I was reading Isaiah in chapters 58-61. Chapter 58 is titled “True and False Worship” and the Lord is speaking to the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah. The Israelites are trying to justify their faith through all of their selfish action and the Lord responds that “you are living for yourselves even while you are fasting (vs 3).” The Lord then continues his response saying:
6 No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you. Treat them fairly and give them what they earn. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanders into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 If you do these things, your salvation will come like the dawn. Yes, your healing will come quickly. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. Stop oppressing the helpless and stop making flase accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day. The Lord will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever flowing spring.
13 Honor the Lord in everything you do, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. If you do this, the Lord will be your delight.
I love the imagary that God uses in verse 10. The Lord calls us to give and share and do for our light to shine. And even when we feel dry and empty and that we have nothing left to give, God will water our lives and we will be like an ever flowing spring, able to give more and more.
I guess the question is, are we living like ever flowing springs?
Challenging stuff.
I desire to live in such a way that the Lord will be my delight.
Chad
