October 25th

OCTOBER 25th 

We suit up in our armor and we fight the battles. I would add one more thing to the mix, one more thing that we do to fight battles…-We go about the business of being Jesus to others. When we are serving Him by serving others we are defeating the enemy. And we are totally protected.

Someone asked why don’t we have a piece of armor to protect our back? I have heard several things from “well you never turn your back on the enemy”, to “you are advancing forward never moving backwards”, etc and although those may be true, I like this one better…

The Lord your God will be your rear guard!

Isaiah 58:8 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.

Let’s look at the verse surrounding this verse.

Isaiah 58:6-11 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. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

He tells us in this passage what an acceptable fast is to Him, that is, what is an acceptable sacrifice or action of worship to Him. It is not just giving up something optional or making a spectacle of our “sacrifices” that we make in our lives. It is being Jesus to others, it is quitting the gossip and negative talk and using our energy instead to care for the needy and oppressed. It is helping others get free from what holds them captive. And when we do that the Lord protects our backside, and that is better than any other piece of armor. So you want full protection? Get busy being Jesus then.

In other words, if you are busy with Kingdom business, God’s got your back!

Lord, thank you for having my back. Help me to be about your business. Forgive me for my life being about me instead of others. Help me to look for and recognize opportunities to care for others every day. Holy Spirit change the way I think so that my perspective and goals match yours today and everyday. Thank you for your help.