Meditation

04/08/2020

“Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. Though our sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson; they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of he Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 1:18-20)

This text is often wrenched out of its context and interpreted as an unconditional promise of forgiveness, but God’s forgiveness of sin is conditioned on our repentance for sin. (1^st John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and jut and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness).

God is not to be treated as the world does. God will not be mocked by a faith which ignores His moral demands. God offers atonement but does not force it on a people unwilling to serve Him.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, You have loved us, cared for us, and provided for us better than we deserve. Still, there are those who do not seem to understand that our prayers to You are not a “wish list;” rather, our prayers are a way to communicate with You on our hurts, our needs, and our desires of how to better serve You. Help us, Abba, to pray for Your will to be done, for clarity when we witness to others on how to pray, to be obedient to You will at all times. We will try not to clutter our prayers for only things we want, as opposed to what we need, to pray more often and to seek You at all times in whatever situation we are in. We love and glorify You alone. This we pray in Jesus’ precious name. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Faith is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions..”

KNOWING GOD:

“Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 16:63)

God promised to establish and everlasting covenant with Israel in which He would make atonement for their sins. Sodom and Samaria are included in this new covenant. If there is hope for Sodom, there is hope for all. God was progressively setting the stage for a once for all atonement for sins of the world in the death of His Son. The everlasting covenant is based on God’s action, not on our actions. God forgives and restores. He judges to reform and purify. We can make no claims of injustice against God. We can only praise Him for the love and faithfulness which surpasses any hope human imagination could eve devise. We are His only because He wants us to be and makes if possible.

I AM:

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves bu for him who died for them and was raised again. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2^nd Corinthians 5:14-15, 21)

Christ died as a representative of the human race. God made Him a sin offering for us that we might live for Him and not for ourselves. Atonement is potentially universal, available to all people. It becomes an active reality only in the lives of those who commit themselves to Christ. In reality, Jesus did not sin. He chose to die on the cross and accept the punishment of our sin. Jesus has given us His righteousness, which includes moral righteous and right relationship with God. Do you now truly understand exactly what Jesus did on the cross for us? I pray so.

Second Thought of the Day:

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—-just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—-and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—- only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:14-18)

Beloved, Christ revealed the heart of God as He identified Himself as the Shepherd Son whose mind and heart were committed to offer love and life for the sake of His charge. Jesus loved enough to know His sheep personally.

Jesus as the Good Shepherd voluntarily laid down His life on the cross at Golgotha to make an atonement for His sheep. Believes in Him all belong to His one flock.