TITLE: Justice Will be Served
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 24:21, In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. NIV
OBSERVATION: The Oracles given by Isaiah to the people in his time must have appeared ominous and fearful. After countless years of rebellion against God by the Israelites and the surrounding nations, the prophet Isaiah was finally declaring the righteous wrath to be placed on these people. But Isaiah also prophesied about the end times, when the LORD would bring to justice all sinners, from the earth’s cities to the heavenly realms. These are the ‘Last Days’ spoken throughout the Old and New Testaments. In those days as proclaimed in Isaiah 24:23, “The LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously.”
APPLICATION: I recently read about the abduction of hundreds of young children per week from countries all over the world, including our own, for the unspeakable and sinful sex trade market. In countries like Rwanda and Sudan, countless tens of thousands of men and women are being injured and massacred in the name of ethnic cleaning. Drug lords throughout the world are making millions of dollars a year from the chemical addictions of thousands who are wasting their lives and dying prematurely.
In the midst of all this evil in our world it is important to keep in mind that although our Lord is a God of love and compassion, he also is just and will punish those who have embraced evil. One day our King, our LORD almighty, will reign on heaven and earth, and their will be no destruction, no sin, no evil.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in the midst of the sin and evil around me, help me not to lose hope of your glorious return and restoration of this planet into the paradise that you have always desired it to be. I Joyfully wait for your return and your glorious reign.
Monday, July 14th , 2008 by Randy
Title
"Trust and Obey"
Scripture
At that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. Isaiah 20:2 (NIV)
Observation
God asked Isaiah to do something very strange! To walk around naked! My notes point out this was to graphically demonstrate Judah's ultimate fate if they chose to join the Ashdod revolt. They too would be stripped naked and taken away as slaves. In the ancient world, it was not unusual for criminals to be stripped and made to walk around naked as a sign of their loss of social status and shame. What amazes me is how willing the prophet was to obey God, even if it meant personal embarrassment.
Application
Isaiah's faith reminds me of a song we often sang growing up called "Trust and Obey." One verse went like this: "Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,But is blessed if we trust and obey." Trust and obey! The Christian life is that simply and it's that hard! I hope God will never ask me to do something as humiliating as he did Isaiah, but I must never put my reputation or personal concerns above obeying Him. I may not understand everything, but I want to completely follow Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please increase my faith! Help me trust you more in every situation. I want to be used by you. Please fill me, cleanse me, mold me, use me. I want to trust and obey you completely! AMEN
"Trust and Obey"
Scripture
At that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. Isaiah 20:2 (NIV)
Observation
God asked Isaiah to do something very strange! To walk around naked! My notes point out this was to graphically demonstrate Judah's ultimate fate if they chose to join the Ashdod revolt. They too would be stripped naked and taken away as slaves. In the ancient world, it was not unusual for criminals to be stripped and made to walk around naked as a sign of their loss of social status and shame. What amazes me is how willing the prophet was to obey God, even if it meant personal embarrassment.
Application
Isaiah's faith reminds me of a song we often sang growing up called "Trust and Obey." One verse went like this: "Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,But is blessed if we trust and obey." Trust and obey! The Christian life is that simply and it's that hard! I hope God will never ask me to do something as humiliating as he did Isaiah, but I must never put my reputation or personal concerns above obeying Him. I may not understand everything, but I want to completely follow Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please increase my faith! Help me trust you more in every situation. I want to be used by you. Please fill me, cleanse me, mold me, use me. I want to trust and obey you completely! AMEN
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