Isaiah 53:1-10 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Last week as I read this passage I was struck with how often I forget just exactly how much God loves me. I couldn't help as I read the words in Isaiah 53 to think about how He did and went through so much, just because He loved me.
Our lives may not be the perfect example of what a Christian should be. We all fail. We all sin. We all wake up and wonder why we ever did some of the things we have done. But none of it alters God's feelings toward us. He just simply loves us. Yes, He has a will for our lives and He doesn't want us to sin or turn our backs on Him, but He doesn't see us as just an object He shouldn't have died for, rather He sees us as that prize He willingly suffered for on Calvary! We are worth something to Him, even when we feel worthless.
Mark and I have been holding a study in the home of a family here for quite some time with little results. I often feel drained when we leave because the spiritual warfare going on for this study is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Sometimes the hair on my arm and neck stands up as I pray while Mark teaches. I don't know how many forces are working against us, but I believe there is more that are with us than against us, so each week I go back with faith that the Word will NOT return void. I believe that if we could get across that God loves these people more than His own life and pain, then they would accept Him as their only Saviour. But up until now, I think they believe that they are not worth His sacrifice.
Isaiah starts this chapter with a question: "Who hath believed our report?" Are you struggling with believing that Jesus, Father God, loved you enough to suffer for you? Have you forgotten how much you are worth to Him? Don't let Satan use someone or something in you life to make you forget that Jesus gave His life because YOU were important to Him personally.
Abuse, failed marriages, fallen leaders and our own sin can blind us to the FACT of God's Love. I believe that is why He gave us the following reminder:
Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Don't forget YOU are important to God. He loves you and wants you to know it!
Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri
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