Who's Hiding?


 The other day, I fasted. Hadn't done a whole day in years! Lol. I lived. As a way to kick off the fast, I read Isaiah 58. I've always called it the "fasting chapter." But I was surprised when I found it isn't about fasting at all. Lol. (I'll be posting on my main ministry blog about it sometime this week. You can catch that blog on my ministry website Dove's Fire Ministries.)

Besides my discovery that I'd been wrong all these years (lol), I found a phrase that grabbed my attention. 

Isaiah is explaining that fasting is really not effective if you're not doing the works. Of course, works don't save us. But works are a natural by-product of a heart and life fully given to God. (Check out James2) In verses 6 and 7, Isaiah is listing things that needed to be changed in the lives of those who wanted to live holy and truly "fast." 

It's a good list, really.

  • Free those wrongly imprisoned
  • Stop oppressing those who work for you
  • Treat workers/servants fairly and pay them a fair wage
  • Share your food with the hungry
  • Welcome strangers (wanderers) into your home [It was a different day for sure!]
  • Give clothes to those who need them
  • Do not hide from relatives who need your help
What? I have no idea how many times I've read this chapter in my life, but that phrase shocked me. They had the same situation back then? 

As caregivers, it's not uncommon to see a mass exodus of friends and family. At first, there is usually some help. But over time, people tend to go on with their own lives, and your social isolation and caregiving lifestyle become the norm. It's easy to feel abandoned by friends and family. Evidently, it's been going on since nearly the beginning of time.

It's so easy to feel "alone" in our caregiving journeys, even if we have some help. For sole caregivers, a lot is on them, beyond the basic day-to-day care of their loved one. I love that Isaiah put that in this passage where he is calling OT believers into faithful action. For me, it meant God sees. He knows. He understands us. We are not left out!

Today, I'll remind myself that God does indeed see our whole situations. He doesn't miss a detail because He won't hide from us. God also won't hide His eyes as if our situation doesn't exist. In fact, He is in every detail. I love that He doesn't pack up and leave when life takes unexpected turns or "gets ugly." He's here for the long haul, and He's not going to look away for a second.

My meditations will be on how God chooses to walk this journey with us, right beside us. He takes each step and waits when we have to hesitate to gather ourselves. He gets us. I believe I can trust Him for one more day - will you join me?





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