Can you wait for the reward?
Devotions this week are based on Week 2 of “He Shall Be Called: Mighty God” (CLICK HERE)
Isaiah 9:3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
When a team wins a championship or a farmer brings in a bumper crop, it is a natural reason to rejoice…especially if the championship is the first one in many years or ever or the crops of the previous years have been small or non existent.
The opposite is true too. When you work hard and there is no reward, it can be a joy killer. A team that has worked hard and has only a few wins for the season…it’s hard to end the season with a lot of rejoicing (except maybe just happy the season is over!). For a farmer that works hard to plant seed, keep the weeds out, fertilize and more only to have a devastating hailstorm ruin the crops, it’s hard to end that farming year with a lot of joy inside.
We probably have a mix of these experiences in our life. But for sure, the rejoicing is much more pleasant emotion than the disappointment of loss.
Is this true for your walk of faith?
I remember a contact we knew in Minnesota who had gone through a lot of personal and relationship challenges. We ran into each other in the neighborhood and as he was sharing the latest chapters of the saga said, “God owes me.” He was discouraged, disappointed and down right angry with God. He felt God owed him some favor.
In ministry, long days of work with little change in attendance or new contacts continuing to come can be discouraging. It’s easy to rejoice when many come to an event…it’s less easy when no one comes to worship.
In life, we can get discouraged at God for not healing our illness, or giving us a promotion, or restoring a broken relationship. We too can feel like we are owed better. We can feel like it may not be worth it to follow Christ.
But then we remember, a) our joy is not based on outward success, but inward status, and b) our mighty God is at work and when he works, there will always be a reward…we just may have to wait for it.
Jesus said this in Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Every year a farmer labors trusting the harvest will come. Every day the Christian can labor for the Lord, because he or she knows the Lord Almighty has secured the greatest reward ever: heaven. Jesus promised it. It may not be easy on this earth, but our reward will be in heaven. There we will have eternal reasons to rejoice…always!
Apply: What are you in the middle of that seems discouraging and like God will never see or care? What changes when you remember Jesus’ words that a reward is coming…in heaven?
Prayer: Jesus thank you for being our mighty God who is always working with your power to bring to us greatest blessings…even if we have to wait until heaven to experience it! AMEN
He shall be called…Mighty God!
Devotions this week are based on Week 2 of “He Shall Be Called: Mighty God” (CLICK HERE)
“And he shall be called…Mighty God…” (Isaiah 9:6)
El Gibbor is the Hebrew for “Mighty God.” Gibbor is “warrior” or “Mighty One.” Clearly the perfect king of whom Isaiah is prophesying is God himself, who has the strength and power to fight the battles that would be presented to him.
As with any king, the question that naturally is asked, “What are you going to do with that power?” A king can use power for selfish purposes or for purposes that serve his people.
El Gibbor will use his power to do the following: (Isaiah 9:3)
Isaiah 9:3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
For the nation of Israel to contemplate enlarging the nation, would have stood in contrast to the impending captivity. Yet, when the nation seemed to be lost and the influence of the Lord waning, the Lord Jesus comes as Mighty God to use his power to expand the influence of the Gospel in the world. It brings joy to see the result of hard work. It brings joy to know you have Mighty God on your side.
Joy is different than happiness. Happiness is a positive emotion based on external circumstances. Winning a basketball game brings happiness. Getting a promotion at work brings happiness. Joy, however, is an inner condition of the heart. Joy is a positive condition of our heart that remains even if the external circumstances are not positive.
The three things listed here in verse 3 certainly bring a happiness because of an external positive reality, but also, they lead a heart to gain confidence in the Lord Jesus that he is and will be fighting for them to bring the return and the reward for his people.
He will enlarge the nation. The boundaries of israel were at its greatest under King David and Solomon. So he’s not talking about a physical nation with borders and citizens. The nation of Israel is often used as a picture of the Church, God’s people by faith in Jesus as their Savior.
Did Jesus enlarge the nation of Israel? Yes. By the power of his teaching and the proclamation of Gospel, many more believe today than did when Isaiah wrote these words.
Joy comes when we reap a harvest. It must have been a very discouraging time when the farmer worked all spring and summer only to have his harvest ruined by hail, flooding, or insect or disease. Certainly knowing there is food in the barns and finances from the sale of the crop would bring happiness, but knowing that the Lord again allowed for bountiful harvest would deposit joy in one’s heart. Not because of the income, but because of the faithfulness of the Lord. As the Lord works, trust grows and as trust grows, joy increases.
Jesus is the Mighty God, the warrior God of whom Isaiah prophesies. The joy he brings is real because it is not based on simply an external circumstance, but on an inner reality that has been built on the fact that Mighty God, Jesus, is working for us, again expands our joy.
Apply: What things steal your joy? What gives you joy?
Prayer: Lord, Almighty, thank you for coming to this world to exhibit your Mighty power for the benefit of your people and the salvation of our souls. AMEN.
The results matter!
Devotions this week are based on Week 1 of “He Shall Be Called: Wonderful Counselor” (CLICK HERE)
The result matters.
Matthew 4:12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Light came into the darkness.
When one is affected by positive advice, wonderful counsel, it often is like a light goes off. That which was challenging you, you see a path forward. That which was confusing to you, now is made clear. That which seemed insurmountable, now appears like a small bump in the road.
When we connect to the words of Jesus, the outcome is always positive.
I was listening to an interview with Peter Hegseth, the nominee for the Cabinet position of Secretary of Defense. The news reports various challenges he had with two divorces, an affair in a hotel room, challenges with alcohol and various other charges. To be sure one has to filter the media reports to discover the truth, but in the interview Peter expressed in the past years one thing that has changed his perspective and his behavior is a new faith in Jesus. He admits and is not proud of some of the past moral failures but expressed joy in knowing they are reconciled by Jesus. He is ready to serve his country, but he is at peace because he knows as he walks with Jesus, the right thing will always take place.
The results matter.
When we connect to Jesus, we receive wonderful counsel that changes our heart and our life.
Jesus not only preaches repentance but gives forgiveness. He invites us to stop trying to make up for our sins or earn our way into heaven. Personal attempts leave us far short and feeling always worried about our standing with God. Jesus advises, “Confess your sins to me and I am faithful and just and will forgive you from all your sins.”
Jesus invites us to give up our worries about the future and know with confidence that our value before him will always lead him to do what is best for us. Like the sparrows that fill the air don’t have to worry, so we can heed the advice that Jesus reminds us we are much more valuable than they and if our heavenly Father cares for them, he will care for us.
We can seek a lot of counsel and direction in life as to career, purpose, passion etc. All this can be a tool that is helpful, however Jesus reminds us that we are here for the purpose God made us. To glorify God and serve the people around us. He reminds us that our greatest purpose is to let our Christian light shine in the world around us so that people see the good we do in Jesus’ name and praise God who is in heaven.
We get lots of advice about retirement, end of life issues, and fill out a will, medical power of attorney and other documents to prepare for death. Again, these are wise and practical to make it easy on those that survive you, but Jesus reminds us that death is just a transition to heaven for the believer. He is the resurrection and the life and that all who believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
This is wonderful counsel and wonderful counsel brings wonderful results: a secure and lasting hope that gives our hearts peace today and gives our lives certainty for eternity.
Apply: What counsel from Jesus would help your heart today? Perhaps read a chapter of John’s gospel and ask, “Jesus, show me your wonderful counsel for my life today.”
Prayer: Lord, in all things we rejoice that you sent Jesus, OUR Wonderful Counselor to this earth not only to secure our salvation but to speak truth, wisdom and wonderful counsel into our hearts and lives. AMEN.
The source matters!
Devotions this week are based on Week 1 of “He Shall Be Called: Wonderful Counselor” (CLICK HERE)
The source matters.
When you seek out advice, the source matters.
If you are having trouble with your computer, you probably wouldn’t call a plumber. But if your ceiling is dripping water, a plumber is the person you call. Thanks to YouTube we can all become “experts” at almost anything…ok not everything.
But what about advice for spiritual matters?
As we looked at before, Isaiah certainly discourages looking toward mediums and spiritists when we should be looking to the only source of wonderful counsel, God himself.
He prophesies of light coming into the darkness:
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2)
At the beginning of John’s Gospel a fulfillment to this prophesy is announced. Along with what the One who brought light was: The Word.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
If we are looking for “Wonderful Counsel” and the one who is THE Wonderful Counselor, it matches perfectly that this would be Jesus.
Remember, “Wonderful” is the reaction of awe when we notice or experience the presence or working of God. Jesus is God.
“Counsel” is the advice or direction of wisdom that is given. Jesus is the Word of God. He is the one who embodies the wisdom from God. He can speak nothing BUT Wonderful Counsel.
Sure, as John says, we can “not understand it” because we are so consumed with the ways and words of darkness, of sin and the evil it creates. We can be so consumed with our own sinful, selfish nature that we refuse to listen to Jesus’ wonderful counsel or simply can’t hear or understand it because our hearts are hard to it.
I pray that this never occurs in your heart. Rather I pray that the power of God’s Spirit “enlighten” your heart to see the light of truth that Jesus’ words bring to our lives and to realize the extreme blessing that comes when Jesus’ wonderful counsel is put into practice in your life.
The source matters.
Look to Jesus and his wonderful counsel for all aspects of your faith and life.
Apply: What things in your life get in the way of listening to Jesus’ wonderful counsel? How can you make an intentional effort to be in the word of God more to hear the wonderful counsel Jesus gives?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to this earth and embodying the wonderful counsel of God to all of us. Spirit of God, open our hearts and minds to receive and put into practice all the wonderful counsel we receive. AMEN.
Don’t blame God when you don’t follow his advice!
Devotions this week are based on Week 1 of “He Shall Be Called: Wonderful Counselor” (CLICK HERE)
Sometimes you can predict the outcome.
The reason that parents advise their children to be careful when choosing their friends, is that they know that the people you hang around will have influence on you. If a group of friends is bent on breaking the law and doing things illegal, you can have a level of certainty the outcome will not be positive for your child if they join them.
However sometimes when a child goes against the will of their parents and they find themselves in trouble and their parents don’t bail them out, they blame their parents for the plight that they experienced.
As a basketball official, you get blamed for things that happen on the court…even sometimes the outcome of the game. You do your best to talk to the players and warn them if they are bordering on illegal behavior. You can warn two post players to stop overly pushing each other, but when they continue you call a foul. Then of course you get blamed for fouling out their key player.
Sometimes you can predict the outcome.
When you get bad (woeful) advice, the chances are great you will have a woeful outcome. When you get wonderful advice and choose to ignore it, you too will see a woeful outcome.
The same is true of our spiritual lives.
I was talking recently to an attender to our church that is new to reading the Bible and the content it covers. However, one observation that she made was this, “There are things that happen in the Bible that still happen today.”
Very true.
All throughout the Bible God in his love is giving guidance, direction and advice to his people. When they follow it, they are blessed. When they don’t, the outcome isn’t pleasant. However, when the outcome is woeful, people still have a tendency to blame God or others for their plight. This is true at the time of Isaiah. Yesterday’s devotion focused on the source of advice people were seeking (mediums and spiritists). Here’s the result:
Isaiah 8:21 Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
Woeful advice or ignoring wonderful advice will result in woeful results.
The same is true today. Seek individuals who desire to give you wonderful counsel, advice from God. Ignore or abandon counsel that leads you away from God and his promise. And if you follow woeful counsel or ignore wonderful advice, don’t blame God, repent and turn back to God.
Apply: Take time to evaluate the source of the advice you are receiving. Ensure as much as possible that advice is flavored from God’s perspective. If results don’t turn out as you want, turn toward God not away from him!
Prayer: Lord, open my heart and ears to always hear and follow your advice. For you promise that your counsel will always work for my blessing. AMEN.