Beautiful

How beautiful on the mountains 

are the feet of those who bring good news, 

who proclaim peace, 

who bring good tidings, 

who proclaim salvation, 

who say to Zion, “Your God reigns.”                                     Isa.52.7

Mountains are generally high places. In the days of Isaiah the non-God-fearing kings of Israel and Judah set up altars and idols on the high places for worship to alien gods.

In respect to the verse above, it is quite possible that the declaration of beautiful feet refers to messengers returning from a war zone to bring good news of victory to their king and his people. They would bring the good tidings of victory which would usher in peace for the kingdom and its peoples. The victory would bring salvation to the people – salvation from the hands and the wrath of the offensive enemy.

I think of the high places, but the high places I think of are inhabited by my God, the Lord God Almighty. In these places the beautiful feet of the saints bring forth the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation is found in God alone. It comes to us by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ for our sins. As we receive this, and follow through with confession and repentance, so we receive the beauty of salvation. Salvation leads to the fullness of God’s gifts lavished on us. Significant among these is that of peace. Jesus gives us (gifts to us) His own peace (John 14.27). How wonderful is this!

I am blessed with so much from God. I know without doubt that He is my provider and protector. He is my strength and my comfort. Indeed, He is everything to me. I can truly say, “My God reigns.”

Mighty God,

I embrace You as a most grateful son. I acknowledge You to be my heavenly Father, but also my sovereign God, my Master, my Redeemer, my Friend and my Lover. Thank You.                Amen.

Wake up!

“Awake, awake, O Zion, 

clothe yourself with strength. 

Put on your garments of splendour, 

O Jerusalem, the holy city. 

The uncircumcised and defiled 

will not enter you again.                                             Isa.52.1

This sounds to me like a wake-up call. Zion has been “asleep”. The people have ignored the Lord God. They have neglected, abused and disowned Him. God has punished them with exile and captivity.

But now the time has come for reinstatement. God is speaking to His people. His promise is that He will renew them. They will no longer be enslaved by others and they will be protected and saved from future threats.

God encourages His people to boldness. He tells them to put on strength and to wear garments of splendour. I see this as the true placement and being of the people of a sovereign and supreme God.

As I read the Scriptural accounts of God’s dealings with His people, I see much that can be applied to myself and to society today. If only God’s people would awake, truly awake and clothe themselves with garments of splendour, they would become a force for good and right living in the world.

The body of Christ has slumbered for too long. It has created its own ideas to the detriment of God’s plans, purposes and ways. People “preach” the message but do not live it. How different the world would be if Christians practiced and lived in the ways of their leader.

Most Holy Father,

I grieve over how Your people have lost their way. Surely it is time to wake up, to clothe ourselves with strength and wear garments of splendour. May we show the truth of You to a world that has largely spurned You, where people mock, deride and fully deny You.

Let us know that we have been set apart by You. Protect us from “the uncircumcised and defiled”. Bring us to fullness in You, and lead us forward in Your truth and Your ways.            Amen.

"The Boss!"

For I am the LORD your God, 

who churns up the sea so that its waves roar – 

the Lord Almighty is his name.

I have put my words in your mouth 

and covered you with the shadow of my hand – 

I who set the heavens in place, 

who laid the foundations of the earth, 

and who said to Zion, “You are my people.”            Isa. 51. 15,16

Through Isaiah, God is constantly reminding us of who He is. His power is without limit. His love defies all boundaries, and He is ever mindful of His people. He scorns those who set themselves up above Him. He is constantly encouraging His people not to be intimidated by these mere mortal “bullies”. His words are “Fear not”. He assures us of His presence with us at all times. We have nothing to fear. Yet, somehow we manage to get ourselves into a fearful state.

There are so many times in the Scriptures when God tells us not to fear nor be fretful. Through Paul, He tells us to “be anxious for nothing.” An early response of mine to these Godly encouragements is to see us as grossly disobedient. God tells us not to, yet this is often the very thing that we do.

Are we, perhaps, not getting the reality of who God is? He is the beginning and the end – and all things between. He challenges me to realise, and live in the reality that nothing is impossible to him. He reminds me that I can do all things in Him for he gives me strength. I live in this. I fully believe that God can do anything, but I also realise that it is He who decides what He will do, and when.

When I am faced with a challenge of any kind, I am not going to be anxious or fearful. I shall look to Him, for I know I will receive strength in Him to get through victoriously. I also know that He will be with me in all circumstances.

Lord, Mighty God,

I thank you for the protection and the strength that I receive in You. I look to go forward with You. I am excited. Hallelujah!                  Amen.

Harmony

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.            1 Peter 3.8

Peter’s exhortation is to everyone, to live in harmony with each other. He gives three encouragements in words I’d like to examine further.

Be sympathetic: the Greek word sympatheo meansto feel sympathy with and, perhaps, to share sufferings with. This is significant. Can I feel sympathy for someone to the point of actually sharing in their sufferings? This word encourages me to look deeper into what my fellow being might be experiencing.

Be compassionate: eusplagkhnos is tender-hearted, kind.

Be humble: tapeinothron is humble-minded or humble. The suffix phren connects the state of humility with the mind. The root signifies “low-lying”, “of low degree, brought low." In its application by Peter it can mean “be courteous”.

So, for me to live in harmony with my fellows requires me, at least, to put myself into their situation as much as I am able so that I might understand their experience, I might “share in their sufferings”. I need to do this with a tender heart, with feelings of kindness and not of judgment or retribution. Furthermore, my mind must work in full accord with my heart, and both need to be lowly rather than haughty, and overall courteous.

If I achieve all of this I am merely living as Jesus wants me to live. I’m sure there is more beyond this, but I see this as a good foundation to work on. God, as always, will help me as I ask Him.

Lord God,

I want to live in harmony with my fellow beings in the love that I know in You. This may not always be through full agreement with them. I ask for your help and Your input into all of my relationships.

I seek to be sympathetic, compassionate and humble, and in the full sense as I have begun to uncover in my exploration above.

I know that nothing is impossible for You. I also firmly believe that I can do all things through the strength and enabling of Jesus in me. I ask You to help me. Help me to be sympathetic, compassionate and humble in each encounter I have with Your created beings. Let me see people, more and more, as You see them. Show me what You would have me connect with, and possibly minister to, in them.

And, as I walk this way, I ask You to lead me on to other things. Grow me, Lord. I want to follow Jesus. I give my life to You. I ask You to lead me, as You want me to go.

Receive my love and praise, my worship and loyalty, my adoration and commitment, in Jesus’ name.           Amen.

Spiritual Nourishment

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.                                 1 Peter.2.2

The milk that Peter refers to here is not the milk of 1 Cor. 3.2 or Heb. 5.12-14, which is presented as unfavourable in contrast with solid food.

This milk is seen as appropriate nourishment. I pray that at every stage of my spiritual walk I will crave appropriate nourishment just as a new born babe craves milk.

My growth in salvation, in which I see the process of sanctification, is fuelled by the spiritual milk I drink.

The God I crave feeding from is good, loving and generous. He will not withhold the right amount and grade of spiritual milk from me as I crave and request it.

I believe I will continue to need spiritual milk – or appropriate nourishment – throughout my life. I also believe that, as I ask for it, I will receive. The grace of God surpasses all human understanding. I am a child of grace. I thank God for this, and I entreat Him for continual feeding for my spiritual nourishment, growth and witness.

Lord God,

I thank You that I can call to You, and expect to receive appropriate spiritual nourishment at every stage of my journey.

Your Word feeds me and I thank You for it. Study feeds me and I am grateful that You allow me to do this. Godly relationships feed me and I appreciate each and every relationship You lead me into.

I crave nourishment from You. I come before You in simple request – that You feed me. Let me know You more. Please, build me up in You, not simply for myself but that I might encourage others.

Give me, please, the nourishment I need and use me, if You will, to nourish and nurture others. I ask this in Jesus’ name.         Amen.

Rebirth

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.             1 Peter 1.23

Initial birth comes from human sperm, which is corruptible and leads to a corruptible life. But there follows a new birth – being born again. This birth comes through the direct action of the Holy Spirit and the word of God.

All of creation, and the intention of humanity’s perfect life with God in the garden of Eden, come into being through the word of God. God spoke, and it was! (Gen. 1) And new birth comes also from the word of God. The call to salvation, or rebirth by the Spirit into true relationship with God, is contained in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And this is conveyed to us through the New Testament Scriptures – the Word of God.

The word of God, which originally brought all of creation into perfect existence, now regenerates the fallen individual, restoring them to a state of original love with God.

The word of God is the truth, but the Spirit of God is often the key to unlocking the truth. The Spirit can “illuminate” the word – to a particular individual at a particular time or in a particular situation. God’s word is constant, firm, immutable. But the Spirit brings a dynamic to it, causing it to speak in God’s due season. I rejoice in the word and the ministry of the Spirit in making alive God’s word to the individual.

Lord God,

I thank You for Your word. I also thank You for the wonder of Your Holy Spirit and the way in which You move upon the hearts of the lost to draw them to You.

I pray today for my family members, friends, neighbours and acquaintances who don’t know You. I ask You to make Your Word real to them, bringing them into the wonder of rebirth. I ask this in Jesus’ name.             Amen.

Perseverance

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.                        Jas.5.11

Job presents a good example for all times. He was tested by God. I note that the Lord put the idea into Satan to afflict Job. God knew Job and He knew his committed heart. He described Job as blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. (Job 1.8)

Satan took everything external away from Job. He even imposed physical suffering on him. Yet Job did not spurn God. He persevered. Job persevered saying “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” God rewarded Job by blessing the latter part of his life more than the first (Job 42.12), but Job had no awareness of this as he persevered through difficult times. He simply persevered out of his love and commitment to God.

Trials come to me. Is God testing me? I don’t know if He deliberately puts me to a test and, somehow, I don’t need to know. If my love for, and commitment to, God is strong then I will simply persevere, unmindful of the reason for the struggle, and not focussing on its reward other than to get closer to Jesus through perseverance in struggle.

Lord God,

I get the idea, but I’m not sure how well I can action it. I want to persevere, and I note well the example of Job.

As in all things, I need Your help. I ask You to remind me of Job and the need to persevere when things really get tough. Let me remember also the most excellent example of all in Jesus, who persevered and gave His life that I might keep mine – eternally. Thank You, Lord.  I bless You.           Amen.