Cry to God with Grace

Isaiah 58:9-11
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, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

To cry out to God (in prayer) brings us near when we are not pointing out and condemning others, but when we reach out to help those in need around us.  As much as we do this to the least of these, we do to Him.  Then His light will guide us as we pray and live life - then we can be fruitful and find joy and fulfillment in our relationship with God in Christ as we please Him by loving others because He first loved us.

What is the most important truth of the Bible and why?  That while we were still sinners (thinking and doing all against God), Christ Jesus suffered and died and rose again for us to offer reconciliation with God.

Peace With God

Isaiah 57:19-21
“I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “And I will heal him.”  20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.  21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”

Those who are known by God may wander off, but He heals and restores them, bringing peace.  Those who have not been made right before God in Christ are still wicked in their hearts (opposed to and not accepting God on His terms not in Jesus Christ) - and so find no peace, having troubled hearts and open wounds of the soul.  The good news is that Jesus Christ offers restoration and lasting peace. 

Humble and Contrite Heart of Repentance

Isaiah 57:15-16  
For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  16 For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made.

God dwells in Forever.  He is holy.  And He wants us to live with Him, having humility and brokenness over our sin in light of His eternity and holiness.  He looks for a contrite and humble heart of repentance, of turning from sin to Him.  Those who pursue these things from the heart will find life and forgiveness, mercy in place of His anger over our sin. Christ restores this relationship; we then follow with joy, peace, and humility.  John 3:16-21

God Preserves From Evil

Isaiah 57:1

The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil.

God preserves His own in ways and thoughts beyond our own; sometimes His mercy takes us home to be spared living among the evil men do, especially when living righteously enough to be grieved constantly by it all.  I thank God that He knows best. 

Seed and Bread of His Word

Isaiah 55:10-11
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

God's word can be like snow that slowly melts as the heart and mind beneath thaw to its nourishment, or can be like rain that pours down and brings life nearly instantly.  The food that results is certain and effective to cause life and growth, because when God speaks through the written or read Bible, the effects are real and give life.  No manmade philosophy or wisdom can change the dead into living and growing.  The seed of His word provides the bread of life (John 1:1, 14). 

Listen, Hear, and Live

Isaiah 55:2-3, 6-7  
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.  3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.  Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—The sure mercies of David.  6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.  7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Why do people spend time, effort, and money trying to earn their way to God, when it is impossible?  Listen to what God said in the Bible through the prophets and His Son Jesus Christ - then you will find mercy, life, and peace with Him.  Seek Him out, turn from wrong to right thoughts and actions; Christ Jesus will forgive completely and freely give what you can never earn.    Remember those who have fought to set men free, and then the One who died to set all free! 

Our Righteousness is From God

Isaiah 54:17 
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

God looks over His people.  In the end, those who persecute us will face judgment, while we find Christ's righteousness in and over us as our heritage in Him.  Though He may not always protect our bodies, He preserves our souls.  Truly our only righteousness comes from Him, imputed to us as it is accounted to us as seen in Christ! 

Eternal Mercy of Kindness

Isaiah 54:8-10 
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.  9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.  10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

Just as God promised never to flood the earth to destroy sinful man again, as with Noah He shows mercy forever in love.  The deliverance from sin's wages is His promise of forgiveness in a salvation that cannot be undone or taken away.  His covenant that brings peace in making us right with Him will never be taken away - and we cannot give it up either.  This is eternal grace's security. 

Sheep Gone Astray Called Back

Isaiah 53:6, 11-12 
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.  By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.  12 ...Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Again I am in awe of God's plan to bring us back to Himself from our disobedience and unworthiness - in Christ who was to come Isaiah gave the message how the Christ would see our wandering in sin, take on our sin as if He should take our punishment instead, let Himself be murdered with criminals, and do all to be able to stand between us and God's just punishment to deliver us.  He set us free who believe. 

The Messiah Bore Our Grief and Sorrow

Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.  5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Jesus Christ took our pain of sin and sadness as if it were His own, to the point where He seemed afflicted by God.  These were our sins on the sinless one.  He then was beaten to suffer in our place for our due punishment, bringing peace in reconciling us to God.  He healed us by being beaten, then died to cover our sin's justice, but also rose again to offer hope in a rebirth, a way to finally be able to do as He says out of love and with Him living inside us! 

Beautiful Feet of Messengers of Salvation

Isaiah 52:6-7 
Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘ Behold, it is I. ’  7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

God spoke as Jesus Christ to us, showing He and the Father are one.  So now we should be telling others that good news, that God has done what offers us a way to be reconciled with Him - finding peace in deliverance from our hopeless separation from Him by our sin.  He truly is Lord of all.  He reigns over each person and the entire universe.  These feet of ours are to be beautiful messengers of salvation. 

His Law in Our Hearts

Isaiah 51:7-8  
“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults.  8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation.”

Why fear men when God has put His heart into ours, writing His words and intent as Law into us who are reborn?  Those opposed to God will pass away, but His righteousness and salvation in us is forever.  Eternity outlasts evil intent. 

God Pleased by Our Repentance, Not Damnation

Ezekiel 18:23  
Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “ and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

Ezekiel 18:31-32   Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

Mark 1:14-15   14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “ The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

God has always called us to turn from sin to Him (repentance).  It is not His intention that we die in our sin and have to be separated from Him (hell) after we die - so Jesus not only began by telling us to repent, but also to believe the good news, the gospel.  God was in Himself reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, and we must turn and believe, accepting all He said and did for us. 

See Christ and Worship Him!

Matthew 28:17-20  
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “ All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

God in Christ has all authority and power, so why do some doubt and not worship Him?  Those of us who know Him and that He is absolute in authority (Lord of all), why do we then not make disciples and teach them all Jesus taught us?  He is with us until the end of this world and into forever.  Let us walk with Him eternally now...

... teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:20) 

Heaven and Earth Will Pass Away...

Isaiah 51:6  
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath.  For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.

In the end, God will remake the universe (heaven and earth).  He will then make all things new.  Though this is all temporary, the salvation offered to us will never end or be taken away, and He will remain righteous.  So we must live to please Him - not out of fear to lose our deliverance from sin and death and hell, but out of reverent love and thanksgiving.

2 Peter 3:11-13

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 

Motives of a Loyal Heart and Willing Mind

1 Chronicles 28:9 
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

1 Corinthians 4:5   Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.

God searches through our hearts to see what our motives are; He alone knows the deep things that others (and even ourselves) do not always readily grasp.  God is not looking for us to earn His love and acceptance for salvation, yet wants our loyal hearts driven by love to please Him behind all we think, do, and say.  When we stand before Him, we will see clearly in this dim mirror. 

Trust and Obey in the Light

Isaiah 50:10
“Who among you fears the Lord?  Who obeys the voice of His Servant?  Who walks in darkness And has no light?  Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God.

Trust God, fear Him, and do as He says.  Christ gave us commands to follow so we would find light in this present darkness around us.  So we can rely on Him fully and walk with Him.   We are to trust and obey as we walk in His light. 

Face as a Flint, Absolute Trust in God

Isaiah 50:7-9  
“For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.  8 He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me?  Let us stand together.  Who is My adversary?  Let him come near Me.  9 Surely the Lord God will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me?  Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up.

God in Jesus Christ has completely justified me, no matter who argues against me or tries to condemn me.  They literally can die trying to attack me, as Christ's work on my behalf is finished forever on the cross and up from the grave!  So I rely fully on His help and will not be ashamed nor disgraced as a son of the most high one.  My face is set in determined security as a flint, absolutely trusting in God and His work for me in Christ on the cross! 

Words of Wisdom Come From God

Isaiah 50:4, 5  
“The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary.  He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned."  5 The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.

God gives me wisdom and understanding - so that I can help others with a word.  Words of wisdom come only from God.  Each day I awaken to listen, as I am now doing, to hear and not turn from whatever challenge or rebuke or encouragement I need.  He opens the eyes of my heart and ears to hear that I may serve Him and others.  

Heavens Sing and the Earth Rejoices!

Isaiah 49:13

Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.

God's grace and mercy and comfort shown to us in Jesus the Christ should fill us with such joy that we cannot help but sing it out to our Lord.  This grace of God's comfort and mercy cause the very heavens to sing (Luke 15:7, 10)! 

In His Acceptable Time

Isaiah 49:8-9
Thus says the Lord:  “In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth, ’ To those who are in darkness, ‘ Show yourselves. ’ “They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.

God rescued me from the darkness of sin and ignorance of Him; shining in my soul He opened my eyes.  Called to light, the beckoning is also to fight - reconciling the world to Himself I speak.  So the prisoners who listen find freedom in light, Christ setting them free for eternity.  How those released from death's soul bondage now can feed and grow, no longer desolate, but full in righteousness!  This is in His acceptable time, as He draws and calls us out. 

Redeemer Who Leads into Peace

Isaiah 48:17-18 
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.  18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments!  Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

God leads the way we should go for our advantage and His glory.  When we follow in obedience from the heart and not just to avoid punishment, He gives peace and righteousness.  Ultimately we only are righteous in Christ, but the effect of walking with Him in step with His Spirit living inside us (putting deeds of flesh to death as we work out our salvation) is practical and effectual righteousness.  This is peace with God in Christ. 

Message from the Beginning

Isaiah 48:3-7 
“I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it.  Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.  5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.'  6 “You have heard; See all this.  And will you not declare it?  I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them.  7 They are created now and not from the beginning; And before this day you have not heard them, Lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.’

God revealed over and over what He was going to do, often such new unseen things to show there is no way anyone could say they knew that would happen.  All this is to show us who doubt just how much God knows and can do.  If we do not give Him the due credit (praise, glory), then we miss the mark.  Our idols of atheism, self reliance and pride of life (our knowledge, intelligence) all fall short of His works and control over the universe. 

Our Own Way Leads to Death

Isaiah 47:10-11  
“For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, “ No one sees me’; Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.'  11 Therefore evil shall come upon you; You shall not know from where it arises.  And trouble shall fall upon you; You will not be able to put it off.  And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, Which you shall not know.

Many people think they can do whatever they want, no matter how evil in God's eyes, and not be held accountable.  Some go so far as to think there is no God to answer to.  But God will judge them, and they will answer in this life and forever unless they admit they are sinners (do evil by God's standards), believe that only God is and they are not, trust in Christ's sacrifice in their place for answering to the fair punishment of their sin, and then being remade inside to know God sees all - and follow Him. 

Sovereignly Carried to Old Age

Isaiah 46:4,9-10 
Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you!  I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.  9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure, ’

God always carries His people, even until we are old and grey.  He alone delivers, so we must take time to look back and confess that it has always been His work in our lives; there is no other God, and we have not been responsible for all that He has done.  He does all, and time is in His hands as the future is always known to the omniscient One. 

Every Knee Will Bow to the Savior

Isaiah 45:22-23  
“Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other.  23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.  24 He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him.

... Philippians 2:10-11   that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Deliverance is only in our great God and savior, Jesus Christ!  Every knee will certainly bow in submission and adoration to our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1).  He spoke, we bow to Him as Lord, confessing who He is - and admit the only righteousness we have, the only power, is in Him.  In the end, those who hate Him will face judgment in shame forever.  God gets the honor and glory when we believe when He says we are unrighteous, every one of us, and trust Christ's goodness to be ours when He makes us anew.  

Saved with Everlasting Salvation!

Isaiah 45:15-17  
Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior! 16 They shall be ashamed And also disgraced, all of them; They shall go in confusion together, Who are makers of idols.  17 But Israel shall be saved by the Lord With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever.

As the end of the preceding verse says, "They will make supplication to you, saying, ‘ Surely God is in you, And there is no other; There is no other God. ’”   When Jesus gives us new life, others can see Him, the one who "hides" Himself in us.  People will serve idols of their own hands or imagination's work, but deliverance from our sin and its just punishment is only in God through Jesus.  That is forever - from before time and past its ending.  There is no shame or disgrace in our God.  Ever. 

This Clay Does Not Rule the Potter's Hand

Isaiah 45:9, 12-13  
“Woe to him who strives with his Maker!  Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!  Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘ What are you making? ’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?  13 I have made the earth, And created man on it.  I—My hands — stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded.  13 I have raised him up in righteousness, And I will direct all his ways;

We have no ground to stand on that we can accuse God in how He makes us or whom He chooses for what purpose, even if that purpose is to allow sin’s punishment to bring judgement.  He hardens whoever He chooses, and shows mercy on who He wills; it is not our judgement to direct His will or to condemn Him, since we are all condemned in our own sin already (Romans 9:15-18, 20-23).  This clay does not rule the Potter's hand, but is subject to His good will to make and use us as He planned.