Isaiah 2 - Walk in the Light of the LORD

 "Let us walk in the light of the LORD." (Isaiah 2:5b NIV)

We await the day when the LORD will come in the splendor of His majesty. "There will be no more war. The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.. (vs 11) What a day that will be! The earth will tremble. The people will tremble. We will finally realize the fruitlessness of worshipping silver and gold, the work of our own hands, and every knee will bow in recognition of the LORD, God, Almighty.

Isaiah's sermon is a hard one for many to hear. All is not right in the world. There is much trouble on every side; mostly caused by greed or jealousy, caused by desiring what we cannot have. Scripture tells us that Satan, the oppressor, was cast down to the earth. Do you remember why? Isaiah 14:12-14 says: "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.""  Satan wanted not just to be like God. He wanted to be God. He wanted to be worshipped. There is a little of the devil in all of us, it seems. He sneaks out (or in), when we're not looking, trying to convince us that we are worthy of honor and glory. Sometimes, we believe him. Well, not sometimes, often. We often put ourselves before the LORD, our Creator and Redeemer. And, when we recognize the sin that dwells within us, it should be enough of a reason to go before the LORD, seeking His mercy and grace often, like daily, like a few times a day?

There is only one God and the day will come when all people will have no choice, but to recognize Him as the one true God. Those who desire and/or think that they are gods and above God, will be humbled and their pride brought low as He shows Himself to all people in the full splendor of His majesty. I'm just thinking it would be a whole lot easier on everyone if we could all bow before Him now and "walk in the light of the LORD." 

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. A warning... do not fall prey to the temptation to glorify the works of your own hands; but give all to the glory of God.

Song of Songs 3 - The LORD's Love Is The Answer To The Void

LOL! Maybe I shouldn't be writing anything publicly about the Song of Songs as my patience and tolerance for anyone who is chasing after a man day and night can be pretty low. It's not nonexistent. I just think that if we are going to be good stewards of the time on earth that God has given us that there are better ways, more fulfilling ways, to live life.

However, if we read this as an allegory pertaining to our relationship with God, then indeed I can relate to the heart sickness and the persistence that comes with searching for love, at least in concept. As Pastor Al Goodrich, one of my early mentors use to remind people, "We don't find Jesus. He finds us."

But, the reality is that many people, even multitudes, hope for a love that will fill the void that exists within their hearts and their lives. I adjure you, if you're looking for love, genuine love, first you must know the genuine love of God, given to us through Christ Jesus. He has found you. He knocks at the door to your heart. Open it up and let Him in. (see Songs of Songs 5:2; Rev 3:20 NIV) He is our beloved. He is the King whom we await. His glory and splendor are way beyond anything you can imagine. The love that Solomon had for his many wives and concubines and they for him cannot even begin to compare to the love that God has for us in Christ Jesus. Crowned with splendor, as He enters our lives, our beloved will end our heart break and fill us with His peace.

If you're going to be chasing after love, chase after the one and only true love that will fill that empty void within you for all eternity. Once you receive His love, then you, too, will be able to love others, even as you love Him. Without the love of God, your heart will remain empty and you will probably find yourselves, more often than even you like, spending your days and nights chasing after men.

"May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance." (2 Thess 3:5) Pr. J