God Dwells With The Lowly! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 57:15,

"For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"
 
Our Lord God Almighty, "the high and lofty One" points to his transcendence.

He lives forever, his name is holy and he lives in a high and holy place. And yet, the heart of our wonderful transcendent God who lives in this high and holy place is with the humble, the contrite, the "lowly in spirit"!

He says his purpose is to revive the lowly and contrite. How wonderful is our God whose heart compels him to dwell with the lowly and the brokenhearted!

How can we not be fascinated with our Lord? How can we not adore such a Lord?

What a heart!

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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Requiring The Impossible - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant 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, and majestic in his radiant 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 I had not considered in the past. 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. A time when one can find he is no longer near.

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.

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

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 54:7-8,

"'For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,' says the Lord your Redeemer."

Here is a prophetic message to the people of Israel from God, during a dark period in her history. He acknowledges that his abandonment of Israel for a time (out of his anger over their rejection of him) will be followed by his "everlasting kindness" expressed in his restoration of the nation. In verse 10 the Lord speaks of his unfailing love for Israel and his compassion.

The setting for this restoration is not when the captivity of the remnant of Israel in Babylon is ended and they return to Palestine over two millennia ago. It is a yet future time from our view, when he will never rebuke Israel again, verse 9. The Lord declares, "no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you." Verse 17. It will be a time when Israel, as an expanded nation, will never again experience the judgment of God, but enjoy his blessings.

Paul speaks of this time in Romans 11:25-27, "Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'"

This is the time when the kingdom of God will rule the earth for an eternity. Israel, together with all of the redeemed saints of the Lord will experience the blessings of God in the next age.

In our day, when things look so bleak, a day when so many ask, "where is the Lord?" and face the future with anxiety and fear, this is truly good news! Something to celebrate and get excited about!

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.

Jesus Christ Takes Our Guilt And Punishment On Himself - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 53:5,

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
 
As the prophecy in Isaiah continues its focus on the "Servant of the Lord" (Jesus Christ), the most remarkable and astonishing announcement is made: the punishment for our sin will be borne by him!
 
As a fallen people living in a fallen world, cursed by God for our own sin and rebellion since the horrendous incident in the Garden of Eden as recorded in Genesis 3, we have been subject to an existence of frustration.

We experience all that living in a cursed and fallen world provides with its unfairness, injustice and wickedness, as well as sickness, disease and certain death. Not just physical death but also that horrible eternal death hanging over our heads, forever being estranged and removed from God, with an eternal torment of suffering in the Lake of Fire (Hell) as a certain future.
 
But now an announcement. As said in Isaiah 9:2, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned"! The Servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ, will take the guilt and punishment of our sin on himself.

The curse will be lifted and we will enter into a life of eternal joy with all the excitement of sharing this everlasting existence with him and one another will bring in a renewed world!

Fairness and justice will be established, the presence of the Lord will be ours to behold, where sickness, disease and death will be removed.

We possess this today as our certain future in the resurrection! As Jude exclaims in his wonderful doxology: "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault (all our sin paid for!) and with great joy (!) to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 24-25.

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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The Servant Of The Lord Will Act Wisely! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 52:13-15,

"See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness— so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand."
 
The Servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ, is referred to here in the prophecy of Isaiah.

Here I see that Jesus Christ will act wisely as he fulfills the purposes of God – Jesus Christ came "to seek and to save what was lost".

People will be appalled at him as they see how he is disfigured (during his passion), he will "sprinkle" many nations as he has impact on the whole world (this will be no local event). The kings of the world (all the big boys from our perspective!) will be speechless as they see and understand who the "Servant of the Lord" is and what he has done as, ultimately, Jesus Christ will be exalted.
 
Wonderful prophecies of the coming Messiah! And just as sure as his first coming, two thousand years ago, so is the certainty of his second coming!

Come now, Lord Jesus!

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.

The Ransomed Of The Lord Will Return! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 51:5,

"My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm."
 
As the Lord tells the Jews in exile he will save them from their captivity in Babylon, his prophecy also looks to a later time when he will bring salvation to those held captive to sin and the Lord's own judgment (all mankind). As Paul put it in Romans 3:21-25,
 
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood."
 
And our reaction is and will be just what the Lord prophesied in Isaiah 51:11 concerning the exiled Jews,
 
"The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
 
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.