Monday, September 8, 2008

Fasting

"This is the kind of fasting I have chosen:

Loosen the chains of the wickedness,
untie the straps of the yoke,
let the oppressed go free,
and break every yoke.
Share your food with the hungry,
take the poor and homeless into your house,
and cover them with clothes when you see them naked.
Don't refuse to help your relatives.

Then your light will break through like the dawn,
and you will heal quickly.
Your righteousness will go ahead of you,
and the glory of the Lord will guard you from behind.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer.
You will cry for help, and he will say, "Here I am!"

Get rid of that yoke.
Don't point your finger and say wicked things.

If you give some of your own food to feed those who are hungry
and to satisfy the needs of those who are humble,
then your light will rise in the dark,
and your darkness will become as bright as the noonday sun.
The Lord will continually guide you
and satisfy you even in sun-baked places.
He will strengthen your bones.
You will become like a watered garden
and like a spring whose water does not stop flowing."

Isaiah 58:6-12