Because of the importance of Israel and its people, and my personal love for The Land, I’m inviting you to join me through the key Old Testament book of Isaiah. Each day I’m posting some simple thoughts about this complex prophet.
Isaiah 33.
There is doom again in today’s chapter. But this time it is reserved for the Destroyer, likely Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.
Look at those, however, who will speak to God in this humble and honoring way: “You are the foundation on which we stand today. You always save us and give true wisdom and knowledge. Nothing means more to us than obeying you.” (v6, CEV).
You. Always save. True wisdom. Obeying you.
Nothing means more than obeying God. We want to obey, right? May His Holy Spirit lead us and give us the strength to do so. May we hear and obey His still quiet voice and His promptings deep within our souls.
I believe as we obey, we are assured His blessings.
“But there will be rewards for those who live right and tell the truth, for those who refuse to take money by force or accept bribes, for all who hate murder and violent crimes. They will live in a fortress high on a rocky cliff, where they will have food and plenty of water.” (v15-16, CEV).
Later: “The Lord is our judge and our ruler; the Lord is our king and will keep us safe. The Lord will forgive your sins, and none of you will say, “I feel sick.”” (v22, 24, CEV).
He will provide! He has forgiven us through the grace of Jesus. Paul says often in the New Testament “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” What does this mean? Our pastor recently said it means something like this: “Everything that God is like be upon you.” God is Love. So let love be upon you. God is Joy. So let joy be upon you. Peace. Comfort. Care. Protection. Health. Wellness. Everything that is God. Let every amazing and divine thing that is, be upon you. This is the culture of the Kingdom of God.
I love that as we read the Old Testament it points to Jesus! He forgives. He gives grace. We follow. We trust. We obey. We have life! We have His life and every spiritual blessing that goes with it.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3, NIV).
If you’re new to this journey through Isaiah, you can start here.
Because of the importance of Israel and its people, and my personal love for The Land, I’m inviting you to join me through the key Old Testament book of Isaiah. Each day I’m posting some simple thoughts about this complex prophet.
Isaiah 30.
More warnings and doom for those who continue to sin and turn their back on the Almighty. These words might be found anywhere in today’s media: “Don’t tell us what God has shown you and don’t preach the truth. Just say what we want to hear, even if it’s false. Stop telling us what God has said! We don’t want to hear any more about the holy God of Israel.” (v10-11, CEV). Sounds like a spoiled child with their hands over their ears, right?
Yet for those who will put their trust in God: “The holy Lord God of Israel had told all of you, “I will keep you safe if you turn back to me and calm down. I will make you strong if you quietly trust me.” (v15, CEV).
Another promise to those who trust Him: “The Lord God is waiting to show how kind he is and to have pity on you. The Lord always does right; he blesses those who trust him.” (v18, CEV).
He blesses us when we trust Him! King Solomon echoes these words: “God blesses everyone who trusts him.” (Proverbs 16:20, CEV).
Can I tell you from firsthand experience: I have trusted God and He has blessed me. Many others can repeat those words, too.
Blessings come through trust. Blessings come through the truth, if we are open to hear it and receive it. The Lord always does right.
If you’re new to this journey through Isaiah, you can start here.
Ever feel like you’re on the cusp of something big? Like you are “this close” to a receiving a blessing of some sort? A really big blessing?
The Bible is full of “blessing” stories. The first is a promise from God to Abram.
Genesis 12:
The Lord said to Abram:
Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you. Genesis 12:1-3 (CEV)
This is the promise to Abram, which means “Father” … who later became Abraham… “the Father of Many.”
Abram had no children. Yet because of his faithfulness to God, he became the father of Isaac, who became the father of Jacob, who’s name was later changed to Israel. He had twelve sons, the heads of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, God’s chosen people, who crossed the Jordan River at Jericho and inherited the Promised Land.
This idea of Abram’s blessing is the picture of a conduit. We are blessed with the express purpose of being a blessing to others. There is a continual motion with our hands of receiving and giving… receiving and giving… receiving and giving. Can you see yourself as both a receptacle and dispenser of God’s grace and joy and blessing?
Let’s jump a couple of thousand years to David, Psalm 1:
God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God.
Instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night.
They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves.
Those people succeed in everything they do.
Psalm 1:1-3 (CEV)
The Psalms are mostly David’s journal, his intimate thoughts with God. These prayers detail his struggles, his joys, his defeats and his victories. He gets the concept of blessing through the Word of God. The idea of “thinking about the law” — or other translations suggest the phrase is “meditating on the Scripture” — is the picture of a dog, chewing on a bone. Or more precisely a lion growling over his prey, followed by licking and chewing it up. Taking his time. Enjoying the blessings of his spoils. Usually in solitude.
So, it is THAT person, who is like a tree growing beside a stream. Its roots are long and deep. Have you ever seen a tree growing on the bank of a river and its roots run long down the bank until they are touching the water? That’s the kind of tree we are to be, someone with long and deep roots. And that tree? It produces fruit!
These are trees that do not worry. They are blessed.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)
And just like trees “those people succeed in everything they do.” They are blessed.
Proverbs says “the roots of the righteous give life, and more life.” Proverbs 12:12 (MSG)
Blessing happens when we enjoy our times with God. Please hear that the only way we produce fruit, or more accurately when God produces fruit in us and through us, is when we enjoy, when we relish, when we love quiet times of digging into and digesting His word, lingering over it, often; when our heart is connected to His heart.
One more Bible story about blessing:
When Jesus taught His first sermon, what’s the key word He used? At the Sermon on the Mount, He affirms eight additional Blessings.
God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven!
God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!
God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them!
God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want!
God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!
God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him!
God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children!
God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:1-10 (CEV)
One thing each of these Blessings have in common? These Blessings are given to those who are active, not passive.
You’ve heard “God helps those who help themselves.” That’s not in the Bible. That’s a quote most often ascribed to Benjamin Franklin. That’s not what I’m saying. Indeed, God’s grace is offered to all, because we really cannot help ourselves, right?
Here’s the true statement. Again from Proverbs: The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed. Those who help others are helped. Proverbs 11:25 (MSG)
Jesus is describing actions taken. Who receives blessings? Those who are depending and grieving. Those who are humble, obedient, mercy givers. Those who have a pure heart and who make peace and who do right.
Proverbs has two additional blessing promises:
God blesses everyone who trusts him. Proverbs 16:20 (CEV)
And then there’s this one:
When God blesses his people, their city prospers, but deceitful liars can destroy a city. Proverbs 11:11 (CEV)
I believe God wants to bless your city, your state, our county. But I don’t believe we are called to sit around and wait for it. I believe He will continue to bless this Land through each person who trusts in Him.
Jesus had an encounter with a dad who was hoping that the Messiah might heal his son. The boy’s father says: “Please have pity and help us if you can!” Jesus replied, “Why do you say “if you can”? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!” Right away the boy’s father shouted, “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.” Mark 9:23-25 (CEV)
Maybe that’s our prayer too? “God, please give me more faith.”
That takes us full circle back around to Abraham. It was his faith that allowed him to see and believe that he’d have as many descendants as the stars in the heavens. It will be our faith, and our taking action steps — not passively sitting around waiting — to receive God’s blessings. And then its up to us to be obedient to pass them on… to our family, our neighbors, our city, and our country. And through our passing them along, we are blessed!
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