Isaiah 51:1-7
"The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD."
(ISAIAH 51:3)
INSIGHT
GOD HAS MADE GOOD ON HIS PROMISES IN THE PAST. TODAY AND FOREVER HE PROMISES TO MAKE THE DESERTS OF YOUR LIFE LOOK LIKE EDEN.
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
1 Samuel 11-12
Psalm 125
2 Corinthians 4-5
Isaiah 51:1-7
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
Everlasting Salvation for Zion
51 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
2 look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many.
3 The Lord will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
2 look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many.
3 The Lord will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
4
7 NEVER FORSAKEN
with J.J. Jasper
"How could you let this happen?" J.J. Jasper begged God for an answer when he lost his 5-year-old son. To his surprise God answered and gave him a powerful testimony of joy and hope. “Hear me, you who know what is right,
you people who have my law in your hearts:
Do not fear the reproach of men
or be terrified by their insults. “Listen to me, my people;
hear me, my nation:
The law will go out from me;
my justice will become a light to the nations.
5 My righteousness draws near speedily,
my salvation is on the way,
and my arm will bring justice to the nations.
The islands will look to me
and wait in hope for my arm.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment
and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my righteousness will never fail.
Gardeners are often hired to rescue a property from itself. When landscaping is neglected, the plants and trees grow until they almost overwhelm the house. We call this "clean up" work, and we like it. Not only does it bring in extra money, but we also have the joy of transforming a mess into a thing of beauty.
I wonder if this is like the feeling that God has when we humble ourselves before Him and truly seek to live for Him. Imagine the Master Gardener looking with compassion on the ruins of our lives and doing what He is so good at: rescuing us from ourselves and leading us in His path of righteousness. He's not overwhelmed by how hard the task is. He is transforming us into what He knows we will soon become.
No matter how neglected or overgrown your life is, Jesus will make good on His promise to "make your wasteland like the garden of the LORD." You may be tired and discouraged; life may feel overgrown with troubles. But He is excited about the beauty He will masterfully restore in you.
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