“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:11)
Have you ever been in a season of spiritual dissatisfaction? Maybe you’ve been stuck in a ritual of reading the Word and praying on a daily basis but not experiencing peace and joy. Isaiah addresses one reason “spiritual” habits may still leave us feeling bone dry.
He gives us the key to unlocking true satisfaction. He tells the Israelites to pray and fast, like a good child of God would do. This seems similar to what Christians try to practice, but the one mistake the Israelites made held them back from receiving fulfillment in God? Their hypocrisy. The Israelites did all of these things without really meaning any of it. It became a ritual, and not only that, they decided to rebel against God’s commands and cover up their wickedness by performing these good deeds.
Isaiah reminded them that God wanted their whole-hearted worship. The Israelites’ actions were repetitive with no real effort put into them. Their worship was just tradition. And that led them into sin instead of helping to keep them from it.
This concept directly applies to us today. God doesn’t just want a part of us? He wants all of us! Half-hearted service will not meet our spiritual needs. The beauty of giving our entire efforts to God brings Isaiah’s words to life in our lives. It’s a true promise. When we make the effort to read, pray, and spend each available minute dwelling on God, we can experience not only what is told in Isaiah 58:11, but also the joy that can only come from intimately knowing God.
Prayer
Lord, lead me to study Your Word, pray, and focus my life on the path You are making for me. Give me Your strength, love and wisdom to remember Your promises, and build my life on it’s foundations. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
