March 4: Isaiah 58:1-5

Key Verse: Isaiah 58:4
Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Devotion:
As we move deeper into lent, have you given much thought to why you are giving up doing whatever it is you are doing? Is it for you or for someone else? I have never been one to declare I was giving up anything for lent because I knew in my heart it was not going to continue. Those things which I have given up without shouting about have been because I wanted to make a difference to myself and the people around me. I have tried to continue those inward promises and will continue to do so as long as I can...

When the time comes and I break down and give in, I will look back and make a judgment call as to whether to keep on trying or to revert back to normal. You may think “that’s pragmatic” or “that’s life,” but when a choice is life-changing, we should take it seriously and continue to follow it up even when we falter.

God wants us to make changes in our lives because we know it is for the better and we know other people may take notice and want to change too. But when we just do something for lent, we are liable to fail and ignore the result because we know we are going back to normal afterward! Not what God had in mind!

God wants us to see the lives we lead, not in the light of the world, but in His light. He wants us to see them as He sees them. He wants us to admit to the things we have in our lives which make Him stop and take notice! For some of us, that is quite a lot! But, even though we may have a long list of things to give up, we can only do better if we allow God to walk with us in the journey!

Points to Ponder:
Did you promise to give something up for lent?

Are you taking God with you on the journey?