The Upward Look
Isaiah 58:9 "Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am." What a promise! Not just that God hears us when we pray, but that when we fast and cry out to Him with sincerity, He answers with His presence, "Here I am." That’s not just theology, it’s reality. God is always with His children. He’ll never leave or forsake us. But there are moments when His presence becomes so evident, so weighty, so real, it feels like heaven has come near. That’s what Isaiah is pointing to. Not just God's omnipresence, but His manifest presence. There are times in life when we need more. We need God to move in power. We need Him to deal with a wayward loved one, break an addiction, heal a heart, or revive a church. And when we fast, really fast, we're not earning His help, we're tuning our hearts to hear Him say, "Here I am." Respond: Begin your fast with this heart, in prayer, "Lord, I don’t just want answers. I want You." Ask Him to meet you in power and presence, and believe He will show up when you cry out. Keep looking up!
Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" Fasting isn’t about trying to impress God or others, it’s about drawing closer to the Lord and desiring His power in our lives. In Isaiah 58, God lays out what kind of fast pleases Him. He wants a fast that loosens wickedness, lifts heavy burdens, sets captives free, and breaks every yoke. That kind of fast isn’t showy. It doesn’t seek attention. It seeks God. There are hidden yokes in our lives, things we’ve battled for years, habits we’ve never shaken, burdens we’ve carried silently. We’ve prayed about them, we’ve wept over them, but what if we got serious enough to fast? Not to twist God’s arm, but to say, "God, I need You more than I need food, more than I need comfort, more than I need anything else." When we fast God’s way, chains begin to fall, not just ours, but others’, too. Respond: Ask God what kind of fast He desires of you. Surrender your appetite for comfort to hunger for Him. Seek freedom, for yourself and for others, by taking fasting seriously. Keep looking up!
