ISAIAH 53:1. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? ( So who’s report will you believe? the word of the worldly or the word of God? the Gospel or gossip, the counsel of the wicked or the wise, Satan or scripture, this is more of a rhetorical question as if to say who hasn’t believed our report! to whom has he not been shown to be Lord of all, healer of all, savior of all! authority and strength over all! for the arm biblically is symbolic of strength and authority in other words no one should doubt his ability or strength. So who will you believe? for the outcome of your situation is not determined so much by what you see or hear as it is by what you believe and claim! now that’s a hard pill for some to swallow because we tend to say show me and I’ll believe, but the Lord saids believe and I’ll show you, to many people go around speaking the negative into existence rather than the positive remember ur words carry authority)
2. 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. ( In other words he wasn’t all that! was not one of your Hollywood hunks, put it this way physically he was not all that attractive but oh what an inner quality and charm, what personality and presence he possessed! beauty is vain )
3. 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.
4. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5. 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. ( To think of all he went thru for you and for me, he was beaten savagely, treated brutally, spited and mocked barbarically, ridiculed and laughed at by those he came to save and heal, yet he refused to give up, or to turn back, yea he even refused to fight back, give me a break this is the God of glory were talking about here, and he was treated like the evening trash thrown out to be trampled upon,
beaten and left for dead! hum.. ever wondered why he went thru all that? despised, rejected, and beaten so bad he convulsed in sickness and pain, left alone sick and hurting anybody know what that feels like? yes all that just so he could identify with us, with our hurts and pain, our brokenness and misery, our loneliness and hopelessness, our judgment and sins, yes our sins cause he came just for that, to take on him the punishment we should have gotten for our sins, to suffer the consequences for us, so he could not only forgive us but heal us! “ by his stripes we are healed”
6. 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.
( Isn’t it amazing how we humans tend to think we are without fault yet so often were able to find fault in others, ah I should know what I‘m talking about for I was a prime example of this kind of thinking and acting, I could find flaws and faults in others but as for my own self I found ways to justify and deceive myself into thinking I was alright as long as I was sincere or thought I was , yes we tend to think we are without sin, think we are ok, somehow we find ways to excuse our sad behavior, oh indeed if we are in Christ we are new creatures we are blood washed, blood bought, forgiven, and redeemed but just the same we need to realize that we are still in need of his saving grace everyday yea dare I say that we sin every day and must pray and seek forgiveness for the bible saids “ that if anyone say they have no sin he is a liar and the truth is not in him “for there are none righteous no not one for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God “
yes it also says that “ all our good works are as filthy rags before him..” guess that leaves us little room to judge others by? but thanks be for his mercy! for it is also written “
God is faithful and just to forgive if we confess..”
7. 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 left the wonderful worship halls of heaven to step into the bitter lake of humanity, he put off his divinity for frail humanity, left the palace for a prison, born as a pauper not a prince, took off royalty for rags, born into the chaos of this world he was rejected and spited, but he refused to fight back, refused to respond in the same manner as those who attacked him, why he even had the nerve to not say a thing to defend himself when he was clearly in the right, sometimes “ a soft answer turns away wrath “ some times not? but we must above all stay of a humble spirit, in the end you will be justified!
8. 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.
ISAIAH 54:4. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. ( hum.. I sometimes wonder bout this verse as I so often find myself feeling so ashamed of myself and what I’ve done, but we have to learn to believe and accept Gods forgiveness even if others refuse to forgive us, we pray for them not with vengeance and anger but love and mercy, we have to be careful not to give in to the same spirit of wrath, remember he has wiped away the shame for good..
5. For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. (now here’s a husband who wont let you down, I’m sorry my Lord for failing you, he is our redeemer, and he will’s to redeem not only us but our minds, marriages and families also!
6. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. ( what a terrible feeling to feel rejected and forsaken, I’m sorry if I may have made you feel like that my Lord, what the Lord is saying is that if we feel left out and abandoned he will take us and love us for his love is faithful, he will also heal us, he is calling you “ when my mother and father forsake me then the Lord will take me.. Psalms 27:”
7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
( sometimes it sure feels like that, God forsaken, at times he just wants to build in us his character and love, to increase our faith for greater things and blessings he thus allows us to go thru certain things, and at other times he just gets so grieved at our sins and refusal to repent that he has to turn from us, else he smite us in anger and not in mercy and grace, but notice he promises that he will gather us, bringing us back into blessed union with him, and he never holds a grudge & never gives up on us, talk about mercy! God he‘s good!)
9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be angry with thee, nor rebuke thee.
10. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. ( It don’t matter if all of hell comes against you if the whole world attacks you God will see you through! it might seem like your whole world is coming apart at the seams shaking and breaking but You will stand tall and God will defend you and uphold you, and shower you with kindness just when you think he’s given up on you. In the mist of your storms and trials you shall have peace its his promise.
13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. ( there’s nothing like Godly parents bringing Godly children into this world with Gods blessing! and Gods peace! Its his promise and I’m claiming it.
14. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
15. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. ( It will not matter how many are against you or how strong they are, nor how big the opposition, or how difficult the obstacles, “ for greater is he that is in you.. if God be for you who can be against you “ God will protect you, all their evil plans will not harm you .
17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. ( It won’t matter that they have lots of money and the best lawyers,( the bible saids when they attack you that you have an advocate, a lawyer with the father) maybe the most powerful people at their disposal, they could have all their lies lined up, even their true accusations, the bible said’s God is the judge and he will avenge not us, you see God also looks at the spirit behind their attacks and accusations, ( no wonder I was in the wrong so many a time myself; my own spirit was tainted with bias and ungratefulness thus my attacks, accusations and so called truth were null and void) but just the same no weapon of gossip, hatred, anger, resentment, envy, jealousy, pride, hypocrisy etc, will prevail over us! ‘ for greater is he that is in us” if God be for us who can be against us”
ISAIAH 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: ( could it be there will be a time when he will not be available? we should never walk away from his grace)
7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ( we need to quit trying to always figure him out, to quit questioning him, quit fearing things when we don’t understand him or his ways, quit looking to the world for advice, for counsel, quit expecting him to answer our prayers and needs according to our plans and ways, when you can’t understand it trust him! remember his ways are perfect.
9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. ( his word has a purpose and it has been given us for a reason, but to many times we deny his truth and reject his correction and guidance, I did? “ for the word of God is profitable for correction, for reproof, for doctrine and instruction in righteousness “ thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” thy word upholds me..” the word is given us to lead us, correct us and encourage us! and it will not fail us, it will accomplish its purpose on our behalf but we must learn to speak the word in faith to our situation..
12. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:
REFLECTIONS: Gods love is amazing! what he went thru just for us, how he endured so much pain, rejection and humiliation, yes he indeed took on himself our pain for his peace, his stripes and hurts for our health & healing, so he could know us, know our misery and despair, but I also believe there is another lesson here that we so often pass up, he left us an example of his suffering “ greater love hath no man than that he would lay down his life for a FRIEND” by this shall ye know that ye are my disciples that ye have love one for another” be ye tender hearted, kind, loving, without malice, forgiving one another, “ as I have suffered for you so do ye among each other” what was he saying here? hum... well for one I suppose he’s saying hey don’t go around hating one another, fighting and devouring, gossiping and accusing, but be willing to take it for mercy sake, for my name sake, turn the other cheek, “ do not love as the publicans do for its easy to love those that favor you and bless you but the true test of Christ in us is when we have been offended to love those whom offend us “but I say unto thee love them that persecute you and hate you, yea bless them and not curse them ” you see his example of suffering was meant to show us how to love others! how to give of ourselves for others, to give up ourselves for others, remember his words at his crucifixion? father forgive them ..” in other words you may one day suffer extreme misery and shame, hurt and pain, at the hands of another but do not let it make you bitter but better! let it make your love more pure and more Christ like, if we can learn to love the so called unlovable, unreachable, unfaithful, & unwanted then we have truly put on Christ! and by his stripes we were healed! and made whole.
A PRAYER: Oh my Lord how I feel so weary, so confused, so lost, please help me! help me to pray, to know how to pray, my God you would thing by now that I would know how to pray? hum.. I don’t even know what to pray let alone how to pray, I feel so unqualified, so incapable, you see I acknowledge my failure before you and all, for I have failed as a son, as a minister, a Christian, and worse yet as a servant so I ask forgiveness, help me to hold on, to not give up and let go of life in discouragement, to not let go of life in despair, things seem so purposeless and so empty without love and without you? At least it seems that way, so please Jesus give me courage to face tomorrow, strength to believe and hope, faith to feel with my heart and not my head at times, wisdom to know the difference between right and wrong and what’s pleasing and not pleasing, dear Lord remind me that you are ever near! just a prayer away but that’s just it how to pray? pray for what? for your forgiveness? yes I’m aware that you have forgiven me Daddy, but with all due respect what good is that to me if others can’t or won’t forgive me? you love me! what good is that if others can’t or won’t love me? I still love them, Isn’t this Christian thing suppose to be about loving, forgiving, helping and changing people? what good is it if you change me but can’t change them, is it really to late? even I don’t believe that lie! matter a fact I know its not! aren’t you suppose to love and live in us; thru others? Daddy help me to wait on you though this seems like an eternity without you in my corner? with that in mind & since you have already suffered all these for me then I choose to let go of my pain, my misery, my self pity, my anger, my fears, my sins, I choose to continue to worship you! to acknowledge you, I bow down before you but unlike those who want to be seen bowing to you in public, I bow down to you in the secret place of my mind, heart and soul, in my private life as well as my public life, before demons and the divine, even before the public, thank you Lord for caring, for suffering, for living, for giving, for praying for me, but above all for loving me and forgiving me.. AMEN
Prepared by : George R. Nava 2170 E. Market St. Stockton, Ca phone -46-59731
My web page: http://gospelstuffs.homestead.com/index.html