“And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday…” – Isaiah 58:10
The whole of the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah is to be regarded as a message for this time, to be given over and over again.
What saith the Lord in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah? The whole chapter is of the highest importance.
Read this chapter carefully and understand the kind of ministry that will bring life into the churches. The work of the gospel is to be carried by means of our liberality as well as by our labors. When you meet suffering souls who need help, give it to them. When you find those who are hungry, feed them. In doing this you will be working in lines of Christ’s ministry. The Master’s holy work was a benevolent work. Let our people everywhere be encouraged to have a part in it. (1)
It is only by an unselfish interest in those in need of help that we can give a practical demonstration of the truths of the gospel. “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
Much more than mere sermonizing is included in preaching the gospel. The ignorant are to be enlightened; the discouraged are to be uplifted; the sick are to be healed. The human voice is to act its part in God’s work. Words of tenderness, sympathy, and love are to witness to the truth. Earnest, heartfelt prayers are to bring the angels near….
The Lord will give you success in this work; … it is interwoven with the practical life, when it is lived and practiced. The union of Christlike work for the body and Christlike work for the soul is the true interpretation of the gospel. (2)
Charge for the Day: Think of what you can do to show unselfish interest in those in need of help. How can you practically show someone the gospel? Keep an eye out for someone in need of a helping hand or a listening ear today and ask God to show you how you can be His hands and feet as you make it a point to help them.
1. Welfare Ministry, p. 29
2. Welfare Ministry, p. 32