Promises, Promises

Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now, let's settle this," says the Lord.  "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool."

God promises to wash us clean of the stains of our sins.  But why?  Because our sins are rebellion against God, and they separate us from Him.  He doesn't want us to be separated from Him, but in an intimate, close relationship with Him.

I am sure we have all been let down by people at one time or another.  People make promises left and right, but don't keep them.  The tendency is to become desensitized to it.  We pass it off and say, "Yeah, yeah...promises, promises..."  But we don't have to do that with God.

But why?  What did we do to deserve His love and kindness?  Absolutely nothing.  He does it because He that's who He is.  We are His special creation.  When He promised to wash us clean of our sins, He came through with His promise as He always does.  He gave us Jesus Christ.

I love the passage in Titus 3 where Paul says, "But when God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.  He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Because of His grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life" (verses 4-7).

Jesus Christ is the promise fulfilled from Isaiah.  Promise made - promise delivered.  Paul tells us in Titus 3:3 that we were 'foolish and disobedient', but God did it anyway.  In Isaiah 1:11-16, God tells us that He doesn't want our boring, rote worship.  He wants our hearts.  When we give Him our hearts and follow His instructions to do good, seek justice, help the oppressed, defend the orphans, and fight for the widows (Isaiah 1:17), He pours out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, and washes our sins.  He makes them white as snow.  As white as wool.

Am I just going through the motions of worship, or is my heart truly seeking after God and His commands to love?  I pray that He will break my heart for what breaks His, so that I may be closer to Him in all that I do.

Dear Abba Father, thank You for being the One that we can always count on to keep Your promises.  People will let us down - often - but You never do.  I pray that my heart will seek You and Your will every day and in every way, so that You will continue to pour out Your spirit of love and grace on me, and I can share Your love with any and everyone.  I pray for those that don't have their hearts right.  Maybe they have been misled to believe that they have to go through certain motions and do certain things in order to be saved and redeemed by You.  My prayer is that someone will show them that it is only through faith they are saved and washed clean by the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ.  I pray that if I can be used for this purpose that I will not shy away from this awesome responsibility.  I ask this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen!



God Bless!!!