Choices- Life with Peace or Death?

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The Lord has Isaiah end his book of prophecy with both a glimpse of reprieve and hope for believers and the reality of judgement and eternal punishment for unbelievers. Throughout the book the Lord has been reaching out to believers to follow Him. In verse 2 God declares who He is and what he desires of each believer. “Has not my hand made all these things,
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
    and who tremble at my word. Do you believe that God is the creator of all things? If so, do you weigh His power and seek to humble yourself before Him? Are you sorry for you sins, remorseful and contrite seeking to follow His plans for you in His Word? Plainly do you believe in Who He is and if so are you willing to humble yourself before Him?

God promises peace, comfort, joy and judgement on evil for all those who believe and follow Him. vs12-13 “For this is what the Lord says: “I will extend peace to her like a river,
    and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
    and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,
    so will I comfort you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

vs. 14 “When you see this, your heart will rejoice
    and you will flourish like grass;
the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants,
    but his fury will be shown to his foes.” vs 16 “For with fire and with his sword
    the Lord will execute judgment on all people,
    and many will be those slain by the Lord.”

Isaiah does not water his message down so that people like it better. He lays it out for us clearly that God desires our obedience and humility and our rewards will be great. The alternative is grim and filled with pain and desolation.

Jesus gave this message too in Matthew 11:18 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” In Him is rest and peace but apart from Him you have nothing. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” James 1:15 “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Sin leads to death when one is apart from Christ. Hear his plea and come to Him. He has rest for all of us. Because He created us with a free will, the choice is yours. Which will you choose- life in Christ or not?

Linda

Good News! Isaiah 65 Reveals What is coming!

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Chapter 65 of Isaiah begins with God’s answer to Isaiah’s prayerful answer of how long will you hold yourself back from us? 64:12 “After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?
    Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?” The Lord answers Isaiah by saying He has revealed himself to those who did not ask and to His people even in their obstinance. 65:1-2 ““I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;   I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,     I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
2 All day long I have held out my hands  to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good,
    pursuing their own imaginations—” The Lord continues His discussion through verse16. I am encouraged by verses 13-15 as the Lord explains how those who are His servants will be treated differently. “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty;
my servants will rejoice,  but you will be put to shame.14 My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out  from anguish of heart  and wail in brokenness of spirit.15 You will leave your name
    for my chosen ones to use in their curses; the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
    but to his servants he will give another name.” This shows a stark contrast in the way God will treat those who love and serve Him!

An exceptional portion filled with beautiful language begins in verses 17-25. Just as God had promised Isaiah to reveal new things (Isaiah 42:9 and 48:6), He does so here. He allows us a glimpse of what our world will be like in heaven. The New Heavens and New Earth are described here and reflect the similar message given in Revelation.

“See, I will create  new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered,
    nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever  in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
    and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem  and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying
    will be heard in it no more. Revelation 7:17b ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes “

20 “Never again will there be in it  an infant who lives but a few days,  or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred  will be thought a mere child the one who fails to reach a hundred  will be considered accursed. Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

21 They will build houses and dwell in them;    they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,  or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,  so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy
    the work of their hands. Revelation 21:7  “Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”
23 They will not labor in vain,  nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,  they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;  while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,  and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
    and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord. Revelation 22:1-5 ” Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”

I had not realized how similar this description given to Isaiah parallel the descriptions given to John in Revelation. God’s Word is consistent and reassuring beginning to end. We are His and He does not change His standards or rewards from generation to generation. Cling to our immutable God and claim Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” we can know He has a glorious future awaiting us and will treat us as ones He loves.

Linda

Give yourself Hope, Apply Chapter 64 of Isaiah

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The 64th Chapter of Isaiah has some very precious verses for us. It begins with the prophet exclaiming how the God of the universe could come down and make his name known to his enemies and cause the nations to tremble or quake. verse 1-2 “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2  as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    and that the nations might tremble at your presence! God has the power to do all of this and has done so in the past.

No one is like God. vs.4 “From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.” There has never been a God who has heard and seen His people like He does.

Then the prophet remembers their sinfulness and uncleanness. He realizes his place and those of all people in relation to holy God. vs. 6 “We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” We are polluted, filled with sin and it is our undoing. What can we do? We cannot do enough good deeds to clean ourselves up to God’s standards.

Isaiah turns to God and humbles himself. He recognizes Creator God and pleads for himself and the people. vs 8-9 “But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
    and remember not iniquity forever.
    Behold, please look, we are all your people. ” We too need to realize our need to turn to God and depend upon His grace and mercy. Jesus made a way.

Isaiah sees the temple destroyed, treasures in ruin and pleads with the Lord to not keep silent. vs. 11-12 “Our holy and beautiful house,
    where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
    and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
12 Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord?
    Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

As you read and meditate upon these verses think about how you see God in your life? What has He done that you can praise Him for, recall His blessings or know for certain He is God? Praise Him and tell Him what He means to you. What sin do you need to confess? Do you readily recognize your own sinfulness and ask for forgiveness? Keep short accounts with your God.

Do you know who you are in relation to almighty God? Are you humble or proud in His presence? Examine your own attitude and acknowledge Him as Creator.

What havoc is happening in your life that you can bring to God? Isaiah saw great ruin, maybe you do too. Isaiah brought his concerns and anxiety to God and laid it at His feet. Jesus asks us to do the same. Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” 1 John 4:4 “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Look to Jesus as Isaiah did. He called upon the Lord and reminded himself of who God is and what He had done. Moses admonished Joshua to remind the people (them, us and me) of who God is constantly. Deuteronomy 18:18 ” You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Remembering is key so we do not lapse into despair, unbelief or hopelessness and keep strong and trusting in the Lord. Let your remembering bring you to you knees. Look to Jesus, He knows you and will forgive, comfort and sustain you in all times in all ways.

Linda

Remembering is Essential

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As I read and studied Chapter 63 of Isaiah, I was overwhelmed by the mighty things God has done for His people in spite of their sinfulness. Isaiah pours his heart out to Almighty God in prayer. First he proclaims to God, and in the process reminds himself of what God has done on their behalf. He speaks of good things that showed God’s love and compassion, His heartache over their sin and how He sent an angel to redeem them. In their rebellion they grieved the Holy Spirit, but as they remembered God and what He had done- they softened and returned to Him. Isaiah 63:7-14

I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
    the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
    and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
    children who will not deal falsely.”
    And he became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted,
    and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
    he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

When have you felt the angel of God’s presence save you? How has He personally redeemed you from difficult circumstances, from sinful situations, from hopelessness? If He has, then you can identify with the heart-filled words of Isaiah. Let your amazement and thanks be voiced to God in prayer.

10 But they rebelled
    and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
    and himself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old,
    of Moses and his people.
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
    with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
    his Holy Spirit,
12 who caused his glorious arm
    to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
    to make for himself an everlasting name,
13     who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
    they did not stumble.
14 Like livestock that go down into the valley,
    the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
    to make for yourself a glorious name.

How has remembering the good things God has done for you turned you back to Him? In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy Moses continually reminded the children of Israel to remember Him! Moses included admonitions to remember God 9 times in the book of Deuteronomy. Here are a couple: Deuteronomy 8:18 “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Remember God’s power and His promises.

Deuteronomy 9:7 “Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.” Remember your own sinfulness and the consequences of your sins.

Deuteronomy 24:18 “but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.” Remember what you were before you were saved. Moses wanted the people to remember who God is, what He has done and how we get into trouble when we do not remember.

Do you keep a remembrance diary? This could be a simple as a list of answered prayers, miracles God had done for you personally or even things God has done for others that showed His power. Reviewing those things frequently helps to keep us focused and not so busy that we feel we don’t have time for God in our lives. Satan uses the busyness of our lives to distract us and that helps us forget our need for God in our lives. Be like Isaiah and incorporate your ‘thanks and reembraces’ into your prayers. It will strengthen your walk of faith and increase your devotion to God.

Linda

Important facts about God

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In Isaiah Chapters 61 and 62, the prophet us a glimpse into God’s love for the city of Jerusalem. He had dwelt in the temple and was present with the people for years. He had left because of their rampant sinfulness but God cherished this city. You can hear the grief in scripture over the destruction of the city that was to come at the hands of the Babylonians. He wanted the exiled Jews to know it was destroyed because of their sinfulness. God wanted to reassure them that He loved Jerusalem and would see it restored and redeemed. He refers to the city as ‘her’ and promises restoration.

Isaiah 62:1-4 “Because I love Zion,
    I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,   I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her  until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
    and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness.    World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.
3 The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
    a splendid crown in the hand of God.

The word pictures of shining, blazing, new name and splendid crown speak of God’s love for this city.

Not only does God love His city, He also loves the people who live within. He promised believers a savior to redeem and purify them.

Isaiah 62:12-13 “The Lord has sent this message to every land:
    “Tell the people of Israel,
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
12 They will be called “The Holy People”
    and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
    and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

In Chapter 63, Isaiah continues to be reminded of the past, recalling their sins. However, he does not focus upon these facts but proclaims the goodness of God. Keeping the right focus is everything!

Isaiah 63:7-8 “I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
    I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
    which he has granted according to his mercy and love.” 8 He said, “They are my very own people.
    Surely they will not betray me again.”
    And he became their Savior.

Why is this perspective important? We can see those things that are important to God. The place where God dwells is sacred. In the Old Testament it was in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple. In New Testament times it is within the heart of the believer! God expects us to treat His dwelling place with honor and respect. We are to strive to keep His ways within us. We also see that God loves the believer and rejoices over, claims and seeks to cover them with mercy and love. God considers us His very own!

Just like how God did not give up on the children of Israel, He will not give up on each of us. He seeks to love and bestow mercy and love lavishly upon each of us! Praise God! Thank you Jesus!

Linda

Precious Promises from our Savior

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Isaiah 61 is a chapter filled with encouragement from the coming Messiah. The believers could read it and be filled with hope at his coming. We can read it and know that He is real and the things He promises will come to pass providing a future filled with love, protection, fulfillment and justice. In verses 1-3 we see a picture of what Jesus did for us and continues to do for us through faith in Him.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
    for the Lord has anointed me Jesus preached to the poor in spirit-
    to bring good news to the poor. the good news of salvation.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
    and to proclaim that captives will be released Faith in Jesus brings comfort and freedom
    and prisoners will be freed. from the bondage of sin.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
    that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, Jesus brings comfort to those who
    and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. mourn over their sins.
 To all who mourn in Israel,
    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, Sorrow of sin will be turned to gladness in Christ.
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks Through Jesus’ righteousness we will
    that the Lord has planted for his own glory. mature and bring Him glory.

As the chapter continues, Messiah promises hope: verses 3,7 use the word instead of____

 3 instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor. 7 Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours.

In addition to these promises God says in verse 8, “For I, the Lord, love justice;
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant with them.“

What do these verse teach us about God? He loves us and desires to provide for us abundantly. He desires to turn sorrow into gladness. He desires go give us a double portion and provide us with everlasting joy! God loves justice and will be eternally faithful to us who love and trust in Him. What a marvelous God in which we can put our faith and trust! We are so blessed.

Isaiah 61:10 concludes this chapter and is the perfect response to God’s blessed provision for us. I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

May your heart be filled with His glorious promises.

Linda

A Hope-filled Future! Catch a glimpse today

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Have you ever read a portion of scripture that shouts out to your very soul the beauty and majesty of God and how beautiful life in heaven will be with Him? Isaiah Chapter 60 does this for me. The beginning of the chapter speaks of the opulent beauty of the New Jerusalem and how it will be adorned with His glory. There His glory will be overwhelming. vs 1 “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.  For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. It will be a place of light. vs.4,5 “Look and see, for everyone is coming home!  Your sons are coming from distant lands;   your little daughters will be carried home.5 Your eyes will shine, and your heart will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you.  They will bring you the wealth of many lands. It will be a gathering place filled with His radiance, wealth and His people. God will truly make this a place we will long to be, a shelter and haven. vs. 17-18 “I will exchange your bronze for gold,  your iron for silver, your wood for bronze,  and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler. 18 Violence will disappear from your land;  the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls,  and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.”

As Isaiah ends this chapter, God describes the light of heaven and the character and actions of those who will dwell there. It truly gives me hope for the future.

vs. 19-22 “No longer will you need the sun to shine by day,
    nor the moon to give its light by night,
for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set;
    your moon will not go down.
For the Lord will be your everlasting light.
    Your days of mourning will come to an end.
21 All your people will be righteous.
    They will possess their land forever,
for I will plant them there with my own hands
    in order to bring myself glory.
22 The smallest family will become a thousand people,
    and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation.
    At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” God will do this because it will bring Him glory and peace and joy to His children. He will provide for us and promises to make it happen when the time is right. This provides us with hope as we ponder our future time with the Lord and His wondrous gifts to come.

Linda

God seeks Justice. Therefore, Thank You Jesus!

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Have you ever considered what God sees from heaven? What must he think of our societies, loose morals, violence and injustices? We catch a glimpse of what God thinks about what He see in Isaiah 59 as the sins of mankind are discussed.

Isaiah 59:14-15 Justice is turned back,
    and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
    and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
    and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
    that there was no justice.

This is a very bleak scene. God’s response is to don his battle armor and set about righting the situation, in verses 16-17 “He saw that there was no man,
    and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
    and his righteousness upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
    and a helmet of salvation on his head;”
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
    and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

Those who have done wrong will receive their just punishment, in verses 18-20.

According to their deeds, so will he repay,
    wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
    to the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
    and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,
    which the wind of the Lord drives.

Isaiah ends this portion of scripture with the encouraging words from God in verse 20-21.

“And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
    to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord. 21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

What do we learn about God from this chapter of Isaiah? He is a just God and cannot tolerate sin. He is longsuffering but He has his limits. The Old Testament attests of God’s story of patience towards the Israelites as they continually worshipped other gods and would forsake God for long periods to ‘do their own thing’. The Old Testaments says ‘they did what was right in their own eyes’ repeatedly. God punishes sin, Biblical truth- sin has consequences always. God desires that we repent of our sins and turn to Him. We also learn that God is a promise keeping God who is always with us and will not forsake us. He will bless us with His Holy Spirit and redeem us so we can be with Him forever. God is eternal and desires we spend eternity with Him. I also see a merciful and forgiving God who wants to see us turn to Him.

May you be encouraged today to seek Him, adjust your attitude and heart and let Jesus cleanse and forgive you. Our hope is in Jesus and the power of His work on the cross to redeem us. Thank you Jesus.

Linda

Would God consider you well-watered?

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Isaiah begins Chapter 58 by pointing out the hypocrisy of the Jews in their worship of God. They claim they are humbly fasting but God says otherwise in verses 3-4. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
    ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond.  “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,  you keep oppressing your workers. 4 What good is fasting  when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.” They see themselves as observant but God points to their heart motives as they are doing the fasting to please themselves and living as oppressors towards those who work for them. We cannot lie to God as He see the true nature of our hearts! God calls them out as self-serving and points out how He wants them to act towards others in verses 6-7. “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;  lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. 7 Share your food with the hungry,  and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”

When we do as God desires, with hearts are aligned to His, then God promises light, healing, to have our backs, to answers our cries for help, to lift oppression, that night will become like day and as our guide He will bring us satifcation in life so that we are like a well-watered garden. Let the truth of these verses, 8-11, empower and calm you.

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
    and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
    and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
    ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
    Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry,
    and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
    and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
    giving you water when you are dry
    and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like an ever-flowing spring.

God promises to guide, care and tend to us as His special ones. He loves us and wants the best for us. He wants us to grow and thrive under His care. Are you not touched by His calming words and promises here? I am. I want to do the things that please and honor Him so that He will cultivate and grow me to be more and more like Jesus. How about you? Pray for guidance both physical and spiritual in your life. Pray for His strength and continued grow as you study and learn more about Him. God promises to quickly respond to your call, 9. Call upon Him today.

Linda

Choices-when you Know you’re wrong! Can you live with it?

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What do you do when you know you’ve done wrong? You can deny it. You can wallow and continue doing wrong. You can stop doing wrong and turn over a new leaf, so to speak, on you own. OR You can stop, repent- be sorry for your wrong doing- and turn from doing what is wrong, seeking God’s help to go in a new way away. In Isaiah 57, God is confronting the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah. In verses 1-13, Isaiah points out their sins towards God. They were worshiping other gods as they made offerings to stone idols, put up pagan symbols in their homes, and burned incense to the wicked god Molech. God questions the Israelites and asks, who will you turn to when you are in trouble? Your collection of idols will not answer and no help will be found in them. God ends this confrontation with challenge and hope. Isaiah 57:11-13 “Are you afraid of these idols?
    Do they terrify you?
Is that why you have lied to me
    and forgotten me and my words?
Is it because of my long silence
    that you no longer fear me?
12 Now I will expose your so-called good deeds.
    None of them will help you.
13 Let’s see if your idols can save you
    when you cry to them for help.
Why, a puff of wind can knock them down!
    If you just breathe on them, they fall over!
But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land
    and possess my holy mountain.”

What are you doing now or have done in the past that God is confronting you about it? Where are you putting your hope and trust? Are you placing your hope in man-made things or people instead of God? God says the idols you so hopefully worship and put your trust in can be knocked over by the wind, they will not answer you or support you when you ask for help. God alone promises help and restoration with an inheritance!

I love God’s promise in Isaiah 57:15 “The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,    the Holy One, says this:
“I live in the high and holy place
    with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble
    and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.” God says He dwells with the one who is contrite in spirit and humble. Contrite is an old-fashioned word that means one who shows sincere remorse, and has a sense of guilt and desires atonement. God seeks those who have a repentant heart and desire to turn to Him for help. He promises restoration and revived courage to live rightly. In verse 19 He promises peace, “I will comfort those who mourn,
19     bringing words of praise to their lips.
May they have abundant peace, both near and far,”
    says the Lord, who heals them.”

Restoration, peace and healing are to be found with God! Praise God! In Him we will find hope and forgiveness. If we do not make the choice to come to Him with a contrite and humble heart, verse 20-21 tell of the consequences that await us. “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea,
    which is never still
    but continually churns up mud and dirt.
21 There is no peace for the wicked,”
    says my God.“

Again, I ask, what do you do when you know you’ve done wrong? The Isarelites who turned back to God and recieved His forgiveness that was filled with grace, mercy and hope. Those who did not turn back to God were rejected and found no peace. Consider the power of repentance and the cost of being unrepentant. Which will you choose?

Linda