Devotional: Isa. 58:8-9A

"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."
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Promises. I love 'em! I love that Jesus is the "yes" to all God's promises. I also love that God lets us know when it's okay to want something.

It's okay to want to have a light that shines! It's okay to want healing and righteousness. It's okay to desire answered prayers. It's OKAY!

But the path to getting those things is the path of other-centeredness discussed in verses 6-7. Only "then" (3 times repeated) will we experience the promises of God. We tend to get spiritual when we really need something. This passages says that such times might be when we need to get off our knees and start serving instead.

I'm not demeaning prayer - it's crucial. I'm just saying that in this context, God says that we experience these answers as we minister. I don't think God is saying NOT to pray ... verse 5 indicates that He is concerned with people "only" focusing on spiritual rituals. What I envision is God teaching us to pray and even fast, then get up and start serving ... and we will find answers.

We will have a light in the darkness of our community. We will experience healing in areas of struggle or even health issues. We will walk more righteously and God's glory will be apparent in what we do. And our prayers will be answered. His presence will be with us.

The Gospel of Matthew ends with the promise that Jesus will be with us always. But the context is conditional: "As you are going"... to fulfill the Great Commission. I think Isa. 58 says something similar: "as you are serving" ... He will be working. Like the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, He will make far more out of what we bring to Him. We'll get answers to prayers we never knew to pray. The divine "if-then" effect will define our lives.