Isaiah 61:1-3 - “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
Who is Me in the above prophetic word? A prophetic word about Himself that Jesus
repeated to the anger and offense of some men when He preached them in a synagogue as His ministry first began. He did all the things listed. Go over them one by one. He did them all.
Our God, high and lifted up, watches from His throne of righteousness as men go their own way, do their own thing, apart from Him. He watches as they destroy life as it was intended to be. He knows His judgment must come to them. Yet He hopes they will turn and regard Him once again as Creator, Redeemer, Provider...their God. He desires their affection over the temporal things of this world. He desires they seek wisdom over folly. He desires obedience over sacrifice and humility over pride.
Why do some go against the things of God? How do they not see their Creator, the name above all names, in all that surrounds them? How do they take all of life into their own hands? How do they not see that they contribute to evil, which can be blatant or no more than turning God aside? How do they not see what is true, pure and just? How is pride of life so much greater than the things God has given us? Pride comes before the fall, we are told. (Proverbs 16:18)
Only God offers life abundantly. Only He gives eternal life. Man, in general, seeks only the things they find satisfy them in the here and now. When what today isn't enough, what about tomorrow? What will they seek then? What more will satisfy?
Even the Church has sought their own ways seeking entertainment and soft words that leave one unprepared for tomorrow. They find no value in the simplicity, comforting and sometimes hard words of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Word is not enough. Their senses have to be heightened. You know who does that? For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) His name does not need to be spoken.
This is what is in the world. All about me, my feelings, my dreams, my desires...apart from God. Life in Christ is all one needs. Search for all the riches in the world but they won't preserve a life. Seek prominence in the world; when all is said and done that prominence, after death, will eventually be forgotten. All things come to an end...unless one knows Christ. He brings eternal life.
What good is having it all in this life when one does not first have the Lord? What does one cling to when all else is taken away, when sickness invades? When riches diminish, when life gets dicey, when evil surrounds and destroys? What hope does one cling to then? Life in Christ is all one needs. He supplies all riches in glory. But one must know Him to receive the glorious things He has for all.
But there is an evil one who has blinded the eyes of many. They cannot see the cliff they are headed for. They do not see the wisdom in Christ. They do not believe the promises of God. They do not see. They are blind. Like the song says, I once was blind but now I see... Like Jesus when He healed the blind man: One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see. (John 9:25)
I was blind more than half my life. I was born that way. We all are. Oh, we see in the natural, but we do not see spiritually until Jesus opens our eyes to the miraculous things of God. Nothing looks the same. The evils of the world become visible and disheartening. The things of God become clearer and comforting. We see that the Lord has more for us than the world.
It's hard living in this world when others don't "see" like you. When there's opposition to all good things and you see God, His name, His truths, His Word denied. And the days are growing darker. Blindness enlarges while truth fades. I'm so thankful, despite "seeing" all this happen in the world, that I know the Lord. I'm so thankful that I can say the same as the blind man, "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." I did nothing on my own to receive my sight. There is a darkness that has been pervading our world. It is rapidly taking over. The blind will not be able to have the chance to see some day. God is turning them over to their own lustful desires (Romans 1:24).
While there is still a glimmer of light, I pray many will take advantage of it. That they will seek Jesus, seek the truth and allow their blind eyes to be opened. There is still time individually and corporately. But the days are dwindling. The light in this world is fading. Evil is taking over. But there is One who still holds out for the last few, to open their eyes.
Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
No comments:
Post a Comment