LifeLink Devotions

Monday, July 17, 2023

Isaiah 33:10   “Now will I arise,” says the LORD. “Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up.”

Humility.

It is the exact opposite of what the world teaches. Since we were born, we have been bombarded with the message that we must excel. We must do everything in our power to become the best that we can be. We must win at all cost. We must get our own way in everything. We strive with all our might to exceed the popularity, power, and position of everyone close to us. We believe that the true measure of our worth is in the value of our possessions.

Pastor Leith Anderson, in a sermon he preached in 1999 called “The Height of Humility,” told this story:

“It was a strange bicycle race. According to the story I read, the object of this race in India was to go the shortest distance possible within a specified time. At the start of the race, everyone cued up at the line. When the gun sounded all the bicycles, as best they could, stayed put. Racers were disqualified if they tipped over or one of their feet touched the ground. And so they would inch forward just enough to keep the bike balanced. When the time was up and another gun sounded, the person who had gone the farthest was the loser and the person closest to the starting line was the winner.

“Imagine getting into that race and not understanding how the race works. When the race starts, you pedal as hard and fast as you possibly can. You’re out of breath. You’re sweating. You’re delighted because the other racers are back there at the starting line. You’re going to break the record. You think, This is fantastic. Don’t let up. Push harder and faster and longer and stronger.

“At last you hear the gun that ends the race, and you are delighted because you are unquestionably the winner. Except you are unquestionably the loser because you misunderstood how the race is run.

“Jesus gives us the rules to the eternal race of life. The finish line is painted on the other side of our deaths, right in front of the throne of God himself. There you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. The winning strategy for this life and for all eternity is caring about others and not about ourselves. It is letting others go first and not pushing to the front. It is giving without the expectation of getting in return. It is to be humble, like Jesus.”

Twice I had this illustrated to me in the lives of two men from our church. Both examples involved their work and their responsibilities as managers. Both had to do with am upcoming Super Bowl game years ago in which the Green Bay Packers were playing. Both men are in management in their respective places of business. Both told similar stories of personal greed that will require them to show Godly humility.

In both stories, an employee was scheduled to work the closing shift on Sunday night, meaning that they would have to miss the big game. In the first instance, after unsuccessfully trying to find someone to take her place on her shift, the employee sent a text message to her boss simply stating that she quit. She made a decision that the game and being with her friends was more important than her job and financial security. She will regret that. If not now, then most certainly later when this kind of selfish behavior brings her to rock bottom. Her decision is most likely going to result in her boss, also a huge Packer fan, having to work and miss the game.

The second story is similar. The employee didn’t quit but made life so miserable for everyone around her by her whining and complaining that she deserved to be fired. Instead, her boss and huge Packer fan, and a Christian, stepped up to the plate and volunteered to work for her. He said he wanted to be the bigger person. I told him he was being the Christ-like person.

Scripture is clear that God will arise and be exalted, and bring us with Him, when we renounce self and trust Him to be our Provider and Protector. It’s not what we learn from the world, but it is what results in ultimate glory – for Jesus and for us. Remember His words? “The first will be last, and the last will be first. Anyone who loses his life for My sake will find it, but whoever strives to keep his life will lose it.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, July 14, 2023

Have you ever felt like even when you try to do right you can’t get past the consequences of your past? Frustrating, isn’t it? Our past has a way of catching up with us, and when it does it usually overpowers us.

That was the story of the nation of Assyria. They were a treacherous nation that was despised by the other nations of the world. They not only conquered lands, but terrorized people. They were brutal in their tactics. But it was going to catch up to them. The day would come when Assyria would try to relax and enjoy the fruit of their conquering, but what they had done to others would be returned unto them no matter how much they announced that their terrorist days were done.

Isaiah is praying that the day would come when the attacks would stop and be reversed. He knows that because of their sin the nation of Israel has deserved the punishment that has been inflicted upon them by the Assyrians. He also knows that their past will overwhelm them and that they have no power to stop it. So he cries out to the LORD YHWH and says, “be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” (Isaiah 33:2)

One quick point before we move on – when your past catches up with you, humble yourself and cry out to God. You cannot stop the consequences of your sin. Only Jesus can. His mercy and grace are the only thing that can give you victory over the past. He is your strength and salvation in time of distress.

Isaiah asks for grace from the Lord in a model of prayer for us all when we are in need. He begins to proclaim the promises of God and declare the Lord’s attributes. In faith he announces what will happen because of who he knows God to be. This is what Isaiah said, and can be a model to us all as we pray and declare the glory of the Lord:

• There is no one greater than the Lord – “At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter.: (verse 3)
• The Lord will restore us and bless us – “Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it.” (verse 4)
• The Lord will be exalted in the land and bring peace – “The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.” (verse 5)
• The Lord is faithful and can be trusted – “He will be the sure foundation for your times,” (verse 6a)
• The Lord will provided everything we need – “a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;” (verse 6b)

Then Isaiah says one more thing. He gives us the key to victory over our past and the blessings of the future. He says, “the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” The fear of the Lord can easily be defined this way:

 Father Exalted And Revered.

That leads us to these questions –

• “In my life, is the Father exalted and revered?”
• “Do I believe that I can deliver myself?”
•  “Am I expecting God to deliver me from my past and my sin based on my own merit or on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross?”
• “Do I expect God to bless me and believe I deserve it, or do I fear God and trust Him with every part of my life regardless of the blessings promised, just because He is worthy?”

“O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Destructive storms in America.

Civil unrest in France.  

Mass shootings.

Woke politics.

Need I go on? All around us things are anything but normal. Peace of mind is a past tense experience for many. Worry is building. Fear is replacing faith.

Life has been good for a long time for most of us in America. There have been ups and downs and some financial and political storms, but we have always weathered them. We have been trained by history to believe that this too shall pass. So, we tighten our belts for a time, make some adjustments to our lifestyle, and plan for the day when it’s over and we can get back to living the way we dream to live.

Well guess what? One of these days the storm won’t pass. Listen – I’m not trying to ruin your day or be the gloom and doom man, but the truth is that God’s Word says there is a time coming when the storm will not pass.

Isaiah 32:10   “In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come.”

These preliminary storms are not supposed to strengthen our resolve to survive and get back everything we may have lost. They are to get our attention and turn our hearts towards God so that we learn to trust Him and experience His peace no matter what the storm may bring.

Listen to the Word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah as He speaks to people who had become complacent about their faith and dependent upon their culture for their value and purpose. (Men, pay attention – this applies to us as well even though it’s addressed to women)

“You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waists.The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, (my emphasis) and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, (my emphasis) sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”

There is only one reason that the storms of life, whether in nature or in your personal life, continue to rage – we are not seeking God with all our heart. We are more in love with the world than we are with God. We are more in love with ourselves than we are with God. We do not love Jesus with all our heart because we reserve sections of it for the pleasures of the world. We do not love God with all our mind because we allow the lust of the flesh to captivate our thinking. We do not love God with all our soul because we still seek to satisfy our need for acceptance and value with the approval of people. We do not love God with all our strength because we so easily give in to the temptations of sin. And as a result, there are storms.

My friends, the storms will continue to come because the power of sin will continue to dominate the world and keep them from turning to Jesus. But those storms must not turn our hearts from the love of God. In fact, in the life of one who truly loves God, the storms draw us closer, and we experience more grace and more peace. May the storms today, whatever they are wherever you are, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Every storm is God’s megaphone through which He is shouting, “May I have your attention?”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Wow, it has been hot lately. Makes me wish for a crisp winter morning, but then I know I’d complain about that also and be looking for place to warm up. At least the air conditioner has functioned well. Everyone needs shelter from the weather.

The nation of Israel sure went through a lot of “weather” changes, if by weather we mean political and spiritual issues. When they obeyed God, He upheld His covenant of blessing with them. When they disobeyed Him, He upheld the consequences stated in the same covenant. God always fulfills His covenants.

Isaiah 32:1-2  “See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.”

In chapter thirty-one of Isaiah, which at first glance at today’s Scripture makes it appear we have skipped completely, God continues to discipline His people for their rebellion, and also declares the punishment that will fall on the nation of Assyria for rejecting Jehovah. Then in chapter thirty-two God gives a great statement of hope – “a King will reign in righteousness.”

From an historical perspective, this refers to King Hezekiah, whose reign was one of righteousness and peace. But from a spiritual and prophetic perspective this promise declares the coming of Jesus Christ as King. What joy I find in these words – Jesus is a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, a stream of living water that nourishes and brings life to the desert places, and the rock that provides shade and protection from the scorching sun of sin.

There’s joy in those thoughts. My spirit is refreshed in relationship with Jesus. He stabilizes my life when the winds of adversity blow against me. He protects me from the storms of crisis and gives me peace even during them. When the thirst of my soul is no longer satisfied with the water of the world and my pursuits have dried up like the sands of the desert, a spring of living water bubbles up from within and satisfies my every longing. And when the stress of life saps my energy like the heat of the noonday sun God invites me into the shade of His presence and I find rest.

But wait…there’s a challenge tucked away in the middle of these blessings. Do you see it at the start of the second sentence? We are also to be shelters from the wind for others who are unstable. We are to be a place of refuge and peace for those around us who are being battered by the storms of life. We are to be like streams of fresh and refreshing water for those who are not finding satisfaction from the ways of the world. We are to be the place of shade and rest for those whose strength has been sapped by the scorching sun of sin.

You and I. We are the representatives of the righteous King to those living in a weary land. Just as Jesus is our shelter in the time of storm, so are we to be a place of protection for our friends and neighbors when they are being pounded by the winds and waves of adversity. But wait, we are to be like the Rock to more than just friends and neighbors. It is the love of God that will transform our enemies, and what better way to show them His love than to offer them help and hope when they are in their greatest need.

How I praise God for being my Rock, my Refuge, my shelter. Yet I am convinced that I am not those same things to others around me. “Lord, make me a servant to others, no matter who they are, that they may see the your love and the hope of glory in me, that they may discover the peace they long to know in you and you alone.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Henry Blackaby, in his study entitled Experiencing God, makes this statement –

            “When God speaks, what you do next reveals what you believe about God.”

With brevity and precision that statement dissects our hearts. Here are some profound truths to think about. May they bring initial unrest to our souls followed by the peace of God from knowing our faith has been strengthened.

• God spoke and said, “Whoever calls on my Name shall be saved. Whoever believes on the One and Only Son of God shall have everlasting life. If we will confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us for those sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (Acts 2:21; John 3:16; 1 John 1:9) So why is it that we still live under the bondage of sin, struggling with it, seeking counseling for it, and in some cases resolving to just live with it? Do we really believe God to be who He said He is and to do what He said He would do?
• God spoke and said, “I have qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For I have rescued you from the dominion of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of the Son I love, in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:12-14) So why is it that we still live with such connections to the worldly kingdom? And why is it that we still struggle to qualify ourselves in the eyes of others, giving them the right to define us and approve us? Do we really believe who God is and what He said He would do?
• God spoke and said, “See, I am coming, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; my lips are full of wrath, and my tongue is a consuming fire. You will sing…your hearts will rejoice…for I come to shatter your enemies and deliver you.”(Isaiah 30 :27)Then why is it that we get so bent out of shape about what’s wrong with our world? What do the grumbling and complaining and critical spirits say about who we believe God to be?
• God spoke and said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)So why do we still worry? What does that say about who we really believe God to be?
• God spoke and said, “If you have the faith of a small mustard seed, you can say to a mountain, move from here to there, and it will move.” (Matt. 17:20)As far as I know, God has never asked anyone to move a mountain, but He has asked us to do some pretty out-of-the-ordinary things in our lives. You have heard Him speak to you about those things before. They may involve a career choice, a call to ministry, a sacrificial gift to a church, or one of a million other possibilities. The point is, you have heard Him speak to you. He gave you His direction and purpose for that time of your life. Did you obey? If not, what does that say about who you really believe God to be?

I remember struggling in this regard. Years ago I heard God speak about our church’s ministry. Many people did. We looked around and saw God at work in spectacular ways. We were overflowing on Wednesday nights with children and youth. One class packed sixteen 3-4 year olds into an 8×10 room. We heard God speak a vision to us for expanding our ministry. He specifically said, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back, lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left.” (Isaiah 54:2-3)

What did we do? We started acting on our faith. And today the church inhabits a building that is the result of the faith. We believed what God said to be true about who God is, and we moved accordingly. When all was said and done, it can be said of our church that God did something beyond human ability. Now, does the same practice of faith apply to every area of my personal life?

“When God speaks, what you do next reveals what you believe about God.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, July 10, 2023

Isaiah 30:15  “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…”

The thirtieth chapter of Isaiah is one of contrasts. In it we see the rebellious nature of man and the gracious nature of God. Our pride seeks to protect us from looking at the reality of our nature. Our hearts long to know the depths of God’s grace. The truth is, the magnificence of God’s grace towards us cannot be fully comprehended unless we also understand the depths of our depravity. It is where sin abounds that grace abounds more.

We are taught by our flesh to avoid any focus on our faults. We grade our spiritual condition on a huge curve of comparison. So many people are worse than us, and very few are better, so we believe we are in no real danger of flunking. But when compared to the holiness of God, all of us fail, and all of us need forgiveness, and none of us can save ourselves. This is the truth that makes the grace of God so grand.

The contrasts between our condition and God’s compassion in this passage have really spoken to my heart. May they bless you as well. You may want to open your Bible and follow along. Please read each point carefully and make the personal applications the Lord has for you today. I guarantee that it will bless you with a deeper appreciation of God’s grace.

Man’s Rebellious Nature:

• We tend to devise and pursue our own plans rather than God’s – verse 1
• We seek protection and provision from the world and not from God – verses 2-5
• We build ourselves up in our own eyes by oppressing others – verse 12
• We make ourselves look good to others by lying about who we are – verse 12

(Note the serious consequences of not being honest about who you are – verses 13-14)

• We even reach a point where we don’t want to hear the truth anymore and reject all attempts by God to help us – verses 10-11

Now notice God’s Grace:

• God longs to be gracious to us even during our worst rebellion – verse 18
• God rises above our stubbornness to be compassionate towards our needs – verse 18
• God reveals truth to us through adversity and trouble – verse 20
• God walks with us constantly and gives us specific direction – verse 21
• God provides for our every need and will bring out the best in everything He gives us – verses 23-24
• God will heal all the wounds of our suffering – verses 25-26

I know we are all very busy, and that taking time out for lengthy devotions every day is difficult. I’m thankful that you take the time each day to even consider reading what the Lord has shared in my heart. But I would encourage you to take some additional time today to really let God’s Word speak to you about our own tendency toward self-sufficiency, which is rebellion against God. Then, when it seems that you have a good grasp on the reality of your own sinfulness, let the splendor of His grace shower you with salvation and strength. After all, God has said,

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, July 7, 2023

It’s just too true: we all fall into varying degrees of discouragement at times. We tend to fix our eyes on the here and now instead of the soon to be, and as a result we get bogged down in what’s wrong instead of rejoicing in the hope of the coming righting of all wrongs. Then, as if we need to make matters worse, we go to great lengths to devise our own plans for fixing it all, only to have our lives more completely turned upside down.

Isaiah recognized that problem in people. He saw the inward spiral of self-fulfillment and how we are trapped in the vortex of vanity. He wrote, “the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish. Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, Who sees us? Who will know? You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, He did not make me? Can the pot say of the potter, He knows nothing”? (Isaiah 29:14-16)

All the plans of man will fail. We will start thriving when we learn that, rather than just surviving. When we finally fall on our knees in humble surrender to the plans of our Provider and Perfecter of our faith, we will be rescued from the whirlpool of worldly wants and transported into the peaceful port of God’s purpose.

Isaiah 29:19  “Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”

At the end of this chapter in Isaiah, in verses 22-24, there are several clues to how this transformation can happen in our lives:

“Therefore this is what the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the house of Jacob: “No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.”

• When we begin to see everything as the work of God…
• When we keep the name of God Holy…
• When we apply the holiness of God to every area of our lives…
• When we live in complete worship of God…
• When we commit to following God’s way and not our own we will be made wise…
• When we learn to praise God no matter what the circumstances we will gain understanding.

Imagine a ruler…you know, a measuring stick. It’s six inches long. Each inch is one of the above challenges. How do you measure up? I know I’ve got some growing to do.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, July 06, 2023

 Several years ago I remember a particularly busy day. My wife rose early and went over to the grandkids’ house to babysit, and I remained at our house to get some work done. We had the blessing of having some students from the Moody Bible Institute Men’s Collegiate Choir staying at our house that weekend while they were in Eau Claire for a concert at our church on Friday night. I needed to get the house ready. Not only that, but on the following Monday, our very dear friends Dudley and Inge would be arriving back in the States from Swaziland and they would be living with us for the next three months.

The details of my duties are not important, but suffice it to say they covered cleaning, carpentry, and cataloging. It took me well into the afternoon to get it all done, and there was still more to do. My point in telling you all of this is simple. While I did those things because I knew they had to be done, my motivation was the love I have in my heart for my wife. I serve her because I love her, and love has no limits on service.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t always apply to the way we serve God, does it? Our worship of Him is not always the product of our love for Him. Isaiah saw that in the people of His day as well. They talked about their faith, they prayed, and they worshiped, but it was insincere.

Isaiah 29:13  “And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.”

The hypocrisy of their hearts is obvious. But before we come down too hard on them, we must not be in denial about our own hardness of heart and double-standard lifestyles. We just might be as guilty as they were.

Here are some serious questions to consider:

• Do you truly love God more than you love yourself in EVERY area of your life?
• Do you do the “religious” duties of your church while in your heart you are longing to be elsewhere doing something else?
• Do you seek to serve God out of fear of His punishment or as a response to His grace and love?
• Is your worship of Him an expression of your love to Him?
• Is your whole life a living sacrifice given in service to your Lord as a reasonable act of worship?

Those questions give me cause to pause. It will be plenty to chew on for today.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Isaiah 29:1  “Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on.”

I love music. Certain styles of music move me more than others. Some of it touches deep into my soul and spirit. Music is God’s medium of connecting our minds with our emotions and moving them both into the realm of the spiritual.

One evening as my wife and I sat down together at the end of a long day, we checked to see what was on television. One of our favorite movies was coming on so we turned to it and spent some quiet time enjoying Sister Act 2. The music is incredible. That got my wife to thinking about the soundtrack to that movie that was somewhere in our library. She found it, and along with a couple of other older cd’s, she put them in the van for her trip to Madison the next day.

When I got in the van this morning to come to the office, one of my favorite cd’s of all time was playing in the van from her trip. The incredible trumpet sounds of Phil Driscoll filled the van with a vision of heaven for me. I cranked up the volume and found the song I wanted to hear that was also on the Sister Act 2 soundtrack. It’s familiar to most of you, I’m sure. The song is “His Eye Is On the Sparrow.”

Granted, the duet that the two students sing on the Sister Act 2 soundtrack is more beautiful, but the Phil Driscoll Live version is more powerful. I turned up the volume a little more. “Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home, when Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

Then came the trumpet solo. Wow, that man can play! It is truly the sound of the Lord’s trumpet. It reminded me that someday the Lord will blow His trumpet and Jesus will return.

Just then I arrived at the office. I chose to turn the song off and listen to the rest of it on my way home for lunch. When I opened my Bible on my desk and looked at the next verse in Isaiah, these are the words that jumped off the page at me – Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on.

Immediately the Holy Spirit spoke and said, “Life goes on, same old same old, but who’s listening for the trumpet?”  It’s true. Year after year we carry out the same routines of life, adding pleasure upon pleasure and treasure upon treasure, but who is listening for the trumpet? Year after year we attend the religious activities we’ve chosen for our spiritual nourishment, but even they have become routine and maybe even mundane. Why? It’s probably because we’re not listening for the trumpet. We are so focused on the here and now that we are not looking and listening for the return of the King.

Because of that we get discouraged. Our hearts are troubled. We have lost some hope. We go through the routine of life living one step at a time and questioning every step. But Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, and resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

Friends, Jesus is coming back. It may or may not be in our lifetime. But if we are not looking for it, and are simply living for today, what hope do our children and grandchildren have of hearing the trumpet when it sounds? We must live every day with our eyes looking up and our ears anticipating the greatest sound of music we will ever hear – the trumpet call of Jesus.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, July 04, 2023

Isaiah 28:21 and 29   “The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon—to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task… All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.”

I am fascinated by this twenty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. I hope you can bear with me as we share what is now our fourth devotional from this passage.

What fascinates me is the modern-day application of these historical events and how we as Christians need to wake up to what God is doing around and in us. A good friend once helped me to put the whole chapter in perspective and brought out the truths that we need to understand. Here’s what he wrote to me from Sao Paulo, Brazil:

“God, through Isaiah, is taking the leaders of Judah (called Ephraim here) to task for their alliance with Egypt in order to escape from the Assyrians.  This is the “covenant with death” mentioned in v. 15 and 18.  Judah should be looking to the precious cornerstone (v. 16) for its sure foundation, and not to human strength.”

“So, the short bed and the narrow blanket of v. 20 is a metaphor for Judah’s misplaced trust.  The alliance with Egypt will offer no rest, no comfort, for Ephraim (ESV Study Bible).  The strange work and alien task of the Lord, v. 21, is having to fight against his own people because of their disobedience.  The mention of Mount Perazim and the Valley of Gibeon is ironic, because in those two battles God fought for Israel against their enemies.  Now he must resist his people because they are rebelling against him.”

“The final section of the chapter uses another metaphor—the farmer.  The breaking up and turning over of the soil, although costly, has a purpose: to produce grain to make bread, v. 28.  “All this comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom,” v. 29.”

“My conclusion for this passage would be that God loves us so much that he is willing to take extreme measures to get our attention and win us back to his family.  His wisdom is completely trustworthy, even when we turn our backs on him and suffer the tragic consequences of our sin.”

We are not all that different from the people of Isaiah’s day. We are at times more intimately connected to the world than we are to Jesus Christ our Savior. We are at times more interested in finding satisfaction and fulfillment from the world than we are from God. We even at times scoff and mock at the things God calls us to do and the people He asks us to become, justifying our worldly connections to one another with humanistic rationalizations. We even at times incorporate spiritual ideas into our arguments to satisfy the fleshly desire we have to be accepted by God in what we are doing. My friends, think about this carefully. You will discover that there is far too much truth in what I just wrote.

Then on top of all of that, there’s one more thing from verse twenty-one – God’s work has become strange and  alien to us. We have become so engrossed in the lifestyle of the world, and so convinced that we can love both the world and God and use both for our own fulfillment and satisfaction, that when we look to see what God is doing around us we don’t recognize Him. How sad it is when God initiates a work in our lives and we mock it or scoff at it because it doesn’t fit into our personal life plan or our daily schedule of approved activities. We have become so in touch with what we want from the world that we are out of touch with the touch of God on our lives. We have chosen to believe that the social and financial benefits of living in our modern civilization are our rights and we choose to pursue them rather than pursue what God wants for us.

I know this is heavy, and sounds ominous. It is. That’s the point. We have so bought into the world’s system that the things of God seem burdensome to us. But you must know this – God will not stop loving us or pursuing us. We may not like what happens to finally get our attention, but He will win us back to Himself. Every event of our lives today will be an opportunity for us to turn from the pursuit of pleasure and prosperity in the world to a personal and productive relationship with Almighty God. By contrast, according to verse twenty two, those same circumstances can make life tougher. The Lord says, “Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier.” You see, what we think we are doing to find satisfaction in life by pursuing the values of the world is really wrapping us up more tightly in the chains of bondage to the world so we see and know less and less of God.

The chapter concludes with good news for us all. God is working to bring us to fullness in Christ. We may not like what He must do to bring us back, but it is a work of love. His plan is timed perfectly to bring in the greatest harvest of righteous souls possible. He is breaking up the soil of our hardened hearts.  He is planting seeds of righteousness. He will harvest those seeds by beating away all the chaff. Then we will stand before the people of this world as reflections of His glory. Look at your life today – God is working on you because He loves you and wants all of you. Embrace what happens as His expression of love to you.

Pastor John