ISAIAH 58:6-7
6“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
The Israelites thought fasting would give them some leverage against God: “If we fast, then You must answer our prayers.” God, through the prophet Isaiah, challenges this view. With His own “if-then” statements, God shows how fasting is the action of a righteous people living out their faith. When believers live out their faith, they are salt and light to the world, and it is felt and experienced by those around them. Today, let us look at three truths from Isaiah 58 about God’s call to His people.