What you're supposed to do vs. what you're called to do
I'm finding it hard to focus this morning. That snooze button was so tempting. I resisted... I got up, turned up the heat in our house because BRRRRR and made some hot tea. I'm sleepy... I may need to upgrade to coffee sooner than later. I've been sitting here for nearly an hour reading different passages, waiting for something to speak to me, for something to stand out.
Like I mentioned before - I had a lot of trouble with Lent because I didn't feel led to fast from anything. I know there has to be others out there who had this problem. It's hard to figure out sometimes what you're called to do from what you feel like you're supposed to do. Our society today, even inside our church culture, has a lot of ideas about what we are supposed to do. For lent, I know I considered fasting from coffee or facebook, but I truly never felt convicted about either and didn't think I should be fasting just because I was "supposed" to.
Today I stumbled into Isaiah 58:6-11. It talks about God's idea of fasting and the blessings that will follow. From what I understood here, if you did feel led to fast, and you're following that calling, verse 11 says "The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."
I'll post the whole passage below if you want to read it all. And if you look back before v. 6 you'll see what happens if you're not fasting for the right reasons. (Dude, I wouldn't encourage that.)
I've really struggled lately to determine if the decisions I have made (the bigger life changing type decisions) have been the right ones. I know for a fact that they are not "what you're supposed to do" as a 32 year old with 2 kids and a husband. The decisions I've made have been what I felt led or called to do, but I have to tell you, I probably look like a crazy person from an outside perspective. I do still feel a sense of peace around those decisions, and I feel like our lives are becoming more balanced daily. I think God is honoring our obedience.
Has God asked you to do something that you think sounds crazy? Or something that if you did it, you would look crazy? I would suggest doing it. He will honor your obedience. Its the same concept as the fasting, if you do it for the right reasons, His reasons, it will be the best decision you could make.
Isaiah 58:6-11
6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then 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.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Like I mentioned before - I had a lot of trouble with Lent because I didn't feel led to fast from anything. I know there has to be others out there who had this problem. It's hard to figure out sometimes what you're called to do from what you feel like you're supposed to do. Our society today, even inside our church culture, has a lot of ideas about what we are supposed to do. For lent, I know I considered fasting from coffee or facebook, but I truly never felt convicted about either and didn't think I should be fasting just because I was "supposed" to.
Today I stumbled into Isaiah 58:6-11. It talks about God's idea of fasting and the blessings that will follow. From what I understood here, if you did feel led to fast, and you're following that calling, verse 11 says "The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."
I'll post the whole passage below if you want to read it all. And if you look back before v. 6 you'll see what happens if you're not fasting for the right reasons. (Dude, I wouldn't encourage that.)
I've really struggled lately to determine if the decisions I have made (the bigger life changing type decisions) have been the right ones. I know for a fact that they are not "what you're supposed to do" as a 32 year old with 2 kids and a husband. The decisions I've made have been what I felt led or called to do, but I have to tell you, I probably look like a crazy person from an outside perspective. I do still feel a sense of peace around those decisions, and I feel like our lives are becoming more balanced daily. I think God is honoring our obedience.
Has God asked you to do something that you think sounds crazy? Or something that if you did it, you would look crazy? I would suggest doing it. He will honor your obedience. Its the same concept as the fasting, if you do it for the right reasons, His reasons, it will be the best decision you could make.
Isaiah 58:6-11
6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then 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.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Comments
Post a Comment