Act justly, love faithfully, walk humbly
Isaiah 58:8-12 NRSV
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
God says through Isaiah that when we serve Him with the right heart and right motive, He will do great things through us and for us. We’ll give a bright witness for Christ to those around us. God’s near presence will always be with us in every situation, as He answers our prayers, guides us through the circumstances we face, and lovingly cares for our needs. Not only that, we’ll have a fruitful life with a good reputation for the work that we do. But as God told Israel, these things will happen only when there is a change of heart; only when God’s people begin to truly care about the things God cares about. God gave similar instructions through the prophet Micah:
Mankind, he has told each of you what is goodand what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 CSB)
Lent is a season of penitence, self-examination, repentance, and confession as a way to prepare for the coming of Easter and the glories of the resurrected life. The Christian life is a long training regime to change the orientation of our hearts. During this time, we are encouraged to fast. We are encouraged to take on spiritual disciplines that direct our attention to God – such as prayer, scripture reading, almsgiving, and service. We are encouraged to seek reconciliation with those with whom have broken relationships.  But we must do these things – and live our entire lives – with selfless hearts that seek to love God and our neighbor truly and selflessly.
Rise Up, O Church of God
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
