Going Through the Motions

Isaiah 1:2, 10-20

Judah had rebelled against God (1:2). What did they do? They were just going through the motions…and God was tired of it (1:14-15). He wouldn’t even listen to their prayers (1:15).

They were still meeting, sacrificing, and giving, but their hearts weren’t in it. Apparently, they weren’t taking care of their poor and needy (1:17). God’s chastisement was to make the nation suffer (1:5-7).
God is very clear on how to end the suffering. You have to be willing and obedient (1:19).

If we as Christians forget our needy we are no different from Judah of the Old Testament. God will chastise us.

Read James 1:27

Read Zechariah 7 to see what God did to those who didn’t care for the needy.

Need some suggestions:
1) Visit or call a widow.
2) Secretly pay a bill for a widow or single parent.
3) Take a single parent’s children to the park for the afternoon.
4) Write an encouraging note.
5) Sponsor an orphan over seas.
6) Become a foster parent.
7) Adopt .
8) Help an organization that helps orphans/widows.
The list of possibilities is endless! Be creative!

Mothers, listen to the Lord, He understands!

“Children have I reared and brought up but they have rebelled against me.” (Isaiah 1:2)

How many times a day do you, as a parent, say, “don’t do that or this”? Then you turn around and see your child doing what you just said not to do. I thought it was bad when my boys were toddlers. They would do what I told them not to do. They would do it where I could see them. Now that they are teens, they have learned to do whatever it is, in secret.

My family loves the Lord of the Rings movies/books. There is a spot in the third movie where Sam & Gollum are having a discussion. Sam asks, “So what were you doing, anyway?” Gollum’s reply is, “Sneaking.” My youngest son can imitate this almost perfectly. He is also the sneakiest of my two children.

The Lord knows how it feels to have children rebel against you. We are His children. How many times do we rebel, just like our children? “Cease to do evil, learn to do good…” Isaiah 1:17 Isn’t this what we want our kids to learn: stop doing what is wrong, to make right choices, and to help those who can’t help themselves? They can’t learn these things unless we teach them. But we’ll be ineffective in our teaching if we don’t practice what we preach or teach. It starts with a choice: we either choose to do evil or we choose to do what is right. What do you choose?