The deepest joy

Numbers 32; Psalm 77; Isaiah 24; 1 John 2

The author of a novel I finished this week showed insight into human nature. She wrote about the way some people in the theater had been working with fiction so long that they had problems with reality. This was both vanity and self-preservation because they were not able to cope with the actual events in their lives.

As in the story, this is true in real life too. We are prone to believe what makes us feel good about ourselves, even if it is a lie. Like Pollyanna, we focus on the best and the most pleasing and try to forget what is unpleasant or difficult.

These thoughts came to mind while reading the prophetic announcement of Isaiah 24. Isaiah usually speaks of events that were fulfilled by the time Christ came, but this chapter is about God’s judgment on the entire earth — it hasn’t happened yet. Some people think this pandemic is the beginning of it. Many thought the same thing with the world wars and plagues like the Spanish flu. However, the Corona virus is less devastating to life than the media makes it when compared to some of those past events and certainly when compared to what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation.

Isaiah’s description says this judgment will be no respecter of persons as the Lord will “empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants . . . . The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word.”

He goes on with more detail, even to describe how some of His people will survive this and sing for joy as they give glory to the Lord. At the same time, those who reject Him will be in terror as the “windows of heaven are opened” and the “foundations of the earth tremble.”

The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again. On that day, the Lord will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders. (Isaiah 24:19–23)

Right now, most of us are at home but living and waiting for everything to go back to normal but will it? In that time that Isaiah describes, all will change and for everyone.

After reading this prophetic chapter, God takes me to that which I need to give attention. It is how I should think and live no matter what is going on in the world.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1–2)

This is the good news. Because of His saving grace, I will be with those who will sing for joy when the Lord comes to judge the world. Because of His saving grace, no one needs to suffer like those Isaiah describes. God has provided a way.

John goes on to say:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

He echoes Isaiah; the world is passing away, but faith in God (which is His will for all of us) changes our destiny. John reminds me to abide in that marvelous truth and in Christ . . .

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. (1 John 2:28)

APPLY: Again, the Lord says to keep trusting Him. He is holy and merciful to those who are willing to admit their need of grace and mercy. He is faithful to redeem and protect all who trust and abide in Him. Instead of fear during these days and for the future, this is cause for joy, deep joy. 

Jesus is our faithful peacemaker . . .

Someone called me yesterday in great anguish. A person close to her had verbally attacked her, viciously unkind and accusing her of things not true. My friend felt as if a demon had attacked her, but she was unsure and wondered what she had done to deserve this.

I’m certain she had done nothing, but rather than focus on the attack, she needed to focus on the remedy. We talked about the loving power of God and how the Holy Spirit never stabs us. Even when He convicts us of sin, He does it with a hug and with clarity. The enemy always accuses with fuzziness, making us uncertain and fearful. God is faithful; He does not treat us with accusations and a mean spirit. I encouraged my friend to pray for this other person. This would help her avoid an attitude of retaliation. It is the enemy that promotes strife and ruined relationships. Besides, in prayer God would help her know the best response.

Today’s devotional is about the faithfulness of God. It is good to be reminded that we rely on Him to help us through life’s puzzling and hurtful events.

“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:10–13)

The psalmist reminds us that we are prone to turn away from God. Like the ancient Israelites, we can even fake our faith and often rebel, yet God remains faithful:

“In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror. When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer. But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe . . . .” (Psalm 78:32–42)

I know that God will take care of my friend and bring something good out of this for her. Trusting Jesus when another person turns against you is a difficult and challenging test, one that we cannot endure on our own. It is so important to cling to the faithfulness of God.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:22–25)

It is also good to remember just how dependent we are on the Lord. He chose us; we did not initiate or cause our salvation or our walk with Him. He began it and He will finish it:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3–6)

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

My friend needs to guard herself from sinning as a backlash to this unexpected and unfair treatment, but even if she remains angry and retaliates, the Lord Jesus has it covered:

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1–2)

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Jesus, because You cover the sin of the world, we also need to forgive those who sin against us. You died for the sin I commit, yet You also died for the sins people commit against me, against those I love. Forgiveness is a huge peacemaker. I pray You will bring peace to my friend’s heart and to the relationship between her and this other person who attacked her seemingly with no reason. You are our faithful Prince of Peace, and we need You for this and for everything else in our lives.

One way to be like Jesus

A priest goes into a sanctuary to pray for his parish. A pastor might pray in his office for his congregation. The people of God (who are the dwelling place themselves of the Holy Spirit) pray in their closets, or at work, or on a walking path, or in front of the kitchen sink for their friends and neighbors. Our Savior prays in eternity and before the throne of God for His people . . .

“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” (Hebrews 9:24)

The Bible says that the offspring of David (who is often spoken of as pointing to Jesus Christ) and those who believe in Him “shall endure forever” like “his throne as long as the sun before me.” (Psalm 89:36)

Jesus is my Substitute, my Surety, my Ransom, my Righteousness. God saved me and called me to a holy calling, not because of my works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave me in Christ Jesus before the ages began. (2 Timothy 1:9)

Jesus died under the penalty of God’s law, bearing my sin, shame, guilt and the wrath due me so that I will never be required to die. “Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for me . . . (Galatians 3:13) and for my sake, “God made Him sin who knew no sin, so that in Him I might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This is past tense and already done, but Christ also takes care of today, tomorrow, and all time to come. How does He do that?

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1–2)

Jesus stands in my place today as my Advocate in heaven. Jesus Christ lives forever. His prayers are prayed forever.

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Jesus Christ saves — thoroughly saves. And how must I respond to this? I cannot die for the sins of others, or equip God’s people for righteousness. I cannot do much of anything yet God is at work in me to transform me into the image of His Son. One powerful way that I CAN be like Jesus is this:

“Stand strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God . . .  and stand against the schemes of the devil . . . praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also  . . . that words may be given to (me) in opening (my) mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel . . . that (I) may declare it boldly, as (I) ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10–20)

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Lord Jesus, what a privilege to be enlisted in Your army of warriors who stand against the evil one on behalf of Your work and Your people. Thank You for such good news to share, and for equipping me to fight the good fight and pray for others as You pray for me.