Devotional 3-4-10

God is Calling, do not put on Hold!!!
Please Read Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 NIV

In the passage from Isaiah God is calling all to come to him. You don’t need to bring anything with you! God will provide all you need to seek him. Listen for God to speak to you. We often are praying to God about our needs, concerns or whatever, but do we really take time to listen to him? Although it may not be in an audible voice, God may speak to us through an occurrence or through something we view that we do not expect to see. Or just quietly sitting without thought, maybe, as the snow is falling, on our porch during a spring or summer rain shower. How about while taking a walk in the park or the forest?

Is 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God is calling not only the righteous but the unrighteous as well, Is 55:7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Jesus was not sent to live among the righteous. He walked among all and that is what we all are called to do as well. Reach out to those in need, whatever the need is, show them they are loved. Help them see that God does love them and that by turning to him he will pardon them. Is 55:7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

But God can only wait so long for if we/they do not come to him before our/their last breath we/they will perish.

Luke 13:5 ..do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Read Luke 13:6-8 Parable of the fig tree

Parable of the barren fig-tree. (Commentary) *
This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all that enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church. When God has borne long, we may hope that he will bear with us yet a little longer, but we cannot expect that he will bear always.

So don’t put God on Hold too long!!

Please read Psalm 63:1-8 as a closing prayer.

A confession and testimony; I really struggled to write this devotional. For when I first read all of the Lectionary readings I could not quite put them together. But one night during my prayer I asked God to help me write this devotion. So as I sat here this evening, in the quiet of the room, God began to speak to me as I typed this devotion. For these are not my words but God’s. I could not have written it without his guiding hand.

Peace and Grace to all though our Risen Lord and Savior
*Commentary from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

Fred Herr