7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.
9 "To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
never to rebuke you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
God wants to bless those of us who have not been fruitful in our ministry, in the places where we serve, even in our personal lives. As He had promised, He will bless us with more then we ever had, with more then what we have expected.
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,"
declares the LORD.
I like this verse. Its like there is a shield of protection over us. We shall overcome! =)
Invitation to the Thirsty
1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Wah FOC!! i am sure this appeals to us typical Singaporeans. we like free things. Furthermore, the King of all kings has invited us to eat and drink from Him!
This is an invitation, not a command nor a order. Be Honoured that Almighty God actually extends us an invitation to seek Him and rest in Him!
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
As long as we are willing, we can turn our hearts back to God and He is always willing to take us back into His loving arms.
Salvation for Others
1 This is what the LORD says:
"Maintain justice
and do what is right,
for my salvation is close at hand
and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
the man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil."
If we want our loved ones to receive Salvation and believe in Christ, we ourselves need to be an example. If not how will others whom we are closest to believe? As we obeys the Lord's commands, we will be blessed richly!
God's Accusation Against the Wicked
10 Israel's watchmen are blind,
they all lack knowledge;
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds who lack understanding;
they all turn to their own way,
each seeks his own gain.
Let's pray that God will always bless the watchmen of our city with wisdom and that they will do what's right.
For our pastors, they will lead us into victory and guide us with wisdom, living a holy life.
For our government, they will not make rash decisions and think for themselves, rather in all they do, it will be for our country's good.
Comfort for the Contrite
18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will guide him and restore comfort to him,
19 creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,"
says the LORD. "And I will heal them."
Repent and we will be healed once again, no stress, peace reigns, God is in us!
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.
21 "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."
Woe to the wicked. They will always worry about everything.
True Fasting
Fasting is supposed to be a time where we don't think of anything else but seek God for decisions or His purposes for us.
How to fast if we are bothered by our wordly issues and unable to concentrate on God?
Our fast is also considered broken if we quarrels, have spite in our hearts and continue sinning.
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Need I say more?
