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. The Lord will guide you always.
Isaiah 58:10-11, NIV
Recommended Reading: Isaiah 58:6-12
Isaiah 58 is a remarkable chapter that promises God’s blessings on those who help the oppressed and correct injustice (verses 6, 10) and who share their bread with the hungry and clothe the naked (verse 7). The Lord’s righteousness will go before them and His glory behind them (verse 8). The Lord will answer their prayers (verse 9). The Lord will guide them always and satisfy their needs in a sun-scorched land.
It’s easy to take biblical promises out of context. For example, verse 11 says, “The Lord … will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (NIV). But within the context of Isaiah 58, this is a promise specifically for those who care for the poor and oppressed.
Let’s be generous to those in need, allowing others to see the love of God through us. As we care for others, the Lord will care for us—like a well-watered garden. Whom can you help today?
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
Amy Carmichael
DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION 