LOCKET VERSES WEEK 49

Immediately following the description, in Isaiah 26:5 and 6, of the just end of the devises of wickedness, God gives us this verse about His desired walk for the believer. The way of the unbelieving proud is brought to a dead end pathway, but the road way of the believer has been designed and constructed by God for us to walk upon in joy and victory. Its journey and destination is full of blessing. The bluntness and briefness of the verse are part of its clear message. With clarity we sense the absoluteness in its meaning: The way of the just is [absolutely] uprightness. The designed way of the life for the just person is uprightness. Since the word just means "righteous," we could read this verse as "the way of the righteous is found in righteousness!" Instinctively, we know this should be true. We say, "A Christian ought to act like a Christian," without deeply considering the impact of that saying. When we are redeemed, we become part of a different category of people. Our lives are no longer our own, for we have been purchased by the blood of Christ to be made a people of His own, a people who should glorify Him with good works! The word uprightness is used to describe evenness, straightness, being right. Once it is even translated as "sweetly," reminding us that the life of a believer should be as a sweet smelling savor to our Lord. God has designed our path and He knows how we should walk upon it. He is the only One who sees perfectly the way of our life. Thou [O LORD], Who art most upright. His character here is described in a different word for upright than the previously used "uprightness." This word in Hebrew is from Yashur, while the other is from Meyshar. God alone is the Upright One, He who meets all the qualifications of uprightness. He is perfectly correct, just, right, and full of equity. No one can usurp His holiness. Because He is always perfectly correct, He alone dost weigh the walk of our life. There is an absolute justice, equity and truthfulness in God’s measures. What others may view as irrational or fail to understand in our motivations, God sees clearly. What a comfort to know that He deals honestly with our lives. Even the word for path in the second part of our verse is a different word from the first use of path. Here it means: the going, the track. God weighs our individual walk, but not in comparison to anyone else’s. Our path is like the individually marked track of the runner, for us alone. The Scripture reminds us: The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Psalm 37:23 We should ponder: what is our path, where does it lead us, what steps are we taking on the journey. Each step we take in life determines the path. Have you ever played "what if": what if I had taken another path? What if I had done this deed differently? In essence, we are saying: "What if I had taken a different step on the path of my life at a specific moment?" When we are there, at each step, the moments do not always seem significant, or as significant as they prove later. In retrospect, we often realize: that step determined my path. It is not like a car journey where we can retrace our steps after a wrong turn. Once, on a long family journey, I feel asleep in the passenger seat. I am usually the map reader on a trip. When I woke up, the landscape did not look familiar. At a freeway interchange, without the correct directions, we had headed the wrong direction. We had to travel back the twenty miles to the same interchange and take the proper turn off. We reached our destination, even though we were later than planned. Often we now pass the same interchange and are very careful to stay alert. In life it is not so easy. Even though we can go back to the place of "misstep," the point of mistake, we can never erase the journey down the by-path or its consequences. Indeed, we may never be able to reach the destination we had planned. On returning to the point of error, the interchange will not always be the same as when we first passed it on our life journey. Time and circumstances have forever changed the landscape. Though we can turn mistakes over to God and ask His sanctified cleansing, the pathway is always altered. I once read that if we have the desire to serve and please God, but make a mistake in judgment, God can bless even that result when we turn it over to Him. The distinction is in our motivation that God knows so well. The contemplation of this spiritual walk is like the commitment many of us take to walk everyday for physical exercise. One spring I made the decision to implement such a plan but I constantly put it off. There were all the excuses: bad weather, no companion, too tired, not feeling well. Many months went by. Soon I was convicted of the great need to begin. When I finally started, not only did I feel better, and weight loss become more rapid, but there was a toning and firming in all my body. It wasn’t just my legs and feet that were firmed, but my abdomen, arms, and even my back, as well as other parts of my body. My skin took on a warmer, healthier color and I felt refreshed in my emotions. I even had more prayer time, as I prayed while walking. What began with taking the first steps on the right path of exercise, affected much of my daily "walk." Our choice of path, and of each step on the path, affects more than just our earthly "destiny." It affects all of our everyday life and that of those around us. May God who weighs our path and directs our steps, be pleased in the balance of the scales in our lives today.

    Each step I take my Savior goes before me, And with His loving hand He leads the way,

    And with each breath I whisper "I adore Thee," Oh, what joy to walk with Him each day.

    At times I feel my faith begin to waver, When up ahead I see a chasm wide.

    It’s then I turn and look up to my Savior, I am strong when He is by my side.

    I trust in God, no matter come what may, For life eternal is in His hand.

    He holds the key that opens up the way, That will lead me to the promised land.

Chorus

    Each step I take I know that He will guide me; To higher ground He ever leads me on.

    Until some day the last step will be taken, Each step I take just leads me closer home.

                                                            By W. Elmo Mercer

Lord, as I plant my feet today, one in front of the other, help me to realize the importance of each step. Help me to examine what kind of walk I am taking. Let it not be the forced march by the beat of the world’s drum, or a skipping with Satan’s luring music. Let there be no hesitant faltering steps caused by lack of spiritual confidence, no stumbling from sin, no limping from guilt, but confident, trusting, firmly placed steps, one at a time, straight on the path. Let it be one step after the other, progressing down God’s chosen path for me.

To the God who loves our souls, this verse is sung as a sonnet of affirmed devotion. It is part of the song that will be sung in the land of Judah (Isaiah 26:1). The redeemed of the Lord have entered into that strong city, surrounded by the walls built by God of the material of salvation (verse 1). As they stand before their Lord, reviewing His righteous judgments and dealings with man, the people of His keeping answer to Him in song. They affirm to Him their soul’s direction, delight and discovery. Yea, they sing: Yes! Resounds the chorus as each one joins with the others, but also individually asserts: Yes, as for me, this is my soul’s stand before You, my Lord and my Redeemer! The Yea is an affirmation of the absolute commitment of God’s people to live a life of His designed purpose. This is a chapter of absolutes, as is the character of our God. The song shall be sung, God will appoint the walls of salvation and open wide the gates of the city. He will keep His own in perfect peace, He will bring down the lofty opposers because He has everlasting strength. Likewise, His people will dwell in absolutes. Their minds will be stayed upon Him, trusting in the Lord forever, their way is uprightness because He is most upright. This affirmation is declared in that day when all Israel will know the reward and validity of the trust they have placed in the God of all Trust. We can know and declare that same trust today because we have a relationship with the unchangeable God, who is the same yesterday, today, in that day, and forever. Yes, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, Israel says, have we waited for Thee. If we could imagine a visual of this verse, we would see the people of God on a roadway which is clearly marked by the sign "Thy Judgments." They are on the journey of life and are waiting at a rest stop along the way to get directions for the path of their travel. Their eyes are fixed on the roadway, waiting only for One who will appear there. No other can catch their eye or divert their attention. Their minds are stayed, their decision is fixed, their Leader is chosen. When God speaks, they can say with confidence, "We were waiting for You and You alone, O LORD." Their confident waiting has prevented them from taking the wrong pathway, or following improper judgments. Their waiting has brought the rewards of being led in the way that they should go. Can we say, "Yes, Lord, I will wait in the way of Thy judgments for You"? The word judgments, in its full scope of meaning, applies to every area of our lives. It is a picture of God’s seat of judgment where He exercises His moral and legal laws, but it also encompasses the manner of life we are to live, the cause of our life, the ordinances that rule our living, the order of our daily walk, the rights and privileges that we can claim as citizens of God’s "country." The question remains: "In each area of our lives will we have the Christian character and commitment to continue in God’s judgments?" Instead of forging ahead on our own path of convenience, will we have the strength to wait for Him to meet with us there, in His own pathway of judgment? Let us never forget that in each day and in each area of our lives, it is the right time to meet with our righteous God. In categorical studies of waiting on God, the major heading is most often that of Patience. Indeed the Gift of Patience is that which enables us to wait on Him. He is the One who keeps us in His way. His directions are found in His Word: Psalm 37:7 declares, Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him - stay there, no matter what, no matter what situation, what change, what time passage, God declares, wait patiently. In Psalm 40:1, the psalmist shares his experience when he waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. He declares, I waited and God met with me there! The ultimate testimony of our waiting is found in Isaiah 25:9: And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. The plea for God’s gracious dealings is tied to the commitment of waiting in Isaiah 33:2: O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee...[be our] salvation also in the time of trouble. The example of total waiting was given to us in Acts 1:4, when the disciples were given the directive to wait for the promise of the Father. They were to wait and not depart, in order that they might receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit and His power in their lives. It is awesome to consider the application to our own lives. What promises does the Father want to give to us, if we will but wait on Him. The Hebrew word for wait implies expectantly and eagerly looking for something that is hoped for. Our English word wait carries with it the meanings of staying or resting in expectation until something happens, to be in readiness for an event, to remain stationary in expectation of something, to watch from a place of concealment. Our expectant waiting must be on the Lord for His direction and on the Lord for His return. As He hides us in Himself, we can be true to His command to watch for His return! Our steadfastness in waiting in the paths of His judgments will be rewarded in that Great Day of His coming! In our present and past opportunities of waiting, we can offer ourselves another question: "How often have we moved ourselves out of His path and missed the meeting place He designed for us there?" Oh, may we have the steadfastness to wait on Him! Into our verse comes a phrase of such strong language, that the imagery of devoted love to our Lord is presented with clarity: the desire of our soul is to thy name. The longing of our hearts, O LORD, declare the singers, is to Thy person, to Thy self! The object of their desire was their Lord, He consumed their appetite and their longings. Again the question arises, "Are we consumed with a longing after God?" Has a healthy lust for Him and His Word and Judgments overwhelmed all other lusts of the flesh, eyes, and mind? There is an interesting possibility of a play on words in this verse. The desire of their souls was directed toward thy name. Very often this phrase is used of the Name of God, but it is also from a root word that means a memorial or monument. Thus enters the two fold motivation of the singers, to desire God with the steadfastness of a monument before their spiritual eyes, and to establish a remembrance, or memorial, of Him. The building up of their desire caused a building up of the memorial remembrance of their God, ever standing before them. That remembrance of Thee completes the imagery of a love sonnet where the loved one is waiting for the return of their promised one. Their mind is filled with remembrances of all the times spent together. "Are we building those memories with our Lord?" They dream of the face of their loved one. "Are we seeking His face in each moment of life?" They call to remembrance the words that were spoken by their lover. "Are His words engraved in our memories?" Like the singer of a love song, but with much more earnestness and purpose, "are we longing for the moment, and preparing for the day, when our Loved One will return?" After I returned from a visit to our grandchildren that I made alone, my husband surprised me with a gift on my pillow and a tender card on the dresser. I knew that he had anticipated my return and thought of me each day. His longing was an evidence of his devotion and love. The love sonnet of Isaiah 26 should be an impetus to us to fuel our desire toward our LORD. He should be the object of our true desire. Yes, LORD, as my life goes on today, I will covenant with You to be steadfastly in the way of Your judgments. I will not walk after the sight of my own eyes nor set my feet on paths of my own making, but will endeavor to walk in the Light of Your truth. Lord, the wonder of Your person has so filled my soul with desire that I long after You. I am committed to Your name, to You. I will pledge to live my life as a testimony to Your name. Fill my mind with the remembrance of You. Help me to pray, read Your Word and think on You. Prepare my heart to meet with You, not only daily, but in that great day when You stand before me and we meet face to face. Then I will join with the great throng of worshipers in singing, "Yea, O LORD."

This verse gives us a good opportunity to practice a study procedure known as the "stop technique." In this method, we "take apart" a verse phrase by phrase, often word by word, stopping at each place God prompts us, to contemplate the individual meaning of each part. After the last "stop" on our journey through the verse, we can then draw conclusions on the patterns we have discovered. So we will begin our journey and examine the "sights" at each stop along the way.

With my soul - It is with my soul, not just my spirit, but also with my inner being, the true essence of me, in my humanity, that I am to desire God. He has given me a body, soul, and spirit, all must be directed toward Him.

have I desired thee - only the regenerated person can desire God with and in their soul, otherwise that part of man will be given over to worldly lusts. With our souls, we desire - the question arises, what does my own soul desire? The Hebrew word is very strong: means to long for, crave, even lust after. When we think of how this word translates into our own language of today, are we meeting its requirements? Do we have our thoughts, motivations and goals directed toward God? Do we long for God, seek after His wisdom, dwell on His Word, dream of Him, plan for His return? Are we really obsessed with every thought of Him in the proper way? Can we say, "Today, I have desired You, O Lord, above all things!"

in the night - The night can be a time of being alone, when all the cares, fears, and concerns of the day crowd in on our minds. It is the time when we are often the most vulnerable. A reminder of this thought is highlighted in this chapter’s heading that my reference Bible names: "A song inciting confidence in God." Even in the time of day when, as the old poem goes, "things go bump in the night," our God is there. We are urged to place our confidence and our desire upon Him, even in the night. It is the time of day when we most need peace. Without that confident peace, we will have no sleep, and without rest, we will have no strength for the morrow. In a recent magazine article, the benefits of sleep and deep rest were discussed. The current findings suggest that without true healthy, restful sleep, and at least eight hours of it a night, many of our bodily functions do not perform to their optimal potential. Even certain chemicals are not properly secreted into our system to maintain the balance that God designed to give us health, mental alertness and emotional well being. Without desire and confidence in God, our nights will become long and tense, instead of being the rest to our bodies God designed. Our nights might not be literal hours of the day, but burdens deep. Even in those "nights" we can find peace from our Lord as our desire is turned to Him. The song of this chapter of Isaiah reminds us of the Psalms of David. He was often out in the wild, in the open, at night. There the dangers were physical as well, yet he had also learned that His God would protect him in the night. As his own eyes closed, he knew the eyes of the Lord were ever open to his situation. Truly God giveth his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2

yea - Yes, O Lord, I confirm it to you. After the declaration that I desire the Lord with my soul, this little word is as if to say: I also declare that with my spirit within me I have found the same truth. It is a word of affirmation and gives the idea that because I desired God in the night, I can seek Him with my spirit in the day!

with my spirit within me - Praise God for the new birth that gives us a reborn spirit. Without the Spirit of the Living God dwelling within us, we could not earnestly seek after Him!

will I - a phrase of commitment and promise.

seek thee early - Our seeking of God early in each need, problem, opportunity, challenge, day, relationship, even every part of our life, is a demonstration of our true desire toward Him. Each word of this phrase is important:

seek - to look diligently, to seek early and earnestly. Actually seek early is one idea and concept in the Hebrew. It is as if God is telling us that our seeking after Him is to be that one of "early" quality, not only in actual day time hours, but early in our needs. thee - only Thee

early - "in the morning," would seem the logical application in the verse, as a continuation of our night’s desires. But it can also be applied as: "before problems, at the first sign of need." It should remind us to seek: early in our day, early in our situation, early in our desires, early in our priorities. During the busy years of Bible college and young children, we had a teen foster daughter who impressed upon me my absolute need to put my "God priorities" early in my day. One day, when everything seemed to be going wrong for me and I was a little tense, she quietly asked me if I had done my devotions that morning. I hadn’t. She then told me that she could always tell if I had taken quality time with God by the way I handled my day! She was right. It was a lesson I needed to be reminded of, and one I hope impressed her own life.

for - a word of connectedness: I have found these things to be imperatives in my own life "because" I have seen God’s rulership in the world and in my life.

when thy judgments are in the earth - the writer affirms to the Lord: You rule and when Your ways are followed, then, and only then:

the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness - When they follow God’s directives, the people will assuredly know righteousness. This same principle is true in my individual world. When God’s judgments are in my life, my world, then I will learn righteousness. What to my natural man was not known, to my spiritual man can be revealed. What a reminder that each one of us is a student learning of God each day, learning of His righteousness. This is not only of His moral law, but of His covenant keeping character. Our God is righteous, which implies that He is Faithful and True. He deserves the desire of our confident longing.

What are the lessons learned from our stops along the journey of our verse? All of the individual lessons above, as well as a reminder that we are in the school of learning today. Let us look for the lessons, and apply our soul and our spirit to desire and to seek the Lord. Remember, the good student’s work habits show up in his work when examined by the master instructor. O Lord, help me to apply the lessons learned and earnestly work at seeking You and desiring You in each area of my life. Help me to be that student whom You will teach in righteousness and in peace. Lord, rule in my life, in my heart, in my soul and in my spirit, even today. Help me not to just think of Your future absolute rule in the end of time, but submit this time, this day to You. Lord, help me to so submit to You that others may view Thy righteousness when it is demonstrated working in my life. What a great responsibility You give unto me, as Your student. LORD, help me, I pray.

This verse is found as the first sentence of a new "paragraph" in Isaiah chapter twenty six. It follows after the keen observations of Isaiah concerning the wicked (verse 10). There is a constant contrast in this chapter between those that keepeth the truth and those that will not learn righteousness. The opposers are those that will not behold the majesty of the LORD. (Verse 10) Isaiah notes that when the hand of the Lord is lifted up, they will not see it. (Verse 11) He is reminding us that even if those that are evil see an evidence of God, they most often will not learn or turn to Him. Their end is found in shame and devouring by fire. Immediately following that pronouncement, comes our verse for today. It is a verse full of comfort, peace and promise. It is a verse reserved for those who have entered in (verse 2), whose minds are stayed on God (verse 3), who are trusting in the LORD JEHOVAH (verse 4). They are the ones who have been judged righteous because of their trust in the Righteous One. Instead of devouring, they find peace, instead of shame, they can view with confidence and pride the wrought works of God in their own lives. Let us never forget the absolute difference between the lost and the saved, between the wicked and the people of God. Let us lift high the praise to our Deliverer and behold the majesty of the LORD with reverence and awe. No matter what our situation, what our trial, we can know the ordained peace of God. Isaiah recognized this truth, when he honestly confessed to His God: O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. (Verse 13) Other nations had captured and been "lords" over Israel, the nation had been conquered in war, yet their true Ruler was only the LORD God. Even in captivity, the true believer can have a freedom of spirit that no one can take from him. While the enemies are deceased, they shall not rise, our God is glorified. (Verse 14-15) The glorious difference is a urgent reminder to live for our Lord and King in a way that honors and glorifies His name. Our commitments to Him should be as firm as His promises to us! And what marvelous promises are found in our verse for today! LORD, [Isaiah says], thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. It is most consequential that in the midst of turmoil for the enemies of God, His people can be found in peace. It is our covenant keeping God who will ordain that peace, setting it in place and establishing it in our lives. This is the only place in the Bible this specific word for ordain is used in this specific manner. It was mentioned in my word study resource that the word is from a primitive root. This caused me to exclaim in joy! For truly, from eternity past, in the roots of the foundations of all we hold true, God has ordained peace for us! And that peace is a completeness, a soundness of welfare, safety, quietness, tranquility, and friendship with God in covenant relationship. These blessings are for us. To the Jew of Isaiah’s day, this promise had great meaning. They had seen their nation destroyed, the enemies come in and spoil the land, yet their hope and security was found in the fact that they were the nation of promise, that their eternal God was the Keeper of eternal promises. For us, today in our own lives, it has deep, rich and precious meanings! When the enemy of our souls comes in with a rampage, when all around us seems to fall, we can lift our eyes to see the hand of the Lord and know His peace. (Verse 11) What others can not or will not see, we can KNOW! God’s peace is and has been and will be ours, it is ordained by Him. It is not dependent upon circumstances, but upon His unchangeable character. What more has God done alongside this peace? (indicated by the word also) For thou also hast wrought all our works in us. God has already intricately shaped, formed, made, and created things of beauty and potential in His people. The word wrought is sometimes used of embroidery works. What a beautiful imagery: God adorns His people with the beauty of peace! It is wrought in intricate design by the Maker of all the earth. The intriguing concept of the verse is that it is all our works that is being referred to. At first it seems it should be "His works" that are being mentioned, but it is "our works." On closer examination we realize that those works that are connected to peace, though "our works," are truly His works wrought in us. Whatever works are linked to peace they are all wrought by Him. We can not claim any of ourselves. All our deeds, achievements, and undertakings, all that we do of worth is ordained of God in His plan to bring us peace. When we "work" outside of the framework of God’s desired purpose for our lives, those deeds and works and undertakings will not bring peace, but struggles and enmity. Instead of being victors, we will feel defeated in our purposes. What we have wrought will have colors that do not blend, stitches that do not lay straight, a design that is not pleasing to the eye. Often with a cross stitch pattern, you cannot see the design until the whole piece is worked, until every strand of color is added. And even then, the exquisite detail and beauty is not evident until the "detail stitches" are added. These are most often outlining stitches done in black or a dark color. When they are added to what looked like a completed cross stitch, then and only then, will the beauty of the design stand out in sharp clarity. Until we allow God to stitch His details into our lives, even the dark strands of trials, we will never be able to see the total beauty He has planned for us. This plan and these works are to be wrought in us. Our lives are to be clay in the Potter’s hand, "ready to do what His will commands." To allow Him to wrought works in us may mean to hold still and not struggle as He bends the iron work to make a lovely functional design, or to allow the pin pricks to enter our soul so that beauty can be woven there. He is the Master designer, He knows the product of His working. We can but stand in awe of His majesty working in us. Bitterness or struggle will only distort the work and often ruin the design. We must honor Him as Lord of the domain of our souls. Even though in times past of our lives, other "lords" ruled, now we must yield our members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (Romans 6:19) These members are to be instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:13) The works of our lives must be wrought in, by, unto and for Him. We have been changed and must Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11) The only Lord we should honor should be Christ, even though before salvation we had other "lords." Though we have been passed from death unto life, we must be wary of the activity of these deposed "lords." We need to ask ourselves: do the lords of our former life ever try to lurk in the shadows of the throne room of our redeemed hearts? Even now are they trying to plot rebellion in that arena? Despite the fact that these lords may have previously shaped the plans and directed the actions that were the outcome of our former obedience to them, we have a present work to do. We must recognize these former lords as dead, (Romans 6) so that now we can be alive unto God, our Majestic Lord. This action must be accomplished so that our members might be given to work His works in us. Lord, take my life and let it be, always, only used by Thee for the works of peace and of victory!

This verse is part of a thoughtful narrative commencing with Isaiah 26:20, that beautiful verse of warning and invitation: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. God then proceeds to tell of the danger and judgment ahead, when He will cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. Isaiah 26:21 In the midst of this punishment and great slaying, God wants His people, whom He clearly calls "my people," to know that there is a clear line of delineation between their destiny and that of the unbelieving and rebelling world and the piercing serpent...the dragon. Isaiah 27:1 God’s people have a place of refuge and safety even in the ultimate confrontations to come. Spoken literally to my people, the first reference is obviously to the Jewish nation. But while the situation of the Jewish nation is not literally ours, we can still find a "secondary" meaning in these verses. While the "my" people of God’s church will be kept from that day (Isaiah 27:1) when the Lord will use His sore and great and strong sword to punish the dragon who has threatened the earth, we can still claim His promise that those that will come...into thy chambers will be hid in Him. So it was in the Passover in Egypt. Those that trusted in the Lord came into their chambers, under the lintels and posts of the doors covered with blood, and God allowed the judgment of death to pass over them. He made a clear difference between those that "hid themselves" in His covenant promise and those who were without: But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. Exodus 11:7 The God who never changes has always instituted the law of difference in the eternal safety and refuge for those who trust in Him. In the midst of certain death and great indignation, God will keep His own. Though we are not in Egypt of old, nor will we pass through the Tribulation, God’s promises are still secure for us in our present problems and even in our ultimate confrontation with physical death. For all of us, who as Christians have "entered in" to His saving presence, the ultimate security is true. For I the LORD do keep it. Our salvation is secure in Christ. He Himself has "shut the door" as we entered in. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.. John 10:9a Salvation is wholly of the LORD God and He will keep it night and day. The picture of the keeping of Israel in that day (Isaiah 27:1), is a glorious one. Though around them the battle would rage, God reminds them of His absolute sovereign strength, as the true Captain of their nation. No matter who would set briers and thorns against me in battle...I would go through them.. (Isaiah 27:4) No weapon can be formed against Him for He is not as generals of the flesh, but He is the Lord over all. Likewise, the Captain of our salvation assures us that no spiritual weapon of conflict can truly war against Him, He will stride through every obstacle as if they were brittle weeds. As those that belong to Christ, He can give us the same victorious promise: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) II Corinthians 10:4 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper...This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. Isaiah 54:17 In our verse for today is a personal declaration by the LORD, where He clearly identifies the keeper of the vineyard: I the LORD. It is I, our Lord assures us, I, the ever living One. I am the one who do keep it, it is I who will water it. This is God’s song, He is the One who is singing. The song and promises are being made to the vineyard. It is God’s loved term for His well beloved people: I will sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard, my well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill. Isaiah 5:1 God’s first promise to the vineyard is that He will keep it. This use of the word keep in our verse is very interesting. An active participle that could be translated as: "I, the Lord, will be the watchman." God is affirming His position as the one who will keep the vineyard as He affirms over and over that He, by His own character and commitment, will indeed keep the saints. For the LORD...forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever...Psalm 146:9 The vineyard as a growing thing needs the nourishment and refreshing of the spiritual showers that have only One source, God Himself. Deuteronomy 32:2, 3 states of our God: My doctrine will drop as rain, my speech shall distil as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass...ascribe ye greatness unto our God. Psalm 72:6: He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. Ezekiel 34:25, 26 give the unique tie between the watering and protection lest any hurt it by stating: And I will make with them a covenant of peace....and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. God knows how to water His vineyard, He knows what we have need of (Matthew 6:32). If houseplants are over watered, their roots will rot. If they are under watered, they will shrivel. If watered too often, the plant will not have strength, but if too infrequently, growth will not be what it should be. God knows just the right watering schedule for our lives to make us into vigorous and fruitful plants for His glory. He will cause us to drink in our every moment. There is a consistency in His watch care, and that not just in the moments we term as "watering" ones. We may see a drought in our experiences, but in that arid place of trial, God is still watering. We may see some days as "clear shining," others as ones that are hot and dry, cool and wet, or stormy. But in all, God is watering our lives according to His divine schedule. In our every moment, God is giving forth His life giving, life refreshing nourishment. We need to open wide our spiritual "cells" to receive the moisture only God can give. As a young married woman, I had a part time job demonstrating for a facial cleansing and make up product line. Often, I would have a customer whose facial skin was excessively dry. The first times I attempted to apply a facial moisturizer to such an individual who had long not received continuous moisture to their skin, many of them had a sudden reaction. Their cells were so dry that they actually reddened and even tingled. The first such reaction alarmed me. But with most of the ladies, if they instituted a continuous regimen of using moisturizers, their skin soon accepted the help and became soft and pliable again. The cells would become nourished and the women would be thrilled. If we have not allowed Christ to be the Master husbandman of our lives as we should, we may at first be surprised and alarmed by His touch, but with a consistency, we will again be pliable and readily accepting of His care. In my job, I could soon tell by looking at a lady’s face how she was caring for her skin. The facial cells would be either smooth and pleasant to behold, the coloring healthy, or their skin would be cracked, dry and the cells prominent. This prominence would detract from what should have been their smooth texture that should radiate beauty to enhance the countenance of the person. Likewise, if we are not accepting God’s nourishment by a consistent regimen of seeking His watering, our lives will be ones that draw attention to ourselves and our deficiencies, our souls will be dry, parched and in need of nourishment. But if we are daily being nourished and watered by God’s Word and prayer, then our lives will be pleasant to behold, healthy in Christ, and radiate a beauty that will reflect the Person of Christ within. We must ask, what do our lives look like to others? Are we as a well watered vineyard? Is our fruit ripening, our blossoms in full flower and our leaves full and green? Do others gain pleasure and nourishment from the garden of our life? God does this watering of His people, lest any hurt it. Lest any harm or try to lay hold on the possession of the vineyard, God performs His care for us. Lest any false shepherd or husbandman could snatch the precious property, God promises: I will keep it day and night. Oh glorious truth! God speaks to our hearts: "I will be the watchman, the One who will care for the vineyard, and make certain that no one else can take over the property. I will faithfully preserve it from all danger." There is rest to our souls in this promise! ...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 2 Tim 1:12 The second use of the word keep in our verse means to guard with fidelity and to preserve. God will not only guard, He will keep that which is His. And He will do it night and day, in our every moment. Therefore we see the fruit and victory of verse 6 when Israel (and us) shall take root and blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. What a beautiful picture of God’s purposed beauty and service for His vineyard. If we are to be fruitful and true fruit bearers, we must be watered in our every moments, watered by His Word, watered by His Spirit in the vineyard of our inner life.

Hidden in the midst of this descriptive chapter of Isaiah, is this gem of promise. It is the promise of the ultimate victory of gaining God’s peace. The choice is man’s, the chapter urges. A person may set against God in battle (verse 4), but he will surely lose. Or, he has the alternate choice to take hold of God’s strength and gain God’s peace. The weakness of man’s strength in the battle against God is seen as God strides through their defenses, laying them flat in His path. All this time, the strength of the Mighty Captain could be theirs. Don’t fight against Me, God persuades, it is a fruitless venture. If you are like Saul of Taurus, kicking against the pricks, lay down your weapons of warfare against God and join the winning army. [Saul] heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Acts 9:4-6 Paul’s own testimony of that event showed the turning from his own fighting against God to laying hold of God’s strength. I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Acts 26:9 Yet after the Lord revealed Himself and the alternate choice was made, Saul could declare: whereupon...I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19 Saul found that all his struggles in his own strength had gained him only defeat. But to lay hold on the strength of Christ, meant victory, salvation and the beginning of a life of growth and spiritual strength beyond compare! We, too, can personalize this verse of Scripture to increase its impact on our own hearts. "(Put your name here), take hold of God’s strength, so that (you) may make peace with Him" - and God declares the assured promise - "(You) [absolutely] shall make peace with Me." What a blessing of peaceful comfort the very words of our verse are to our souls. The word hold conveys the concept of not only "to hold" but to keep and hold with strength of character. It has a root in the word for "to be strong" and adds the impelling plea to this urging of God to strongly lay hold on His offered strength, holding tight with spiritual commitment, never wavering. God’s strength denotes the place of safety, protection, refuge and stronghold. It is the place of "fastness" for us. It is interesting to consider that God urges us to hold tight to that which will hold us fast tight! Both words make signify the fact that we can not make this peace ourselves, it is made for us: "he may be made to have peace with [God]." That peace is a completeness, soundness, and peace from the war against God’s purposes. The "signing" of this peace treaty places us in a covenant relationship with God and grants us access to a tranquility of soul that will give a calmness to us in the face of future onslaughts in the battle of life. Not only are the ones that take hold of the Lord ones who will have peace, but they will also be those that will have stability, beauty, fruitfulness and success: He shall cause them that come...to take root: [they] shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. Isaiah 27:6 In yesterday’s verse, Isaiah 27:3, it was mentioned that this result comes from God’s watering and care. But there is also the intrinsic necessity of being "accepting" of that watering, "taking hold," as it were, of that which God offers to us. I once had a houseplant that sat in the same window of filtered sunlight, had the same watering schedule and the same atmosphere as my other plants. However, this plant, which had been a gift, would not thrive, in fact over the course of a few short weeks, it appeared to be dying. I removed the plant from the pot it was in and discovered the reason for its failure. In potting the plant, too many pebbles had been placed in the bottom of the pot. Each time I had watered it, the water had quickly drained through to the rocks and out the drain holes. I had noticed that the tray it set in was always wet, but had hoped the plant would absorb the water through the bottom of its roots. However, the roots could not reach through the rocky places to gain the nourishment of the water. The ground had appeared moist to my touch from my frequent ministrations of water, but the plant had not accepted the nourishment, it had not taken hold of that which was offered. I had to repot it correctly before it could thrive as a healthy plant. So some Christians are offered the same ministration of God’s grace, and being content to sit in their own "rocky places" of hardness of heart and constancy of sin, it appears that they are about to die of drought to their souls, while others in the same situations of life are thriving. The difference is in the acceptance of God’s grace. Would that God might reach down and "repot" those who are languishing so they could realize the thrill of His water coursing through their roots again. We must be like the infirmed lady in the crowd who laid hold of the hem of Jesus’ garment: And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garments: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. Matthew 9:20-22. In recounting the same incident in Mark 5:25-34, it is said she touched His clothes, knowing if she laid hold of even that small part of Him, she would have the strength to be whole. Then in that account, the strange statement is made that Jesus knew virtue (or strength) had gone out of Him. His ministrations had gone out to her who by faith had "laid hold." His strength was imparted and she could once again have peace within, physically and spiritually. Likewise, in Matthew 14:36, it is stated of the many brought to Jesus with diseases, that all who might only touch the hem of his garment...were made perfectly whole. As a needy people, compassed about with sin and within by self, we need to come to Jesus and reach out to "touch the hem of His garment" in prayer. Having thus taken hold of His promises and His filling, we can indeed be made perfectly whole. Oh Lord, fill my heart with the desire to take hold of Your strength. Help me to see myself in the weak and helpless state I am in without Your filling and indwelling grace. I thank You that eternal peace was made between my soul and You when I accepted Christ’s gift of salvation, He having been made my peace upon the cross. Now, I ask of You to give me that inner peace that passes all understanding so that I can live my life in victory for You.

The first thought I had in reading this verse, was a very challenging one. It did not necessarily depend on translation of the words of the verse or of an examination of its context, it was simply and sincerely a first impression that spoke clearly to my heart. After reading the verse, the question arose within: "Do we ‘crown Him with many crowns’ in our daily life?" The analogy was shining and clear. The Lord of all Glory, who is the mighty and strong one, (Isaiah 28:2) stands as it were before us each day. We, as His redeemed, as the privileged of His kingdom, lift our spiritual eyes upon His face. The choice is ours, will we this day, in each area of our private "realm" choose to view Him with the crown of Lordship sitting upon His brow? Will we bow our knees in honor and submission to that Lordship? Or will we turn our backs and walk out of His throne room, while placing a flimsy crown of glitter and tinsel upon our own heads, and go forth to seek to rule that which is rightfully His? Why is it that we which are mortal and so encumbered about with the living of our everyday lives, view submission to His lordship only in terms of that future, eternal day when we will meet Him in glory? Why is it that we think of His kingdom and our Heavenly citizenship most often as that which lies beyond the grave? Have we looked at the term in that day as only a literal meaning of the end times and failed to glimpse the present implications for our own lives? How sad that we often think only in "future terms" even in our daily lives when it comes to giving God glory, in fulfilling promises, in doing His will, in changing habits, or in serving Him. Our "that day" should be our every day. Our Lord God of hosts is to be to us a crown of glory and our diadem of beauty that outshines all the false gold and glitter of the world. When we boldly come to the throne for help in time of need, do we oft forget to open wide our spiritual eyes and view Him in all His eternal glory, with the crown of rulership reminding us that He is God of our every moment and our every facet of life. Why do we consign certain activities to the seeming remoteness of the darkest forest of our "land" and forget that this King has mapped out all the regions of our province, all the corners of our heart. The crown of glory should be allowed to shine forth its rays of guidance and rulership into all our "places." What a marvelous picture it paints in our minds that God Himself is our crown of glory, He Himself is our diadem of beauty. When Job viewed what he considered to be a sign of blessing and success in life, he stated: I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. Job 29:14 Our righteousness and judgment can be found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our robe of righteousness and diadem of beauty. In that lovely account of the promised state of God’s people when they exchange the name Forsaken for Hephzibah (My delight is in her) and Desolate for Beulah (Married), they are also told: Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Isaiah 62:3 Our God will hold His people forth as shining jewels, oh wonder of wonders! While the blessed promises are made to the faithful, God warns the profane prince of Israel, who is the symbol of false pride and temporary rulership over that which belongs to God. He says, Remove the diadem, and take off the crown of his own making. Ezekiel 21:26 How much better to be held forth by our Lord as a jewel and emblem of His pride, rather than to have our handmade crown of self pride deposed in God’s chastising grace. The diadem of God is a thing of beauty, our self pride is a thing of horrid ruin. Think symbolically of the grace and joy you would feel, if God placed on your head a diadem of beauty in honor of your faithfulness. All those around would marvel at the beauty and grace it granted to your person. Your head would be held high with confidence, your stature would be erect, your garments kept spotless and appropriate to match the honorable distinction. Oh, that we could envision that diadem of beauty crowning our heads today. That we would walk in life with a confident obedience to His will, a steadfastness of purpose and a holiness of life to bring honor to His name. In the often used phraseology of contrast in the Book of Isaiah, we are shown two crowns in Chapter 28. One is the crown of glory of our Lord, the other the crown of pride described in verses one through four. The crown of pride shall be trodden under feet. Its temporary glorious beauty will be like a fading flower which crumbles or a hasty fruit before summer, which appears lovely to look at but is filled with the bitterness of unripe fruit. The crown of pride was thought to be that which was of value, which would give them worth and position, but it is snatched from off their heads that are drunken with self, and cast down to the earth. As it crumbles to the dust, we are given to view the crown of the Lord which will last forever, shining as a diadem of beauty for the faithful. The world looks for crowns or rewards of self pride and self gratification. The crowns seem to sit at the head of the fat valleys of self, but inside they are hollow, their shells brittle and coarse. In contrast, God offers to the residue of His people, humbled and adoring at His feet, a crown of glory that has the strength of His own character and promise. We must be careful to seek the true Crown of the Lord and not strive for the cheap imitations the world has to offer. In divine knowledge of our every need, God promises to us the gift of judgment to choose that which is best and pleasing to Him. Not only will He be a crown and a diadem in that day but also, the next verse of our chapter promises, ..a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. Isaiah 28:6 God is keenly aware of our need for His judgment and His strength in the battle field of life. Otherwise we will choose that which is weak and false, suffering defeat instead of victory. It seems that in our choices of clothing, housing, jewelry, we most often think first of what is beautiful to behold. Our prayer should be that we would also consistently choose that which is beautiful in our spiritual lives. In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. Isaiah 4:2 Christ is the branch of the LORD and He is beautiful and glorious! Once again we are reminded, He is our diadem of beauty. Crowns are often mentioned in the Bible, not only as a literal object in the crowning of a king, but figuratively and spiritually. It is interesting that the two books that refer the most to the figurative crowns are both written by kings themselves. These two, David and Solomon, had the constant reminder of the value and symbol of a crown and, thus, it is with deep significance that they speak of The Prince of glory being crowned with glory and honor and pure gold. (Psalm 8:5, 21:3). Of deep personal significance, we are told that God will crown us with His blessings, which should prompt our gratitude and awareness of our responsibilities before Him: Bless the Lord, O my soul...who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies (Psalm 103:4), God’s wisdom is a crown of glory (Proverbs 4:9), a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband (Proverbs 12:4), the hoary (elderly) head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness (Proverbs 16:31), and even children are promises to be a crown to us in God’s blessings (Proverbs 17:6). These are all "crowns" of God for our earthly use, available to us from His rich treasure house of blessing. Our thought of crowns would be incomplete without the noting of the spiritual crowns offered to God’s people. Paul tells of an incorruptible crown, in I Corinthians 9:25, when he compares our lives to the race of an athlete: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. II Timothy 4:8, tells glowingly: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give unto me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. James 1:12, contains the impelling motivation we need to hold before us at all times: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Then the glorious promise of I Peter 5:4: And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away, and of Revelation 2:10: ...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. The significance of our realizing the value of our crowns is emphasized in Revelation 3:11, when we are told to "guard our crowns": Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Uniquely, these crowns which hold so much eternal value, are seen to be easily cast at the feet of the One who is the Crown of all glory and the Diadem of all beauty, when we stand before Him in the room of His heavenly throne: The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne. Revelation 4:10. In our hearts today, let us crown Him with all glory and beauty as we look forward to the time, when in that day we will cast our crowns at His feet.