Morning by Morning, November 14 - Defining the Distinction Between the Real and the Counterfeit, the True and the Fake Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I speak out Your name and open up my heart, I welcome You into every area of my life and every moment of my day. ... As I am listening for the leading of Your voice -- lifting up my heart, pressing in with my spirit -- Your voice comes to me through Your prophet Isaiah in Chapter 58. He’s speaking by Your Spirit defining the distinction between what is real and what is counterfeit, what is true and what is fake, what is of the heart and what is of the flesh, what is true righteousness and what is self-righteousness, what is a true religion of relationship with You as an expression Your heart in our world and what is a false religion of going through the motions, just checking the boxes of religious-looking actions and speaking religious-sounding words, completely empty of the passion and power of Your intimate Presence abiding in hearts wholly surrendered to You. You spoke through Isaiah by Your Spirit to the people of his day, as You are speaking to us by Your Spirit today: “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to My people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me daily and delight to know My ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of Me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and You see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 58:1-14) Yes, Lord. I repent of false religion, of self-righteousness, of seeking my own pleasure and setting my own standards even in my spiritual journey rather than fully seeking Your heart and seeking to live out Your word by Your Spirit expressing Your heart through me. What I pray for myself, I pray for my nation and for Your people who are called by Your name throughout our nation. We want You to hear our prayers, to answer when we cry out, to know that You’re with us and for us and moving in Your power among us, declaring, “Here I am.” We desperately need You to rebuild our ancient ruins, to raise up the fallen foundations of many generations, to repair what’s breached, and restore what’s broken. We long for Your light to rise again in our hearts and in our land. Give us this grace to “take delight in the Lord” with true hearts in pure faith again. Then our light shall break forth like the dawn, then our healing shall spring up speedily, then our righteousness shall go before us and the glory of the Lord behind us as our rear guard. Then we shall call and You will answer, “Here I am.” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My friend, may you discern what is true and what is fake, the real from the counterfeit, in your heart and walk with the Lord, letting the true heart and life of the Spirit of the Lord arise and shine through you, in Jesus' name. God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Please share this word to encourage a friend! Anyone can sign up for free at: https://messiah-ministries.org | 
