A Cry For Justice

      "What is it that God wants from me?"  Ever asked that question? Maybe it's  Go to church, pray, recite the 10 commandments, the book of Amos and speak fluent Christianese?    Isaiah 58 is a word from God to His people who are trying to get God's approval and God  calls them out on their motives. The people are even questioning God on why He hasn't noticed their prayer, fasting and worship. (v.3) God saw through their religious activity and rituals that look pretty on the surface but void of  heart transformation. Verse 4 of this passage suggests we shouldn't even expect God to listen to our prayers when our hearts are not authentic and we are simply going through the motions. He isn't fooled when we pray, sing, worship, give but all the while have selfish hearts, hidden agendas and wrong motives. A true heart change shows up in the way we live everyday.  So, what does God want?

                               " 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?

                               Is 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

                               hide yourself from your own flesh?" (v. 6-7)
       Just as Jesus walked with the least of these,  "As the Father is sending me, I am sending you."(John 20:21)  We are to reclaim and redeem the world for the Kingdom of Heaven.  The brokenness of the world hits us in the face sometimes and we can no longer pretend  like  the world is fine and retreat in a spiritual bubble.    Let's look at the  facts about the lost, those in poverty and experiencing injustice and respond.

                               -7,080 unreached people groups (2.89 billion people that have never heard 

                                the Gospel

                               -27 million people in modern day slavery across the world

                               -1 million children exploited by the global commercial sex trade every year

                               -Over 1 billion children live in poverty in the world

                               -1.4 children die annually from lack of  safe drinking water and sanitation

                               -Over 16,000 children die from hunger related causes daily
       I want to make it clear, I am not saying our salvation is earned. It is by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Our faith is then demonstrated in actions motivated by love for God through the power of the Holy Spirit. "We know we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.  The man who says, 'I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1John 2:3-4)  Jesus summarizes all God's commandments in Matthew 22:34-40, "Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind....Love your neighbour as yourself."  By loving God, you will have the heart to love people. Acts of love, mercy and justice will flow out of  great affection for Him.  Obedience to God's commands is not done to earn God's love but because of His great love for us.

     What happens when God's people embrace the Gospel and live transformed lives that change the way we think, feel, act, see others so that we become salt and light on the earth?

                                 "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing

                                  will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you,                  

                                  and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

                                  Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for

                                   help, and He will say: Here am I.

                                    ......if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy

                                   the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness,

                                   and your night will become like noonday.

                                   The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a

                                    sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be

                                    like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
                                    And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt, you shall raise up
                                    the foundations of many generations. You shall be called the repairer
                                    of the breach, the restorer of the streets to dwell in." (Is 58:8-12)

     What a great promise to those who act in God-exalting justice and mercy on Monday not just pray and sing about it on Sunday!  For my own life,  I need to repent of religious hypocrisy and  pray for God's grace and Holy Spirit guidance to live  out Isaiah 58 this week and go beyond religious rituals to demonstrate God's love through tangible ways of compassion and fighting for justice. It's a fight God's people must engage in.
                                    " Sometime, I would like to ask God why He allows poverty,
                                     suffering and injustice when He could do something about it."
                                           "Well, why don't you ask Him?"
                                        "Because I'm afraid He would ask me the same question."
                                                                                            -Anonymous