FAITH FRIDAY

Some time ago I opened my Bible and it opened to  Isaiah 42. As I read, it really spoke to me. Here is the Scripture and my thoughts on it will follow.

Israel Blind and Deaf

18“Hear, you deaf;

look, you blind, and see!

19Who is blind but my servant,

and deaf like the messenger I send?

Who is blind like the one in covenant with me,

blind like the servant of the Lord?

20You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;

your ears are open, but you do not listen.”

21It pleased the Lord

for the sake of his righteousness

to make his law great and glorious.

22But this is a people plundered and looted,

all of them trapped in pits

or hidden away in prisons.

They have become plunder,

with no one to rescue them;

they have been made loot,

with no one to say, “Send them back.”

23Which of you will listen to this

or pay close attention in time to come?

24Who handed Jacob over to become loot,

and Israel to the plunderers?

Was it not the Lord,

against whom we have sinned?

For they would not follow his ways;

they did not obey his law.

25So he poured out on them his burning anger,

the violence of war.

It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand;

it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

---

This is God speaking to the Israelites. But as I read it I was thinking that we Christians today are no different than the Israelites were then. We have been just as deaf and blind to what God has shown us and to what He tells us in His Word. We, as Christians, are not listening to what He is telling us today, nor seeing what God is doing today. Why?: 

Many believe that God isn't speaking to us anymore, because we have not received anything new from Him. He doesn't need to tell us anything new! He has already told us all we need to know to be a part of His family - the Royal Family. Do you ever think of yourself as royalty? If you believe in Jesus, then you are a member of the royal family. God tells us in His Word that we are but it is hard for us in America to understand that concept. I picture it this way - look at the royal family of England. They have the queen at the top. There is no one any higher than her. Then there are princes, princesses, dukes and duchesses, nobles, viscounts, and other titles. Do they all rule? No. But they are part of the royal family, either by bloodline or marry into it. When the Bible says we will rule with Christ, He is still at the top and He has the last word. But we each have our position as part of the ruling family, and we each have our job to do.

Going back to Isaiah 42, This is a warning to us. Pay attention! Listen! Hear what God is telling you, and obey Him when He tells you what He wants you to do or not do. How do you know what He is saying? Read Jesus' words in the New Testament, and the words of the Apostles in their letters to churches. It will say very plainly how we are to live as Christians. What's that you say? "But I can't do it all, I will fail." Yes, you CAN do it. God and the Holy Spirit have given you the ability to do it. Yes, you will fail at times, but God gives us His grace to move on and try again. God just asks that we tell Him we know we made a mistake and that we are sorry and will try not to do it again, and mean it.

Read what Isaiah continues to say here. Those that did not listen came upon some really hard times. God had warned them but they didn't listen,. Our lives can be better if we just listen to Him. Will there be some tough things to go through, even though we do our best to obey? Yes. But God will not leave us.

There is good news next week!