Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Tuesday, 2 January 2018 "What More Could God Do?" by Susie Shellenberger - Isaiah 4:2—5:7Isaiah 4:2 On that day, Adonai’s plant will be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the land will be the pride and splendor of Isra’el’s survivors. 3 Those left in Tziyon and remaining in Yerushalayim will be called holy, and everyone in Yerushalayim written down for life.
4 When Adonai washes away the filth of the women of Tziyon and cleanses Yerushalayim from the blood shed in it with a blast of searing judgment, 5 Adonai will create over the whole site of Mount Tziyon and over those who assemble there a smoking cloud by day and a shining, flaming fire by night; for the Glory will be over everything like a hupah. 6 A sukkah will give shade by day from the heat; it will also provide refuge and cover from storm and rain.—5:1 I want to sing a song for someone I love,
a song about my loved one and his vineyard.
My loved one had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug up its stones and cleared them away,
planted it with the choicest vines,
built a watchtower in the middle of it,
and carved out in its rock a winepress.
He expected it to produce good grapes,
but it produced only sour, wild grapes.
3 Now, citizens of Yerushalayim and people of Y’hudah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could I have done for my vineyard
that I haven’t already done in it?
So why, when I expected good grapes,
did it produce sour, wild grapes?
5 Now come, I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge,
and [its grapes] will be eaten up;
I will break through its fence,
and [its vines] will be trampled down.
6 I will let it go to waste:
it will be neither pruned nor hoed,
but overgrown with briars and thorns.
I will also order the clouds
not to let rain fall on it.
7 Now the vineyard of Adonai-Tzva’ot
is the house of Isra’el,
and the men of Y’hudah
are the plant he delighted in.
So he expected justice,
but look — bloodshed! —
and righteousness, but listen —
cries of distress!
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It’s difficult to understand why children with godly parents who have loved them and guided them would choose to turn their backs on God and opt for a sinful lifestyle. Those Christian parents often ask themselves, “What more could I have done?”
God asked the same question in Isaiah 4–5. And He is still asking the same question every time we disobey Him. What more could He have done? He gave himself–through His only Son–to pay the death penalty for our sins. He provided His very Spirit to saturate us with His supernatural power for holy living. And He promises us eternity with Him if we'll live according to His Word. Yet, even so, we sometimes find ourselves in rebellion to His will.
That’s why it’s necessary to die to our own agenda, our rights, our title, our position, and our relationships, every single day. He will always forgive a repentant heart. His desire is to produce all nine fruit of the Spirit in us (Galatians 5:22-23). In other words, He wants us to have a great spiritual vineyard.
Our goal? To live a holy life pleasing to Him--as described in Isaiah 4:3.
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Hymn for Today: "Holiness unto the Lord" by Lelia N. Morris
1. "Called unto holiness," Church of our God,
Purchase of Jesus, redeemed by His blood;
Called from the world and its idols to flee,
Called from the bondage of sin to be free.
Chorus: "Holiness unto the Lord" is our watchword and song,"
"Holiness unto the Lord" as we're marching along;
Sing it, shout it, loud and long,
"Holiness unto the Lord," now and forever.
2. "Called unto holiness," children of light,
Walking with Jesus in garments of white;
Raiment unsullied, untarnished with sin,
God's Holy Spirit abiding within.
Chorus: "Holiness unto the Lord" is our watchword and song,"
"Holiness unto the Lord" as we're marching along;
Sing it, shout it, loud and long,
"Holiness unto the Lord," now and forever.
3. "Called unto holiness," praise His dear name!
This blessed secret to faith now made plain,
Not our own righteousness, but Christ within,
Living and reigning and saving from sin.
Chorus: "Holiness unto the Lord" is our watchword and song,"
"Holiness unto the Lord" as we're marching along;
Sing it, shout it, loud and long,
"Holiness unto the Lord," now and forever.
4. "Called unto holiness," glorious thought!
Up from the wilderness wanderings brought,
Out from the shadows and darkness of night,
Into the Canaan of perfect delight.
Chorus: "Holiness unto the Lord" is our watchword and song,"
"Holiness unto the Lord" as we're marching along;
Sing it, shout it, loud and long,
"Holiness unto the Lord," now and forever.
5. "Called unto holiness," Bride of the Lamb,
Waiting the Bridegroom's returning again;
Lift up your heads, for the day draweth near
When in His beauty the King shall appear.
Chorus: "Holiness unto the Lord" is our watchword and song,"
"Holiness unto the Lord" as we're marching along;
Sing it, shout it, loud and long,
"Holiness unto the Lord," now and forever.
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Thought for Today: Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for me.(Psalm 66:16)
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Please pray: That many people in Italy will come to know Yeshua as their Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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