From Obligation to Action

From Obligation to Action Earlier in Isaiah, God expressed His disdain for the practices of Judah and Jerusalem. Even though they completed all of the religious festivals, sacrifices, and prayer times required, God saw they weren’t living for Him outside of their self-righteous requirements. He told the people their practices meant nothing to Him if they didn’t result in justice for others. We may not hold the same sacrifices and festivals today, but we encounter the same attitudes as the people in Isaiah’s day when we allow our faith actions to become a routine instead of a way of life. Church can turn into a box to check off on Sundays, and even Bible studies can turn into a scheduled obligation. God wants all of us, beyond the time we squeeze Him into our calendars. When God is our life and not just our religion, we yearn to seek Him and live in His image twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. How does this show in our lives? In burning to love and help His children, as Isaiah prophesied in today’s passage. So instead of seeing where He fits in our lives, let’s try to see where we fit in His eternal plan for justice.