“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?" Isaiah 58:6 (NIV)
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61:1-(NIV)
Today, we return to Isaiah 58 and a verse that speaks deeply to my heart.
In the past several years, our media and other sources have brought us the truth about 27 million people who are trapped in slavery today. I remember the first time I invited one lady to attend an event about human trafficking. As I handed her the invitation to the docudrama we were hosting, she recoiled in horror, as though I were handing her an STI on paper. I was reminded that most people do not want to be bothered by this topic. However, slavery exists today, it is rampant and the word of God has much to say about the subject.
In Isaiah 58:6 God boldly declares the type of fasting that pleases Him. He's not as concerned about us "depriving" our bodies of food as He is about our concern for the lost and broken. We are called to loose the chains of those who are being held captive, to untie the cords that hold them back and to set them free. I believe this scripture is as much literal as it is spiritual and figurative. Three chapters later, we read about the One who is to come and who will proclaim freedom and release for prisoners.
Romans 8:11 reminds us "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." John 14:12 is powerful as well, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
If we are Christians, defined as followers of Christ, we are called to the same work that Jesus was called to. Every person who is held captive is someone's son or daughter, someone's brother or sister. Can we put ourselves in the shoes of their loved ones and care enough to DO something? If my child was taken, I would stop at nothing to get him back. Do I have that same passion to fight for others?
Heavenly Father, You have called us to set prisoners free. You are asking us to loose chains of oppression. Open our eyes to see their needs, open our ears to hear their cries, open our hearts to move to action, open out wallets to give to those who are on the front lines rescuing and providing shelter to survivors. Remind us often of the millions who are in bondage. We can all DO something. We can all pray. We can all raise awareness. Most of us can give. Still others You will call to GO. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours, today and every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment