DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Only Jesus Can Save Us From Ourselves
by Judy Webb
"I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard:
My loved one had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside." (Isaiah 5:1)
Reading from these seven verses in Isaiah (Isaiah 5:1-7), we could quite easily draw a parallel to the times in which we are living. I am not only pointing to the areas of our world where there is conflict and hatred and war (although that too). I am suggesting right here in our own world, our own country, city, family; there exists such rampant denial of goodness and mercy. We some days cry out, “When it will change. When will it all end?”
"Now I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed;
I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled." (Isaiah 5:5)
When God looked for justice and righteousness from Israel and Judah, he got nothing but murder and the cry of the downtrodden. – Believers Bible Commentary
God has given us so much. He has protected us at every turn, and He is faithful to be there when we call on Him for help. But here lies the rub. We are nearing the point now, where we must turn to him in prayer. We must repent as a nation, as individuals; and we must change our ways, to thrive. Without God’s love and protection, we will perish. He has given us what we need to gain salvation; he gave us Jesus.
While these verses are a parable or illustration of God’s relationship with Israel, it also compares to his relationship with us, today. Our sinful ways turn our beautiful world upside down. Good becomes evil, truth is called out as lies. What is the answer to our dilemma? How do we get back to simpler times, to more gentle ways? Jesus is always the answer. It begins with us and our acceptance of God’s truth as found in His Word.
PRAYER
Dear Lord,
Reveal to us, the error of our ways. Show us how to read from the Scriptures and discern where we are going wrong. Give us the courage to change. Amen.
