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Speaker 1: Hey friends, it's Kelly from Life Audio. We just launched

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Speaker 1: something new. It's called The Good Word, our free weekly

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Speaker 1: newsletter built for people who want to go a little

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Speaker 1: deeper in their faith. Thank devotionals, guided prayers, curated podcast recommendations,

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Speaker 1: and a little community all in one place. No ads,

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Speaker 1: just good content. This one means a lot to us.

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Speaker 1: We built The Good Word based on the audience survey

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Speaker 1: so many of you filled out a few months back.

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Speaker 1: You told us what you wanted, and we listened. So

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Speaker 1: thank you truly for helping us shape this. Head to

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Speaker 1: the link in the show notes and join our community today.

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Speaker 1: We'd love to have you.

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Speaker 2: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your nightly Scripture,

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Speaker 2: a Calling Scripture Center devotional podcast designed to help you

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Speaker 2: end each day with God's word in your mind and

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Speaker 2: on your heart. Right after the short word from our sponsors,

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Speaker 2: will reflect on Tonight's scripture Isaiah fifty eight. Tonight's scripture

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Speaker 2: reflection is written by Lynette Kittle and read by Lea Gerard.

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Speaker 2: Isaiah chapter fifty eight. Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

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Speaker 2: Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people

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Speaker 2: their rebellion, and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

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Speaker 2: For day after day they seek me out. They seem

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Speaker 2: eager to know my ways, as if they were a

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Speaker 2: nition that does what is right and is not forsaken

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Speaker 2: the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions,

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Speaker 2: and seem eager for God to come near them. Why

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Speaker 2: have we fasted, they say, and you've not seen it?

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Speaker 2: Why have we humbled ourselves? And you've not noticed yet?

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Speaker 2: On the day of your fasting, you do as you

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Speaker 2: please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in

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Speaker 2: quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists.

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Speaker 2: You cannot fast as you do today and expect your

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Speaker 2: voice to be heard on high? Is this the kind

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Speaker 2: of fast I have chosen? Only a day for people

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Speaker 2: to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head

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Speaker 2: like a reed, and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?

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Speaker 2: Is that what you call a fast? A day acceptable

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Speaker 2: to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting

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Speaker 2: I have chosen to loose the chains of injustice and

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Speaker 2: untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed

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Speaker 2: free and break every yoke? Is it not to share

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Speaker 2: your food with the hungry, and to provide the poor

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Speaker 2: wanderer with shelter. When you see the naked, to clothe them,

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Speaker 2: and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood.

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Speaker 2: Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and

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Speaker 2: your healing will quickly appear. Then your righteousness will go

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Speaker 2: before you, and the glory of the Lord will be

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Speaker 2: your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord

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Speaker 2: will answer. You will cry for help, and he will say,

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Speaker 2: here am I. If you do away with the yoke

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Speaker 2: of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and

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Speaker 2: if you spend yourself in behalf of the hungry, and

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Speaker 2: satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will

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Speaker 2: rise in the darkness, and your night will become like

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Speaker 2: the noonday. The Lord will guide you always. He will

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Speaker 2: satisfy your needs in a sun's scorched land, and will

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Speaker 2: strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden,

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Speaker 2: like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will

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Speaker 2: rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age

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Speaker 2: old foundations. You will be called repairer of broken walls,

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Speaker 2: restorer of streets with dwellings. If you keep your feet

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Speaker 2: from breaking the Sabbath, and from doing as you please

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Speaker 2: on my holy day. If you call the Sabbath a

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Speaker 2: delight and the Lord's Holy day honorable, and if you

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Speaker 2: honor it by not going your own way and not

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Speaker 2: doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you'll

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Speaker 2: find your joy in the Lord. And I will cause

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Speaker 2: you to ride in triumph on the heights of the

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Speaker 2: land and to feast on the inheritance of your father, Jacob,

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Speaker 2: For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Following religious

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Speaker 2: practices doesn't necessarily mean we are truly worshiping God, because

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Speaker 2: while some of us are praying and fasting at the

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Speaker 2: same time, we may be condemning others with our words,

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Speaker 2: as well as pointing out their sins to others. When

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Speaker 2: we do, God doesn't count it as honoring him. Rather,

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Speaker 2: in Isaiah fifty eight, he calls us to first examine

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Speaker 2: our own hearts, looking at how we're choosing to worship Him.

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Speaker 2: If we're spending hours and days praying and fasting, yet

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Speaker 2: all the while mistreating and oppressing those around us, then

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Speaker 2: he will not hear us or answer our pleas to him.

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Speaker 2: To truly worship God is to lovingly and sacrificially obey

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Speaker 2: his word, especially when it comes to how we're treating

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Speaker 2: each other. Rather than build ourselves up with our spiritual practices,

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Speaker 2: He's asking us to minister to those around us out

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Speaker 2: of loving hearts, reaching out to them with kindness, compassion,

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Speaker 2: and generosity. God clearly spells out in his word how

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Speaker 2: we can truly worship Him, as well as the benefits

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Speaker 2: we receive when we do, such as our light going

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Speaker 2: out before us into the darkness, powerful enough to break

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Speaker 2: the chains of bondage for those we minister to. Following

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Speaker 2: his ways assures us that He will hear us when

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Speaker 2: we call out to him, not only meeting the needs

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Speaker 2: of others, but also satisfying our lives and continually guiding

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Speaker 2: our way and strengthening our bodies, both inside and out. God,

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Speaker 2: lead me today and every day to choose to worship

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Speaker 2: you in spirit and in truth. Guard my heart from

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Speaker 2: falling into forms of worship while my heart dishonors your

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Speaker 2: name by mistreating others in words and deeds. Rather, Lord,

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Speaker 2: fill my heart with love for others, the kind of

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Speaker 2: love that brings freedom and life to those around me,

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Speaker 2: and is a true worship that honors your name and

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Speaker 2: brings glory to you. Amen. How did Tonight's scripture speak

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Speaker 2: to you? Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly Scripture

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Speaker 2: Forum discussion. Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture.

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Speaker 2: Tonight's scripture was read from the New International Version by Biblica.

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Speaker 2: All rights reserved. If Tonight's episode blessed you, be sure

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Speaker 2: to follow the show on Apple Podcasts so your next

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Speaker 2: Nightly scripture is ready when you are. Your Nightly Scripture

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Speaker 2: is a production of Life Audience. Oh and Salem Media.

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Speaker 2: Thank you and we'll see you tomorrow. Night