Lent Day 1: A true fast

Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen"

“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?

Isaiah 58:6 NIV

It’s common to fast and abstain during lent. 

It’s a practice that has been going on for hundreds of years and fasting has an even longer history. But in the Bible, we see how this practice can go off track.

The Israelites knew they needed God’s blessing and that fasting was a sign of repentance, but their repentance was fake. If it had been genuine, their actions would have backed them up. They would have been doing exactly what Isaiah told them to do. 

Instead they were going through the motions, without true repentance. They wanted what God would give them, but not what it meant to live with God.

It’s not a coincidence that almsgiving has long been a key lenten practice too.  

As we enter Lent and consider fasting, we shouldn’t lose sight of the significance of the season. Let us look through our hearts and repent of where we’ve sinned. Let us look to God’s heart for justice and look for how we can live it out. 

Optional Prayer (you can pray in your own words of course)

“Lord, I am sorry for where I have fallen short of your standards. I’m sorry for where I’ve turned a blind eye to injustice. Thank you that through the sacrifice of your son, you have given me a new heart. Show me and help me live out your heart of Justice, today and always. Amen”