The Joy of Glory

Isaiah 5 (click here)
Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands. Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.

Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. (Isaiah 5:11-13 and 15-17)

Reflection
I remember the first time I heard the story of the Titanic. The world’s largest cruise ship, filled with partying and revelry from the top deck to the bowls of the ship. I remember feeling the irony of people partying as they literally sailed toward death, completely unaware of where they were headed.

It was a party on the way to perishing.

In Isaiah 5, God points out that his people are partying on their own Titanic, but they are not about to run into an iceberg but the wrath of God! They are blind to what is coming and this is the very reason they are headed towards perishing! “…they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or SEE the work of his hands. THEREFORE my people go into exile for lack of KNOWLEDGE…”

Because they do not see the massive reality of who God is, because they do not know him, their lives are about to run aground on the reality of his wrath.

It is a party on the way to perishing.

God’s wrath is righteous and just. He is not lashing out in an uncontrolled fit of rage. No. His wrath is the perfectly right and just response to sin. These people had exalted themselves as if they were god and were committing all sorts of atrocities. It was sheer mercy that God held back his righteous wrath at all… sheer grace that he had given these people any time to repent and return to him. It is sheer grace that he does this for any of us.

But his wrath will not be stayed forever. He will do what is right, what is just, what is good and loving. I say this is “good and loving” because how often have we found ourselves looking at the injustices of the world and crying out “how long O Lord?” Will all the wrongs ever be set right?

We look at our world and it seems there is no final justice! But that is why the wrath of God is good and loving news! There is final justice! All wrongs will be set right! All evil and injustice removed and perfect peace and justice will reign!

“Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. THEN shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich.”

The rebellious party of sin ends in perishing… and peace is ushered in for all who trusted in the Lord! They will graze like lambs in the pasture of grace!

Take heart dear Christian… this world will not always be a place of injustice, oppression, and death! Sin is headed for a head-on collision with the wrath of God where it doesn’t win… it ends!

*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Proverbs 1:20-33 (click here)
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. (Proverbs 1:20-23)

Reflection
Have you heard Wisdom’s cry?

Proverbs pictures wisdom like a woman calling out in the streets… surrounding us with offers to listen to her voice, but we are stubborn and ignore her at every turn. Yet, I have never heard wisdom calling out to me! Where are these supposed countless offers of wisdom calling? Surely, I’m not so dense as to ignore wisdom’s great wealth if it actually surrounds me… or am I?

Each morning, the sun rises… proclaiming to me the wisdom of the one who created the sun and all it shines upon. Yet, I neglect to speak to him in prayer. I’m in a hurry with too much to do.

Throughout my day, I neglect what others have to say. Many of these are people the Lord has placed in my life to provide wise counsel… but how often do I heed what they have to say?

Sunday after Sunday, I hear God’s Word proclaimed… and perhaps it entertains me, but it does not enter my heart and actually change who I am, how I think, act, and love. I keep the wisdom of the word at arms distance and admire it from afar.

And perhaps the most glaring manner in which wisdom calls and I ignore her is through my own copy of the Scriptures. Day after day, the Holy Spirit of God beckons to be heard through the words he inspired. But, I don’t have time. I leave the Bible on my bedside table as I rush out the door… and that evening I continue to ignore the wisdom that is available within its pages.

“If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.”

The Holy Spirit of the living God, poured out as he illumines the words he inspired to give us wisdom unto salvation! This is the ultimate cry of wisdom that surrounds us every day! Do we hear and heed the call?

Have you heard wisdom’s cry?

*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

*I am sorry that there was not a Lenten Devotional yesterday. I had an extended family emergency. Thank you for understanding.

Psalm 90:1-12 (click here)
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”

For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:1-3, 7-8, and 11-12)

Reflection
Have you ever tried to ponder eternity?

No beginning… no ending. Have you ever just tried to wrap your mind around such a thought? It such a massive concept that it hurts our minds as we try to stretch them to fit eternity into our thoughts. And, our headache only grows as we attempt to bring God into the picture! Have you ever really just sat and pondered the nature of the God who is from everlasting to everlasting?!

Not only does the Psalmist do this in Psalm 90, but to maximize his thoughts of God even more, to their greatest possible grandeur, he sets mankind alongside of God for comparison.

What emerges from this comparison and contrast is a void of hopelessness between the holy God and sinful man. The God who gives and sustains all life should simply return mankind to the dust from which he was taken, “For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.”

What could possibly be the point of such ponderings? Such thoughts do nothing but make us tremble with fear! And they should! My heart races like crazy when I think a cop has caught me speeding… how much more fear should fill my heart when all my sins are laid bare before the God of the universe?! But is fear the point?

“Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Fear is not the point, but a pointer to wisdom… to worship. Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” The fear of the LORD is seeing him rightly… for who he is… and such knowledge can only lead to fear and trembling! Every time someone in scripture encounters God their first reaction is fear and trembling. Fearing the Lord is evidence that you actually see him for who he is… and this is the beginning place for wisdom. This is the starting point for rightly relating to the Lord in worship.

The fear of the Lord is not meant to lead us to despair and death, but to hope and life… for now, we live in light of the knowledge of who God is! We no longer trust in ourselves, but we look to him as our only hope! He is the only one who can save us… and he has!

Through Jesus Christ, God has become our refuge from his righteous wrath! He poured out his wrath upon himself, as our substitute, so that we might have eternal life in him! This is grace… given to us for all eternity!

Have you ever tried to ponder grace?

It makes your head hurt more than trying to ponder eternity! Grace leads us to rightly fear the Lord… not in a manner that leads to despair and death but to hope and life… in a manner that leads to worship.

By grace, we see God for who he is and ourselves for who we are… AND we see what he has done in Christ! And, by grace, we fear him, reverence him, stand in awe and worship of him for all eternity… from everlasting to everlasting… for he is God!

*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.