AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Thursday – February 23, 2023, Adar 2, 5783
THE STRAIGHT WAY
Greeting dear and precious saints and welcome back to our empowering Bible Study of the wonderful Bible Book of Isaiah. How good is our God? He is nothing but good, the other guy, the other kingdom not so. As we are moving forward, please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible by every means available to you to expand our reach with the Truth. Thank you so much for sharing, you have a vital role with others in this Ministry, in furthering the Kingdom of God. The featured picture today is of Donna and me on one of our many outings and of course eating was involved. Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text in the wonderful Bible Book of Isaiah. Don’t forget to continue reading out loud.
Isaiah 40:3-8 (KJV)
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
For several days I have been talking about preparing the way of the Lord from our text above and how the next verse is telling us to get the junk, the sin that so easily besets us, out of our lives, our way. The way of the Lord is straight, it is always straight, it is our way to Him that must be straight and unhindered. Notice how verse three is translated in Youngs Literal Translation.
Isaiah 40:3 (YLT)
3 A voice is crying–in a wilderness–Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God.
Let me repeat, once we have repented of whatever sin, we are not done, we have some serious renewing of the mind to accomplish. The way of the Lord is a straight and narrow road with astonishing benefits and outcome. The wider road has false promise and temporary pleasure (like fake sugar) but ends with destruction. Once we repent and the evil spirit promoting that sin is at bay, we must make the environment (our thought life, our words, and actions) inhospitable to his return.
Matthew 12:43-45 (KJV)
43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
This is at least in part why people don’t maintain their healing and repeatedly return to the same sin. They cleaned the sin out with repentance but they left the space empty not filling it with ways of righteousness. Now, let’s think about the parable of the sower. Remember I am still talking about verses three and four of our text, making our way straight to walk with the Lord, getting the traps, hinderances, of the demons out of the way.
Matthew 13:18-23 (KJV)
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Where are you, where am I, in this parable? Lord willing, I will pick up right here next week.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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.
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