For All People

Today's read of Isaiah 56-58 was packed with verses that really spoke to me....

Isaiah 56:1-8 spoke of how those of us already in the church should make sure that ALL people feel like they belong in His Church; of how God will bless them and honor them with the very things they've been lacking; and of how His...

"... house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people" (v. 7).

I love how this chapter really illustrates -- once again -- when God brings restoration, He does it way over and above and beyond!

It'd be like if God was CEO of His Airline and bumped up a Coach-flying passenger into First Class Gold Plus Plus at the very moment they converted and chose HIS airline! And all the First Class passengers who have been flying His Airline for decades become seatmates to this newly converted passenger! An immediate Bump directly into First Class.

For ALL people.

I also really really loved the picture that was painted in Isaiah 58:10-12...

Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
Your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places -- firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
Rebuild the foundations from out of your past.

Of course, there were stipulations presented before this beautiful, life-restoring passage...

If you get rid of unfair practices,
Quit blaming victims,
Quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
And start giving of yourselves to the down-and-out...

The stipulations that poked at me were "generous to the hungry" and "giving of yourselves to the down and out" .....

I was reminded by this passage of God's math ... the more i give out of my resources, of my self --- He steps in and fills me back up! "Full life" ... "Well watered" ... "Rebuild"

God's Kingdom is the best!