Standing Up, Isaiah 36-39

Isaiah 36-39

Everyone who likes to be ridiculed, please stand up.

That is one invitation that you would probably just as soon ignore! After all, no one likes to be mocked or ridiculed for taking a stand. But as Paul warned young Timothy, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). As a Christian called upon to stand for God in a godless world, you may find yourself asked to swallow the bitter pill of ridicule – and swallow it regularly.

Dan Cathy has taken this pill for his stand against gay marriage. This was probably not the first time that he faced ridicule for his beliefs and probably will not be the last. He is not afraid of these people that are calling him a "hater" and "homophobe". He is simply more afraid of God.

It happened to Hezekiah and his countrymen. Taunted at by the Assyrian hordes and belittled for their faith in God, the people of Judah had the last laugh. Through it all they learned that ridicule means little when you know the great God of heaven!

Has the thought of ridicule or verbal abuse stopped you from taking a stand for God? Have you avoided suggesting an office Bible study or evangelistic opportunity because of the fear of what others might say? Take a tip from Hezekiah: You are on the winning team!

Prayer today is for boldness in the face of ridicule. God promises that He will give us words to say when we are to speak out.

The Lord's Locust Lesson Joel 1-3

A plague of locusts hits Judah with the fury of an invading army, destroying vegetation and turning the usually verdant countryside into a lifeless desert. Fields of grain disappear, grapevines are stripped bare, fruit trees and gardens are wiped clean. The prophet Joel seizes the occasion to preach God's message to Judah: The present calamity is only a warning. An even greater devastation awaits those who continue to live in sin and rebellion. The day of judgement is coming, and only those who sincerely repent and return to God will be sheltered from the terrible force of His righteous wrath.
Question: What do these three activities have in common: Skydiving without a parachute, walking blindfolded across the freeway, and disregarding God's Laws?
Answer They are all activities that, while perhaps momentarily exhilarating, lead to inescapable and deadly consequences.
Though he knew nothing about skydiving or freeways, Joel knew well the danger of disregarding God's commandments. The terrible scourge of locusts became the perfect illustration of wrathful judgement to come- and the perfect occasion for Joel to warn his countrymen. Although it was too late to escape the bite of the locusts, there was still time to escape the "bite" of God's chastening hand.
Learn a lesson from the locusts! Do your days pass without prayerful contact with God? Have your "little sins" ceased to bother you? Have you slipped away from teh daily study and regular weekly worship? (Can you hear the buzzing sound of the locusts?) The danger is real, but the shelter is as near as your Father's "everlasting arms"  (Deut. 33:27). Wouldn't that be a good place to rest... right now?