Isaiah 8
The Stone of Stumbling!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, December 22.
Is it difficult to accept that suffering and hardship can come from the hand of God to bring about His good purposes? Often, we create elaborate conspiracy theories to understand what can be explained by God’s Word: there is evil in the world, and it is often at work from within each of us. Therefore, God must work, first, within us, and second, through us, to eradicate evil and ease its effects upon creation. That is not a simple process, and one that often requires us to trust God during challenging circumstances. In Isaiah 8:11-14, God spoke to Israel to stop participating with evil and to start partnering with Him:
For thus the Lord spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary; but to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Throughout history, God’s people have had to learn that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Paul quoted Isaiah 8:14 in Romans 9:33 to emphasize how Jesus’ crucifixion was a stumbling block to the Jewish people, leading them to reject God’s love for them. Peter quoted it in 1 Peter 2:7-10, emphasizing the transformative power of faith, which causes us to become witnesses of God’s light when we walk faithfully through dark places.
Seize the moment and don’t stumble on God; instead, build your life upon the rock of Jesus (Matthew 7:24-27).
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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