Spiritual Disciplines to Be Godly

58 “Cry loudly, do not hold back;
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their transgression
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 “Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
As a nation that has done righteousness
And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
They ask Me for just decisions,
They delight in the nearness of God.
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?
7 “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 “Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
10 And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11 “And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
12 “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

13 “If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
14 Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Walking In The Word

God spoke to the Jewish people through Isaiah about the true purpose of fasting and keeping the Sabbath. These two spiritual disciplines were meant to help them be godly by denying the flesh and focusing on God. And while the people did go to the temple to worship and fast as commanded, they neglected the needs of the poor and fought with each other. Then God said they were hypocrites because their hearts were far from Him. In other words, they were going through the motions, but there was no inward reality of true love or faith for God. God said He would have blessed the Israelites if they had true religion. This would’ve been demonstrated by taking care of those in need and fighting for justice for the oppressed.

We, like the Israelites, can mistake religious rituals with relationship, and physical acts with true obedience; we can wrongly think that we are pleasing God simply because we attend a church service. Yes, God says we are to be a part of a church congregation, but it also matters what we do once we leave the church service. For example, if a husband goes to church regularly but fights with his wife when he gets home, he is living hypocritically and his worship to God is hindered.

Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, worship, and fasting are meant to make us better people. The proof that we are becoming Christ-like is obedience to His commands, including caring for those in need around us.