July 17th. Blog #5 told about my repentance, thirst for scriptures, and new
appreciation for Father God. Here is Blog post #6.
Rebellion Against Love
Now that I was closer to my heavenly Father, I became more sensitive to how he must feel. When I read scriptures like Isaiah 1:2-3, my heart hurt for God:
“For the LORD speaks: ‘I raised children, I brought them up, but they have rebelled against me! An ox recognizes its owner, a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; but Israel does on recognize me, my people do not understand,” (Isaiah 1:2–3 NET)
As I reread Isaiah chapter one, I sensed the heart of God, broken by his rebellious children. These children are not toddlers who keep falling down because they can’t help it. He has raised them. They should know better because the most loving father in the whole universe has taught them for many years. They should know by now they can trust him, but they don’t. Because they don’t trust God, they rebel and go their own way.
Isaiah’s words are those of a man who lives intimately with the Lord God Almighty, the “Holy One of Israel.” He knows how God feels. He tries to reason with the people who have rebelled.
I should have known better, too, for I’d been God’s child for nearly three decades. This verse spoke to me: “Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted,” (Isaiah1:5 NIV).
My present problems were consequences of my own disobedience. Like Eve in the Garden of Eden, I’d picked forbidden fruit. I was injured, afflicted and desolate because of my own rebellion.
The evangelical prophet revealed the heart of God broken over his rebellious people. For about sixty years (742-680 BCE), he urged his countrymen to return to the Lord. He also predicted the coming of Christ the Messianic King, Suffering Servant, and Redeemer. Isaiah, whose name means “salvation is of the Lord,” gave hope of salvation and restoration to the people of Judah. He tried to reason with them to turn to the Lord:
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land,” (Isa.1:18-19, NIV).
This sounds like the Lord loves to forgive. He longs for us to return to him so he can bless us.
Prayer: Thank you, heavenly Father, that you are merciful even while you are disciplining us for our rebellion. Thank you for bringing us to conviction and repentance so we can experience your forgiveness and cleansing. Thank you for using our trials to refine and purify us. Please enable us to bear fruit in your Kingdom. I love you. Amen
To be continued July 19th:
The following video is of Dr. Charles Stanley giving a good explanation of what it means to be forgiven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyoNGZWAeJg.
Then two videos of the Crabb family singers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlbSM-0u3Po, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apledTznkrU,
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