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What Did Jesus Mean When He Promised an Abundant Life?

Today I am sharing some thoughts around abundant life which I found on GotQuestions.org. While we always want to test everything against scripture, I find that this is a well laid out site that has generally sound answers to many questions.

What did Jesus mean when He promised an abundant life?  (GotQuestions.org)

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV). Unlike a thief, the Lord Jesus does not come for selfish reasons. He comes to give, not to get. He comes that people may have life in Him that is meaningful, purposeful, joyful, and eternal. We receive this abundant life the moment we accept Him as our Savior.

This word “abundant” in the Greek is perisson, meaning “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.” In short, Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine, a concept reminiscent of 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” The apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, and He does it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him (Ephesians 3:20).

Before we begin to have visions of lavish homes, expensive cars, worldwide cruises, and more money than we know what to do with, we need to pause and think about what Jesus teaches regarding this abundant life. The Bible tells us that wealth, prestige, position, and power in this world are not God’s priorities for us (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). In terms of economic, academic, and social status, most Christians do not come from the privileged classes. Clearly, then, abundant life does not consist of an abundance of material things. If that were the case, Jesus would have been the wealthiest of men. But just the opposite is true (Matthew 8:20).

Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life — specifically eternal life — is provided by Jesus Himself: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God, which is the key to a truly abundant life.

What is the abundant life? First, abundance is spiritual abundance, not material. In fact, God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19). Physical blessings may or may not be part of a God-centered life; neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God. Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man yet found it all to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15). Paul, on the other hand, was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12).

Second, eternal life, the life a Christian is truly concerned with, is not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (1 John 5:11-13), though not, of course, in its fullness. Length of life on earth is not synonymous with abundant life.

Finally, a Christian’s life revolves around “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming, because, in our present state, “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will see God face to face, and we will know Him completely as we will be known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life.

Although we are naturally desirous of material things, as Christians our perspective on life must be revolutionized (Romans 12:2). Just as we become new creations when we come to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), so must our understanding of “abundance” be transformed. True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.” It consists of life that is eternal, and, therefore, our interest is in the eternal, not the temporal. Paul admonishes us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).

When I think of the reasons why Jesus came, two come to mind. One is to live the perfect example we are to try to follow. The other is that our sins would be forgiven, and we can be reconciled to God. So then, I also conclude that if Jesus came so that we could live abundantly, that these two things are part of the abundant life. We are set free from bondage to sin so that we can walk in the ways of the LORD with the Spirit dwelling inside of us. Who the son sets free is free indeed!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You that Yeshua came that we may have abundant life. Help us to walk closely with You and to achieve that abundance. Let us not miss out on the best life that You have planned for us. Help us to renew our minds and walk in intimacy with You through the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. Help us to live our lives full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Help us draw near to one another as fellow disciples and to You as our Lord and Father. In the name of Yeshua we pray. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Encouragement, Hope, Peace / Rest, Prophecy, Through Prophets

People Who Walk in Darkness See a Great Light

Isaiah prophecies of the coming of the Messiah in chapter 9. It is an uplifting picture of a great light coming to help those who are walking in darkness to see. As we read the scripture, we can rejoice in that we already know Messiah has come. We know He has brought light into the world. He walked among us, taught us, left a record for us. Then He died for our sins and rose from the dead. He walked among us again for a while with many witnesses and then returned to the Father so that the Holy Spirit would come to dwell inside of us. Wow! Dwell on that as you read, and you should be even more joyful than those who heard Isaiah’s prophecy so long ago.

Isaiah 9

Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace

      1But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

      2The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.

      3You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

      4For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

      5For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.

      6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

      7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Take a few moments to peacefully and quietly reflect on this before God. What has your attitude been toward this wonderful news of Messiah? Have you found great joy? Have you perhaps taken it for granted, not fully embracing the significance of it? Have you fully embraced Messiah in all aspects of your life? It certainly seems hard to do at times.

As we truly walk with Him, we should experience joy and gladness. We should not have a heavy burden. Embrace Yeshua as Messiah today.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for sending Messiah to be the great Light to the world. Thank You for calling me to relationship with You through Yeshua. Thank you for the hope and peace that comes when I truly and fully embrace who You are and who I am in You. Thank You for the encouragement when I dwell on the names of God: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. I pray this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Holy / Set Apart, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

The LORD Is Sanctuary for the Believing Remnant

God always seems to sustain a righteous, believing remnant among His people. Even as the nation around them falls away from God, there are some who still seek Him and who still try to live according to His ways. The context in Isaiah is similar. The nation has fallen away from God. There is war. There is a believing remnant.

What is fascinating is that in verse 14 we see that God can at once be a sanctuary for His remnant and also a stone to strike or stumble over for the rest of the nation. There is reason to be encouraged and hopeful for the remnant. God will come. Wait for the LORD and eagerly seek Him.

Do not be drawn astray by the rest of the lost in your nation, even those who claim to follow the LORD. Seek the LORD and wait for Him. Hold fast to His instructions. Seek God and God alone for sanctuary.

Isaiah 8:9-22

A Believing Remnant

9“Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered;
And give ear, all remote places of the earth.
Gird yourselves, yet be shattered;
Gird yourselves, yet be shattered.

      10“Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted;
State a proposal, but it will not stand,
For God is with us.”

      11For thus the LORD spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

      12“You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’
In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy,
And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.

      13“It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy.
And He shall be your fear,
And He shall be your dread.

      14“Then He shall become a sanctuary;
But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over,
And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

      15“Many will stumble over them,
Then they will fall and be broken;
They will even be snared and caught.”

      16Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. 18Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

      19When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. 22Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.

I continue to be struck by how closely the book of Isaiah applies to our nation even today. Most of what was a godly nation are lost. Many claim God in name only. Those of us who find ourselves the seemingly small but faithful remnant, should not lose heart. Be encouraged. Seek the LORD earnestly and eagerly. Trust in His instructions while we wait and do not listen to the ways of the nation around us.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for hope and encouragement for Your faithful remnant. We eagerly seek You. Please turn the people’s hearts to You, many for the first time. Raise up the righteous to lead and have positions of authority throughout our nation in government, business, healthcare, education, and absolutely in Your church. Enlighten the minds of the people to understand and apply Your word and Your truth in our lives. In the name of Yeshua, our Messiah, we pray. Amen

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Discipline / Guidance From God, Faithful, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer

The LORD Can Bring Down Your Enemies

The LORD has the power to bring down your enemies. When we face trial and tribulation in this world, we are not alone.

Isaiah 8:1-8

Damascus and Samaria Fall

      1Then the LORD said to me, “Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey. 2“And I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 3So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4for before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

      5Again the LORD spoke to me further, saying,

      6“Inasmuch as these people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah
And rejoice in Rezin and the son of Remaliah;

      7“Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates,
Even the king of Assyria and all his glory;
And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks.

      8“Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through,
It will reach even to the neck;
And the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.

As we face difficulty and trials, remember that our LORD is in control. He can bring low our enemies before us. He can deliver and protect us. Let this thought be a comfort and encouragement to you. However, we should also remember, as in this case recorded in Isaiah, that if we rebel and move away from God and His ways He may bring the enemies against us to discipline us and get our attention. Thus, it is important that we focus on our relationship with God and be willing to pivot and change if the Holy Spirit gives us a nudge that we have changes to make.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank you for Holy Spirit to guide us. Thank You for reminding us that You are in control, even of our enemies. Your mighty hand rules over everything. We can take comfort in that, even if we are receiving discipline. In all things we can thank You and praise You. In the name of Yeshua we pray. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Repenting from Sin, Teachable, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Victory Does Not Always Come Quickly or Without Challenges

In our last reading, we focused in on the first 9 verses of Isaiah 7. Today we zoom out the focus a bit and take in the whole of chapter 7 to see what message it may reveal to us.

It starts with a war against Jerusalem. God speaks through Isaiah a message of encouragement to the king of Judah, Ahaz. Though the enemies are feared, God says in verse 4 to remain calm and do not fear. Picking up in verse 9, we see emphasis that if he does not believe, then he will not last. This certainly gives a hint that there are some hard times coming for Jerusalem. In fact, as we read the rest of the chapter, we get just that message.

How many times in our own lives do we feel like we face something overwhelming? We should seek God first. Trust in what He tells us. If He tells us that we will have victory and not to fear, but to remain faithful, that that indeed is what we need to focus on in our situation, just like Ahaz and Jerusalem. Just because God gives us victory does not mean it will be easy or quick. Sometimes we must be prepared to wait faithfully for it.

Isaiah 7

War against Jerusalem

      1Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it. 2When it was reported to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.

      3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field, 4and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5‘Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, 6“Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7thus says the Lord GOD: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. 8“For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people), 9and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.”’”

The Child Immanuel

      10Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11“Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!” 13Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? 14“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. 15“He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16“For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.

Trials to Come for Judah

      17“The LORD will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria.”

      18In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19They will all come and settle on the steep ravines, on the ledges of the cliffs, on all the thorn bushes and on all the watering places.

      20In that day the Lord will shave with a razor, hired from regions beyond the Euphrates (that is, with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard.

      21Now in that day a man may keep alive a heifer and a pair of sheep; 22and because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone that is left within the land will eat curds and honey.

      23And it will come about in that day, that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, valued at a thousand shekels of silver, will become briars and thorns. 24People will come there with bows and arrows because all the land will be briars and thorns. 25As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.

Remember from the earlier chapters of Isaiah, that God’s people had rebelled and were far from Him. This war and these tough times were brought as a result of that, perhaps to cleanse and refine them and bring about a repentance among the people. They needed a shakeup to return to the LORD. This is not a cruel God but rather a Father helping to steer His children back to the right path. Maybe a good lesson for us would be take care that we are not so hard hearted that God needs to be this direct with us when we need correction in our lives! Let us seek and expect the Spirit to guide us and be responsive with a lighter touch from the LORD.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please strengthen our faith in times of challenge and hardship. Help us to seek and find You. Help us to grow and remain strong in our faith, even facing tough circumstances. It is little test of faith when all is going well. All praise and honor to You, O Lord my God. You are all powerful and all knowing. You know what is best for us as Your people and can bring it about, even if it is uncomfortable for us. If we need discipline to get back in right relationship with You, then please bring that as You see fit. We want to walk in Your ways and in Your presence.  In the name of Yeshua, our Messiah, we pray. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Peace / Rest

What Do We Do When Feeling Overwhelmed?

We all feel overwhelmed at times, or at least I certainly have experienced that. God’s word gives us clear guidance. I will share two scriptures that speak directly to it, but then also share one from Isaiah which paints a very specific example that God’s people experienced.

1 Peter 5:6-9

  6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

If hearing from Peter does not give us full conviction, then perhaps we also do well to listen to our Messiah on this point.

Matthew 6:25-33

The Cure for Anxiety

      25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

      34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This is powerful if we get a hold of it. I also acknowledge from my own walk that it can seem challenging to really do this emotionally. One key, of course, is that we don’t use this as an excuse not to take action to remedy our situation. For example, if you are fighting finances and do not have full employment, go pursue it. While you do, lean into your faith and cast your anxiety onto God asking Him to help.  Do not use this as an excuse to sit on the couch without a job and simply say that you will not worry about it. Proverbs speaks over and over about diligence and hard work.

Isaiah 7 has another bold example of a situation in which people at war were feeling anxiety. Most of us would say that we would certainly understand that! However, God’s word through Isaiah is the same as above. After telling the king that God was going to protect them, Isaiah goes on to say, “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.” Our faith is important to God. When He tells us He will do something, we need to embrace it! This does not mean that God will grant us success in all things we choose to do. Sometimes we are not doing what He has called us to do, like the conditions in Israel we read about in Isaiah chapters 1-6. In such cases discipline and repentance often are prescribed.

Isaiah 7:1-12

War against Jerusalem

      1Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it. 2When it was reported to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.

      3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field, 4and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5‘Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, 6“Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7thus says the Lord GOD: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. 8“For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people), 9and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.”’”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father God. Thank you that we can trust in You! When we feel anxiety and stress, help us to cast it upon You for we know you care. Grant us wisdom when we need to repent and change our ways or the things we are pursuing. Do not let us be prideful in assuming we are never in error, but instead help us to dwell in connection to Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. When we are with you and pursuing what You have called us to pursue, grant that we have the faith and courage to continue and to cast our anxiety and worry on You. We pray this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Visions

Whom Shall I Send?

At the core of this chapter in Isaiah is a fundamental question that applies throughout time. God asks, “Whom shall I send?” We must each decide how we will answer such a question, for God will likely respond according to our answer. I want to answer as Isaiah did, in faith, even if I may be intimidated by what changes that brings in my life. “Here I am LORD. Send me!”

Isaiah 6

Isaiah’s Vision

      1In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3And one called out to another and said,
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory.”

4And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.

5Then I said,
“Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

      6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”

Isaiah’s Commission

      8Then 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!”

9He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive;
Keep on looking, but do not understand.’

      10“Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”

11Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,
“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,

      12“The LORD has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

      13“Yet there will be a tenth portion in it,
And it will again be subject to burning,
Like a terebinth or an oak
Whose stump remains when it is felled.
The holy seed is its stump.”

When we answer God’s call, let us try to do so in faith and with confidence in Him. We don’t need to think about how we will do what He calls us to do. He already knows how this will work out when He sends us. Next time you hear the LORD asking, “Whom will I send?”, what will be your answer?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank you for Your holy word that helps us to understand You and shares examples of Your relationship with Your people. Thank You for examples like Isaiah that can inspire us. Help prepare Your people to step forward and declare, “Here I am. Send me!” In the name of Yeshua we pray. Amen. 

  Shalom. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Interceding for Others

Please Pray for Hearing From Jesus Ministry

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we invite you to pray with us and for us. We would greatly appreciate your prayer for our ministry to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to lead people to submit to Jesus as Lord of their lives and then to help them become disciples, who in turn disciple others.

  • Pray for our leadership and staff to be pure and to maintain personal holiness so that our sin does not obstruct the ministry of the Holy Spirit to those receiving our teaching and support.
  • Pray for our leadership and staff to understand clearly the truth of the scriptures, apply them in our own lives, and organize it in such a way that we can communicate clearly to those receiving our teaching and support.
  • Pray the Holy Spirit will prepare people to hear the gospel and choose Christ and then lead them to our ministry to hear the truth of the gospel proclaimed.
  • Pray that those receiving our teaching will be moved by the Holy Spirit to a personal response to accept the word and commit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, repenting from sin.
  • Pray that those receiving our teaching will have strong interest in returning to study and learn with us. Pray their attention will not wander or be distracted and that they would set aside dedicated time to study the scriptures with us and to pray to God.  Pray they would not be satisfied to just accept Jesus’ offer of salvation, but rather be led by the Holy Spirit to become disciples and then make disciples of others.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Prayer request by John in service to Christ.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Arrogance, Discipline / Guidance From God, Drunkenness, Greed, Guide, Justice / Judgment, Lying / Deceiving, Pride, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Warnings and Caution from Isaiah

Neither God’s nature nor human nature have changed. These timeless warnings from Isaiah’s time serve still to caution us even today.

Just to help get you started on verse 8, think of it as a transition from many small businesses and homes to fewer, consolidated homes and businesses of a much smaller group now running things. Sort of sounds something like… “Beware of shutting down small family businesses to be replaced with a few behemoths like Amazon or Walmart”.  Could be a similar concept with homes as well as businesses.

Isaiah 5:8-30

Woes for the Wicked

8Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field,
Until there is no more room,
So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land!

      9In my ears the LORD of hosts has sworn, “Surely, many houses shall become desolate,
Even great and fine ones, without occupants.

      10“For ten acres of vineyard will yield only one bath of wine,
And a homer of seed will yield but an ephah of grain.”

      11Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink,
Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them!

      12Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine;
But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD,
Nor do they consider the work of His hands.

      13Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge;
And their honorable men are famished,
And their multitude is parched with thirst.

      14Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure;
And Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her din of revelry and the jubilant within her, descend into it.

      15So the common man will be humbled and the man of importance abased,
The eyes of the proud also will be abased.

      16But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment,
And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.

      17Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture,
And strangers will eat in the waste places of the wealthy.

      18Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood,
And sin as if with cart ropes;

      19Who say, “Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it;
And let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near
And come to pass, that we may know it!”

      20Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

      21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
And clever in their own sight!

      22Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine
And valiant men in mixing strong drink,

      23Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!

      24Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble
And dry grass collapses into the flame,
So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust;
For they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

      25On this account the anger of the LORD has burned against His people,
And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them down.
And the mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets.
For all this His anger is not spent,
But His hand is still stretched out.

      26He will also lift up a standard to the distant nation,
And will whistle for it from the ends of the earth;
And behold, it will come with speed swiftly.

      27No one in it is weary or stumbles,
None slumbers or sleeps;
Nor is the belt at its waist undone,
Nor its sandal strap broken.

      28Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent;
The hoofs of its horses seem like flint and its chariot wheels like a whirlwind.

      29Its roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions;
It growls as it seizes the prey
And carries it off with no one to deliver it.

      30And it will growl over it in that day like the roaring of the sea.
If one looks to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress;
Even the light is darkened by its clouds.

This prophecy contains quite the vision of warning and punishment to come. While Jerusalem has already experienced this in Isaiah’s time, we can learn from it and apply it still today, hopefully to avoid God’s wrath.

Spend sometime rereading this scripture today, reflecting on each piece as you seek to understand it clearly. Ask the Spirit to guide you in understanding and applying it to your life. I would highlight the following section again for your prayerful consideration. This runs rampant today throughout society and even churches.

      20Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

      21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
And clever in their own sight!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please grant us understanding and wisdom. Increase our faith. Let Your people have greater clarity than ever in regard to what is good and what is evil. Help us to be humble and not be “clever in our own sight”. Help us rely on You and Your word. Thank You for Your word which is good for teaching and instruction forever. Amen.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Interceding for Others, Parables

Parable of the Vineyard (Isaiah 5)

We should pay attention to the parable of the vineyard from Isaiah5. Once again, it reveals to us about the nature of our Creator. Of course, we can identify in this parable personally as well if we imagine that we built a vineyard and it produced only bad fruit. This is how the LORD feels when His people, whom He has chosen, produce bad fruit instead of good fruit.

Isaiah 5:1-7

Parable of the Vineyard

1Let me sing now for my well-beloved
A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard.
My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.

      2He dug it all around, removed its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
And He built a tower in the middle of it
And also hewed out a wine vat in it;
Then He expected it to produce good grapes,
But it produced only worthless ones.

      3“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge between Me and My vineyard.

      4“What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?
Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?

      5“So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed;
I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.

      6“I will lay it waste;
It will not be pruned or hoed,
But briars and thorns will come up.
I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.”

      7For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel
And the men of Judah His delightful plant.
Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.

I can identify fairly directly with this parable. I established a planting area for a small garden. I could not grow anything there successfully and it was overrun with weeds and grass. I gave up and plowed it over and restarted somewhere else. I do not have endless patience for putting in time and effort and focus just to harvest nothing.

If our nation is the vineyard producing bad fruit, we should start by personally repenting and changing our ways to obedience and being set apart and holy. We should pray for the communities and states and nation that they would have a revival sweep through by God’s hand returning many to Him and His ways.

Take a few minutes and pray for yourself, your family, your friends, your community, your state and your nation. Pray for repentance and revival. Pray for the righteous to be lifted up and the wicked to be changed or removed from power. Consider doing this at least once a week in your prayer time.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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