AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Wednesday – November 2, 2022, Cheshvan 8, 5783
THE MEEK ARE FILLED WITH JOY
Greetings dear and precious children of God and welcome back to this wonderful Bible Study of the Bible Book of Isaiah. Can you believe it, we are charging into November and a new year looms ahead, have we redeemed (made the best use of) our time in 2022?
Ephesians 5:15-19 (TLB)
15 So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise:
16 make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good.
17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to.
18 Don’t drink too much wine, for many evils lie along that path; be filled instead with the Holy Spirit and controlled by him.
19 Talk with each other much about the Lord, quoting psalms and hymns and singing sacred songs, making music in your hearts to the Lord.
The phrase “make the most of every opportunity” in verse 16 is “redeeming the time” in the King James Version. Like it or not, although we are eternal creations from conception, our time in the earth and work for the Kingdom of God in the earth has a finite time period. What are we, each one of us, doing with that time? Before we move forward, please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible by every means available to you. Thank you for sharing. Those who share have a vital role in this Ministry and in the Kingdom of God. Hope you enjoy the featured picture, another fall scene taken in Maine some years ago. A wonderful time of year in Maine but followed all too quickly by winter. Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text in the Book of Isaiah continuing to read out loud.
Isaiah 29:15-19 (TLB)
15 Woe to those who try to hide their plans from God, who try to keep him in the dark concerning what they do! “God can’t see us,” they say to themselves. “He doesn’t know what is going on!”
16 How stupid can they be! Isn’t he, the Potter, greater than you, the jars he makes? Will you say to him, “He didn’t make us”? Does a machine call its inventor dumb?
17 Soon—and it will not be very long—the wilderness of Lebanon will be a fruitful field again, a lush and fertile forest.
18 In that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the blind will see my plans.
19 The meek will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord, and the poor shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
Justice is meted (imposed) out then comes the promise of a very bright future. Actually, the promise was there all along, we just thought we had a better way. Hopefully it didn’t take you as long as me to discover my stupidity. What is unsaid here in our text, but is present in Scripture cover to cover, is that our participating in that future is entirely our choice, it is not automatic. This reminds me a little of the song “Amazing Grace” and the line “I once was blind but now I see”. When we are wholly His, our sight is unhindered. We determine how much we see not God. I know this is unsettling to the “God in control” crowd but this is the Truth. Get used to the idea that you have responsibility for your life and eternity, we and we alone chose our destiny. Quit blaming God, it’s us. He wants us to see the plan, His perfect will, and fully walk in it, for in that place is fulness of joy.
The meek in verse nineteen are those seeking and willing to receive instruction and to change. Change what? Change our thoughts, words, and actions being more and more like Jesus’ day by day. The joy of the Lord is our strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 (TLB)
10 it is a time to celebrate with a hearty meal and to send presents to those in need, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. You must not be dejected and sad!” (Bold added)
This verse follows a day of hearing the Truth, and repentance. When our joy is incomplete, still maturing, the Lord adds His joy to ours giving a complete expression of joy. This joy is an attitude of gladness, rejoicing, and knowing we are one with Him. The poor will exalt (rise up, be promoted) when they learn God has created and made them to be rich in every way. It is not the will of God that any to be poor, poor finances or in any other thing, poorness of any kind is under the curse. We are designed to walk in the fullness of the blessing. We will be offered the curse through temptation on a regular basis, don’t fall for the temptation thereby rejecting the curse.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow.
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Receive the blessing in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (MSG)
24 GOD bless you and keep you,
25 GOD smile on you and gift you,
26 GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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