Isaiah 58 Fast Encouragement

Isaiah 58:10
"...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."

When we ask God to open our eyes to those who are hurting and in need, whether it be in our own neighborhoods or across the globe, He uses many different people and circumstances to allow us to see more clearly the needs of others and His unique calling to each of us to meet those needs. If we are followers of Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity and the mandate to love others where they are, to go to the hurting, and to bring hope in His name. We find those opportunities everywhere, and each of us must ask God where we should go. When He tells us what to do, where to go, and who to reach out to, it may be frightening or sound impossible. But when we choose to obey Him despite our doubts and fears, there are treasures in store far beyond anything we could have planned for ourselves and others...not earthly treasures of money or a nice home or trendy clothes or a sleek car or a secure retirement....instead, eternal treasures that do not fade or corrode over time.

The video below shows one of the most heart wrenching things we can imagine, but it ends in hope. It is another avenue through which God has shown me how small and selfish so much of what I think I need to have and do is, and inspired me to go further and be more obedient to act in love, not to just talk about it. This video is sad and disturbing, so be prepared. It may break your heart, too.

“Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”--Rich Stearns, founder and President of World Vision