BETTER DAYS ARE COMING

Is. 65:17-19  “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth---so wonderful that no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more.”  NLT

      There are better days coming!  The Lord has a plan for us that far surpasses anything we have ever known.  He is creating a new heaven and a new earth.  The process has already begun.  When the time is right and the process is complete, it shall be put in place.  This new heaven and earth will be so wonderful that every memory of this earth and life will be wiped from our memories.

       In that day there will be so much joy that our praises will fill the new heaven and earth forever and ever.  There will be nothing there that will ever make us sad or weary again.  Happiness will be everywhere.  Everyone there will be a delight to be around.  Everyone will get along with everyone else.  There will be no pecking order, no selfish ambitions, no self-promotions, no using of anyone for personal gain, no personality disorders to content with, nothing that will cause fellowship to be broken.

       In that day the Lord will take great delight in us.  He will be able to walk freely amongst us because there will be no more sin in us.  His presence will be seen and felt everywhere.  There will be perpetual joy and happiness, no more weeping and crying will come from us.  There will be nothing there that could ever cause us to be sorrowful or grievous of heart again. 

     What a wonderful place the Lord is preparing for us!  He is working today to prepare us so we will be fit to dwell there.   Don’t hinder the work of the Lord in you to change you and make you holy.  He loves you so much and wants to make sure you don’t miss out on the place He is preparing for you.  Let Him have his way with you.

GOD WILL JUDGE ALL SIN

Is. 65:6-7  “Look, my decree is written in front of me; I will not stand silent; I will repay them to the full!  Yes!  I will repay them---both for their own sins and for those of their ancestors,” says the LORD.  For they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills.  I will pay them back in full!”  NLT

      The Lord is speaking here to the Israelites.  He is warning them about what to expect when He is ignored.  The Lord will not stand silent.  He will mete out justice when man sins against Him.  The Lord may seem to be silent while the world is living in sin, but be assured, He will judge sin in the world.  The Lord has never failed to keep His Word and never will.  No one gets away with sinning against God.  NO ONE.

      Before man was ever created, God knew that most would reject Him.  He knew that there would be those who would follow after the wickedness of their hearts and spurn Him.  He decreed in heaven that those who reject Him and lived in sin would pay in full the price for their rebellion.  Because the Lord loves us He created us with the freedom to accept or reject His love.  He longed for a people who would love Him in response to His love.  He has so much love to give and considered man worth the investment of His love.  Yet, because He is holy He cannot ignore the sinful heart.  He cannot accept into His presence any sin whatsoever.  Those who live and die in sin must spend eternity in hell for man’s soul never dies. 

       The next time you are tempted to sin, remember this truth.  The Lord knows all about every sin you commit or propose to commit.  He knows every sin in your heart and mind and He holds you responsible for them.  The only way you are going to avoid paying the price for them is through the shed blood of Christ on the cross.  You have no hope for God’s mercy apart from the righteousness of Christ given to you on the cross.  Jesus is the only way you can be forgiven and avoid God’s wrath against your sin.

      If you know Jesus today as your Savior, praise Him for His salvation and for protecting you from God’s judgment.  If Jesus is not your Savior, run to Him right now while you can.  Confess your sins before Him and ask Him for His forgiveness.  He will forgive anyone who comes to Him with a sincere heart.

SEARCHING FOR GOD

Is. 65:1 The LORD says, “People who never before inquired about me are now asking about me.  I am being found by people who were not looking for me.  To them I have said, ‘I am here!’ ”  NLT

       If there ever was a time in history in which people were searching for God, it is now.  Albeit, most are searching in all the wrong places; nevertheless, there is a real interest in God.  Life’s events often trigger a search for God.  When things happen that are out of anyone’s control or ability to change, God is looked to.  Man looks for God when he is utterly helpless and in desperate need.

      We must stay alert for those around us who are searching for God so that we can help them to discover the truth about God and not some counterfeit idea about Him.  There are so many absurd things that are being said about God, how to reach Him, and how He affects human life.  We must be grounded well in our own relationship with Him and in His Word so that we can help others avoid being sucked into the false teachings in the world and church.

       Satan is a master teacher and deceiver.  He convinces most people of things that are not true about God.  He begins by casting doubt in the mind about the absolute authority of God’s Word.  He masterfully leads people away from the Word and interjects other perceptions of truth in the mind.  He disguises untruth with the truth until the untruth prevails.  He twists the Word, takes it out of context, ignores parts of it, adapts it, and alters it so that it is totally different than what it is.  He makes it sound good and attractive so that those who are searching for God won’t find Him.

      People looking for God need people who know the truth and are able to lead them to Him.  They need people who are not afraid to seize opportunities given to them to speak out for Him.  They need people who are able to help them find the Lord.  The Lord longs to have a relationship with those looking for Him.  He cannot be found in the false teachings of the church.  He cannot be found anywhere but through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  There is only one way to heaven where God is, and that is through Calvary.

      People who never before were looking for God are now searching for Him.  They are everywhere you are at.  Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see those who are looking for Him.  Ask Him to help you be the one to take them by the hand and lead them to Him.  He is near and wants to be found.  People need people like you and me to show and them, and tell them, the way to Him.

INFECTED WITH SIN

Is. 64:6  We are all infected and impure with sin.  When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags.  Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall.  And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away.  NLT

       Sin drives us away from God and keeps us away from Him.  Sin clouds our thinking and causes us to think we are good enough for God on our own and as we are.  Sin is like a cancer cell in the soul.  If left untreated it multiplies and soon takes over by destroying the good cells of righteousness.  If not caught in time it cannot be treated.  There is nothing good about sin left unattended to in the soul.

      Sin must not be left untreated.  It will suck the life right out of the soul.  It will so alienate the soul from God that there is no more joy or peace for living.  There is no such thing as an “innocent sin.”  There is no such thing as a little sin.  Sin is sin and must be dealt with in order for there to be peace with God.  Some have the idea that because we live in grace and are children of God, it doesn’t matter, that we don’t have to concern ourselves with the sin that creeps into the soul.  But, it does matter!  God commands us to be a holy people, a people after His own heart.  We cannot be holy before God while harboring sin in our hearts.

       Don’t put off dealing with sin.  Humble yourself before Christ, confess it, and ask Him to forgive you.  He will do it, but only if you ask Him to.  He will not force forgiveness on you.  And, He will not forgive you if you only partially give Him your sin.  You must open your heart up to Him and give Him permission to come in and clean house, every sin lodged there. 

        It doesn’t do any good to try and hide some sin from Him.  The Lord knows your heart and every sin there.  You may deny that there is any sin there, but both you and the Lord know better.  We are all guilty of sin.  No one lives a sin-free life.  We all sin and fall short of God’s perfect law.  We all need our Savior.  We all need His righteousness and a soul free from sin.

       A heart right with God is one who humbly knows he needs Christ’s forgiveness and turns to Him for it.  It is impossible to be good enough to not need forgiveness.

HOW CAN GOD LOVE THEM?

Is. 64:5  You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow godly ways.  But we are not godly.  We are constant sinners, so your anger is heavy on us.  How can people like us be saved?  NLT

      We understand how God can be receptive to the godly.  It’s not hard to understand how the godly are favored by Him.  It is hard for us to grasp how God can save the ungodly, those who constantly live in sin.  We easily dismiss the ungodly as being beyond the reach of salvation.  We understand how good people are easily loved, but fail to understand how bad people can be loved by a loving God.

      Maybe you see yourself as being too much of a sinner to be loved by God.  No one is beyond the scope of God’s love.  He loves all people equally, regardless if they love Him in return or not.  He loves all because He is love.  He longs to have a relationship with everyone, including you.  He gladly welcomes all who come to Him for the forgiveness of their sins and a life in Him.

       We are prone to look down on the ungodly, but what we fail to grasp is that all of us who are saved were amongst the ungodly.  Each of us were just as they are now, sinners in need of a Savior.  All of us constantly sinned against God before our salvation.  None of us knew what it was like to be loved by God.  All of us willfully did not let the Lord into our hearts.  All of us once were subject to the wrath of God. 

       Instead of looking down on the ungodly, we should have compassion on them.  They have enough people in the world who look down on them and judge them for the way they choose to live.  They need people who genuinely love them and care for their souls.  They need people to help them find their way out of their sinful lives.  They need people to accept them for who they are and prayerfully be a witness of God’s grace before their eyes.  They need people who believe in who they can become in Christ if they would only surrender to Him.

      How can anyone be saved?  It is only through God’s grace and His outpoured love on our lives.  No one deserves it, but all can have it.  God desires a relationship with everyone.  He knows that all won’t accept His offer to save them, but that doesn’t change His love for them.  God won’t give up on the lost and neither should we.  Someone cared enough about you to love you while you were a sinner and pointed you to the Lord.  Someone prayed for your salvation.  Will you do the same for someone you know?

GO OUT! PREPARE!

Is. 62:10  Go out! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. NLT

      The thought that jumps out at me here is the mandate to go and prepare a way for people to return.  As Christians, we are sent out into the world.  We are to go out amongst those who are not Christians.  We are not very good at doing this.  We want people to come to us, not we go to them.  We would rather remain cozy and comfortable than get our hands dirty by going into the cesspool of sin to reach whom we can.

      We are to prepare the way for people to return.  We are to make a way for people who want out of their sin to get out.  It may take us thought and work, but if we are willing we can help people find their way to Christ.  Many people remain in sin because no one has been able to show them how to get out of it in a way they can understand.  Everybody has a basic need for Christ.  Ask the Lord to show you how to be an effective witness to someone you know.

      We are to smooth out the road.  The way to salvation is often complicated by the doings of others.  Some people who profess Christ make a mess of things and perhaps leave a bitter taste in the mouths of unbelievers.  We can help smooth the road by not being like that.  We can live holy lives before the world so that the world can see what Christians should really be like.  We can by our actions and words refute the failures and weaknesses of faith of others.  We can live in such a way that others will want what we have by removing the obstacles others have placed on the path.

      Examine your life and talk.  What kind of a witness for Christ are you?  Do you turn people on to Christ or turn them off?  Are you a boulder in someone’s pathway or are you a smooth pathway to God?  Let all who see you see Christ in a positive light.  Let all see that Christ can really change us into a holy people.  Let all see what life is really like when Jesus is both Savior and Lord of life.  You may very well be the only one who someone see Christ through.  Strive to be the person God wants you to be.

OVERWHELMED WITH JOY

Is. 61:10  I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God!  For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.  I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.  NLT

       When was the last time you were overwhelmed with joy at the thought that Jesus saves and that He has saved you?  Be honest.  If you are like most of us, you don’t live on an emotional high much of the time.  You simply do not get all excited every time you think of salvation.  It doesn’t mean that it is not real or precious to you; it’s just not possible to always feel the excitement of it.  Yet, it is good to think about what the Lord does for us in salvation.  It ought to cause us to appreciate it more and bow before Him in thanksgiving, praise, and love.

      He has clothed us in salvation.  Without clothing we are embarrassed to be seen.  Clothing covers up our flaws.  It covers up parts of the body that should not be seen by others.  It keeps us warm.  It protects us from the elements.  It makes us more attractive to others.  Clothing comes in a wide variety of styles and sizes.  We wear our clothing differently.  And, we wear our clothing for our common good; it helps to keep us from tempting others and being tempted by them.  Now, consider how salvation does these things for us.

      He has draped us in robes of righteousness.  Robes add to the ability of clothing to keep us warm.  They are often used to add distinction to our appearances.  They sometimes speak of honor and dignity, and even authority.

      “I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.”  Why do most people dress up when they get married?  Isn’t it because one’s wedding is an honorable and memorable day in the couple’s lives?  It is a day in which a public commitment is made to live in a relationship with each other in ways they never had before.  It is a day of great joy and excitement that they want to share with family, friends, and God.  It is the beginning of the process of blending two lives into one that lasts until death.

       The day of salvation is like that.  It is a very special and unforgettable day in the life of a person.  It is a day in which life is forever changed.  It is a day of not looking back wishing it had never happened.  It is a day of looking forward to what is yet to come.  It is a day of commitment that binds the soul to God for all of eternity.  It is a day of great joy and excitement.  It is a day to be shared with others over and over again.  It is a day in which the old passes away and all things become new. 

       Oh dear friend, revisit that wondrous day.  Remember the joy you knew when Christ saved you.  Recall the changes He has made in your life.  Renew the commitment you made to Him that day.  Let the joy of salvation reclaim your soul today.  If your soul has become stale and you have taken your salvation for granted, flee to your Savior and let Him rewash you in His precious blood.  Let Him put on you a new robe of righteousness so that you can once again know the joys of your salvation.

        Losing that sense of joy doesn’t happen overnight.  We get busy with life and put it on the backburner of our lives.  We neglect to read God’s Word and pray.  We find excuses to not be in church.  We forget how important it is to keep our souls constantly fed.  Before we know it, we are spiritually dry, absent of the joy we once knew.

       Now is the day of salvation; now is the day to return to your first love for God. 

YOU CAN BE SAVED!

Is. 59:1-2 Listen! The LORD is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. But there is a problem---your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.  NLT

      The Lord is not too weak to save.  His ability to save is stronger than the worst of sinners.  There is no one who is beyond God’s saving grace if they humble themselves before Him, confess their sins, and turn to Him for forgiveness.  He hears and answers every sincere prayer of repentance. 

       Sometimes we let sin get in-between us and God.  The more we let sin into our heart, the more distant God becomes to us.  It is not that God has wandered away from us; we have wandered away from Him.  God has not changed.  He is as He always was and always shall be.  He hears and answers us when we call on Him, when we approach Him with humble hearts.  Sin breaks off the lines of communication.  It prevents God from hearing us when we call on Him.

       If it seems like the Lord is no longer near to your heart, it is probably because of a sin problem you have.  If your prayers keep bouncing off the ceiling, you need to first examine your heart before God.  If you don’t know what your sin might be, ask the Lord to show you.  He will not hide it from you.  He wants you to know your sin so you can confess it and be forgiven.

       Honesty of heart is essential when dealing with sin.  We must admit it before God when we sin.  There is no way to avoid this step.  Confession involves taking responsibility for our sinful choices.  Sin is done willfully and we must declare it so before God.  Sin cuts us off from God and unless it is dealt with, God will turn away from us.  He cannot overlook sin; it must be dealt with.  He is holy and without holiness of heart, no one will see God.

      If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  I John 1:9

THE LORD'S DAY IS HOLY

Is. 58:13-14a  Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD’s holy day. Honor the LORD in everything you do, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. If you do this, the LORD will be your delight. NLT

      This is a truth of God’s Word that has long plagued me.  I understand that we no longer live under the law.  We are no longer compelled to obey the law in order to be righteous and holy.  Jesus has fulfilled the law’s demands on us and has made us right with God.

       But, I am convinced that the Lord’s Day should be a day we set aside for worship and restoration.  It should be a day in which we break away from the normal routines of life and turn our thoughts to the Lord.

       Rarely do we keep the Sabbath Day holy anymore.  We fill it with all sorts of things that drain us.  We take more delight in the things that we do than we do with the Lord.  We squeeze in time for worship when we can, but it’s not the priority of the day.  How is it honoring to the Lord to spend the day of rest He put into our week with activities that crowd Him out of our thoughts?

       So often we use the Lord’s Day as a day to catch up on what we did not do the rest of the week.  We catch up on our rest, our laundry, our housework, our work in the yard, our paperwork, etc.  For many of us our workplace compels us to work.  Each of us must decide how we handle the Lord’s Day.  I wonder how many of us have ever prayed and asked the Lord what we can or cannot do.  All I know is that the Lord speaks about it a lot in His Word for a reason.  He considers it to be an important matter and so should we.

       If you want the Lord to be more of a presence and pleasure in your life, a good place to start would be to examine the way you spend your Sabbath, or Sunday, rest.  Do you keep the Sabbath Day holy?

LIKE A RESTLESS SEA

Is. 57:20-21  “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea.  It is never still but continually churns up mire and dirt.  There is no peace for the wicked,” says my Lord.   NLT

       There just is no peace to be found for the soul apart from the Lord.  All the promises of the world for peace are so shallow and empty.  The soul is restless without the Lord and will never settle down to a life of peacefulness.  The least little thing can break the appearances of peace.  Because the soul without Christ is self-centered, it will always have problems with those who do not cater to its wants. 

      Living without the Lord never satisfies the longing of the soul.  It is impossible for the soul to be content without the Lord.  There will always be a craving for something else to satisfy.  No matter what a person does or accumulates in life, it will never be enough.  There will always be an emptiness, a lostness of the soul.  People will crave for a sense of purpose and meaning for their lives, but will not find anything in the world which can give it to them.  The restless soul will always be threatened or jealous of the accomplishments of others.  It’s a life that never finds rest.  There is no such thing as a wicked soul who has it altogether and is satisfied with it. 

      God gave us souls with a need for Christ.  Only Jesus can clear up the muddy waters that encase the soul.  He alone can give us what our souls need.  He alone can give us purpose and meaning for living.  When the Lord has control of the soul there no longer is a longing for something else.  A relationship with God is what we were created for.  In Christ alone we find the peace the soul craves for.

       In those times in which we wander from God and reject His role in our lives, we find ourselves restless and unsatisfied.  Peace eludes us and life is miserable.  Dear friend, if you have wandered away from God or have rejected Him altogether, you will never be satisfied or find the peace your soul desperately needs.  Only in Christ will you find what your soul craves for.  Do not let another moment go by without the Lord.  Turn to the Lord, confess your sins and the foolishness of your ways.  Ask the Lord to forgive you and He will.  In place of the emptiness of your soul He will give you a peace that passes all understanding. 

      Don’t believe Satan’s lies that you can find peace in the world apart from Christ.  The only thing you will find is misery and death for your soul.

MERCIFUL DEATH

Is. 57:1-2  The righteous pass away; the godly often die before their time. And no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For the godly who die will rest in peace. NLT

      Here are a couple of verses that should be taught and learned by all of the body of Christ.  We often wonder why certain people die when they do.  In our minds it just doesn’t seem to be right, especially if they are young and are offering so much to life.  It is especially true when their death is compared to that of those who may survive and have very little to contribute.  It just doesn’t seem fair to us that some die when they do.  Why would God allow people to die who are having great impact on their families, church, friends and the world?  We will never know the answers to the questions we often have.  Yet, we can take great comfort in God’s Word today.

        God sees and knows what we don’t.  He knows what the future holds for us.  He knows the affect the future will have on us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.   In order to protect His children from certain disaster in the future, the Lord may call some home in what we would say would be prematurely.  The death of His children is a good thing.  It is a testimony of God’s love, mercy, and compassion.  For those who die, the Lord is sparing them from what is to come.  For those who remain to mourn their passing, the Lord gives them comfort and peace as they rest in His presence.  And, He reassures us that even though one may pass on into eternity ahead of us, we will indeed see them again. 

      For the believer, death is a good thing.  It is what each of us lives for.  Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace.  We will see the Lord!  Let us not look upon death as an unwelcome intrusion in our lives.  Let us not turn against God in our grief and sorrow.  Let us instead thank the Lord for sparing us from what we don’t know and bringing to us rest from our labors.  Let us thank the Lord for the wonderful life that awaits us in Christ beyond the grave.  Let us thank Him for the comfort He gives in knowing that those who die in the Lord are with Him for all of eternity.

BE FAIR TO ALL

Is. 56:1-2  “Be just and fair to all,” says the LORD.  “Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you.  Blessed are those who are careful to do this.  Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest by refusing to work.  And blessed are those who keep themselves from doing wrong.”  NLT

      Want to honor the Lord in your living?  The Lord gives us three things to do here that will honor Him.  We are to be just and fair.  This reminds us that how we treat others does matter.  Being just means that we don’t treat people in ways they don’t deserve to be treated.  We honor the Lord’s admonition to be loving and gracious.  When it becomes necessary to punish someone for the wrongs they have done, we don’t cower away from it.  It is only fair that people be punished for the wrongs they do, but when we do it, we do it out of love and not vengeance.  The goal should always be to motivate others to repent and change their ways, to restore them to good standing before God and man. 

      It also honors the Lord when we honor the Lord’s Day.  Now I know that there is a tremendous amount of disagreement in the Church over what this means in practical terms and I don’t want to upset anyone or stir up a debate.  What I do want to do is to challenge you to think about what the Lord’s Day is designed to do for us.  Scripture says that when God had finished His labors of creation, He rested on the seventh day.  I don’t believe it was because He was tired, but it was because He had completed His work, it was good, and there was nothing else for Him to do to make it better.  He wants us to take the time to reflect on the works He has done, to appreciate them and to understand that what He did and continues to do is for our good and His glory. 

       He admonishes us to rest from our labors one day a week because He knows that we are not Him; we need the rest.  We get weary from our labors physically, mentally and emotionally and it affects our souls.  God knows that when man is always working, he is not paying attention to his soul like he needs to.  Whatever you do on the Lord’s Day, take the time to refresh your soul, to be holy before God.  You need the Lord more than anything your labors on earth may accomplish for you.

      It also honors the Lord when we keep ourselves from doing wrong.  What we do does matter to God.  Sin affects our relationship with God.  It keeps God at arm’s length in our souls.  We can never be right with God as long as we allow ourselves to sin against God.  It is never okay with God when we wander into sin.  When God’s children sin, it insults God.  It brings shame not only upon us, but it dishonors His holy name.  Sin in our hearts keeps God’s blessings at bay in our lives.  We must heed the admonition of God to be holy, even as He is holy. 

      In what ways are you honoring the Lord in your life?  Do you treat others the way you should?  Do you honor the Lord’s Day in the way you should?  Do you keep yourself from sinning before God?  Blessed are those who honor the Lord in all things.

GOD'S WORD IS FRUITFUL

Is. 55:11  ...”It is the same with my word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I sent it.”  NLT

     Why should we proclaim God’s Word?  It always produces fruit.  It always accomplishes the purposes of God as it is proclaimed.  Why should we be witnesses for Christ?  It always bears forth fruit.  No word spoken about Christ is vain.  In God’s world, it always is profitable. 

       Now understand this, we are not always going to see the fruit that the Lord sees when we proclaim His Word.  The Lord works in ways we don’t know or understand.  Whenever we plant seeds, it falls to the ground.  The Lord may bring instant fruit from it or He may leave it in the ground for a season, or many seasons, before it bears fruit.  The promise is that our proclamations are never in vain; they always produce fruit.

       There are many different ways we can proclaim God’s Word.  God uses our creativeness for His glory.  Whatever means we use, when the Word is communicated it produces godly fruit.  The important thing is that we do what God has commanded to us to do, “Preach the Word.”  It is our duty to be messengers of the Truth; it is God’s role to use it to bring forth fruit.  God cannot do what He wants to do through us if we don’t do what we are given to do.

      We get so caught up by the numbers.  We want to see the fruit.  We want to see what difference we are making in the world.  But, God doesn’t always work like we want Him to.  He sometimes takes a lot of time to bring forth the fruit.  It may take many people working in their own unique ways to get the fruit to grow.  It’s not any of our business what the Lord does with His Word as we spread it.  His promise is that when we do what we are given to do, it’s never in vain.  His Word always produces fruit and when we get to heaven, we will then see the difference our faithfulness has made in the lives of others.

GOD'S WORD NEVER FAILS

Is. 55:10-11  The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  It is the same with my word.  I send it out and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

       One of the great mysteries of the Gospel is how God uses it when it is sent forth.  The effectiveness of the Word to bring about change in the human soul lies solely in God.  We can do nothing to cause anyone to hear the Word and let it change their life.  Nothing.  The messenger is only that, a messenger.  It doesn’t matter how well or powerfully the messenger may speak.  It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable he may be.  It doesn’t matter how acceptable he may be amongst man.  It is not about the messenger; it’s about the message.

The Word never fails to fulfill its mission that God sends it on.  When God’s Word is proclaimed, God makes sure that someone gets the message He intended for it to deliver.  It always touches a need and produces fruit in the heart of man.  Always.  We must never pass up opportunities to get the Word out, because God has promised that when we do proclaim it God will bless our efforts and use His Word.  It doesn’t matter how you do it or how well you do it; it just matters that you do it.  Do your part and God will do the rest.

       God sends His Word out.  He knows where and when it is needed.  He knows who to send it with and to.  He never fails to offer people an opportunity to hear it and apply it to their life.  Not everyone is willing to hear, but nevertheless, God gives them a witness.   No one has an excuse to reject Him when they hear the Word.  The Word will either draw man to God or condemn man for rejecting God.  Each will be judged by the Word revealed, whether it be the written or Living Word. 

       God has entrusted you with His Word.  Don’t deny anyone the opportunity to hear it and know it.  He holds you accountable for what you do with it.  Your life is your pulpit.  Proclaim loudly the Word and God so that all who are in your world will hear it.  God will put it into the soil of people’s souls, water it, nurture it, and cause it to take root and grow. 

FIGURED OUT GOD?

Is. 55:8-9 “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  NLT

      God doesn’t think like we do. His thoughts are immeasurable and unknowable. He is the thought behind the thought. He knows what we don’t know. His knowledge is complete and absolute in all things. The things we discover about life and creation are but a fraction of what God has already thought of and done.

      No matter how noble your thoughts may be, they are nothing compared to the thoughts of God. No matter how much you may know about life or your field of expertise in life, they are nothing compared to the thoughts of God. No matter how much you may know about the Scriptures, you know nothing compared to what God knows. No matter how well you think you know yourself, it is nothing compared to what God knows about you. The sooner we recognize and accept that God knows far more and understands far more than we do, the sooner we will be able to get along with Him.

       The ways of God cannot be figured out. No matter how hard we may try, we cannot do it. If we could, God would cease to be God. Several years ago a book was written called, Your God Is Too Small. If you have God figured out, your God is way too small. God is mysterious. The moment you take away the mysterious aura of God, you cease to have anyone worthy of worship and adoration. God is worthy of our adoration and devotion because His thoughts and ways are far beyond our ability to comprehend; He can’t be put into a box. He is God. Let Him be God.

GOD'S THOUGHTS AND WAYS

Is. 55:8-9  “My thoughts are completely different from yours, says the LORD.  “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  NLT

       Let us pause and think about these things for a few moments.  The Lord says that He thinks differently than we do about things.  He has an unrestricted and unlimited capacity for thought.  His thoughts are not influenced one iota by sin.  Every thought of God is pure and good.  Everything God thinks about makes perfect sense.  He never has to change His mind about anything. 

      God’s ways are far beyond anything we can imagine.  No one can know how God did what He did in creation.  The vastness and variety of creation is beyond our understanding.  We can’t begin to imagine the things God can and does do.  It is futile to think about the things we cannot know.

       There are things going on right now that we don’t have any clue about.  God is working out of our sight preparing creation for His coming and our reunion with Him.  We must simply accept by faith what we cannot know and bow before Him in awe.

       Because God is who He is and does what He does, it ought to cause us to bow down and worship Him from the very depth of our souls.  He is our Father who oversees all He has created, He is our Savior who died for our sins, He is our Sanctifier who makes us holy, and He is our Lord who rules over His church.

“Thank you, Lord for who you are and all the things you have done, are doing, and shall do for me.  I thank you for making yourself known to me, Lord.  You are the Lover of my soul and I bow before you today in worship.  You are all that I need to know about life from its beginning to its end.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

NOW IS THE TIME

Is. 55:6-7 Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. NLT

      One of the saddest things in all of life is our buying into the lie that there will always be another day, another opportunity, to make things right with God. The thinking is that God will always be available to save us. God will wait for us while we go out and do our thing. He will be there when we get tired of what the world has to offer.

       But, will the Lord always be nearby? Will He stand by and wait for us to self-destruct before we come to our senses? The Lord will be near, but we may not be. Sin drives us away from God and we can be driven so far away that we will not be able to hear God calling us to repentance. We can drift so far away from God that we can’t find our way back to Him.

      Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him while he is near. If you don’t, you may wander into the darkness of sin so far that you will never find your way back. God doesn’t change. He will always be the Light of the world. But, will you always be able to see the Light?

      That, my friend, is the question you must answer today. There is forgiveness for you today. Don’t wait until it is too late. The window of opportunity for you to repent may soon be shut.

      Also, dear believer, if you are being controlled by sin in your life, don’t mess around and let it drive you farther away from God. Don’t assume you have plenty of time to repent. This may be your last opportunity to make things right with God. Don’t take the chance of entering into eternity with the baggage of sin on your shoulders. Be sure your heart is right with God.

SEEK THE LORD

Is. 55:6-7  Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  NLT

       The admonition here is for us to seek the Lord.  The Lord puts upon us the responsibility of seeking.  He initiates the contact, but we must do our part.  The Lord will not intrude on our space by forcing himself upon us.  We must reach out for Him in response to His reaching out to us.  Are you seeking the Lord?  Are you intentionally and diligently looking for the Lord’s presence in your life?

       The Lord may not always be around to be found.  If we ignore Him enough times and for long enough, we may no longer be able to find Him.  It’s not that He moves away from us, but it’s that we move away from Him.  We can shut Him out to the point where we will no longer be open to the desire of the heart for Him.  If you are guilty of shutting the Lord out of your life, you are treading on very dangerous soil.  Sin hardens the heart and eventually leads to such deadness of soul that one will no longer let the Lord in. 

      Ignoring or neglecting the disciplines of Bible study and prayer causes us to drift from the Lord.  We become independent of Him and no longer deem them to be essential for our lives.  We become spiritually dull and lose our sense of connection to the Lord.  Soon, we begin to allow sin to creep in and no longer feel guilt and shame over it.  We become conditioned to sin and it takes over our lives.

      If you are guilty of doing your thing and not seeking the Lord, take seriously today’s admonition.  Seek the Lord while He may be found.  If you don’t consistently make the Lord a part of your living, you will wander away from Him.  You may drift far enough from Him that you won’t find your way back.  Ignoring the Lord is very serious business.  Turn to the Lord now while he is near to your soul.  The Lord will forgive you and restore you to a right relationship with Him.  He is waiting for you.

WIDE OPEN EARS

Is. 55:3  “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the mercies and unfailing love that I promised to David.”  NLT

       Come to me with your ears wide open.  How many times do you do that?  Do you approach God with an intention to just listen to Him, or do you come with an agenda that you want to unload on Him?  When was the last time you intentionally went to the Lord to hear from Him?  When was the last time God actually spoke to you and you heard it? 

      God speaks to us through His Word.  He shows us things we need to know in it.  In the Word we find a response from God for whatever our souls need.  God uses His Word to convict, instruct, guide, encourage, correct, comfort, inspire and challenge us.  He knows what we need for each day and if we are listening to what His Word says we will hear what we need.  It is one of the reasons why we must hide the Word in our hearts so we will hear it speak to our needs.

       In order to hear God speak, we must have quiet hearts.  We must not be distracted by all the things going on around us or in us.  We must focus on Him and Him alone.  We must seek Him out.  We must let His Word sink deep within us.  We must forget the clock and wait before Him.  Don’t expect to hear from the Lord while you are rushing in and out of His presence.  We must take the time to appreciate the life we have in Him and express our gratitude for it.  We must take the time to praise Him.

      Beware; sometimes the Lord may have to put us on our backs in order for us to be in a position where we can listen to Him when we get too busy to do it on our own.  The Lord has things to say to us and if we don’t take the time to listen, He may very well force us to take the time we need.  We must listen to the Lord for our very souls are at stake.

       The Lord is ready to take an active role in your life.  He desires to pour out on you His unfailing love and mercies.  He has wonderful things for you to enjoy in life.  He longs to give you all the blessings He has stored up for you.  Will you give Him His rightful place in your heart?  Will you take the time to worship Him and listen to what He is saying to you?  Will you open your ears wide open so you can hear Him?