True Fasting, And Bold Prayers.

"Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
To loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
To set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

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 do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and 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 the noonday."
Isaiah 58

Lord, may I fast the kind of fasting that you desire. Not only a day to humble myself, but a fast that is acceptable to You. Use me oh Lord. I am yours. Help me to surrender everything. I know it is not within myself to be able to surrender all... but You oh God can help me and give me the strength I need to let go. Use my life to loose the chains of injustice and set the oppressed free. You alone can do this. You alone can break every chain and freedom is found in You. Give me eyes to see those who are hungry, and without shelter, naked and without clothes. Break my heart and make me compassionate. Like it says in Colossians 3; Help me to put on a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, binding everything together with love. Soften my heart and give me faith. More than my ways, Your ways are higher, Your thoughts are higher. God hear my cries. Hear my cries when I am empty and alone - when I need you so badly. Make me whole again Father, nothing but your blood. I pray that the light inside me that is You will break forth like the dawn and healing will be an overflow of my life. A life that is saturated in You. Hear me and say Here am I. Even the darkness is not dark to you. God, fill my life with purpose. I need more of you... I need more. Give me perspective - I want to see what you see. I want to feel what you feel. I want to do what you do. I can't stop - I won't stop until I have you. I will not stop running. I will not stop fighting to be with you. I have finally found where I belong.

Change is coming.

Verse of the Day

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:12-16 ESV)

Tempted Versus Tested, And Personified Sin.

I was reading today in James 1. "When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by this own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Verses 13-15 NIV

So then, what is the difference between being tempted and being tested? It says very clearly that God does not tempt us... but does he test us? What does this look like?

My observation from this verse is that temptation stems from our own evil desire. Since God has no evil desire, temptation cannot come from Him. The goal of temptation is to lead us into sinful action. That's not God's desire for us to sin.

I believe that temptation can come from within us (like this verse says - from our own evil desires), or from the devil who has come to kill, steal, and destroy. But I think so often we are quick to jump to the conclusion that satan is tempting us to sin, when in reality we are just sinful beings since the fall. (why we need a Savior) How many times have you said "The devil made me do it..." No. Just stop.

But, there are many examples in the bible where God's people were being tested by Him. Tested to confirm faith or prove commitment.

"Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid, God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." Exodus 20:20
"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands." Deuteronomy 8:2

On another note, I love how the author (James) describes sin so vividly. When we give into temptation we are essentially being dragged away and enticed. I can just imagine this in my mind... being dragged away by the darkness that is sin. I just see myself screaming and thrashing against it... (I hope I would thrash against sin). But sometimes it's enticing... sin seems so good. And at that point, I see myself walking into what I believe is love... only to find out it is death. And after desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin and when sin is full grown it gives birth to death. Ah... that is just a tad frightening; Full grown sin. I just want to personify these images. What does full grown sin look like? Do I want to know? No... not really. This is the romance story turned twisted. Love, desire, sex, birth, death. This is quite the picture. I want my love story to be quite the opposite. My first love. The desire that I have that leads to a close and intimate relationship with Jesus. Leading to the birth and growth of the fruits. This story ends in life, not death.

Anyways, I think better when I write.

I am the clay, You are the potter.

"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words. So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand." Jeremiah 18:1-6

When the text says the clay was "spoiled", what does this mean? My commentary says that the clay did not develop properly and needed to be reworked. The potter shaped and reshaped the wet clay to keep the developing vessel symmetrical as it seemed good to the potter.

Is there a time when I am like the spoiled clay? Basically all the time... I am in such need to my God to reshape who I am according to his will. It's not like the clay knows how to mold itself. It can't simply get up and change on it's own... that is physically impossible. As am I, I need You to change, transform and make me into the woman you want me to be. I don't want to be a lop-sided vessel, that is of no use. I don't want to be cracked and leaking water. Only You can make me whole.

I've never read this passage before... I like it. :)