Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Reflection:   Today the psalmist wonders how long God will hide Himself from the people.   Will His wrath burn forever?   And then, in Isaiah, we see a little bit of why God had hidden himself from the people as their fasting did not produce any spiritual fruit, only more exploitation of the workers and quarreling and strife.   The people were in engaging in supposed spiritual activity, but it did not yield any fruit of a changed life.   Isaiah challenges them by saying is not God’s fasting to loosen the chains of injustice and to set the oppressed free.   He also cites their breaking of the Sabbath, as another indicator that they were really just going through the motions, but not honoring this day set apart for God.   Then, in 59:16, there is an indication that since the Lord could not find righteousness on earth He would send His own righteousness.   We even see language of the “breastplate of righteousness” and the “helmet of salvation”, which Paul picks up on in Ephesians

Reflection:   Paul’s main concern here is that the Colossians don’t return to legalism!   There are many temptations, even in the church today, to define who we are as a Christian by what we do, or eat or drink, or even how many times we pray or read the bible.   But as Paul states, such regulations have an appearance of wisdom, but are merely human commands and teachings.   They lead to a false humility that props oneself up by how spiritual they have become.   But the bottom line is that they hold little value in restraining sensual indulgence.   Paul holds that the Colossians have died to all of this human effort in trying to live up to the Law.   He maintains that the only way to be truly transformed is by being connected to Christ.   This is in support of John 15, and his theme of abiding in Christ, and that apart from him we can do nothing! (John 15:5)   Religious experience is important, but doesn’t define who you are in Christ.   And it is important that we don’t judge

Reflection:   Isaiah, the prophet, tells the people that God is doing a great thing even in the midst of their present calamity.   Though they don’t completely understand why they are being punished, Isaiah comforts them with words of prophecy, namely that God’s Word will never return void.   Just as the rain and snow come down from heaven and water the earth making all things green, so God’s Word comes and renews the earth and gives it its spiritual source of refreshment. And the result is that the people will go out in joy and be led forth in peace!   9  “As the heavens are higher than the earth,     so are my ways higher than your ways     and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10  As the rain and the snow     come down from heaven, and do not return to it     without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,     so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11  so is my word that goes out from my mouth:     It will not return to me empty, b