Back To Basics - More on Isaiah 6

How the Sovereign Lord Prepares His Servants

By: Allen Ross
Introduction

Isaiah 6 records the “call” of the young prophet to the difficult task of preaching a message of judgment to the nation. This incident focused his ministry and prepared him for it. It may be best to say that the elaborate material recorded here actually looks at how the sovereign LORD inspired the young prophet for service. The revelation of the glory of the LORD was the foundation; it led to a response of confession, which brought cleansing, which in turn enabled him to hear the Word of God, which carried a commission to preach the message.

A few notes of caution are in order, because this passage is so widely used today. First, Isaiah already was a prophet, so this is not actually a “call” to become a prophet, but a call to a new direction in service. We shall have to be careful how we use that word, or how we define it. It is a call to a new and more difficult task that had to be performed.

Second, very few people have seen in this life what Isaiah saw—the pre-incarnate Christ (cf. John 12:41) in glory. We work with passages in God’s revelation that describe this heavenly scene with now the risen Christ in glory. That will be the foundation and inspiration of ministry and service today. Passages like 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, and Revelation 1, then, become rather significant in our correlation with the New Testament.

There must be a supernatural basis for ministry, or we shall not endure the suffering, opposition, discouragement, and hardship that follows. Paul says that he kept his focus on eternal things, things heavenly and spiritual—the eternal weight of glory. But if you try to apply this passage to say we must see this exact vision, even if you use the words figuratively and rhetorically without defining them, you will make an impossible barrier.

Third, the substance of the message is the negative or dark side of the good news. Perhaps this is why speakers usually leave it out, and simply stop with “Here am I, send me.” It was a message of judgment, of warning; they were not going to believe. And Isaiah really did not want to deliver it. So we shall have to consider why this is in the passage.

The setting of Isaiah 6 is the year 742 B.C. Uzziah had been a good king (and there were so few of them). But in his latter years he became proud and usurped the role of priest, and God struck him down. With his death the hopes of many probably seemed dashed. Good King Uzziah was dead—and his wicked son would now take over! But on that occasion God broke through and revealed Himself to Isaiah. The young prophet may have been closing down things in the temple, and as the shadows crept across the temple precincts the flash of glory broke through and the prophet entered into the vision of the heavenlies—he could look past the curtain, past the holy of holies and into the sanctuary in heaven.

The king was dead; but Isaiah saw the King! Kings come and go; but in a theocracy the LORD reigns eternally from heaven. He is the One whom we must please. He is the One who cleanses from sin, or strikes with judicial blindness those who persist in rebellion. He is the Holy One of Israel, and those who believe in Him will be the remnant, the holy seed, the future of the promise. The impact of this vision was overwhelming! In seeing the LORD of glory, the prophet saw himself, and the nation. As with Moses on Mount Sinai, Job hearing God from the whirlwind, Paul on the road to Damascus, or John on the Isle of Patmos, the young seer was changed forever with this vision.

http://bible.org/seriespage/how-sovereign-lord-god-prepares-his-servants-isaiah-61-13

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Wow! As we explore God's Word more deeply we see just how blessed and burdened Isaiah was when he heard God's vision; but through that dark time, God gave Isaiah a glimpse of the pre-incarnate Christ, Our Lord! Oh, how privileged and mighty to see our God in His splendor. As the expository suggests, Isaiah was forever changed and given the strength and resolute spirit he would need to preach God's command--that the people repent, be cleansed and turn to God for all of their needs.

It is so easy for us to justify pursuing things and goals in this world; believing, blindly, that God wants this or that for us. This is a trick of the devil; we seek Jesus FIRST and His righteousness and all things will be added to us as believers. Check your direction, check your pursuits in all areas of your life--do you see the Lord of Glory or the praise of men? Repent, believe and be healed says Jesus. Until tomorrow beloved, let the Holy Spirit fill your souls and minds. Sister Lisa

Back to Basics

Isaiah's Vision of the Lord

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah's Commission from the Lord

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,

12 and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.

Understanding Isaiah's Prophecies

Isa. 6:1–13 Grace—through Judgment—for Isaiah. God's grace leads Isaiah from “Woe is me!” (v. 5) to “Here am I!” (v. 8). This vision seems to recount Isaiah's commission as a prophet. His book conveys the lasting impression of this vision of God in his infinite holiness.

Isa. 6:1 In the year. Around 740 b.c. King Uzziah died, marking the end of a lengthy era of national prosperity (see 2 Chronicles 26). Uzziah had contracted leprosy for flouting God's holiness, and his son Jotham had been his co-regent for about 10 years (2 Chron. 26:16–21). I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne. The undying King holds court above. The words high and lifted up appear elsewhere in Isaiah (Isa. 52:13; 57:15) and seem to be part of his distinctive style. John 12:38–41 brings two of these together, implying that John saw the servant of Isa. 52:13–53:12 as not only messianic, but divine. The temple in Jerusalem modeled the temple in heaven (cf. Heb. 9:24; Rev. 4:1–4).

Isa. 6:2 the seraphim. Fiery angelic beings (the Hb. word serapim means “flames”). Six wings suggest remarkable powers. The references to face and feet, with their capacity for speech in vv. 3 and 7, and “his hand” in v. 6, imply composite creatures, such as are represented in ancient Near Eastern art. he covered. Even a perfect, superhuman creature humbles himself before the all-holy God.

Isa. 6:3 Holy, holy, holy. The threefold repetition intensifies the superlative (cf. Rev. 4:8). Holiness implies absolute moral purity and separateness above the creation (see note on Isa. 1:4). his glory. This is a technical term for God's manifest presence with his covenant people. It was seen in the cloud in the wilderness (Ex. 16:7, 10); it moved in to “fill” the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–35) and then the temple (1 Kings 8:11), where the worshipers could “see” it (Ex. 29:43; Ps. 26:8; 63:2). Several passages look forward to the day when the Lord's glory would fill the earth, i.e., the whole world will become a sanctuary (Num. 14:21; Ps. 72:19; Hab. 2:14; cf. Isa. 11:9); and the esv footnote suggests that the seraphic cry shares this anticipation. Other texts in Isaiah also look forward to the revealing of the Lord's glory to the world (11:10; 35:2; 40:5; 58:8; 59:19; 60:1–2; 66:18). John 1:14 asserts that this glory was present in Jesus.

Isa. 6:4–5 The revelation of the Holy One is disturbing (see Ex. 19:16–18). Woe is me! For the first time in the book, Isaiah speaks, and his word is a prophetic woe against himself. He confesses his unclean (i.e., not permitted in God's presence) lips, unlike the seraphic choir, whose worship is pure. I dwell in the midst. Isaiah's generation is unfit for God, and Isaiah himself is no better. my eyes have seen the King. The holiness of the King is such that the very sight of him seems as though it would be fatal to a sinner (cf. Gen. 32:30; Ex. 33:20; Isa. 33:14).

Isa. 6:6–7 this has touched your lips. The remedy of grace is personally applied. God's holiness and glory now redemptively enter Isaiah's experience. atoned for. Through the sacrifice on the altar, according to the Levitical ordinances (e.g., Lev. 1:4). Through his seraph (the singular form of seraphim, plural; see note on Isa. 6:2), God declares the remedy for Isaiah's sin to be sufficient and instantly effective. Now Isaiah is qualified to proclaim the only hope of the world—the overruling grace of God. « Less

Isa. 6:6–7 this has touched your lips. The remedy of grace is personally applied. God's holiness and glory now redemptively enter Isaiah's experience. atoned for. Through the sacrifice on the altar, according to the Levitical ordinances (e.g., Lev. 1:4). Through his seraph (the singular form of seraphim, plural; see note on Isa. 6:2), God declares the remedy for Isaiah's sin to be More »

Isa. 6:8 Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? See 1 Kings 22:19–20; Jer. 23:18, 22. Here am I! Send me. Isaiah's experience of grace has dealt with his problem, confessed in Isa. 6:5. “Us” is like “us” in Gen. 1:26 (“let us make man”): God could be addressing himself (in a way compatible with the Christian doctrine of the Trinity), or he could be addressing his heavenly court (less likely, since only God is doing the sending here). See notes on Gen. 1:26; 1:27. « Less

Isa. 6:8 Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? See 1 Kings 22:19–20; Jer. 23:18, 22. Here am I! Send me. Isaiah's experience of grace has dealt with his problem, confessed in Isa. 6:5. “Us” is like “us” in Gen. 1:26 (“let us make man”): God could be addressing himself (in a way compatible with the Christian doctrine of the Trinity), or he could be addressing his heavenly court More »

Isa. 6:9–10 God decrees that the prophet's ministry will have a hardening effect on his own generation, whose character was laid bare in chs. 1–5. The NT quotes this text to explain why some reject the good news of the gospel (cf. Matt. 13:14–15 par.; John 12:39–40; Acts 28:25–27). The openness of faith is a gift of grace, but the unresponsive hearer finds that the message only hardens him to God's gracious purposes (cf. Isa. 29:9–10; 42:18–25; 65:1–7; Luke 2:34; John 9:39; Acts 7:54; Rom. 11:7–10, 25; 2 Cor. 2:15–16; 1 Pet. 2:8). « Less

Isa. 6:9–10 God decrees that the prophet's ministry will have a hardening effect on his own generation, whose character was laid bare in chs. 1–5. The NT quotes this text to explain why some reject the good news of the gospel (cf. Matt. 13:14–15 par.; John 12:39–40; Acts 28:25–27). The openness of faith is a gift of grace, but the unresponsive hearer finds that the message only More »

Isa. 6:11–13 God's discipline will leave only a remnant of his people—the holy seed—like a single stump left after a forest has been burned over. The remaining believers are set apart for God by the same grace that saved Isaiah. They are the heirs of God's promises to Abraham, and thus the only hope for the whole world (see 10:20–23; 11:1–10).

Keep you hearts open Beloved and hear the Holy Word drawing you back to Him and His Wisdom. Do not let the woes of this world cause you to harden your hearts and close your ears. See what the Lord has done, it is good and it is righteous and His mercy endures with us forever!! What a hopeful promise we have in Him...the flesh is weak and temporary but our souls are part of His Soul, His Holy Spirit living in us and preserving us for eternal life. Amen, all my love Sister Lisa

New Study - Angels in Scripture

Week 1 will be posted tomorrow morning. It is exciting to be back in the Word, studying what our God says about angels, who and what they are, what they do and how they interact with us! Praises by to God...see ya'll tomorrow. Sister Lisa

Let Go and Let God - Continued

Let Go and Let God...have you dropped the reigns yet? Are you walking by faith? Do you need no direction since He has all the directions? Keep reading...me either!

Have you come this far and started to see how powerful the flesh is to hypnotize us to hold onto the world? Can you feel the gravitational pull on your heart as it tries to free itself to be with God? Great news...Jesus can work it out.

The Supremacy of Christ

1:15 ²⁷ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn ²⁸ over all creation, ²⁹

1:16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, ³⁰ whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.

1:17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together ³¹ in him.

1:18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn ³² from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. ³³

1:19 For God ³⁴ was pleased to have all his ³⁵ fullness dwell ³⁶ in the Son ³⁷

1:20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross – through him, ³⁸ whether things on earth or things in heaven.

He holds all things in His hands. ALL THINGS--wherever they are even in the darkest depths, even during the times we feel under the sea and unable to breathe--He is with Us and He holds all POWER. Oh my God, how I love you and praise you for the simplicity that you gave us in Your Word. How You knew we could jumble and bumble things but gave us a way to connect with you through prayer, meditation, reading your Word and Faith.

Exhortations to Seek the Things Above

3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 3:4 When Christ (who is your ¹ life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 3:5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: ² sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, ³ evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. ⁴ 3:7 You also lived your lives ⁵ in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. 3:8 But now, put off all such things ⁶ as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 3:9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 3:10 and have been clothed with the new man ⁷ that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. 3:11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave ⁸ or free, but Christ is all and in all.

That is how we let go...read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, recite, hold onto His Word. All of our answers, the Balm of Gilead, salve for our wounds, hope for our dreams, healing for our bodies, strength for our minds, love for our families, joy for the morning and the night...all of it. In the palm of His Hands!

Be Blessed Beloved and have faith, pray for those who use you, love those who hate you, give to those who need, and believe in Him who gave you all things through His sacrifice...be washed in the mighty, saving power of His Blood. Love and peace until tomorrow, Sister Lisa

Let Go and Let God - Continued

Let Go and Let God

Why is letting go so difficult? Why do we want to control ourselves, other people, the world? Why does our mind fight against God's promises to clothe us, feed us, keep us, sustain us, bless us and care for us?

I believe that self-doubt, guilt, shame, ego, arrogance, unbelief, pain, fear, pride, pride and more pride keep us from receiving the covering, the cleansing, the redeeming, the power of Our God--Elohim!

Elohim, Our God, He made us in His image! His image of holiness, righteousness, love, forgiveness, peace, grace, victory. His image to walk according to the Father's will; His image to love one another; His image to forgive; His image to triumph over evil; His image to live forever; His image to not change the world but to seek and save those who are lost; His image to to keep us and never to leave us.

Those are just a few attributes of God's image...there are thousands more. He wants us to know Him, because to know Him is to know ourselves. To love Him is to love ourselves. To receive His grace, His forgiveness, His mercy is all that we need to be transformed and renew our minds into His image.

Read:

Genesis 1

¹In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

³And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

⁴And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

⁵And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

⁶And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

⁷And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

⁸And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

⁹And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

¹⁰And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

¹¹And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

¹²And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

¹³And the evening and the morning were the third day.

¹⁴And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

¹⁵And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

¹⁶And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

¹⁷And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

¹⁸And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

¹⁹And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

²⁰And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

²¹And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

²²And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

²³And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

²⁴And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

²⁵And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

²⁶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

²⁹And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

³⁰And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

³¹And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Matthew 5

¹And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

²And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

³Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

⁵Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

⁷Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

¹⁰Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

¹²Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

¹³Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven

Romans 5

¹Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

²By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

³And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

⁴And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

⁵And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

⁶For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

⁷For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

⁸But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

¹⁰For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

¹¹And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

¹²Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

¹³(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

¹⁴Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

¹⁵But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

¹⁶And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

¹⁷For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

¹⁸Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

¹⁹For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

²⁰Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

²¹That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

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QUESTIONS:

1. When did God create us? Why do you think He waited until the Sixth Day?

2. Did God create us with sin and doubt? Do you believe He provided us with all of our needs?

3. In Matthew, what did God promise believers? Do you believe that He has given you all of these things? Have you let your salt and light into the world? If so, how? If not, why not?

4. According to Romans, how do we get power? Who gives us that Power? What should we do with His Power?

5. What are the ways we can be obedient in faith to God? Is God's gift complicated? Why do you find it difficult to receive the gift of grace by faith?

6. What is our hope? How does that hope come to us? How does it all begin?


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Elohim, the Magnificent, Majestic and Mystical God, made Himself known to us through His Word. He made us in His image, He gave us His Word, He sacrificed His Son to free us from the law of sin and death. Examine this, contemplate this, accept this into your heart, mind and soul.

It isn't out feelings, our flesh, our ways that bring us under His control. It is our belief, our faith in all that the Father did, gave, completed for us that we submit our spirits to His Spirit, our flesh to His Flesh, our minds to the cleansing power of His Shed Blood. When we truly accept this, trust this, stand on His Word against storms, tides, disruptions, unbelief, tragedy, triumph and terrors--when we do this (and we must do it everyday for His Mercy is new every morning) He takes control, leads our lives, keeps us from temptation and sin, leads us unto pathways with living water and the bread of life.

What more could we ask? What more could Elohim do for us? He has completed it. Fini. Rejoice Sisters and Brothers and be glad in that knowledge. Blessings to you all, Sister Lisa

Let Go and Let God

Let Go and Let God
Day 3, 24 June 2009

We're still learning to "let go". In our world where control, goals, competition is rampant it is so difficult to just step back, be humble and let life happen. We want it now, we want what we want, we want to complain, we want to manipulate, we want to predict the outcome. But this is not what God's Word says:

Practice Love

5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; ²¹ only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, ²² but through love serve one another. ²³ 5:14 For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, ²⁴ namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁵ 5:15 However, if you continually bite and devour one another, ²⁶ beware that you are not consumed ²⁷ by one another. 5:16 But I say, live ²⁸ by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. ²⁹ 5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires ³⁰ that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to ³¹ each other, so that you cannot do what you want. 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 5:19 Now the works of the flesh ³² are obvious: ³³ sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, ³⁴ hostilities, ³⁵ strife, ³⁶ jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, ³⁷ factions, 5:21 envying, ³⁸ murder, ³⁹ drunkenness, carousing, ⁴⁰ and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit ⁴¹ is love, ⁴² joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ⁴³ 5:23 gentleness, and ⁴⁴ self-control. Against such things there is no law. 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ ⁴⁵ have crucified the flesh ⁴⁶ with its passions ⁴⁷ and desires. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with ⁴⁸ the Spirit. 5:26 Let us not become conceited, ⁴⁹ provoking ⁵⁰ one another, being jealous ⁵¹ of one another.

We must let go of the flesh and its earthly desires and walk in the Spirit!

QUESTIONS:

1. What does God say about those who do not put away the pursuit of fleshly things?

2. What is the great commandment that God has given to us?

3. Can we love another if we do not love ourselves?

4. Can we love ourselves if we are slaves to sin? How can we overcome sin?

5. What power does God say we have to overcome the flesh and works of the devil?

6. Are you using that power now?

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Well fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I do not walk worthy at all times but I do claim progress and not perfection. I put on the perfection of Christ and His perfect gift of grace, I walk in the Spirit but at times I do fall. I do put on this world, do strive to achieve those things that "man" says are important measures of success.

I look back on many wasted opportunities where I could have chosen love over winning, encouragement over competition, gentleness over glee, kindness over self-promotion. Then I look forward and know that my Redeemer has forgiven me those times and that I have His power to "let go" of the world and walk in the gentleness and goodness of the Spirit. I can right many of those wrongs, in humbleness, if I truly care to "let God". He will give an opportunity to make it right with those who weren't treated with love.

I urge you brethren to take that opportunity to open your heart and ask for healing and forgiveness from God, but also from the people you have wronged. What better testimony than to humble yourself and ask for forgiveness and nothing else? God gave us the ultimate sacrifice, us making amends is a small service to Jesus for all He did for us. God bless you all, Sister Lisa

Let Go and Let God

Let Go and Let God Day 2

Sometimes the beauty that surrounds us is blocked out by the day-to-day struggles in life. Boredom, frustration, tiredness, depression - these things are all ways of the world to get us to take the focus off of God and onto ourselves.

Letting go is letting life...believing that God has a Master Plan for us and for the world. He sent Jesus to save the world, to save us from the wickedness that envelops us at times. We put one foot in front of the other and it doesn't seem to be enough but God has other plans.

Putting one foot in front of the other works, if you are on the right path. How do we know? How can we be certain? What happens if we look back and pine for the good old days? That is not what God wants for us. He wants confidence, belief, faith that with each step we are moving closer to Him.

He doesn't test us, He trusts us! Wow, what a different perspective that gives me in my walk with Him. Nothing happens by chance, nothing happens that is not of His Holy Pursposeful Plan.

The Lord is Incomparable

40:12 Who has measured out the waters ²³ in the hollow of his hand,

or carefully ²⁴ measured the sky, ²⁵

or carefully weighed ²⁶ the soil of the earth,

or weighed the mountains in a balance,

or the hills on scales? ²⁷

40:13 Who comprehends ²⁸ the mind ²⁹ of the Lord,

or gives him instruction as his counselor? ³⁰

40:14 From whom does he receive directions? ³¹

Who ³² teaches him the correct way to do things, ³³

or imparts knowledge to him,

or instructs him in skillful design? ³⁴

40:15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;

they are regarded as dust on the scales.

He lifts ³⁵ the coastlands ³⁶ as if they were dust.

40:16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; ³⁷

its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings. ³⁸

40:17 All the nations are insignificant before him;

they are regarded as absolutely nothing. ³⁹

40:18 To whom can you compare God?

To what image can you liken him?

40:19 A craftsman casts ⁴⁰ an idol;

a metalsmith overlays it with gold

and forges silver chains for it.

40:20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; ⁴¹

he then seeks a skilled craftsman

to make ⁴² an idol that will not fall over.

40:21 Do you not know?

Do you not hear?

Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?

Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made?

40:22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon; ⁴³

its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. ⁴⁴

He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, ⁴⁵

and spreads it out ⁴⁶ like a pitched tent. ⁴⁷

40:23 He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;

he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.

40:24 Indeed, they are barely planted;

yes, they are barely sown;

yes, they barely take root in the earth,

and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,

and the wind carries them away like straw.

40:25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”

says the Holy One. ⁴⁸

40:26 Look up at the sky! ⁴⁹

Who created all these heavenly lights? ⁵⁰

He is the one who leads out their ranks; ⁵¹

he calls them all by name.

Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,

not one of them is missing.

40:27 Why do you say, Jacob,

Why do you say, Israel,

“The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me, ⁵²

My God is not concerned with my vindication”? ⁵³

40:28 Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is an eternal God,

the creator of the whole earth. ⁵⁴

He does not get tired or weary;

there is no limit to his wisdom. ⁵⁵

40:29 He gives strength to those who are tired;

to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.

40:30 Even youths get tired and weary;

even strong young men clumsily stumble. ⁵⁶

40:31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help ⁵⁷ find renewed strength;

they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, ⁵⁸

they run without growing weary,

they walk without getting tired.

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QUESTIONS

1. After meditating on the scriptures above, does God provide everything?

2. Is there anything in your life, any struggle that you walk through, which God is not aware?

3. What provisions does God make for us when we are weary and worn?

4. Does God want us bored, frustrated, tired? What does He want us to do?

5. Does "letting go" mean we just sit back and kick up our feet, waiting on God to "do something"?

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Meditate on those scriptures again and then close your eyes, imagine the majestic eagle in her nest edging her eaglets to the end of the nest and pushing them over. Now image the faith, the trust, the reassurance she must have to trust a God that will not let her little ones fall, fail or die. She looks up to the heavens and trusts her Master and as she looks upward, she sees her eaglets soaring toward heaven and gives thanks.

She knows, she rests in the faith, that all is right with God's plan. She slumbers and wakes in the morning and soars with her family, as brothers and sisters, into the wind high above the chaos of the world--held in the air miraculously by Our Heavenly Father's Hand and Plan. Have peace my sisters and brothers in Christ--soar with the eagles and the wind for He will provide safety, Sister Lisa