Isaiah 58:8- “Your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”
Preceeding this verse, God through the prophet Isaiah warns men about real ‘fasting’, where men ‘think’ they are pleasing God by fasting, not in their spirit, but only in their stomach. Fasting is not just giving up some food and showing men one’s effort.
Because “many who seem humble in God’s house, are hard at home, and harass their families. But no man’s faith justifies, which does not work by love.” (Matthew Henry). In other words, “fasting without love is useless”. Real fasting includes: “loosening the chains of injustice, untying the cords of the yoke, setting the oppressed free, sharing the food with the hungry, providing the homeless with shelter, clothing the naked, and not turning away from our own flesh and blood.” (Isaiah 58:6-7).
And when we do this, then God will really hear us when we call, and He will answer us, and He will say to us: Here I am! (Isaiah 58:9).
Then God’s light, God’s love, will break forth like the morning, bringing us prosperity, happiness, joy; Then God’s healing will spring forth quickly, relieving our afflictions and suffering, healing our diseases and emotions;
Then the righteousness of God will bring order into our lives again;
And His Glory will become our rear guard, protecting us from every evil, delivering us from our captivity.
Then “The LORD will guide (us) always; He will satisfy (our) needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen (our) frame. (We) will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:11).
Amen!
