Gear-works

April 21 2016
Scripture: Isaiah 12:3-4 (ESV)

Gear-works

"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day, 'Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted."

Amazingly, Isaiah had many prophecies of Jesus hundreds of years before He ever walked the earth. Here in chapter 12 is a clear picture of the Gospel at work. In verses one and two we see God's anger against sin is turned to comfort, and God Himself has become salvation, which means we need not fear, but trust in Him. In our joy, we can drink freely the Living Water of salvation metaphorically, much like Jesus said to the woman at the well in the gospel of John (4:14). Being thankful to God, we can call out His name at any time. We must tell others the things that God has done for us and proclaim His name exalted. We are then able to join the angels in singing the forever song, making God known throughout the earth.

For me, I can easily become numb to the impact of the Gospel. Sometimes my gears get jammed and the whole process within me becomes stuck because one of the parts are not active in my life. I've attached the rest of Isaiah chapter 12 and I would seriously recommend to read it and answer these questions to check each gear to see if it is an active part of your life. 

Isaiah 12

1 You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
    for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
    that you might comfort me.
2 “Behold, God is my salvation;
    I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
    proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
    let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
    for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Questions to Answer for Yourself

1. Do I need to experience the comfort of the Lord, believing fully that he has turned away his anger completely?
2. Am I afraid to trust God with everything?
3. Am I depending on my strength instead of letting God be my strength?
4. Do I need to drink again from the well of salvation to quench my thirst for joy?
5. Am I giving thanks constantly to God?
6. Do I feel alone and need to call out His name?
7. Am I sharing what God has done for me with others?
8. Do I exalt Jesus name as holy?
9. Am I singing praise to God in all the earth?

I hope this was refreshing to you as it was to me.

Praising in the Midst of "gods"

April 13 2016
Scripture: Psalm 138:1 (ESV)

Praising in the Midst of "gods"

"I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise."

King David was a man who committed his whole heart to God, which is seen in a lot of ways. Many of the larger more powerful nations around him constructed large temples and statues of man-made "gods". These monuments were everywhere and even God's people had struggles with worshiping these idols because the culture around them made it look so good. David could not simply tear down every temple that stood in the other nations beyond his boarders. Yet, he chose to sing God's praise before all the other "gods".

In our world today there are still many "gods" that plague us. If you go looking, you won't find many great stone temples of worship, but "gods" take many forms. How many people find themselves returning again and again to addictive substances, controlling their actions and stealing their time, money, and personality? How many secretly visit the "Red Lights Temple" and desecrate their bodies in lustful passion, like that of the ancient Babylonian goddess, Aphrodite. 

As a Christian in a world full of "gods", how difficult is it to shamelessly worship the One True God? We can try to combat these other idols, and we should. But what if our job was to sing praise to God before the "gods", like King David? When our God is revealed, the others pale in comparison, just like a picture of a sunset pales to looking at the real thing. 

"Lord Jesus, You are the true God, and I praise You. Help me to give You praise before the other "gods" and let Your light shine upon this earth. Amen."

(photo rights reserved by Hannah Wilson)