Obedience

Isaiah 1:18-20

“Come now and let us reason together,” Says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

These verses give us 2 very opposite promises.

One of hope and the other of destruction. Not only is God a great loving and gracious God, giving us many chances over and over; but he is a God that is ready to stand and fight for what is his.

Now that may be scary for some, but for me both promises are a refuge. Not only is God loving and forgiving but he is willing fight for me. Who better to fight for you other than the most powerful being ever? He is the “Lord of Hosts, the Mighty one of Israel” (Isaiah 1:24). We call on him to fight our fights, heal our oppressions and forgive our transgressions.

He is very real and ready to take care of all we need.

The poem Footprints in the Sand…let us know that he carries us through our trouble times (even though it may not feel like it). He is there with us always. He will not forsake us.

Hebrews 13:5

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Verse 6 goes on to say, “So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; What can man do to me?’”

Again, we call on him to fight our fights, heal our oppressions and forgive our transgressions. And Satan will fight us the entire way. But we can hold tight to the promises that God will see us through it and never give us something that we cannot handle and when it gets to be too much…we can call on his name and the “Lord of Hosts, the Mighty one of Israel” (Isaiah 1:24) will be there to fight for us.

The God of healing will be there to restore us. Psalms 147:3 states, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds their wounds…Great is our Lord, and mighty in power…”

What about the extreme patience that God has. He forgives us when we overstep the realm of Christianity. “But you are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness” (Nehemiah 9:17).

This is Remarkable! He wants to do all of this for us. We, who are mere humans that are constantly sinning in some form. We’re not perfect and God is not asking us to be. He is asking that we be “willing and obedient” (Isaiah 1:18-20).

When it is too much for us…

But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” - Luke 18:27

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” - Hebrews 13:8

Whilst we fall he will pick us up.