Tues.’s Devo - Be Ye Holy, As I Am Holy

Read: Isaiah 48:12-50:11; Ephesians 4:17-32; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverb 24:5-6 God establishes the fact that He is the creator of heaven and earth. *** In the NLT version that I use it names Cyrus by name. God chose him to be his ally in taking down the empire of the Babylonians. God promised that he would help Cyrus succeed. Cyrus was a type of Trump we have established. To take down the Deep State is his commission and God will help him succeed. *** If only they had been faithful to God and his commandments, then they wouldn’t have had to go into captivity. They could have lived a blessed life but even in their captivity, God blessed them just like he did when they went through the desert in Moses’ day. They were never thirsty, in the middle of the desert. He gave them water out of the rock. God has been with us during these centuries of being oppressed by an evil empire. *** Chapter 29 gives us a look into Jesus’ commission and his humanity. Even Jesus felt his work seemed useless and had no purpose because he didn’t seem to get the results he thought he would. He concluded that he would leave it in God’s hands. He knew his commission was to bring Israel back to the Lord and to be a light to the Gentiles and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. He was then despised and rejected by the nations and a servant to the rulers, but one day the kings would stand at attention when he passed by and princes would bow. *** Verses 8-13 gives us a view into our future when it is the day of salvation. That day is coming very soon. God will come and help us. Our nations will be reestablished under Christ and rulership will be given back to the people. Many innocent will be released from prison and many who can’t see now will be awakened. Prosperity and blessing will return to the land. The time of oppression will be and it will be a time of refreshing. God’s ways will be exalted above the world’s ways. Godliness will return to the land and people will come out of hiding places and return because it is safe to live here. *** At the time, they felt abandoned by God and forgotten as many do in America right now, but there is no way God has forgotten us. He has written our names on the palms of his hands. We are always on his mind. All of our enemies will go away and our children will come back to us. The prodigals will return to be our pride and joy. *** The evil elites will be far away, probably in Gitmo. The children born in exile will be released out of their prisons and need a place to stay. (This makes me think of children who were literally born in the tunnels under the earth.) The nations that were used by the enemy against Israel will bring their sons and daughters back to them. Kings and queens of other nations will bow down to Israel, the nation everyone hated. When we see this we will know that God is the Lord and that he never puts to shame those who trust in him. *** All the spoils of war will be given to God’s children. The enemy will no longer feast on the blood of our children but will be given their own children to eat. (This sounds so awful but they have been literally eating children they snatched from us.) *** God reminded them that they found themselves in the state they were in because of their sins not because he didn’t have the power to save them. They chose to be in that state of oppression and judgment. Isaiah warns them to trust in the Lord and rely on him. If they depend on their own strength, it will work against them and they will fail. *** Paul gives us an accurate description of the people who walk in darkness. They are hopelessly confused. They have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against the Lord. They have no sense of shame and live for lustful pleasure. They eagerly practice every kind of impurity. That sums up the evil people of today. *** We as Christians have been called out of that lifestyle and are exhorted to let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes. We are to put on our new nature, created to be like God which is truly righteous and holy. *** Paul told them to stop lying, being controlled by anger, stealing, or using foul and abusive language, but to let their conversation be edifying and encouraging. *** Lord, help us to be tenderhearted, forgiving, and loving as you are. Thank you for giving us a new nature that we can be righteous and holy.