Contending With God

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KJB Daily DevotionFollowing Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, August 01, 2017
Chapters: Isaiah 64-66
Message: Contending With God

Hello My Friend,

So many people are under the impression that The Old Testament does not have any bearing on us today, that all the judgments given are specifically aimed at Israel. While it is true that God does have certain things He will contend with Israel over, He is the same today, yesterday, and forever, we may now be under the law of grace, but He is still a just God, He still hates sin, and He will contend with every nation. And here is the thing, part of His judgment will have to do with how well they treat Israel. You see, while God does judge His people for their sin, they are His and He will deal with them His way, and no one will interfere, and that goes for both Jew and Gentile. “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.” – Romans 2:9-11.

If you read through the Old Testament enough you start to see a pattern in the New Testament, many of the words of the prophets are the very words that Jesus spoke and many of the prophecies concerning Christ, the judgment of the earth, and even the new heaven and earth were already spoken to Israel. This is why God is no respecter of persons, He deals with sin and rebellion the same way with all people, if they choose Him, He will accept them as one of His, regardless of their race, in God’s eyes there is only one race, the human race. Through Isaiah, we are reminded that it is sin that separates is from God, that none of us are righteous.

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.” – Isaiah 64:4-9.

what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” Prepare; To set; to establish. To make all things ready; to put things in suitable order. While we will never be perfect, that does not stop Jesus from preparing a place for those whom have accepted Him as their Saviour. Salvation has never been about works, because after we all, we are all filthy rags, consumed in our iniquities, it has always been about faith, and our choosing God to help us overcome sin. If we truly accepted Christ as our Saviour then He is preparing a great place for us. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” – I Corinthians 2:9-10.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:” God only reveals spiritual things to those who know Him, if we know Christ than we know God, and if we know God than we have His Spirit in us, showing us those deep things, including the truth that not every Jew will be saved, nor every one who calls themselves a Christian.

I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.– Isaiah 65:1-3,8.

that I may not destroy them all.This here is directed to Israel specifically, God chose Israel as His own, not because of their great faith or love of Him, He did it because of the faith and love if one man, Abraham, and the promises He made to Him, first in making him a father of multitudes, and second that all nations will be blessed through his seed. We do not have to be an actual heir of Abraham to be one of his children, if we love God and by faith know Christ as our Saviour than we are one of Abraham’s and Christ’s. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.– Galatians 3:27-29.

There is not one person on earth that does not seek some form of help from their affliction, and once in a while someone unexpectedly finds Jesus through theirs. Sadly, many who know Jesus continue to suffer. Why? They seek God’s help, but it is vain, meaning they never remove the sin from their lives, never even acknowledge it as sin. We cannot expect God to remove the affliction resulting from sin if we refuse to remove the sin. Through Isaiah, God reminds all of us that until we hear Him He will not hear us.

Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name: That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.” – Isaiah 65:12-16.

and because they are hid from mine eyes.” God’s ways are not our ways, and until we get that in our head we will never be satisfied with any outcome that He has for us. God loves us and does not want to see us suffer, but we cause suffering when we refuse to see that some things He does not want us to have. It is not that He does not want us to be happy, it is that He does not want to see us hurt even more if He allowed it. Keep in mind, that if we continue to pursue what it is that God does not want us to have, and get it, the affliction we are in now will be nothing compared to what we will face. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” – James 4:8-10.

Praise God that He is a forgiving God and that He does not forsake any of His people, even if they have gone astray. They may be in the midst of those who reject Christ, but God will find them and save them from being destroyed. Why? It is not what we have done to be saved, it’s who be believe in and trust in to save us that we are saved. Through Isaiah, God gives wonderful assurance to all who have heard the voice of Jesus calling and answered Him.

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.” – Isaiah 66:1,2,5,22,23.

shall all flesh come to worship before me,” What a glorious day it will be when the Jesus returns to claim His people and He takes His throne. Being a child of the King does not mean we will not suffer some chastening from time to time, but it does mean that no matter what we have done and or will do we will be saved from the fire. Those who never received Him however, will face that fire. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” – Revelation 21:7,8.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.” – Isaiah 66:15.

Today’s Prayer: Jesus, I believe in the sacrifice that You made for me, and I put my faith and trust in You that one day I will see You face to face and all my efforts to serve You will not be void. I know my works do not get me into heaven, but they do show You just how thankful I am of what You have done for me. Lord, lead me and guide me, let me enter and remain in Your rest, protected and comforted by Your loving arms, at all times. Never let me forget that I am Yours and You are mine and no matter what I have done that will never change. I love You, Lord and ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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