Question of the day: What is something that has made you smile this morning?
READ: Isaiah 12
12 In that day you will say:
“I will praise you, Lord.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
This is still prophesy.
What does that tell us?
In some ways this is super simple passage, however perhaps one of the most powerful. Here for the first 11 chapters we have seen the judgement. If you remember from the over view of Isaiah that we looked at before starting this book, the first 12 chapters are all about Judgement and Hope. I find it fitting that this section ends with this beautiful chapter of praise.
The judgement continues all the way through chapter 39, but even in the midst of great judgement their can be and needs to be praise.
Chapter 24 will also be a chapter with praise, and many others. But, for now we are just going to enjoy this moment of praise.
Let's look at this verse by verse.
1. Is it hard to think of God as someone angry with you?
Yet someone who comforts you?
2. Praise because He is our Salvation.
I will trust and not be afraid, is that realistic?
Recently I have been trying to stop saying "I'm afraid." No doubt there is good healthy fear, but too often that is not what I am fighting against. So every time I find myself saying, "I'm afraid." I stop examine what is going on. Fear and a life of LOVE and TRUST don't belong together.
3. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this verse. Have you ever been really thirsty? I mean really thirsty? When you get a chance to drink cool, clean water to quench your thirst, it is an incredible joy!
This verse tells us we are thirsty, right? If you're not thirsty, water doesn't bring the same joy. Salvation, is only available when we understand our need! We have a great thirst!
4. Proclaim His name. Why?
What does this even mean? He is not just my God, he is not just a powerful being, He has a name! We find in the 10 commandments the importance of His name. We know there is power in His name. It is also important that we make it clear who our God is. It is important for us to be reminded. It is so easy to let other things be our God. We NEED to proclaim who our God is! To praise HIM!
5. HE has done great things... let the whole world know.
What great things has he done for you personally?
What great things has he done for us here at UCSDA?
What great things has he done for your family?
For our city or our community?
For our school?
We have so much to praise Him for!
HOW DO WE LET THE WHOLE WORLD KNOW?
6. Shout loud.... for HE is right here with us!
Today Nolan is coming to town with his mom. Can I just say, I'm so excited to see him! It has been a long time and facetime is great but not enough. To have him here in this building, to be able to see him, to hear him, to have him physically here is so exciting. I may be shouting aloud!
Do you know God is among us?
He is right here! Even at this table!
We don't just come and talk about Him, he is here!
He is also at the lunch table with you this afternoon, and on a walk, and he is with you when you golf, and when you wake up and when you go to sleep!
HE IS WITH YOU!
Do you really KNOW THAT?
All of this gives us reason to PRAISE!!!!! To SHOUT for JOY! EVEN when we are going through difficult times. Even when we have failed him! Even when....
I want to challenge us all to focus this week on praise! Can we get serious about this! I want you to post on social media, praise! I want you to share with one another, praise! Call people and praise God for them! Share with them how he has blessed you through them! I want you to wake praising God and go to bed praising God! Sing songs everyday about praise!
Will you commit to trying to be in a place of continual praise!
Don't forget to call him by name! It is not the universe, or a "higher power" or anything else that is vague. We serve the ONE and ONLY God.
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