The Daily Word: Wednesday, September 8th, 2021
Isaiah 1:1-2:22
2 Corinthians 10:1-18
Psalm 52:1-9
Proverbs 22:26-27
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Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“’If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword’; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” – Isa. 1:19-20
Your salvation depends on Jesus. You are saved “by grace…through faith, … not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). But how much of God’s goodness you experience in this life – to a certain extent – depends on your decision to either listen to God or ignore Him!
Today’s Scripture passage is known as an if/then statement. “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land” (v 19). If you listen to God, you will experience His blessing! But there is a but. “But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword” (v 20). If you listen, you will be blessed! But if you don’t listen and do whatever you want to do, calamity will strike.
This is where we sometimes miss it as the church. We assume that whatever happens to us is God’s will! But read our verses again. It would have been absolutely immature and completely incorrect for Israel to ignore God’s instructions, and then wonder why they were “devoured by the sword.” God had already warned them! And whether or not they heeded His warning and listened to His voice was completely up to them.
And so it is with you. You have two paths before you. If you follow God’s word, it will lead to life! But if you ignore what He says, you will be overcome by certain death. Listen to God. Do what He says. Don’t just be a hearer of the word, be a doer also (Jas. 1:22). And as you walk out His perfect will for your life, you will find yourself more blessed than you’ve ever been before.
Prayer:
Father, I want to do Your will. I want to heed Your word! Help me never to be so focused on my will that I lose sight of what You want for me. I am here to do Your work and Your will, always and forever, in Jesus’ name!
© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.