Looking to the Lord for wisdom and guidance

As I was reading in the book of Isaiah, chapter 8, I was reminded very deeply the dark events from this past week.

The first several verses stated a prediction, one that came true with the invasion of the enemy nations.  But as I continued, the Lord spoke about the people rejecting him (verse 5) and that the lands would be overcome with the enemy (verse 8).

But starting in verse 11, there is a call to trust in the Lord.  It was a warning to our enemies, that they may develop strategies, they may call their councils together and prepare, but they will not succeed.  The enemy likes to call things a conspiracy (verse 12) which seems like such a 21st century topic right now.

Starting in verse 13, we need to make the Lord holy in our life.  "He is the one you should fear.  He is the one who should make you tremble.  He will keep you safe."

Preserve the teachings of the Lord (verse 16).

In verse 19, it talks about people consulting mediums and spirits of the dead.  "But shouldn't people ask God for guidance?"  Continue to look to the Lord instead of those things that are dead.  Those who contradict His word are completely in the dark.

Only The Lord's People Shall Remain

Continuing into chapter 7 from the book of Isaiah, we find two competing forces at work against the Lord's People in Jerusalem.  This would be the king of Israel--a puppet king, as it states later in the chapter--and the king of Syria.

When the Lord spoke with Isaiah, He told him not to worry, for the two kings were like two burned out embers.  The Lord said that the invasion will never happen, for both kingdoms will be destroyed as they were not stronger than His people.

Verses 10 through 16 are particularly interesting because God asked the king to ask for a sign of confirmation from God.  But the king refused, saying that he would never test God in such a way.  Here I want to quote verse 13 as Isaiah said, ". . . Isn't it enough to exhaust human patience?  Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well?"  Powerful words.

Then, starting in verse 14 it predicts the birth of Jesus, by saying that a son will be born of a virgin, and they will give him the name Immanuel.

Worthy Enough To See The Lord

In the sixth chapter from the book of Isaiah, it starts with the death of a king and the speaker (Isaiah?) saw the Lord, sitting majestically on a throne with angels all around.

The speaker cries out that he is not worthy to see the Lord.  They are unclean.  However, one of the angels (called seraphim in the book) takes a piece of burning coals, handling it with a pair of tongs, and places the hot coal on his lips.  Then, it is declared that their sin has been atoned for and their guilt has been taken away.

Before the Lord can use us, He needs to cleanse us.  Although we may seem unworthy for gifts from the Lord, we are.  We need to pray and ask for them.  Now, answers and gifts may not come as instantaneous as we'd like--although there have been many times in my life the answers I get while praying come so fast I'm awestruck.

Another thing that this chapter teaches is to be humble when you go to the Lord.  He knows if you are humble about your request.

Tending The Crops

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 5, it starts out with someone building a great vineyard.  For the vineyard, you use the best soil, protect it from savage elements and other violent threats, you clear away all of the stones and tend to it the best of your ability.  Then, what does it produce?  Worthless grapes.  You expect the best, but get the worst.

What do you do?

For much of this chapter, the vineyard is like the land of Israel.  God tended to Israel like one would the vineyard.  But instead of the best, He got lawlessness and debauchery.  People became greedy by snatching up large patches of land for themselves, not sharing with others so everyone can have a piece of paradise.

Then, by verse 11, you see people who drink to get drunk, either early in the morning or late at night.  Or both.  The evils of vast consumptions of alcohol drives for evil to exist.

So much in these verses I see today in today's world.  Evil is celebrated.  The wicked are found not guilty or are celebrated as heroes.

By verse 26, the lands of Israel lift up a flag of distress and lands from far away come to their aid.  This is so reminiscent of what is happening in today's world.

Read this chapter many times and reflect, asking God to help you understand the message and what His plans are for you.

The Complete Protection Of The Lord

Continuing on in the book of Isaiah, chapter four is the shortest chapter of the book by far.  Only six verses, and honestly it took me a while to catch the meaning behind it all.

From what it appears, it should be a continuation of chapter three.  And this would only be the first verse, as it speaks of the women asking to take the shame of not being married away from them, and in exchange they would provide their own food and clothing.

In it, the chapter talks about the Lord creating a complete protection of Zion, washing away the blood of the past and creating a brilliant and glorious defense for all of those under its canopy.

The Parading Of Sin

I know I said this last time, but I will make it a point of returning to this blog a lot more frequently.  When I looked at the last few posts, I didn't realize it had been so long.

Returning to the book of Isaiah, chapter 3, I am reminded of how much of this chapter is reflected in our society today.

This chapter is titled "Judgement against Judah" and in it the Lord took away everything from Jerusalem and Judah, everything they depended on.  All food, water, soldiers, high officials, judges.  Everyone.

A line in verse 5 gave me the chills: ". . .Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable."  My mind goes to our current political climate (take off your left/right hat for a moment and stand back.)  If you viewed the latest speech by our President with vileness, remember verse 5.  Be better than that.

Line 9 was especially troubling too: ". . . they display their sin like the people of Sodom and don't even try to hide it."  Sin is being paraded around us everywhere, on our streets, on our social media feeds, news, and on the shows we watch.

Finally, starting at verse 16, the "beautiful" is flirting with their eyes, flaunting their wares.  But the Lord will strip away all of the beautifulness, the physical objects, and will judge them for their sins.