Thursday, July 31, 2014

Come Ye, and let us walk in the LIGHT of the LORD...

" Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; 
Cease to do evil; Learn to do well..." Isaiah 1: 16-17

These past few days I've been meditating on a few verses in the book of Isaiah. Having just started reading through the first chapter, I found God's holiness and just character displayed in such powerful words. And it made me think...

God tells us how tired He is of our vain oblations(or offerings). He's tired of our ritual sacrifices that have no meaning to Him. He's tired of our prayers before Him... our "sacrifices" are iniquity before Him.

" Bring no more vain oblations... the new moons and sabbaths... it is iniquity. Appointed feasts my soul hateth, they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. When you make many prayers I will not hear them. Your hands are full of blood." 
Isaiah 1:13-15

The words sound harsh. God doesn't want to hear us. He doesn't want our sacrifices.

When reading through the chapter, I thought how easily we can go over these words. It doesn't pertain to us. It's the Lord's judgement on Judah.  

But no. It pertains to us as well. To me.

How many times we fall in the trap of doing things... for traditions sake, to appease our conscience, or because certain things are required of us. And our heart is not in it. We go to church, because we "have to". We read our bibles because we "need to".  We offer our services because it is "required" of us.

But God  knows our hearts. 

Do we truly honor God with our sacrifices... or are they merely a cover-up.

And then I read further. God doesn't require too much of us. He just wants us to cease from doing evil.... and learn to do well.

Learn to do well. 

How do we learn? I immediately thought of the verse in Matthew:

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart... "
Matthew 11:29

What a beautiful example to follow. The Lord Jesus Christ. Humble. Lowly. Meek.

Interestingly God doesn't require pompous sacrifices. He desires that we be humble before Him. That we put away evil. 

"... but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my WORD." Isaiah 66:2

Oh, Lord make us humble. Help us to walk in the light of your WORD.

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." 
Isaiah 1:19 

May you be encouraged to learn of Him... to walk in obedience to His word.
  
~ Ellie

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