Sat.’s Devo - Rejoice in the Lord

Read: Isaiah 62:6-65:25; Philippians 2:19-3:4; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 24:13-14 God always has intercessors that pray for the restoration of Jerusalem. They will not stop till the work is completed. One of these men was John the Baptist whose mission was to prepare the road for the Messiah to walk. He was to call the people to repentance so their hearts would be ready to receive the message of Christ. The prophets always use the deliverance from Egypt through the parted Red Sea as their point of reference because it was the picture of God’s deliverance of his people from bondage. The lambs they killed and smeared blood on their doorposts were a picture of them applying the blood of Christ to their lives. Their passage through the Red Sea was their baptism and their coming up on the other side was the picture of a new creature. As Isaiah cries out to the Lord for help it, he is blaming the Lord for giving them stubborn hearts that don’t fear him. Actually, God did give them stubborn hearts because they refused to turn to him. Isaiah wishes that God would do something so obvious that the people would have to believe it like burst from the heavens and come down. That would make the people tremble in fear. Isaiah feels overwhelmed over the weight of their sins. Jerusalem has burned down and all the beauty of their land has been destroyed. God responded to Isaiah and reminded them that he had waited for them to ask for help and no one did. The people spurned his love and refused to turn. They did everything them could to insult the Lord and disgust him. So God has to judge their deeds. He promised that he would not destroy them all because there are a few of them that remained faithful to him. He would restore those who trusted in Him. God will create a new heaven and a new earth and Jerusalem will be a place of happiness and joy. Death will no longer be a curse to take people before they live out their lives. People will live long lives like the trees and enjoy the fruit of their labor. The curse will remain on the serpent who will ‘eat dust’. In Philippians, Paul was hoping to send Timothy to them to bring back some good news. Paul also was sending Epaphroditus to stay and help. He had been sick and the church in Philadelphia had been very worried about him. Paul wanted them to see what their prayers had done. Paul reminded them to rejoice in the Lord and to watch out for the false teachers who told them they need to be circumcised. Paul told them to rely on what Christ Jesus has done for them and to put no confidence on what they can do to earn their own righteousness. This doctrine is permeating the church today. It is preached today that we have to sin and that we need to change our lives so that God will be pleased with us. That doctrine crucifies Christ over and over. We have all sinned but when we become saved, all our sins are gone. We are new creatures with God’s heart so we can do the things Jesus did. In our own strength this is not possible but through God all things are possible. We rely on the Holy Spirit and allow him to clean up our lives. That is no longer our job. We set our eyes on Jesus and just walk looking at him as the author and finisher of our faith. We have plenty of things to do without having to think about every jot and tittle of our actions. We work on our hearts. When we know we have messed up, we ask for forgiveness and keep going. Our sins have already been nailed to the cross. It is truly a walk in the Spirit, by faith. Lord, thank you for what you have done for us. It is our privilege to give your our lives as a living sacrifice. May your Kingdom come!