relationships (Isaiah 16:1-14) Love and Fairness

(Isaiah 16:1-14)

1   Send the tribute lamb to the ruler of the land,
     From Sela by way of the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.
2   Then, like fluttering birds or scattered nestlings,
     The daughters of Moab will be at the crossing places of the Arnon.
3   “Give us advice, make a decision;
     Cast your shadow like night at high noon;
     Hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive.
4   Let the outcasts of Moab stay with you;
     Be a hiding place to them from the destroyer.”
     For the oppressor has come to an end, destruction has ceased,
     Oppressors have been removed from the land.
5   A throne will be established in faithfulness,
     And a judge will sit on it in trustworthiness in the tent of David;
     Moreover, he will seek justice,
     And be prompt in righteousness.

6   We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride;
     Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury;
     His idle boasts are false.
7   Therefore Moab will wail; everyone of Moab will wail.
     You will moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth
     As those who are utterly stricken.
8   For the fields of Heshbon have withered, the vines of Sibmah as well;
     The lords of the nations have trampled down its choice clusters
     Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered to the deserts;
     Its tendrils spread themselves out and passed over the sea.
9   Therefore I will weep bitterly for Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah;
     I will drench you with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh;
     For the shouting over your summer fruits and your harvest has fallen away.
10 Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field;
     In the vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting,
     No treader treads out wine in the presses,
     For I have made the shouting to cease.
11 Therefore my inner being sounds like a harp for Moab.
     And my heart for Kir-hareseth.
12 So it will come about when Moab presents himself,
     When he tires himself upon his high place 
     And comes to his sanctuary to pray,
     That he will not prevail.

13 This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab. 14 But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as a hired worker would count them, the glory of Moab will become contemptible along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We can see that God loves everyone and desires that all come to know Him, and  He gives everyone fair opportunity to make this decision.  But if someone decides to deny the Lord and worship, serve and pray to other gods or just do things their own way, they will be judged and punished.  God will not compromise who He is, otherwise He would not be fair AND just.

At the same time, God loves everyone so much that He came to earth to die on a cross to pay for everyone's sins.  For everyone, of all time!!!  So as verses 1-4 says, for whoever seeks the Lord, we should share the gospel message.  And when they become a fellow believer, accept them into our church with open arms because they are part of God's family.  As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to love and help each other!

Sadly, things in this world are not fair, but God is fair; and so we should treat everyone fairly.  This certainly does not mean befriending or taking sides with criminals, or aiding and abetting criminal activity.  While we are to love even the criminals and not deny them a chance to hear the gospel message and be spiritually saved, we are to be fair and just to help and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as the weak and vulnerable!  As the Lord reaches down to us with His love and fairness, we are to then reach out to others with His love and fairness.

relationships (Isaiah 15:1-9) Appropriate Compassion

(Isaiah 15:1-9)  

1   The pronouncement concerning Moab:
     Certainly in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined;
     Certainly in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.
2   The people have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, to the high places to weep.
     Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba;
     Everyone’s head is bald and every beard is cut off.
3   In their streets they have put on sackcloth;
     On their housetops and in their public squares
     Everyone is wailing, overcome with weeping.
4   Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out,
     Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz;
     Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;
     His soul trembles within him.
5   My heart cries out for Moab;
     His fugitives are as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah,
     For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping;
     Indeed, on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their collapse.
6   For the waters of Nimrim are desolate.
     Indeed, the grass is withered, the new growth has died,
     There is no greenery.
7   Therefore the abundance which they have acquired and stored up,
     They carry it off over the brook of Arabim.
8   For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab,
     Its wailing goes as far as Eglaim and its howling to Beer-elim.
9   For the waters of Dimon are full of blood;
     I will certainly bring added woes upon Dimon,
     A lion upon the fugitives of Moab and the remnant of the land.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We know God desires that all come to know Him personally.  And even though, at the appointed time/s, He will punish unbelievers for their sins, it's not like He wants to do this.  Because He is holy, just and fair and the righteous Judge, we can count on Him to fairly deliver justice and righteousness.  This is a job that we should leave to the Lord.  Our purpose in life is to live out God's love, through our personal relationship with the Lord, and share the gospel message.

As believers, our hearts should hate what God hates, weep over what God weeps over, love what God loves, and desire what God desires.  The balance is in how we show love, sympathy and compassion.  We are to hate sin, while we are to love everyone, no matter what.  This does not mean that we accept the sins that others are committing and say that this is okay.  Breaking laws and committing crimes are wrong and consequences need to be delivered justly by the proper authorities.  

We can share love and compassion to the criminals when they are in prison, serving out their sentences.  But more so, we are told to help and show compassion to victims, the needy and the vulnerable.  It is the Lord who determines what is right or wrong, moral or immoral.  This is also a job that we should leave to the Lord.  Our purpose in life is to live out God's love, through our personal relationship with the Lord, and share the gospel message.

We must also remember that we, ourselves, still struggle with sin, and so, if and when we are to point out someone else's sin, we should first humbly confess our own sins, and then consider how to counsel others in God's love and guidance.  If someone is not a believer, we should not expect them to be living as a believer.  One doesn't have to try to be "good" first before approaching God!  The Lord wants everyone to humbly go to Him as they are, then He forgives and changes people from the inside out.  This is also the Lord's job, and we need to leave this job to Him!  Our purpose in life is to live out God's love, through our personal relationship with the Lord, and share the gospel message.

relationships (Isaiah 14:1-32) Relationship of Refuge

(Isaiah 14:1-32)

1 When the Lord has compassion on Jacob and again chooses Israel, and settles them on their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will make them their own possession in the land of the Lord as male and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors.

3 And it will be on the day when the Lord gives you rest from your hardship, your turmoil, and from the harsh service in which you have been enslaved, 4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,

     “How the oppressor has ceased,
     And how the onslaught has ceased!
5   The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
     The scepter of rulers,
6   Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes,
     Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.
7   The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;
     They break forth into shouts of joy.
8   Even the juniper trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
     ‘Since you have been laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’
9   Sheol below is excited about you, to meet you when you come;
     It stirs the spirits of the dead for you, all the leaders of the earth;
     It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.
10 They will all respond and say to you,
     ‘Even you have become weak as we,
     You have become like us.
11 Your pride and the music of your harps 
     Have been brought down to Sheol;
     Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you
     And worms are your covering.’
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
     You star of the morning, son of the dawn!
     You have been cut down to the earth,
     You who defeated the nations!
13 But you said in your heart,
     ‘I will ascend to heaven;
     I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
     And I will sit on the mount of assembly 
     In the recesses of the north.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
     I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol,
     To the recesses of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you,
     They will closely examine you, saying,
     ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
     Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world like a wilderness
     And overthrew its cities,
     Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
     Each in his own tomb.
19 But you have been hurled out of your tomb
     Like a rejected branch,
     Clothed with those killed who have been pierced with a sword,
     Who go down to the stones of the pit
     Like a trampled corpse.
20 You will not be united with them in burial,
     Because you have ruined your country,
     You have killed your people.
     May the descendants of evildoers never be mentioned.
21 Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons
     Because of the wrongdoing of their fathers.
     They must not arise and take possession of the earth,
     And fill the surface of the world with cities.”

22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of armies, “and eliminate from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and descendants,” declares the Lord. 23 “I will also make it the property of the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of armies.

24 The Lord of armies has sworn, saying, “Certainly, just as I have intended, so it has happened, and just as I have planned, so it will stand, 25 to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders. 26 This is the plan devised against the entire earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. 27 For the Lord of armies has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”

28 In the year that King Ahaz died, this pronouncement came:

29 “Do not rejoice, Philistia, all of you,
     Because the rod that struck you is broken;
     For from the serpent’s root a viper will come out,
     And its fruit will be a winged serpent.
30 Those who are most helpless will eat,
     And the poor will lie down in security;
     I will kill your root with famine,
     And it will kill your survivors.
31 Wail, you gate; cry, you city;
     Melt away, Philistia, all of you!
     For smoke comes from the north,
     And there is no straggler in his ranks.
32 What answer will one give the messengers of the nation?
     That the Lord has founded Zion,
     And the poor of His people will take refuge in it.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verses 12-14 parallel the actions of the Babylonian king to that of Satan's downfall.  But it is the same with anyone who decides that they do not need God in their life.  In arrogance and pride, people try to get to heaven in their own efforts, by either trying to take the place of God, or trying to create God in their own image (which is really just making up a god or gods... which is actually joining Satan's side, and joining in his efforts and activities).  This is a defiant stance which opposes the Lord!

While the Lord is sovereign, He still gives everyone a free choice, with quite a bit of freedom to act upon our choices.  Therefore, there are times it seems that wicked people and nations get away with many terrible things. and they keep getting away with many terrible things.  But as seen in the passage above, God uses those wicked actions to somehow bring about good, and He does bring about justice now.  And one day, at the end of the Tribulation, the wicked will be completely eliminated from the earth and there will be peace for those who have found salvation through Jesus' righteousness during those last seven years of the Jewish Age.  

Verse 17 refers to how Jesus' work on the cross sets the prisoners free from hell, for those who put their faith in Him.  And, meanwhile, even though there is evil all around us, we can take refuge in the Lord and know that He is fair and just.  And in our personal relationship with Him, we can know that He will look out for us because He truly cares what happens to His children.

relationships (Isaiah 13:1-22) Perfect Love Drives Out Fear

(Isaiah 13:1-22)

The pronouncement concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:

2   Lift up a flag on the bare hill,
     Raise your voice to them,
     Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.
3   I have commanded My consecrated ones,
     I have also called for My warriors 
     Who boast in My eminence,
     To execute My anger.
4   A sound of a roar on the mountains,
     Like that of many people!
     A sound of an uproar of kingdoms,
     Of nations gathered together!
     The Lord of armies is mustering the army for battle.
5   They are coming from a distant country,
     From the farthest horizons,
     The Lord and the weapons of His indignation,
     To destroy the whole land.

6   Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!
     It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7   Therefore all hands will fall limp,
     And every human heart will melt.
8   They will be terrified,
     Pains and anguish will take hold of them;
     They will writhe like a woman in labor,
     They will look at one another in astonishment,
     Their faces aflame.
9   Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
     Cruel, with fury and burning anger,
     To make the land a desolation;
     And He will exterminate its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations 
     Will not flash their light;
     The sun will be dark when it rises 
     And the moon will not shed its light.
11 So I will punish the world for its evil 
     And the wicked for their wrongdoing;
     I will also put an end to the audacity of the proud 
     And humiliate the arrogance of the tyrants.
12 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold
     And mankind than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
     And the earth will be shaken from its place 
     At the fury of the Lord of armies 
     In the day of His burning anger.
14 And it will be that, like a hunted gazelle,
     Or like sheep with no one to gather them,
     Each of them will turn to his own people,
     And each of them will flee to his own land.
15 Anyone who is found will be thrust through,
     And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
16 Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces 
     Before their eyes;
     Their houses will be plundered 
     And their wives raped.

17 Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them,
     Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold.
18 And their bows will mow down the young men,
     They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb,
     Nor will their eye pity children.
19 And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride,
     Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation;
     Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there,
     Nor will shepherds allow their flocks to lie down there.
21 But desert creatures will lie down there,
     And their houses will be full of owls;
     Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there.
22 Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers 
     And jackals in their luxurious palaces.
     Her fateful time also will soon come,
     And her days will not be prolonged.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It is so important to remember - the entire Bible in context - that God does not desire to punish anyone, but loves and desires that all come to know Him.  True agape love does not force anyone to love back, and therefore God gave everyone a free will, a choice, and the freedom to act upon their choice/s.  

Because the Lord is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin, which is to have a heart that is prideful and arrogantly opposed to the Lord.  But because God loves the world, He came in flesh to pay the price for all sin, so that anyone who believes in Him (which is to humble one's heart, to accept His free gift of forgiveness and salvation, as well as to embrace a personal relationship with Him) will be saved and have eternal life!

Because of God's love, we should desire to share the gospel with others so that they will become a child of God as well, and be saved from the wrath to come.  Even though the thought of not being a believer is scary, as believers, we should do all things with the motive of love - not fear.

We have been told many times in God's word that as believers we are not to fear.  So notice that in verses 7 and 8, it says that at that time - EVERY human heart - will melt and they will be terrified!  From this we can be confident!  It means that believers will not be there when the Tribulation begins, because we will be raptured (the Greek word meaning "to be caught up").  

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

THEN destruction (the judgements) will be sent to punish the nations.  As per Matthew 24:1-31, the Israelites will see their signs of Jesus' second coming and will know that there are 7 years left of their Jewish Age.  It is at this time they will realize Jesus was and is their Messiah, and they as a nation will believe in Christ.  There will also be others during the Tribulation who will become believers.  

The Tribulation will not be an easy time for those going through it!  But those becoming believers during that time, will enter into the Millennium with Jesus!  It is then that Jesus will bring peace and justice upon the earth, doing away with all evil, and He will fulfill all of Israel's covenants.

Meanwhile, right now, we do not know when the rapture will take place, or when the Tribulation will begin.  Acts 1:6-8, Jesus reminds the disciples that it is not for them to know when, only God the Father knows.  So all we can know is that as time continues on, we are moving closer and closer to when this will happen.  

The only thing to do in order to avoid the Tribulation is to become a believer now.  The Tribulation will be terrifying, but in being a believer, we do not have to be afraid!  We are to be encouraged, and to continue to be focused on the Lord, and what Jesus has asked us to do right now... spread the good news and the love of God, serving the Lord and others.  ...

(1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)  Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.

relationships (Isaiah 12:1-6) Being Valued vs Feeling Undervalued

(Isaiah 12:1-6)

1  Then you will say on that day,“
     I will give thanks to You, Lord;
     For although You were angry with me,
     Your anger is turned away,
     And You comfort me.
2   Behold, God is my salvation,
     I will trust and not be afraid;
     For the Lord God is my strength and song,
     And He has become my salvation.”
3   Therefore you will joyously draw water 
     From the springs of salvation.
4   And on that day you will say,
     “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name.
     Make known His deeds among the peoples;
     Make them remember that His name is exalted.”
5   Praise the Lord in song, for He has done glorious things;
     Let this be known throughout the earth.
6   Rejoice and shout for joy, you inhabitant of Zion,
     For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In all our earthly relationships, even those who love us immensely will at times take us for granted, or get caught up in selfish, self-centered moments.  And we ourselves will drop the ball when it comes to loving others in the way that we should.  So, at any time, it is very easy for us to feel undervalued.  But let us consider how God values us!  He loves us so much, and we are valuable enough, that He came in flesh to suffer and die for us!  This is something that we can and should KNOW!!!  

It is so great that the exalted and glorious Lord God wants us to have a close, personal relationship with Him, and has provided the way for us!  He knows us, and wants us to know Him!  And in this most trustworthy relationship, we can depend on Him, we can see Him at work, and we do not have to be afraid.  And in this loving and faithful relationship, we will experience His strength, comfort and joy, so that we will be so very thankful in all things.

God's amazing love and grace is demonstrated in this chapter as it simply describes His salvation, and the close relationship we are able to have with Him, in Jesus!

- even though, we are born sinners
- when we seek God's forgiveness, we are saved from His wrath
- in His salvation, we are citizens of "Zion" (of God's heavenly kingdom)
- in His salvation, He comforts us and gives us His strength
- we can trust and not be afraid
- therefore, we should praise, thank and exalt Him, and sing out our joy
- therefore, we should thirst to know Him more and daily drink from His living water by studying His word, praying, and drawing closer to Him
- therefore, we should call upon Him, all of the time, for everything
- and we should want to share the gospel message with others, all in His strength, and all to His glory!

relationships (Isaiah 11:1-16) Judging the Heart

(Isaiah 11:1-16)  

1   Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
     And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2   The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
     The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
     The spirit of counsel and strength,
     The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3   And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
     And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
     Nor make decisions by what His ears hear;
4   But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
     And decide with fairness for the humble of the earth;
     And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
     And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
5   Also righteousness will be the belt around His hips,
     And faithfulness the belt around His waist.

6   And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
     And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
     And the calf and the young lion and the fattened steer will be together;
     And a little boy will lead them.
7   Also the cow and the bear will graze,
     Their young will lie down together,
     And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8   The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
     And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
9   They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
     For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
     As the waters cover the sea.

10 Then on that day 
     The nations will resort to the root of Jesse,
     Who will stand as a signal flag for the peoples;
     And His resting place will be glorious.

11 Then it will happen on that day that the Lord 
     Will again recover with His hand the second time 
     The remnant of His people who will remain,
     From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
     And from the islands of the sea.
12 And He will lift up a flag for the nations 
     And assemble the banished ones of Israel,
     And will gather the dispersed of Judah 
     From the four corners of the earth.
13 Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart,
     And those who harass Judah will be eliminated;
     Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
     And Judah will not harass Ephraim.
14 They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west;
     Together they will plunder the people of the east;
     They will possess Edom and Moab,
     And the sons of Ammon will be subject to them.
15 And the Lord will utterly destroy 
     The tongue of the Sea of Egypt;
     And He will wave His hand over the Euphrates River 
     With His scorching wind;
     And He will strike it into seven streams 
     And make people walk over in dry sandals.
16 And there will be a highway from Assyria 
     For the remnant of His people who will be left,
     Just as there was for Israel 
     On the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verses 1-5 describe Jesus when He came to earth in flesh.  Of course, Jesus is God and part of the Holy Trinity.  Throughout the Old Testament, THE LORD (aka "the Angel of the Lord", the preincarnation of Jesus) appeared to many people.  But at the right time, He was born of the virgin through the Holy Spirit, so that He could be fully man while still being fully God.  He was also born through the line of Jesse (which is the line of king David) so that He would be Israel's rightful King.

The first time Jesus came to earth in flesh, Israel rejected Him because they wanted a King who would bring physical peace.  God allowed this to happen so that Jesus would accomplish His work on the cross.  This provides forgiveness, spiritual peace and reconciliation with God to anyone who believes in Him.  

At His second coming, Jesus will bring judgment upon the nations, and take all those who become believers during the Tribulation into the Millennial kingdom that He will set up.  This thousand-year reign will be Garden-of-Eden-like, where all the animals and all the people will get along.  Jesus will rule from the throne in Jerusalem, so that all people can go to visit Him, face to face.

Until "that day," people can become believers and experience spiritual peace and reconciliation with God when we accept Jesus into our hearts, which is to place Him on our personal throne.  As our King, Lord and Savior, He changes us from the inside out.  As our faithful Friend, He is always there for us; and when we ask, He works for us, in us and through us.  

As verse 10 describes people physically being able to visit and ask Jesus for advice, we can read God's word and pray in order to "visit" and ask for advice.  As well, believers have His indwelling Holy Spirit to guide and help us, to give us His wisdom, understanding and strength.  It is about getting to know the Lord's "heart" and allowing Him to change our hearts to be more like Him.

As our Judge, the Lord Jesus will judge us according to our hearts.  Unbelievers will be judged according to their sins.  And because they have rejected the Lord, they will go to a place that is void of God.  As for believers, since we have been forgiven, and have humbled our hearts to fear the Lord, and in His salvation, we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, we will only be judged according to the good deeds we have done with righteous motives, to God's glory.

Understand that the Lord does not desire to punish anyone, but because He is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin.  Therefore, because of His love, He came to suffer and die, to pay the price for all sin.  Because of His love, He gives everyone a free will and will never force anyone to love Him back.  But because of His love, He desires that all come to know Him.  Because of His love, He is fair and just, and gives everyone every opportunity to become a believer.  And because of His love, He delights in having a close personal relationship with those who desire to have a close, face-to-face relationship with Him!

In the same way, we should desire to meet, date and marry someone who is also a believer.  This requires getting to know their heart!  Never rush into a relationship, but give it enough time to truly see if there is any fruit of the Holy Spirit, because what is in their heart will become evident.

Regarding all of our relationships, we should be more like God, in that we don't judge anyone based on hearsay or one's appearance.  This is not about us being their ethics-police, judge and jury!  It is about considering others fairly and justly.  

If we see that someone is corrupt, we can carefully and wisely go to the authorities.  If we see that someone could corrupt us, we can know to stay away from them.  If we see that someone is an unbeliever who seems to be searching for truth, we can share the gospel with them.  If we see that someone is a believer who is struggling, depending on how they are struggling, we can help them, and/or mentor them, and/or encourage and equip them, and always pray for them.  And if we see that someone is a mature believer who is walking closely with Jesus, whatever is appropriate, we can consider them as a spiritual example, an ally, a potential mentor and/or a close friend!  These will be the people with righteous hearts, who will steer us towards being closer to the Lord and His heart!

relationships (Isaiah 10:1-34) Our Greatest Friend

(Isaiah 10:1-34)  

1   Woe to those who enact unjust statutes 
     And to those who constantly record harmful decisions,
2   So as to deprive the needy of justice 
     And rob the poor among My people of their rights,
     So that widows may be their spoil 
     And that they may plunder the orphans.
3   Now what will you do in the day of punishment,
     And in the devastation which will come from afar?
     To whom will you flee for help?
     And where will you leave your wealth?
4   Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives 
     Or fall among those killed.
     In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away 
     And His hand is still stretched out.

5   Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger 
     And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,
6   I send it against a godless nation 
     And commission it against the people of My fury 
     To capture spoils and to seize plunder,
     And to trample them down like mud in the streets.
7   Yet it does not so intend,
     Nor does it plan so in its heart,
     But rather it is its purpose to destroy 
     And to eliminate many nations.
8   For it says, “Are not my officers all kings?
9   Is not Calno like Carchemish,
     Or Hamath like Arpad,
     Or Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols,
     Whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 Shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and her images
     Just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?”

12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the arrogant pride of his eyes.” 13 For he has said,

     “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
     Because I have understanding;
     And I removed the boundaries of the peoples
     And plundered their treasures,
     And like a powerful man I brought down their inhabitants,
14 And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest,
     And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
     And there was not one that flapped its wing, opened its beak, or chirped.”

15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?
     Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
     That would be like a club wielding those who lift it,
     Or like a rod lifting the one who is not wood.
16 Therefore the Lord, the God of armies, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors;
     And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.
17 And the Light of Israel will become a fire and Israel’s Holy One a flame,
     And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.
18 And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
     And it will be as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number 
     That a child could write them down.

20 Now on that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will no longer rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.
22 For though your people, Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
     Only a remnant within them will return;
     A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

23 For a complete destruction, one that is determined, the Lord God of armies will execute in the midst of the whole land.

24 Therefore this is what the Lord God of armies says: “My people, you who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod, and lifts up his staff against you the way Egypt did. 25 For in a very little while My indignation against you will be ended and My anger will be directed toward their destruction.” 26 The Lord of armies will wield a whip against him like the defeat of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea, and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt. 27 So it will be on that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.

28 He has come against Aiath,
     He has passed through Migron;
     At Michmash he deposited his baggage.
29 They have gone through the pass, saying,
     “Geba will be our encampment for the night.”
     Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim!
     Pay attention, Laishah and wretched Anathoth!
31 Madmenah has fled.
     The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.
32 Yet today he will halt at Nob;
     He shakes his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

33 Behold, the Lord, the God of armies, will lop off the branches with terrifying power;
     Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down,
     And those who are lofty will be brought low.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe,
     And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

This chapter answers our question as to why God allows evil to exist in this world.  God is just and fair, and God is love;  therefore He has given all of us a free will - freedom to choose for ourselves whether we accept or reject Him and His salvation.  He does not force anyone to love Him back, nor does He force anyone to obey His instructions, yet God is Sovereign, which means that nothing happens without Him allowing it to happen.

This chapter then also answers our question as to why God allows natural disasters, diseases, and evil to TEMPORARILY "get away" with things.  For believers, it can be a test, or level of discipline, and/or a way to get our attention - to remind us to continue depending on and staying close to the Lord!.  For unbelievers, it can be a level of punishment, and/or a way to get their attention - to help them see their need for the Lord in their lives!  

Everyone will experience both available options: evil, darkness, destruction and death;  or God and His goodness, joy, peace and eternal life.  And our options are very clear when we open our spiritual eyes.  There is evil at work, and there is most definitely the Lord at work, doing great and mighty things!

Verses 10, 11 and 22 show us how fair and just God is.  At some point, there will be a reckoning!  No matter who they are or how "good" they have tried to be, every unbeliever will be judged according to their sins.  There will be no escape, unless one has turned to the Lord for His salvation and forgiveness.  Since He died for all sins, He is able and willing to forgive all sins, no matter how big they are!  This is because He desires that all come to know Him personally!

For all believers, since all our sins have been forgiven, and the Lord has saved us from His wrath, it doesn't matter how bad we might be or what mistakes we make, God's grace keeps us secure in Him.  Therefore, He will judge and reward our good deeds that we have done with righteous motives, all to God's glory!  In our thankfulness and in His love, we will want to strive after His will and obey His instructions, to serve Him and serve and help others.  And in our trust and in fearing the Lord with great respect and honor, we do not have to fear anyone or anything!  And no matter what is happening to us or around us, the Lord is faithful and is our constant help and Friend!

relationships (Isaiah 9:1-21) Choosing Love, Peace and Joy

(Isaiah 9:1-21)  But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

2   The people who walk in darkness 
     Will see a great light;
     Those who live in a dark land,
     The light will shine on them.
3   You will multiply the nation,
     You will increase their joy;
     They will rejoice in Your presence 
     As with the joy of harvest,
     As people rejoice when they divide the spoils.
4   For You will break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
     The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5   For every boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle,
     And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6   For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
     And the government will rest on His shoulders;
     And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
     Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7   There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace 
     On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
     To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness 
     From then on and forevermore.
     The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.

8   The Lord sends a message against Jacob,
     And it falls on Israel.
9   And all the people know it,
     That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
     Asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
     But we will rebuild with smooth stones;
     The sycamores have been cut down,
     But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord raises superior adversaries against them from Rezin 
     And provokes their enemies,
12 The Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west;
     And they devour Israel with gaping jaws.
     In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
     And His hand is still stretched out.

13 Yet the people do not turn back to Him who struck them,
     Nor do they seek the Lord of armies.
14 So the Lord cuts off head and tail from Israel,
     Both palm branch and bulrush in a single day.
15 The head is the elder and esteemed man,
     And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.
16 For those who guide this people are leading them astray;
     And those who are guided by them are confused.
17 Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,
     Nor does He have compassion on their orphans or their widows;
     For every one of them is godless and an evildoer,
     And every mouth is speaking foolishness.
     In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
     And His hand is still stretched out.

18 For wickedness burns like a fire;
     It consumes briars and thorns;
     It also sets the thickets of the forest aflame 
     And they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath of the Lord of armies the land is burned,
     And the people are like fuel for the fire;
     No one spares his brother.
20 They devour what is on the right hand but are still hungry,
     And they eat what is on the left hand, but they are not satisfied;
     Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm.
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
     And together they are against Judah.
     In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away 
     And His hand is still stretched out.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The book of Isaiah has so many prophecies regarding Israel and the Jewish Age, although in this chapter there is also a very clear message to us (to everyone), confirming what God promises in the Abrahamic covenant - that - through Abraham's seed "all nations will be blessed!"  

Verses 6 and 7 speak about the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He will accomplish the things mentioned.  With His outstretched hand, there will be justice.  Jesus, who is God, hates sin and will judge all those who have not come to Him for forgiveness, no matter who you are.  Until death, everyone has a fair chance of making this decision.  And because He loves everyone and has gone to the cross to pay the price for everyone's sins, His hand is always stretched out to anyone who wants to be saved. 

There will be peace and joy, for anyone who accepts Jesus' free gift of salvation and walks in His light.  When we become a Christian, we receive Jesus' righteousness and forgiveness, therefore we will not be judged according to our sins.  Even though, as believers, we will still struggle with sin until we reach heaven, let us remember to continue walking in His light.  It is a daily and purposeful step-by-step kind of thing where we need to remember to ask the Lord to help us in His love, strength and righteousness.  His hand is always stretched out, because He desires to have a close, personal relationship with us, no matter who you are!