The People of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Romans 4:11b-12,

"So then, he [Abraham] is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised."

The Jewish nation looks to Abraham as their patriarchal progenitor. From Abraham came Isaac and from Isaac came Jacob (also named Israel). Jacob had twelve sons and the offspring of each became one of the tribes of the Jewish nation, Israel.

The nation of Israel, a nation hand-crafted by God for his redemptive purposes, has always held a unique place among the nations of the world. Paul talks about how the nation of Israel was entrusted with the very words of God, the Scriptures, Romans 3:2. He also talks about the opportunities God provided them, "Theirs [the people of Israel] is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah [Jesus Christ], who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." Romans 9:4-5.

In our passage above, Paul explains that God is creating a new people for himself to begin a new age for all eternity. It is made up of both Jews and Gentiles, but only of people of faith. All who embrace Jesus Christ in faith join this new human family God is creating through the gospel enterprise. He explains that Abraham, as the father of this new people as well, exhibited a faith in God's power to do all he has promised. The "uncircumcised" Paul speaks of are Gentiles and those circumcised are Jews. God's new people are made up from both groups-- all joined into the one family whose common attribute is holding the same faith Abraham had in God.

There are no favorites in this family. We all will have differing responsibilities and roles to play but there are no "teacher's pets" in the family of God. In the above passage he talks about a righteous standing with God we all are given (credited with). In Ephesians 1:4-6 Paul says, "He [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."

Before God created the world, knowing mankind would turn to sin, he decided to redeem us on the basis of faith, and those redeemed he also decided to provide with holiness and blamelessness in his sight and to adopt us as his very own children! No red-headed step children in this family! Today, even before this new age begins, Peter says, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:9-10.

How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God Revealed Himself In The Scriptures! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Romans 3:1-2,

"What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God."

As Paul explores the nature of the relationship Jews had versus Gentiles to the gospel of faith, he observes a tremendous advantage the Jews had: they have been entrusted with God's communication to mankind. God raised up prophets from among the Jews who wrote the Scriptures - the very words of God!

Peter makes an observation about this that is well worth looking at, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21. These were all Jews with the exception of Luke who wrote his gospel and the book of Acts.

As a nation, the Jews had a tremendous advantage over the Gentiles. Later in this letter, Paul explores some more of the advantages the Jews had, "Theirs [the people of Israel] is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." Romans 9:4-5.

However, it is the revelation God made of himself, his intentions, his will, his redemption of mankind, within the pages of Scripture that captures my heart this morning. Our lofty God who stoops down to interact with sinful and fallen mankind decided to speak to us as he pursued his redemptive purposes among us.

I simply find it astonishing! I also find every motivation to pursue what he has provided us in the Scriptures by reading it - often. He had his prophets write it with the intention we read it so we can know what he is doing!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Participating or Spectating? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Romans 2:13,

"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."

Paul goes on in this letter to demonstrate we have all broken God's law which results in none of us being righteous in his sight. In Romans 3:20 he sums up the hopelessness of being righteous in God's sight by keeping the law given Moses, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." His point is that the value of the law God gave resided in its ability to show each one of us what sinners we are.

Although we have an inability to keep God's law because of an abiding sinful nature we all share in, there is still an interesting observation in Paul's comment above. He points out that it is not just exposure to the things of God that may make us acceptable (or not) in God's sight, but participating, doing, partaking, in the things of the Lord - not just listening.

If I approach my relationship with Jesus Christ as a spectator, if I watch the pastor go toe to toe with the devil in a worship service, if I leave my training and maturing spiritually in the hands of others, that just makes me a "hearer" and not a "doer". I have to interact with the Lord, I have to go to him in humility and prayer, I have to take on the responsibility to "feed myself" spiritually. Showing up for the worship service and the prayer meeting just won't do.

I don't want to find myself in the shoes of the person the writer of Hebrews had in his sights when he said, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

"Constant use", "training", participation. I need to be a doer!

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." James 1:22-25.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Not On My Performance! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Romans 1:16-17,

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"

As Paul quotes the Old Testament prophet, Habakkuk, he states what many of us feel to be the theme of this work, the book of Romans. In this letter to the Christian community in Rome, Paul presses his point that in order for us to make our way from this life into life eternal in heaven with the Lord, it will only happen if we embrace the Lord in faith. It is by faith, not good works that will get us there.

This is a wonderful book that lays out the gospel so clearly. Paul's need to write it (through the prompting and the message of the Holy Spirit) was that he faced a formidable enemy to the gospel: the mistaken notion that if we can just be "good enough" we can earn a place in heaven. This enemy is still alive and well today!

Paul's challenge, as he took the gospel from the Jewish quarter out into the Gentile world, was that he was dogged by those who opposed him with a message of law-keeping. Paul taught salvation by faith alone. These others had a message of law-keeping. There were even those who affirmed salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, but it had to be accompanied with circumcision, Sabbath keeping, the dietary and other laws given through Moses.

Many churches today continue in that error. Some of them, in order to bring a perceived coherence to their perspective, have created a dichotomy of the law of Moses. They teach some laws are moral (as in the ten commandments) and some ceremonial (as in the temple worship, the religious calendar God gave the Jews, etc.)

Paul demolishes that error, in Romans 7:6-7, as he discusses the tenth commandment of the decalogue, "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'"

When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith we die to our enslavement to sin and to the law, and are now free to embrace righteousness in new life.

I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I am at this reality. If getting into heaven depended upon my performance, I would have no hope. Because Jesus Christ paid for my sins, and your sins on the cross, his right standing with God the Father becomes mine and yours when we embrace him in faith. My entrance into heaven is based on his performance, not mine.

Afterall, there was a purpose in Jesus Christ giving his life on that cross!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Temple of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 66:1-2a,

"This is what the Lord says:
'Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
Has not my hand made all these things,
    and so they came into being?'
declares the Lord."

Stephen quoted this passage from the last chapter of Isaiah. We read it in his testimony before the Sanhedrin just prior to being martyred by them, Acts 7:44-53.

The point of this passage is that God actually resides outside of the dimensions of time and space and so anything built by human hands, the tabernacle and both the first and second temples that God had them build were symbols of his presence among the Israelites. In the case of the Jewish leaders that stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, the symbol was cherished beyond the reality it stood for.

I am reminded that God still has desired to have his presence represented within creation through a temple. Here are some interesting passages that come to mind:

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God." 2 Corinthians 6:16a.

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22.

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4-5.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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A New Age Is Coming! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 65:17-19,

"See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
    nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
    in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
    and its people a joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
    and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
    will be heard in it no more."

As Isaiah's prophetic message comes to its completion (in the next chapter), these verses are reminiscent of Revelation 21 and 22. The new age will bring with it a breath-taking change as God declares he will make everything new and make his abode with all who have embraced him in faith.

In Revelation 21:1-5a we read, "Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth,' for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death" or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!'"

And, again, in Revelation 22:3-5, "No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."

Just how amazing is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Our Inscrutable And Surprising God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in isaiah 64:4,

"Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him."

Paul quoted this verse in speaking of God's wisdom some seven centuries later in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

However, as it is written:
'What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived"—
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.'"

Our God is unique. He does unexpected things, as Isaiah points out in verse 3, "For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you." He is inscrutable and unpredictable in his own purposes. He does things that are mysterious, and not readily understood.

Because our God is enigmatic, there are those things which are simply fascinating to muse upon. Consider John's observation, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2. Because we know that God "acts on behalf of those who wait for him", what he has in store for us for all eternity is beyond our wildest imagination!

I'm sure you can think of other things to muse upon considering the inscrutability of God and his passion for us!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Two Sides Of The Cross - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 63:3-6,

"I have trodden the winepress alone;
    from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled them in my anger
    and trod them down in my wrath;
their blood spattered my garments,
    and I stained all my clothing.
It was for me the day of vengeance;
    the year for me to redeem had come.
I looked, but there was no one to help,
    I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm achieved salvation for me,
    and my own wrath sustained me.
I trampled the nations in my anger;
    in my wrath I made them drunk
    and poured their blood on the ground."

The figure in this prophecy is Jesus Christ. In this disclosure or revelation of himself, he points to the two sides of the cross. His redemption of mankind provides a way for us all to join his family for an eternity. It also becomes the sealed fate of all who reject him: eternal destruction. Looking to the future, he says "the year for me to redeem had come...so my own arm achieved salvation for me" and he also says "I trampled the nations in my anger."

In revelation 5:9-10, in John's vision, four "living creatures" and twenty-four elders sang to to Jesus,
"You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth."

However, later, in Revelation 19:11- 16 we read,
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

The two sides of the cross.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Bride Of The Lord- Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 62:5,

"As a young man marries a young woman,
    so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
    so will your God rejoice over you."

This verse is addressed to Zion. However, its ultimate fulfillment extends well beyond Jerusalem and the people of Israel. As Paul reminds us, "...it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring." Romans 9:8. It is all peoples of the earth who embrace God as Abraham did that will become his "bride." Paul says in Romans 4:11-12, "He [Abraham] is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised."

The Lord rejoices over us, all of us who have embraced him, just as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride!

We read of us as his bride in Revelation 19:6-8, where a great multitude rejoices,
"Hallelujah!
    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear."

As a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy we read, "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death" or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" Revelation 21:2-4.

Just astonishing!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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A Very Favorable Day!! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 61:1-2a,

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor..."

Jesus read this passage from a scroll of Isaiah some seven hundred years later, at the synagogue in Nazareth and applied it to himself:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
     to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Lule 4:18-19.

In Luke's gospel, this takes place just after his baptism by John and his forty day fast in the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil. The reaction of the people in the synagogue was anger and hostility after he pointed out to them that prophets are not accepted in their hometowns. They were so angry they drove him out of town and took him to a cliff where they intended to throw him off. We are simply told he walked right through the crowd and "went on his way."

That "good news" he was sent to proclaim to the poor was in conjunction with the atonement he made of himself when he died on that cross. Since his death, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven, his good news, the gospel, has been at work among all mankind. As the passage in Isaiah says, he was sent by God, with the Holy Spirit upon him. He has set himself to make a people for himself.

The good news includes encouragement for the brokenhearted, freedom for us all, as we are all captives of sin. He removes the veil of the "thick darkness" that obscures the vision of all of us sinners and he releases us from God's judgment of eternal death to bring us eternal life. All he asks of us is to embrace him in faith!

Surely this is the day of the Lord's favor!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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A Thick Darkness Is Penetrated! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 60:1-3,

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

In a chapter that reveals the amazing glory that awaits God's people following this age, it begins with the removal of a "thick darkness." This "thick darkness" is a term that expresses a shroud that settled over the human race following the fall of mankind in the garden of Eden. Sin separated us from God and our sinful condition has created a veil or dark cover that prevents all of us from seeing and apprehending the Lord, the spiritual realm and spiritual truth.

This "thick darkness" is seen in John's writing, "But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 1 John 2:11.

This "thick darkness" motif is seen in Isaiah 9:2 where the coming of Jesus Christ was prophesied 700 years before he arrived, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." Matthew tells us Jesus came to dispel that "thick darkness" as he came as a light to the world, in his quote of the passage above. Matthew 4:15-16.

Jesus proclaimed, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12.

How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Our Sin, God's Love - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 59:7-8,

"Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood.
They pursue evil schemes;
acts of violence mark their ways.
The way of peace they do not know;
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;
no one who walks along them will know peace."

This observation is made of the people of Israel. It highlights their
sinful condition which has brought an estrangement, a distance between
them and the Lord, "your iniquities have separated you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
Verse 2.

Verses 7 and 8 are quoted by Paul in Romans 3:17, where he observes
the sinful condition of all mankind. The whole passage, verses 10-18
reads,
"'There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.'
'Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.'
'The poison of vipers is on their lips.'
'Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.'
'Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.'
'There is no fear of God before their eyes.'"

Both Psalms and Isaiah are quoted in Paul's observation of the sinful
condition of man. As you read the litany of indictments, it is amazing
to think that the Lord's intent is to redeem us from our sins. He
loves us and wants us in spite of our ugly nature!

Here is the amazing thing about God. He loves us with an unfathomable
love! In spite of our ugly condition, he reaches out to each one of us
and offers us a place in his kingdom, a place at his table! How is
that possible?! It is all just incomprehensible to me.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply
and let me know.

Where Is My Heart? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 58:5-7,

"Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

Israel was accused of having a form of godliness but their hearts were really not engaged. They kept observances, but really only nibbled around the edges what the Lord intended for them to do. They put on a show, but their lives failed to manifest hearts given to God.

I recall, after teaching a class on a Sunday morning at church in a passage of John's gospel that mentioned baptism, a founding elder accosted me during the break between Sunday School and the worship service. In the sanctuary he ripped me apart for not discussing in class the aspects of baptism as he saw them. (And, I have to say he was less than fully informed from the Scriptures about baptism...) Rather than inviting me to a cup of coffee to discuss perceived differences, he felt it important to dress me down on the spot. He, by God, was going to insure the doctrinal purity of the fellowship! He was not going to have it any other way!

Yet, I read in Colossians 3:12-15a, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace."

Just as Israel put on a show of serving the Lord, while their hearts were in another place, so we sometimes can find ourselves there as well. I know I have.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

No Peace, No Future For The Wicked - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 57:20-21,

"But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
    which cannot rest,
    whose waves cast up mire and mud.
'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'"

In Isaiah's prophecy, he says the Lord lives with the "contrite and lowly in spirit" to revive them, verse 15. Due to their repentant nature the Lord will give them peace, "'Peace, peace to those far and near,' says the Lord. 'And I will heal them.'" Verse 19. However, there is no peace for the wicked, as we see in the verses above.

The sinful nature of mankind is an ugly monster. Paul says, "Furthermore, just as they [the wicked] did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Romans 1:28-32. Not content with their own evil deeds, the encourage everyone else!

In Psalm 37:12-13, David says of the wicked,
"The wicked plot against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth at them;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming."

He goes on to say in verse 38, 

"But all sinners will be destroyed;
    there will be no future for the wicked."

No peace and no future for the wicked!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

MY NEW YEAR GIFT OF HOPE.

MY NEW YEAR GIFT OF HOPE. ( byungkyokim@daum.net )

Hello,

I am Dr Byung kyo kim, a 75-year-old South Korean National,
I have come across your name and contact as I search for a
reliable, capable and trustworthy individual to execute my
last wish.I am contacting you regardless of your race, sex, religion,
citizenship,country,from my sick bed as i have been diagnosed
of Oesophageal cancer,unfortunately my doctor said i don't
have any chance to survive except by a miracle.

I was a former United Nations consultant director of
economic and social affairs in Africa for many years
before I retired and went into full time business.

Though I am very rich, I was never generous and never
i really cared for anyone (not even myself) but my business.
I was always hostile to people and only focused
on my business as that was the only thing I cared for.

But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more
to life than the desire to amass all the wealth in the world.
I believe if i get a second chance to come to this world I would
live my life a different way from how I have lived it.I have willed and
given most of my properties and assets to my immediate and
extended family members as well as a few close friends.

I want almighty to be merciful to me and save my soul.
I have decided to give alms to charity organizations,
as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth.
So far, I have Distributed money to some charity
organizations in Africa and Asia.

Now that my health has deteriorated, I cannot do anything
myself anymore.I once asked members of my family to close
one of my accounts and distribute the money in the account
charity organization in India and Pakistan, they refused and kept the
money to themselves.

Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be
contented with what I have left for them. The last of my money which
i secured in a foreign country that is not known to anybody only me
is the sum of FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS.

I want you, regardless of your race, sex, religion, citizen, country,
to retrieve this money and use 80% of it to assist and finance
motherless children,orphanages,the handicapped,
the less privileged etc,while the remaining 20% of the total
sum is for your own personal use.

I don't need any telephone communication in this regard
because of the condition of my treatments.

Upon your response and acceptance of my proposal
I will introduce you to the finance house where i secured
this money and also issue a letter of authorization that will
certify you the official beneficiary of this amount.

Regards,

Dr Byung kyo kim.

Requiring The Impossible - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 56:1-2,

"This is what the Lord says:
"Maintain justice
    and do what is right,
for my salvation is close at hand
    and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
Blessed is the one who does this—
    the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,
    and keeps their hands from doing any evil.'"

Here the Lord tells his people of the need to do what is right, to maintain justice, keep the Sabbath and refrain from doing any evil. His salvation is close at hand and his people need to live a godly lifestyle as it draws near.

The Scriptures have many passages that require God's people to keep laws and live according to the edicts and decrees he sets forth. Consider David's psalm,
"Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken." Psalm 15.

These laws, rules and regulations all reflect God's own character and nature. In order for anyone to enter into a reconciliation with him, they need to reflect that character and nature within themselves to be acceptable to him. However, there is a big problem here. As sinful people (we are all sinners), we are hopelessly incapable of ordering our lives consistent with God's character and nature. We have a sinful fallen nature that prevents us from ordering our lives consistent with what the Lord finds acceptable.

So why does God insist on these impossible expectations? Very simple. He wants us to recognize our sinful condition with the inability to live our lives acceptably before him and to throw ourselves at the feet of his mercy. As Paul told Titus, "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Titus 3:4-5.

Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and was entirely acceptable before God. As he offered himself as a sacrifice of atonement on that cross, his righteousness, his acceptability with God the Father became available to us. All he asks is that we embrace him in faith and then what he has becomes ours.

The laws of God play a very important role in this as Paul points out, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." Romans 3:20. No one reaches out for a savior if they don't feel the reality that they need one.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

They Would Not, Then They Could Not - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 55:6-7,

"Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon."

Here is a wonderful invitation from the Lord to us all. We are told to seek him "while he may be found." Following our physical death, he will no longer extend his invitation, as he withdraws it. There is no hope for anyone who does not respond to the Lord's invitation while still in this life. The concept of a "purgatory" is bogus, not found anywhere in Scripture.

There is another troubling issue that many are not aware of. When we hear the gospel message and if we reject it, we find ourselves on very thin ice. There just may be a point, in our rejection of him, that he hardens our hearts such that we become incapable of responding to him later, while still in this life.

This very real possibility is seen in what John wrote in John 12:37-41, "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: 'Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.' Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him." John's point is that some would not believe in Jesus: first they would not, then they could not, because God hardened their hearts when they would not.

John's quote of Isaiah 6:10 was to point out that the Lord himself might prevent those who reject him from ever being able to accept him afterward. How many times rejecting the Lord does it take? I don't have a clue. I do know that anyone who has embraced the Lord in faith will never have their hearts hardened. Paul says to the Corinthian believers, "He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:8-9. This is the wonderful exciting part!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Breathtaking Prophecy!- Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 54:9-10,

"'To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry with you [the redeemed of the Lord],
    never to rebuke you again.
Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,'
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you."

The nature of prophecy is that it can become somewhat "fluid" in that the times prophesied can leap ahead of the prophet a hundred years, a hundred seventy years and to the end of the age, all within a few verses. We see this in the chapters of Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem that would take place a hundred years following him, a seventy year captivity following that, and then a restoration. And, then, that restoration prefigures events at the end of the age when the Lord's redeemed will inherit all the Lord has destined for us in eternity.

These verses look ahead to that time when the new city of the redeemed will be rebuilt by the Lord himself,
"... I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,
    your foundations with lapis lazuli.
I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children will be taught by the Lord,
    and great will be their peace.
In righteousness you will be established..."

This is reminiscent of Revelation 21:17-21, "The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass."

For me, and I'm certain for many of us, as we look ahead to what is coming our way in eternity with the Lord, those things we read of in the prophecies of Scripture... it is simply breathtaking!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Fungible! Jesus Pays On Our Behalf! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 53:10-11,

"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him [Jesus Christ the Servant] and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities."

Isaiah 53 is certainly one of the most significant chapters in the Scriptures. In this passage, written 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, we are told that he will suffer, to make "his life an offering for sin".

Paul explains that the wages of sin is death, eternal death, Romans 6:23. However, God gives the most amazing gift! Eternal life in Jesus Christ! We have all sinned and in that God created humanity for himself, rather than simply destroying the race in his judgment of sin, he provided us an opportunity to gain a good standing with him, to fulfill his original intentions for which he made us in the first place.

As this passage in Isaiah explains, God did this by having his Son, Jesus Christ, who is called "the Servant" in these chapters in Isaiah, pay the penalty for our sins. It turns out that in God's court of justice, the payment for sin is "fungible." If you don't know that word, you should. Every believer should know what fungible means. Merriam-Webster defines it as, "being something (such as money or a commodity) of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in paying a debt or settling an account." Jesus Christ gave his life as a payment for our sins, "by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities."

Jesus Christ died on our behalf, to pay the penalty for your sins and my sins (we have all sinned). As we read in the above, "the Lord makes his life an offering for sin".

The passage also continues on to talk about the resurrection of his Servant, "After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied", demonstrating the Father's acceptance of Jesus' payment for our sins!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Garments Of Splendor - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 52:1,

"Awake, awake, Zion,
    clothe yourself with strength!
Put on your garments of splendor,
    Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
    will not enter you again."

Isaiah's prophecy looks ahead to a time when Jerusalem, as a city freed and fortified by the Lord, is called to clothe herself with the strength the Lord provides. She is also called to don garments of splendor, bringing to mind a priestly beauty befitting a holiness the Lord provides.

"How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    'Your God reigns!'" Verse 7.

This brings to mind the raiment of righteousness the redeemed will be clothed with that we read about in Revelation 7:9, "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." 

A few verses later we read, "Then one of the elders asked me, 'These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?' I answered, 'Sir, you know.' And he said, 'These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on  them," nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; "he will lead them to springs of living  water." And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" Revelation 7:13-17.

It is enough to leave a person speechless!!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Abraham: The Rock - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 51:1-2,

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
    and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham, your father,
    and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
    and I blessed him and made him many."

Geoffrey W. Grogan, in his commentary on Isaiah, in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, has a fascinating comment about this passage:

"The Jewish Midrash on v. 1 reads as follows: 'When God looked on Abraham who was to appear, he said, "Behold, I have found a rock on which I can build and base the world," therefore he called Abraham a rock' (SBK, 1:733). Cullmann has suggested that this passage and its midrashic interpretation may lie behind Matthew 16:18, with Peter-- representing the apostles as the first Christian believers-- paralleling Abraham's place as father of the faithful, but for the new covenant. Just as Abraham's faith in God was a pattern for the OT community that succceeded him (and, of course, for Christians, too), so that of Peter and his fellow apostles in Christ would lead to the building of the church (see O. Cullmann, Peter, Disciple, Apostle, Martyr [London: SCM, 1953]. p.193."

As you recall, in Matthew 16:18 Jesus tells Peter, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

Whether this be the case, I find it absolutely fascinating that Jesus may have used a comment from the oral tradition that became the basis for the development of the Midrash on this passage in Isaiah 51:1-2 as he spoke to Peter.

Maybe a bit of "inside baseball" today, but I thought I'd share it as it really struck my interest.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Facing Suffering In Joy! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 50:5-6,

"The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
    I have not been rebellious,
    I have not turned away.
I offered my back to those who beat me,
    my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
    from mocking and spitting."

Here in this prophecy the Lord's Servant (Jesus Christ) speaks of the treatment he will receive when he comes (in past tense as if it had already happened), some 700 years following the prophecy. It is reminiscent of both the suffering and the purpose of that suffering we read of in Isaiah 53:3:
"He (Jesus Christ) was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem."

The passage goes on to say,
"Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all."

In the verses that follow, verses 7-9 we read of more:
"He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth."

All this the Son of God took upon himself because of the love he has for all of us. "For the joy set before him [Jesus] he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:2b-3.

It is enough to take your breath away!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

We Have Service And Acceptance Through Jesus Christ! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah Isaiah 49:8-9,

"This is what the Lord says:
'In the time of my favor I will answer you [the Servant, Jesus Christ],
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
to say to the captives, "Come out,"
    and to those in darkness, "Be free!"'"

This passage is quoted by Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:2, "As God's co-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

Geoffrey W. Grogan in his commentary on Isaiah (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) does a wonderful job of explaining how the Servant (Jesus Christ) certainly merited the Father's favor, yet Paul's use of Isaiah 49:8 shows Paul and all believers share both in Christ's service and his acceptance by the Father. This is seen in another passage by Paul in Ephesians 1:4-6, "For he [God] chose us in him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."

God provides us with purpose and meaning in our lives by sharing opportunities for us to serve him and he also makes clear to us his acceptance of us through his Son, Jesus Christ!

How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Why Bring On Yourself Your Own Destruction? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 48:17-18,

"This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
'I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches you what is best for you,
    who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
    your peace would have been like a river,
    your well-being like the waves of the sea.'"

In this chapter of Isaiah, Israel is accused of her stubbornness,
"For I knew how stubborn you were;
    your neck muscles were iron,
    your forehead was bronze." Verse 4.

Destruction and a seventy year captivity in Babylon awaits Judah. Following that, in verse 20 she is told, "Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, 'The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob." 

In the above verses she is told that her coming struggles are due to her own making. "If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.'"

Within Israel's grasp, she could have enjoyed well-being and peace as a people. However, they would have none of it because they had turned against the Lord, his teachings, his directions and his commands. They had stubbornly gone their own way and will now have to pay the consequences for it.

In a similar way, an opportunity exists for all people today. We can all embrace Jesus Christ and enjoy eternity in paradise with all the blessings God created us for in the first place. However, many are stubborn, reject the Lord and will miss out on the greatest opportunity they could ever possibly enjoy. Sad, isn't it? Jesus Christ has done all the work, and all they have to do is embrace him. However, many decide to cling to their sin and bring the Lord's judgment on themselves.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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