Isaiah 58:4- 59:11

Isaiah 58:6-9
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 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. 

Fasting in one sense can mean giving up something that you value for a cause or purpose. Spiritual fasting is giving up anything in order for us to develop a deeper relationship with the Lord. This definition matches up with the above verses, more so in the sense that we need to give up our easy, materialistic, sinful life in order to develop a deeper relationship with the Lord. Practical examples are given: bringing awareness to social justice issues, feed the hungry and provide shelter to the homeless.... to not turn away from people are trapped in hopelessness! When you're able to keep all that in mind then God's light in you will shine brightly. People will know that you are good because God is good to you. Knowing that God will come to your rescue in your difficult times, use this knowledge to encourage those currently in a bad state.

Isaiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you always, he will satisfy your needs in sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 

God will be right by your side when you be His hands and feet. As Jesus' disciple He will nurture you and care for you so that you can mature to be a Godly man and woman boldly proclaiming the Gospel through speech and action. The Spirit will never fail you. It is our foundation and rock while we're living.

Isaiah 58:13-14
"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as  you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the Lord has spoken. 

Sabbath Sunday was made so that we can drop all the things that may control us during the week (e.g. school, job) and allow that day to be dedicated purely to God. It's hard when we live in such a fast-paced society and things need to be done 24/7 but remember that God made us so that we can worship and glorify Him... also to find rest and learn from Him. If we're always thinking about studying/working then it consumes us and our time meant for the Lord will be taken away by things that don't deserve our full focus. Only the Lord deserves that.

Sin is what separated us from God. Each day it is so likely for us to fall into Satan's traps and stumble into sin against the Good God. It's impossible to achieve righteousness but we need to always strive to achieve it.

The reminder: Complete the Sabbath for the Lord, not for yourself.