a little inspiration...

God's word is clear regarding several matters. Helping the oppressed is one of them. He spells out how richly we will be blessed if we work toward correcting injustices. A friend gave this passage to me over a month ago when I was in the middle of a campaign to raise money to emancipate modern-day slaves. All the money collected had been stolen over Spring Break, right before I was going to send it in. I was discouraged, hurt, and angry that someone would do that, steal money from the poor to keep it for themselves. Someone was praying with me and I shared that story with him and then he shared this passage (Isaiah 58:6-12, The Message) with me. I was able to forgive the thief and pray a prayer of blessing over them. I extended the deadline for the campaign and, in turn, God has probably more than tripled the money collected. I am sending it in on Monday. God is so good!

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'
"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.