July 20, 2014 GOODBY GLOOM
We live in difficult times for sure. Our culture is off track. In the midst of “prosperity” it seems we lost our way as a nation. The culture told us that the goal of life was self-fulfillment and that we need to shed restraints. We believed that shorter work weeks and more pleasure were sure tickets to happiness. We were told that the advancement of technology, particularly computers, would simplify life and give us more free time. We came to believe that individual “happiness” was more important than commitment to family and church. Entertainment became the pursuit in life. As we began to discover that all the promises and our pursuits were empty, we turned to alcohol and drugs to find the “good feeling” we were looking for and it became our escape from reality. We came to believe that going into debt to get what we wanted was the thing to do. I know that not everyone bought into the culture, but certainly a lot have done so. The truth is that all of the above plus other such issues do lead to a sense of un-fulfillment and gloom. Buying into the ways of the world leads to emptiness sooner or later. The good news is that God has provided a solution that will chase away the gloom. One place we can discover this solution is found in Isaiah chapter 58. Chapter 58 reveals a lot of what is in God’s heart for His people. Some of the activity we are called to be about is to be “letting the oppressed go free”, “breaking every yoke”, “dividing our bread with the hungry”, inviting the poor to our house, clothing the naked, removing the pointing finger, end speaking wickedness, and “satisfy the desire of the afflicted.” These commands from God are broad and can be applied to numerous situations and circumstances we find in life. Jesus said that He came to set the captive free and that is the general theme in Isaiah 58. There is a promise for those believers who give themselves, in the name of Jesus, to such activity as we see above. The promises: “our light will break out like the dawn”, “our recovery will speedily spring forth”, “our righteousness will go before us”, “the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard”, “we will call and the Lord will answer; we will cry and He will say ‘Hear I am’. Verse 10-11 says if we do these things, our “light will rise in darkness, and our gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” Even though these verses are found in the Old Testament they reveal the compassionate heart of God. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we can now engage in the same ministry that is in the heart of God. Jesus said that He fulfilled the Law so we are no longer “under the Law” but under grace whereby we can be living expressions of the compassion of God and as we express His compassion, the sense of gloom will disappear.
Matthew 25:34, 35&40: “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’………..”And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
Blessings,
Buddy
We live in difficult times for sure. Our culture is off track. In the midst of “prosperity” it seems we lost our way as a nation. The culture told us that the goal of life was self-fulfillment and that we need to shed restraints. We believed that shorter work weeks and more pleasure were sure tickets to happiness. We were told that the advancement of technology, particularly computers, would simplify life and give us more free time. We came to believe that individual “happiness” was more important than commitment to family and church. Entertainment became the pursuit in life. As we began to discover that all the promises and our pursuits were empty, we turned to alcohol and drugs to find the “good feeling” we were looking for and it became our escape from reality. We came to believe that going into debt to get what we wanted was the thing to do. I know that not everyone bought into the culture, but certainly a lot have done so. The truth is that all of the above plus other such issues do lead to a sense of un-fulfillment and gloom. Buying into the ways of the world leads to emptiness sooner or later. The good news is that God has provided a solution that will chase away the gloom. One place we can discover this solution is found in Isaiah chapter 58. Chapter 58 reveals a lot of what is in God’s heart for His people. Some of the activity we are called to be about is to be “letting the oppressed go free”, “breaking every yoke”, “dividing our bread with the hungry”, inviting the poor to our house, clothing the naked, removing the pointing finger, end speaking wickedness, and “satisfy the desire of the afflicted.” These commands from God are broad and can be applied to numerous situations and circumstances we find in life. Jesus said that He came to set the captive free and that is the general theme in Isaiah 58. There is a promise for those believers who give themselves, in the name of Jesus, to such activity as we see above. The promises: “our light will break out like the dawn”, “our recovery will speedily spring forth”, “our righteousness will go before us”, “the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard”, “we will call and the Lord will answer; we will cry and He will say ‘Hear I am’. Verse 10-11 says if we do these things, our “light will rise in darkness, and our gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” Even though these verses are found in the Old Testament they reveal the compassionate heart of God. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we can now engage in the same ministry that is in the heart of God. Jesus said that He fulfilled the Law so we are no longer “under the Law” but under grace whereby we can be living expressions of the compassion of God and as we express His compassion, the sense of gloom will disappear.
Matthew 25:34, 35&40: “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’………..”And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed