START DOING GOOD Isaiah 1:16–20 No one has done you more harm in your life than you. No one has done you or me more harm than what we have done to ourselves. Our own decisionmaking is what has brought us the harm. Romans 6:23 says that the result of sin is death. No one has done more harm than yourself, but at the same time, no one has done you more good than God. He has given you and me a bounty of love, a feast of righteousness, and all kinds of blessings. He provides our every need—not every want, but every need. God has given us everything, just as He gave it to the people of Israel and Judah. And yet they and we have turned our backs on Him. Our nation has received blessing upon blessing. Just look at the hand of God on our history! Yet we continue to sin. God’s first command through Isaiah is to stop sinning. Stop doing evil. God’s next command is to start doing good. God is very clear about this. Isaiah 1:17 not only tells us to do what is good, but to learn it, to seek justice, to fight against oppression, and to defend and help those who need it. You see, it is not enough to just say, “Stop doing evil.” That’s like telling a hungry man to quit eating. If you do not eat, you starve. The thing is, you do not need to starve. To avoid heart disease, you need a healthy diet. Instead of a hamburger, eat a pizza made with cauliflower crust. I am eating as hearthealthy as I have ever eaten in my life, and my wife is cooking healthier than she ever has. We are enjoying it, and it is good. Sin hinders love, and love hinders sin. God does not just say, “Don’t sin.” He offers an alternative. He does not just issue a negative command; He wants positive action. He wants that cold, hard heart to change. He wants it to be soft and warm and beat with purpose. He wants you to become a differencemaker. Lord, I want to invest my energy in doing good and not evil. I want to make a difference. For further study: Titus 2:11–14
SEPTEMBER 19