Bible Reading: Isaiah 6 (ESV)
Memory verse: Isaiah 6: 9-10
And he said, “Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Good afternoon, ladies, and gentlemen! It is the first day of the month of December! Welcome to December 2023- the last month of the year, 2023! We are excited!! Are you excited? We have some things coming up this December. Additionally, December is our favourite month! Can you guess the reason?
Where did the year go? Not too long ago, we were in high spirits because the month of November was just beginning. All too soon, the year, 2023, is coming to an end. What a year it has been! The year has been characterised with many highs and lows; God has been with us through it all! We give Him all the Glory and Honour!
Today, we will be focusing on Isaiah 6:9-10. The Holy Spirit is teaching us the dynamics of God’s messages and/or assignments. Are you ready to receive all that the Holy Spirit has shared today? Well, let us get right into it!
From the last post we looked at the topic, “Are you ready for service?” We saw how Isaiah was not only a good candidate- because he was a child of God- but he was also willing and available to accept the call from God. Today, we are looking at some characteristics of God’s message- God’s message is always TRUTH! You see, God’s love for us is so deep and so wide that He makes decisions that are the best for us- regardless of our “emotions.”
Looking at the two verses wholistically, we see the nature of the God we serve- He is very firm and loving! During this time, the people of Judah were living their lives against the will of God. You would think that God will be very soft on them and try to “meet them halfway,” like we do most of the time! For us, we try to shield and protect the people we love by preparing a soft cushion for them. We do not want them to suffer any pain or go through hurt.
One trait of God is that He is all-knowing! He knows the beginning and the end- and everything in between. Naturally, we might wonder, “If God knows that these people are not on the right path, why isn’t He helping them?” Well, our definition of help varies greatly from God’s definition of help. God helped the people of Judah by sending a messenger, Isaiah, to tell them about the Truth, the Good News!
Upon reading these verses for the first time, one might say that God is very harsh or probably even mean. (The next blogpost, we will explore Isaiah’s reaction to God’s words.) God doesn’t tell us what we want to hear! No! He tells us what we need to hear. Most times, this is not very pleasing to the ear! That’s the gravity of the message- very direct and difficult.
In the two verses, vaguely translated, God tells Isaiah that He should let people know that they will hear the Good News several times but then ignore it. They will see God’s wonderous works and yet ignore it. However, the Good News will continue to be searched. God will continue to show up in people’s lives- doing wondering things for them to see. As the message continuous to be spread, there will be people who will acknowledge it all and decide to turn away from their ways. They choose God and follow His ways!
You see, the book of Isaiah is in the Old Testament, this is years before Christ was sent to die on the cross to save our sins! Dear readers, one thing that struck me is that the message is the same and has been the same for centuries now- God is the way! Most importantly, the circumstance(s) and the content of the message is very relevant to us today!
From then till now, we are tasked not to keep quiet. We are tasked to remind people of who God is! All around us, we see people ignore the Good News and ignore God wonderous miracles. Just like Isaiah, we have been commissioned to continue to go around and expose people to the Good News! At times, one may wonder how people see the journey of human life-right from birth to death- and say there is no God! Look at how complex yet simple we humans are- science cannot even fathom half of what the human body is about.
Ladies and gentlemen, this goes to show you the gravity of the message! A message that has been the same for thousands of years! A message that God commissions time and time again! The question is “Are you a “true” servant of God?” Can you follow God and not serve Him by spreading this Good News message? Are just like the people of the earth? Spend some time thinking about this! It is very important that every Christian grasps and understands this!
Have a wonderful day and let God inspire you!
If this is your first-time hearing about Christ, or you have made the decision to make Him the center of your life, kindly say this prayer with all sincerity and truth.
Dear Lord,
I come to you today as a sinner. I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is your Son, and He came on to this earth to die for my sins. Dear Lord, let your Son come and fill me. Lord, I ask that He cleanses me off my sins. I am ready to stand for you and profess your Name. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
If you repeated this prayer with all the sincerity of your heart, congratulations!! You are now a part of God’s family. You get to enjoy the freedom, salvation, and eternal life! Welcome to the greatest family ever. Heaven is rejoicing on your arrival. Your fellow brothers and sisters are also excited to have you on board.
Being a child of God is a wonderful thing. The road might not always be easy, but God is with you each step of the way. Guiding you, helping you and encouraging up. You will never regret this decision; I can assure you of that. Two things I would recommend for you to do are,
1. Get yourself a Bible (in a version you understand) and meditate on it day and night. In Joshua 1:8, we are told that when you meditate on the Word, day and night, you will be prosperous and successful.
2. Find a Bible- believing church to attend and fellowship with other Christians. This would help you grow spiritually.