Rise Daily: March 23

Rise Daily: March 23

THIS WEEK’S THEME & PASSAGE

Doing Justice and Mercy – Isaiah 58:1-12

This week’s sermon from the series “Where We are Going: The City and the Mission“

THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE

Memorizing scripture is a way to keep God’s word close to our hearts. Each week we will select one verse of scripture to remember as a community.

Isaiah 58:10
If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

THE WORD

Each day’s devotion will focus on one part of the week’s passage.

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?
7 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 to hide yourself from your own flesh?

MEDITATION ON THE WORD

In our busyness and distraction, it is easy to skim through our reading rather than taking it in. Yet we believe this is the inspired word of God. Take a moment to pause, thank God for the scriptures and ask him to speak to you through them today.

There is no lack of religious activity on the part of God’s people in this passage. They are fasting, praying and worshiping, but God will have none of it.

The root of the problem is exposed in the questions they ask God in verse 3:

“Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?”

Underneath their worship is the presumption that one’s religious activity compels a favorable response from God. This gets our relationship with God backwards. True worship is a response to God for his goodness and fittingly results in acts of mercy, justice, and generosity, on our part.

True fasting here, for example, is not merely saving your food for another day, but giving it away to the poor–going without so that others who are without might have what you have. Theologian Walter Brueggemann emphasizes that verse 7 lists food, clothing, and shelter–the necessities of life–as being the very things God’s people are meant to share. He writes: “The devotion [the Lord] desires is solidarity that troubles with the elemental requirements of economic life for every member of the community.”

Our vision for the city will only exist as words, and our worship will be static in God’s ears, unless we, as a community, devote ourselves in this way.

THIS WEEK’S RISE REFLECTION

We hope you will say “I’m In” to pray, engage and give in your neighborhood as part of a gospel movement for the good of our city.  The vision of Rise is to see thousands of people rising to bring the hope, joy and grace of the gospel to every neighborhood. That vision starts with you… in your neighborhood. Have you considered how you could help bring hope to the poor and marginalized in your neighborhood by serving with or giving to Hope for New York?

TODAY’S PRAYER

For your Heart: Pray for boldness to share food, clothing, and shelter—the necessities of life.

For your Church: Pray that our church would sacrificially support Hope for New York and the 43 affiliate ministries that are on the frontlines of serving the needs of the poor.

For our City: Pray for a great city where sacrificial generosity—from small to large acts—happen daily across social class, racial and gender lines and religious institutions.