Getting God's Attention

Have you wondered if there is a way to get God to respond?    Have you ever tried everything you could think of .... prayed, fasted, denied yourself ... and heard nothing?

The people during Isaiah's time had the same problem.   They asked God about it in Isaiah 58.

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it?  Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’

And God answers:

“...on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists.You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. "  

And then God tells them what gets His attention:

“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? 

And He tells them what happens if they participate in the kind of activities that matter to Him:

Your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then 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."

So we have our answer.  If we want to do something that God will notice, it's not about self-denial and fasting, though those are good things.  But God says  that the kind of "fast" that matters to him isn't what we don't do, but what we do.  It is about losing the chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, breaking yokes, sharing food, providing shelter, clothing the naked.... that's the point.

We often sing and talk about letting our lights shine ... like we read in Matthew 5:16... so that others may see our good works and glorify God in heaven.  But shining bright through how we treat those lest fortunate is not only so that others will see us -- it is the way that God Himself taught us to get His attention.  

I encourage you to try it.... shine brightly in the ways He describes above and you might be surprised at how quickly He pays attention.