Isaiah 50:5-7 The Lord God hath opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Exceedingly wise words from Isaiah people. Words it would do us well to live by. As we mature in the faith, acknowledging that the Lord is in control, and submitting to His will, He enables, strengthens and guides us in a truly surprising manner. In verse 4, Isaiah says that God gave him wisdom, ‘the tongue of the learned,’ so that he’d find the right words to encourage a struggling, weary believer. He also opened his ears, making him more aware of the happenings around him. Yes Friends, when we allow the Lord to guide us, our spiritual consciousness rises to a higher level. We see, hear, think and feel stuff like never before. But by the same token, this increased awareness of God can also make life tougher. Isaiah realized this, but persisted: ‘and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.’ It’s not easy Friends. Isaiah accepted both the back stabbing and frontal attacks. He did not hide from those who mocked and rebuked him. Why? Because the Spirit of the Lord was moving within him, strengthening his faith. ‘For the Lord will help me; therefore I shall not be confounded.’ What a powerful testimony people! ‘Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.’ Ah Friends, those are the parts it takes to walk faithfully in the Lord; perseverance and fortitude. Because once the world realizes that we’re on a different wavelength; in it, but not of it, it tends to ridicule and condemn us. It’s the nature of the beast; cry down and belittle what you don’t like or understand. But if we’re to succeed in God’s ministry, we need to have plenty belly Friends, a backbone of steel, and a heart engorged and overflowing with God’s LOVE, because the enemy will test our mettle every chance he gets. So, like Isaiah, we’ve got to acquire that faith in God’s promise, but unfortunately that only comes through the same school of hard knocks. That’s why the life of the faithful is so difficult. But please remember that we’ve got the awesome Spirit of the Most High God, Jehovah, the most powerful Being in the universe, living within us, and consequently we can withstand anything the enemy throws against us. He’s promised that no weapon that comes against us shall prosper, so let’s raise our consciousness a notch or two nuh, and speak words of enablement and encouragement to our fellow travellers along life’s dusty highways and byways, in Jesus ‘ name. Amen! Much LOVE!…to really serve the Lord…requires mucho gumption…a strong backbone…and plenty, plenty belly…
Exceedingly wise words from Isaiah people. Words it would do us well to live by. As we mature in the faith, acknowledging that the Lord is in control, and submitting to His will, He enables, strengthens and guides us in a truly surprising manner. In verse 4, Isaiah says that God gave him wisdom, ‘the tongue of the learned,’ so that he’d find the right words to encourage a struggling, weary believer. He also opened his ears, making him more aware of the happenings around him. Yes Friends, when we allow the Lord to guide us, our spiritual consciousness rises to a higher level. We see, hear, think and feel stuff like never before. But by the same token, this increased awareness of God can also make life tougher. Isaiah realized this, but persisted: ‘and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.’ It’s not easy Friends. Isaiah accepted both the back stabbing and frontal attacks. He did not hide from those who mocked and rebuked him. Why? Because the Spirit of the Lord was moving within him, strengthening his faith. ‘For the Lord will help me; therefore I shall not be confounded.’ What a powerful testimony people! ‘Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.’ Ah Friends, those are the parts it takes to walk faithfully in the Lord; perseverance and fortitude. Because once the world realizes that we’re on a different wavelength; in it, but not of it, it tends to ridicule and condemn us. It’s the nature of the beast; cry down and belittle what you don’t like or understand. But if we’re to succeed in God’s ministry, we need to have plenty belly Friends, a backbone of steel, and a heart engorged and overflowing with God’s LOVE, because the enemy will test our mettle every chance he gets. So, like Isaiah, we’ve got to acquire that faith in God’s promise, but unfortunately that only comes through the same school of hard knocks. That’s why the life of the faithful is so difficult. But please remember that we’ve got the awesome Spirit of the Most High God, Jehovah, the most powerful Being in the universe, living within us, and consequently we can withstand anything the enemy throws against us. He’s promised that no weapon that comes against us shall prosper, so let’s raise our consciousness a notch or two nuh, and speak words of enablement and encouragement to our fellow travellers along life’s dusty highways and byways, in Jesus ‘ name. Amen! Much LOVE!…to really serve the Lord…requires mucho gumption…a strong backbone…and plenty, plenty belly…
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