Judgment and Promise

One Reply to “Judgment and Promise”

1. In That Day 

   This reminds me of the famous “I have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. The pace and repetition stir my heart and make me want to get up and act.

   • “…the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.” — Isaiah 24:21
   • “…they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.'” — Isaiah 25:9
   • “…this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.” — Isaiah 26:1
   • “…the Lord will punish with his sword–his fierce, great and powerful sword–Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.” — Isaiah 27:1
   • “…Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.” — Isaiah 27:2-3
   • “…the Lord will thresh from the flowing Euphrates tot he Wadi of Egypt, and you, Israel will be gathered up one by one.” — Isaiah 27:12
   • “…a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.” — Isaiah 27:13

   Today is Sunday and since I’m not on staff at a church right now, this is my Sabbath day. The work I have will wait until tomorrow, even though it is work for the church, it will wait. My mind will rest as I read a book, paint the new linen closet door or build shelves–this I call rest. My mind keeps turning over the C.S. Lewis quote from The Weight of Glory, especially as I read Isaiah’s words, “you have never talked with mere mortals…” As we wander through this world, as we see people, I long to see them each as immortal beings for that is what they are. Each has a choice, but few truly understand as Satan works his evil to distract and destroy. The imagery painted by Isaiah here is vivid and though I can scarcely relate, consider his words:

   As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, Lord. We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. Isaiah 26:17-18

   Does it have to be this way Lord? Must we be satisfied to give birth to wind? Just blowing hot air? Bringing no life to the world? Lord may my actions today be far better than this. I don’t really know how you work your plan, but I know this: I desperately want to be part of the plan! No fame, no fortune, just satisfaction that each breath I breathe is part of your plan.  Lord let me “wake up and shout for joy” (26:19).  “In That Day” — how about today?

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