Reading: Isaiah 50
My Verses: "Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
who equip yourselves with burning torches!
Walk by the light of your fire,
and by the torches that you have kindled!
This you have from my hand;
you shall lie in torment" (Isaiah 50:10,11).
Isaiah spells out here the two choices we have, the two so very different ways we can respond to You, LORD!
We can trust in You, even though we walk in "darkness" and have "no light." Even when things on this earth seem hopeless. Even when we cannot see where to place our next step for the darkness we find ourselves in. Even when we are in the deepest trouble. Even when our souls are in anguish and there is no joy or "shining splendor" in our hearts. Even in all this we can choose to rely on You, LORD God. We can choose to depend on Your steadfastness. We can choose to be confident that in the end You will carry the day. You will keep us. We can depend on this as truth because You have repeatedly reminded us of this throughout Your Word.
Psalm 91 declares this mostly beautifully!
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty" (verse 1)
"Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place-
the Most High, who is my refuge-
no evil shall be allowed to befall you
no plague come near your tent,
For He will command His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways. . ." (verse 9 - 11).
The second response is to trust in one's own wisdom. The Amplified Bible states that those who choose this are "enemies of your own selves." Those who try to "kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches" are trying to work out their own salvation. They surround themselves with their own forms of encouragement and support - rituals, like minded friends. They proudly and arrogantly develop serious elaborate rationale for how, why and what they believe.
And yet, in the end: "you shall lie in torment."
"For as the new heavens and the new earth
that I make
shall remain before me, says the LORD,
so shall your offspring and your name remain.
For new moon to new moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares the LORD.
And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me.
For their worm shall not die,
their fire shall not quenched,
and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh" (Isaiah 66:22-24).
Oh LORD God, You are a God of love and light. You want to shine that good healing love and light into us but we need to open ourselves up to You. We need to make that choice.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verses: "Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
who equip yourselves with burning torches!
Walk by the light of your fire,
and by the torches that you have kindled!
This you have from my hand;
you shall lie in torment" (Isaiah 50:10,11).
Isaiah spells out here the two choices we have, the two so very different ways we can respond to You, LORD!
We can trust in You, even though we walk in "darkness" and have "no light." Even when things on this earth seem hopeless. Even when we cannot see where to place our next step for the darkness we find ourselves in. Even when we are in the deepest trouble. Even when our souls are in anguish and there is no joy or "shining splendor" in our hearts. Even in all this we can choose to rely on You, LORD God. We can choose to depend on Your steadfastness. We can choose to be confident that in the end You will carry the day. You will keep us. We can depend on this as truth because You have repeatedly reminded us of this throughout Your Word.
Psalm 91 declares this mostly beautifully!
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty" (verse 1)
"Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place-
the Most High, who is my refuge-
no evil shall be allowed to befall you
no plague come near your tent,
For He will command His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways. . ." (verse 9 - 11).
The second response is to trust in one's own wisdom. The Amplified Bible states that those who choose this are "enemies of your own selves." Those who try to "kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches" are trying to work out their own salvation. They surround themselves with their own forms of encouragement and support - rituals, like minded friends. They proudly and arrogantly develop serious elaborate rationale for how, why and what they believe.
And yet, in the end: "you shall lie in torment."
"For as the new heavens and the new earth
that I make
shall remain before me, says the LORD,
so shall your offspring and your name remain.
For new moon to new moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares the LORD.
And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me.
For their worm shall not die,
their fire shall not quenched,
and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh" (Isaiah 66:22-24).
Oh LORD God, You are a God of love and light. You want to shine that good healing love and light into us but we need to open ourselves up to You. We need to make that choice.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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