Restoration Promised

Focus verses: Ezekiel 38:25-29

After the diaspora, God has promised to bring Israel back to the land He gave them. His promise is to unite the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah as one nation. And further to pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel.

In this passage, He is called the Sovereign Lord. Sovereign means above all things, superlative, absolute. Check out the complete definition of the adjective.

When a promise is based on the nature of God, it is infallible. It will come to pass if He says so.

The Sovereign Lord has promised compassion to His people. Compassion means that He is aware of the suffering of His people, and He wants to alleviate that suffering.

However, God gave man a free will - the ability to choose. When we freely choose to follow God and His precepts, the blessings of God can flow to us. That doesn't mean that our circumstances will be any different from those around us. It doesn't protect us from all the evil of the world.

It does assure us that whatever has been lost to us will be restored in eternity. It does mean that the fullness of God's Holy Spirit can rest upon us in the midst of suffering and loss. It does mean that we can experience the full comfort and assurance of God.

Father, God,

As You promised restoration to Israel, grant us that same restoration of fellowship with You. Help us to come into line with Your will that we may be in unbroken relationship with You, our Abba, Father.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

The Messianic Promise

Focus verses: Jeremiah 31:29-37

Today's reading is full of promise - and personal accountability. After the diaspora, God is going to restore Israel and Judah to the land of Canaan where He planted them in the first place.

This is to be a new covenant, not the same one He made with Abraham, nor the one He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.

This covenant is no longer about ritual and sacrifice. It is about knowing Him. Each person is to have a personal relationship with Him.

They will all know me from the least of them to the greatest.

And He promises forgiveness, no longer remembering their sins. The descendants of Israel will only cease to be a nation in the eyes of the Lord if all the other things He created vanish from His sight. This means He has decreed Israel to be a nation in perpetuity.

The rest of us are wild shoots, grafted onto the cultivated plant. In effect, we are part of Israel and Judah - by God's grace. Let us never forget the root that nourishes us. Let us remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Father, God,

We thank You for the grace with which you bestow Your blessings upon all those who believe in You. We are grateful for Your sending us Your Son that we might be reconciled to You. And we thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit through Whom we can know You better, more intimately.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Forgiveness And Restoration

Focus verses: Jeremiah 50:19-20

Here is the promise of restoration. God says that Israel and Judah will be restored to the fullness of their land. That they will be a holy people because God will have forgiven the remnant he restores.

What a beautiful promise. After seventy years in exile, the people of God will come back to their land. God will see to it that their land is fruitful for their needs. They will be satisfied with the pastures and hills.

This restoration did not come easily. Israel was conquered by Assyria and then by Babylon. The people were decimated and imprisoned. Their young men were deprived of their manhood, made eunuchs to serve in the court of Nebuchadnezzar.

The search for guilt in the people of God will be fruitless because when God forgives sin, it is erased entirely. This is a picture of our redemption under the blood of Christ.

There is a victory for the believer in the atoning blood of Christ. It is our only claim to God's mercy.

Father, God,

Help us to remember that there is only one way to Your forgiveness, through the atoning blood of Jesus. Keep us ever faithful in speaking to others, lest we be drawn into tolerance of other paths - paths which can only lead to destruction.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Role Of The Messiah

Focus verses: Isaiah 42:1-7

God gives us a glimpse of the coming Messiah. He tells us that Messiah will bring justice and mercy to the people. And he Promises that He will keep us in His covenant, in His righteousness.

What a beautiful promise!

The tenderness of the Lord in these verses is nurturing and supportive. He will not break a bruised reed nor quench a smoldering wick. His justice is tempered with mercy.

Can we say the same of ourselves?

It has sometimes been said that Christians are the only group of people that shoot their wounded. People who have weaknesses are sometimes not welcome in our services. We look down upon them, as if we could not fall into a similar plight. Those of us who have had relatively painless lives can have a tendency to become smug and self-satisfied. A tendency to feel superior to those who have not been so fortunate as we.

A little humility is in order here. Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. We need to have patience and mercy with the hurting lest we find ourselves in similar circumstances.

Father, God,

Imbue us with Your mercy and tenderness. Keep us from the sin of self-righteous pride. Help us to deal tenderly with Your hurting world.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Spiritual Renewal

Focus verses: Isaiah 29:22-24

Today's reading is full of promise. Promise of forgiven sins, returned blessings, restoration and spiritual renewal.

There is to be a time when the people will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. People who have been rebellious will learn of Him.

In conversation with a friend yesterday, he mentioned a class reunion. He said that when they graduated half the class was Christian and the other were simply secular. But at this reunion, it seems that all had come to a saving knowledge of the Lord. One who had had a miserable childhood with no instruction of the Lord had become a strong proponent of God. Another has a blog where the prayers and writings are evangelical and strong teaching.

His question was, given his experience, why do we not hear about the growth of faith in this country. We came to the conclusion that the media hypes the exception, not the rule. The strident voices do not necessarily represent the majority, just the most vociferous.

Our conversation reminded me of the passage in II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name...."

Although we all know those who have no understanding of the Lord, there are many who do. And if we who know Him continue to teach, explain, and provide example for those who don't, He will draw all of them unto Himself.

Every Christian is the seed of spiritual renewal in his circle of influence. Let us be fruitful.

Father, God,

We ask for a fresh wind of Your Holy Spirit to sweep across our land. Breathe on us the renewal we so urgently desire. Help us to be fruitful in this time of harvest.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

True Security

Focus verses: Isaiah 26:1-13

Today's reading is rich with promise.

Isaiah talks about the promise of the Lord for perfect peace. It is a verse I memorized in the King James version: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee." (v.3)

In this world, the only thing that isn't transient is the Lord. Only He is permanent. Everything else will change or move or evaporate, but He is firm and sure and unchanging.

The basis for our security is to learn to walk in His ways, to set our hearts on Him, to put His name and reputation above our own. When we carry the title Christian, we are His representatives to those who have not yet learned of Him.

It has been said that there are five gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Christians. Most people will only read the fifth gospel. The world will judge our God by our actions. Even though the Bible is the most purchased book of all time, it is also the most neglected and dusty.

People who do not read the Bible will judge our God by our actions. What a terrible, awesome thought!

Father, God,

Help us to walk in Your ways and set our hearts upon You first and foremost. Grant that we may be ever mindful of being Your ambassadors to a hurting world. Keep us from misrepresenting You in word or deed.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

PS. Happy Birthday, Sally!

Reassurance

Focus verses: Hosea 2:14,15

The book of Hosea is the picture of an unfaithful wife. We would call her a harlot or prostitute. But is is a picture of the infidelity of the children of Israel -- and by extension all of us who claim the name of Christ.

Despite our best intentions we are drawn away by many things, money, fame, power, sensuality, good causes, family concerns. Anything that takes first place in our hearts before God becomes an idol - an infidelity to God.

But God is faithful to us, no matter how unfaithful we are to Him.

There is a promise in these verses:

Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards and will make the Valley of Achor (Valley of trouble) a door of hope.

We have all had times of darkness and desolation, times when things went very wrong. We have lost a business, a friend, a family member, our self-esteem, something important. In these periods of desolation, God can speak to us.

Our times of trouble are times God can draw us closer to Him. He whispers His love to us. He makes us fruitful again. He restores our salvation. He is patient and faithful. His desire is our reunion with Him, and He will work to bring that about.

Father, God,

Thank you for Your faithfulness to us even when we are unfaithful to You. Grant us the softened hearts of the desolate that we may hear Your whispers of love to us and hasten to return to fidelity to You.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Surface or Substance

Focus verses: Joel 2:12-17

The book of Joel is a warning and a promise with a contingency. That contingency is here.

"Rend your heart and not your garment."

We all know people whose faith is all show and no substance. And we all know people whose quiet faith is all substance and not show.

I remember a lady, a quiet lady, who was faithful at church - the quiet one in the corner. If there was work to be done in the kitchen, Ida was working. If something needed cleaning, Ida was cleaning. If someone needed prayer, Ida was praying. She filled every need she could see. She was the living example of "bloom where you are planted."

Her motivation was simple fidelity to God. His church had a need; she had a willing spirit.

Our country is in terrible shape, morally, ethically, spiritually. We hear people lamenting and decrying all over the place. But what are we doing to correct this sad state of affairs?

All the high-faluting campaigns will be found virtually useless. The people of God must return to Him in prayer and obedience. Nothing man can think of on a philosophical or psychological or sociological basis will be the cure for our sick nation. The cure can only come from God, and it will only come as the people of God turn to Him and follow His edicts. All of them, without diluting the word of God to acquiesce to political correctness.

We must rend our hearts to return to fidelity to God.

Father, God,

Help us to see our hearts as You see them. Keep us soft and responsive to Your promptings. Show us the way to lead our world to Your salvation.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Promises Kept

Focus verses: Joshua 14: 6-15

Back in the days when Israel was wondering in the desert, Moses sent spies to look at the land that God was giving the Israelites. They all came back trembling in their boots. All, that is, except for Joshua and Caleb. And Caleb was promised the land where his feet had trod to spy out the land.

Forty-five years later, Caleb was still a vigorous man, and he claimed the promise from the days of old. Joshua saw to it that the hill country around Hebron was given to Caleb.

Caleb received his reward -- forty-five years later. God's clock is not set to our time table. He will honor His promises in due time. But He gets to decide the time; we don't.

Are you looking for God's promise today? Is there something you know that you have been promised in God's word that you don't see in physical manifestation yet? Be assured that God will make good on that promise. But sometimes, His timing seems off to us.

We wait, seemingly in vain, for the promise to appear. But God is strengthening our patience muscle, and He tarries. When the promise is fulfilled, we may learn that something else had to happen before we could realize the promise. God is concerned not only about us, but also about those whose lives we touch.

Father, God,

Help us wait patiently upon your timing. Show us the circumstances from Your point of view, and keep us from violating Your promise with our impatience.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

The Eyes of Faith

Focus verses: Numbers 13:1 - 14:10

God's promises are sure. He promised the land to the Israelites and told them to go explore the land he was giving them. So they went, one from each tribe. And they believed the eyes of their flesh. They knew the promise, but came back with a report that they were unable to take the land from those who currently occupied it.

At least that was the report from ten of the twelve spies. Joshua and Caleb came back and said the Israelites were well able to take the land. Not because of the strength of the Israelites, but because of the promise of God going with them into the land.

The Israelites paid with forty years of wandering for believeing the eyes of flesh rather than seeing with the eyes of faith. And none of the generation that had witnessed the miracles of God entered the promised land, except for Joshua and Caleb, who continued faithful.

When we are faced with a crossroad in our lives, do we believe the eyes of faith or the eyes of the flesh. I don't mean that we ought not look realistically at a situation. However, if we have a commission from God to do a certain thing, we need to move ahead as if victory were certain -- because it is.

The victory belongs to God because it comes from His sovereignty. When we believe in our own strength or weakness and forget that God is ultimately in charge, we get confused. Then we are led astray by visual perception, rather than being victorious in our God.

Father, God,

Grant us the vision to see the vision You have for us. Give us the courage to walk in that faith and the perserverance to keep on keeping on when things look bleak from a human standpoint.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.