Skip to main content

Isaiah 51:4 - Promise of future comfort is a comfort in the present - Day 170

Good morning fellow pilgrims,

As we continue in the comforting portion of Isaiah, the many facets of His promises are on display.  Since we are finite (bound by space and time), it is difficult to see beyond these limits.  Yet God graciously gives us a picture through Isaiah's words.  As believers, the present is not all we have.  We can live knowing that the future is secure.

Blessings,

Jeff

The future comfort of Zion. Isaiah is given a message for the future.  Listen to me, pay attention and similar statements throughout this chapter.  Like a letter written to a generation in the future. Somebody in Isaiah's time could read it but not really understand what he was talking about. The "immediate" application to post-exile which is 100 years in future and the advent of the Messiah even further off.  The Jews living when the messiah comes should see the fulfillment. 

God's Justice, righteousness and salvation are connected. "My" refers to God, not Isaiah.  This is a great comfort to all believers.  This is a reminder that these attributes have been true in the past, are true in the present and will be true in the future.  God does not change.  Regardless of circumstances, God justice, righteousness and salvation are sure.  I delight in Him, I take refuge in Him.

"Abide with me" is one of my favorite hymns

Verse 2

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day, 

Earth's joys grow dim and its glories pass away

Change and decay in all around I see

O thou who changest not, abide with me,

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Revelation 22:3-5 Final and eternal restoration - Day 365

Dear saints in the Lord, Congratulations!  You made it.  We have been through much turmoil in the last year ('20-'21).  But God is faithful to His promises.  I trust that you have been blessed in your reading and have drawn closer to God.   Since we didn't get the blog up and running at the beginning of the challenge, I am going to go back and post entries to cover that first month or so.   Blessings, Jeff Nothing accursed in the city of God, the new Jerusalem.  The presence of sin will be gone.  I am working on memorizing Westminster Shorter Catechism and currently on question 82.  Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God but does daily break them in thought, word and deed. I think our passage today points to the truth of this question.  Do you notice how this answer is not exactly the same as the question. "Any man" bec...
Post a Comment
Read more

Malachi 2:10-12 Here we go again!! Day 363

Good afternoon friends, As we draw to the end of the Old Testament, we see that Judah has rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem, but they are following in the footsteps of faithless fathers and not in the footsteps of Abraham and ultimately God.  The exile was a low point, but now a new low is about to happen.  The prophetic voice has once again become warning and not encouraging. Faithful reading and preaching of the word is all that keeps us from losing our way.  May we be faithful in our generation. Blessings, Jeff I am sure I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.  The section summary, chapter and verse are not in the original language.  They are all rather modern inventions to help us.  For example, the section title here is "Judah profaned the Covenant".  That is OK as far as it goes, but which Covenant?  So let's take a look. Observations Starts with 3 questions but who is asking the questions and to whom are they addre...
Post a Comment
Read more

Romans 14:1-6 Not hindering the way of a brother Day 42

Good morning brothers and sisters, During sermon yesterday (originally written 10/12/20) I mentioned Martin Luther's approach to prayer in the letter to Master Peter.  I still have much to learn, but hope that we can learn and grow together. In the Beloved Jeff  Using Luther's "wreath of four strands" from  A Simple way to Pray  Instruction, thanksgiving, confession, petition.  Goal is a heart warmed and inclined to prayer. Instruction - textbook - what do these 4 verses teach me about what God expects of me? Not to pass judgment on one another any longer by deciding not to hinder the way of a brother.  Paul gives an example of food.  I think of "pass judgment" as a mental or verbal activity, but "not hindering" is a physical activity.  What I think or say about a brother or sister will show up in the way I treat them.  God is extremely interested in how we live with each other. Note of reminder - Faith and practice.  Paul develops theol...
Post a Comment
Read more