Week Two: Breaking Ground Day 11: Solid Rock April 6, 2016

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"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of

unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground;

for it is time to seek the LORD, until He comes

and showers righteousness upon you."

(Hosea 10:12)

Day Eleven Devotions:

MORNING MEDITATION

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

EVENING PRAYER

MORNING MEDITATION

Glean the Word: Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Glimpse of Glory: "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." (Hebrews 2:10)

When Jesus met with His disciples the evening of His resurrection He explained to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:44-45). As we continue to look back at the Old Testament Scriptures, and are reminded of the foundation that has been laid for us in Christ Jesus, the two greatest things that are brought to light are found in our Scripture reading today - the sufferings of Christ and the glory that would follow. "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you..." (1 Peter 1:10-12a). All that the OT prophets foresaw and foretold, they desired to see fulfilled. They diligently sought the Scriptures and earnestly desired to know what we now have revealed in the gospel - the salvation of man through Jesus Christ.

The heart of the gospel message is found in Isaiah chapter 53, aptly entitled "The Suffering and Glory of the Servant." "...But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed..." (vv. 4-6). Every word of these verses points plainly to Jesus Christ. Sadly, for the Jewish leaders, who studied the Scriptures diligently, they couldn't understand the suffering of the Messiah. They had a portrait imprinted on their minds of a noble and impressive hero, born of royal blood, who would ride in power and rescue them, and set up his kingdom. What they failed to understand was that you can't have the crown without the cross; you can't have the glory without the humiliation. "He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering" (v. 3a). Jesus was exalted by the Father because He humbled Himself and bore the burden of the curse of the law, and took upon himself the debt of our sin, and accepted its' penalty - death. He did it all without opening His mouth to make an appeal; He humbly submitted to the Father's will. Jesus Christ willingly took on the penalty for our crimes and provided the cure for our disease. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (v. 6). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). His suffering was necessary for our salvation. Every blessing we have in Christ came through the cross. Jesus opened heaven for all who believe on Him, and provided access to the abundant wealth of His kingdom. Where men despised and rejected Him, the Father exalted Him and blessed Him. "See, My servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted" (Isaiah 52:13). "After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied" (53:11a).

This morning as we meditate on these powerful and poignant words of Scripture, may the obedience and suffering of our Savior move our hearts to repentance. He is acquainted with our grief and knows personally our sorrows. Jesus endured all our pain on the cross. He was pierced all the way through His body for our sins, He was crushed under the heavy burden of our iniquities, and suffered the full penalty of the law that we broke. He took our place and our punishment, and instead of giving us death that we deserve, He offers us His amazing grace. Let us now take the time to offer Him a sacrifice of praise! He is worthy! "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12).

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AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: John 12:37-41

Gift of Grace: "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal." (Isaiah 26:3-4)

The suffering of our Savior on the cross, and His death, burial, resurrection and exaltation all reveal His glory. The events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by all appearance pointed to failure, but instead they portrayed His greatest triumph. Even though the Old Testament Prophets have plainly predicted the birth, ministry, suffering, death, burial, exaltation, and glory of Jesus Christ, many still refuse to believe. "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" (v. 38b). The suffering of Christ revealed His glory, but to those who choose not to believe their eyes are closed to the truth. "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn - and I would heal them" (v. 40). Isaiah was given a difficult ministry, because the words he proclaimed would bring judgment on the people and cause their eyes to become blind, and their ears deaf. "Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes" (Isaiah 6:9, 10a). This is true even today, as the hearts of people are growing cold because they refuse to draw close to the warmth of the light of the gospel and allow it to thaw their hearts with the love of Christ. Sadly, the more a person rejects the truth, the more difficult it is to believe. Our responsibility, as believers, is to be obedient to our call and proclaim the good news of the gospel of grace, and leave the response of others in the hands of God.

It can be difficult to understand how pain and suffering can lead to future triumph and glory, but this is what Jesus accomplished for us with His own suffering and death. His surrender to the Father's will, brought the Father glory, and our willingness to trust God through our greatest trials can accomplish the same. Pain and suffering can cloud our vision and make it difficult to see what God is doing, but as we trust Him and turn to His Word to find hope to carry us through the trial, the light of His Word will break through the darkness and reveal the blessings and glory that the Lord has stored up for us. As we diligently study and meditate on God's Word, the more clearly the Holy Spirit brings Jesus into view, and the greater depths of His truth He will bring us to. "But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth..." (John 16:13a). This afternoon, as we seek the Lord in His Word and prayer, let us ask Him to open our eyes to see more clearly, and our ears to be more in tune with His will, so we will sensitive to His leading to share His gospel message to whomever He calls us to. Let us pray that the names of the people He has laid upon our hearts will be softened to receive His truth.

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EVENING PRAYER

Glean the Word: Psalm 22

Fruit of Repentance: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." (Isaiah 30:15)

This evening our prayer focus will be for a spirit of surrender in times of trial (click on the image below for our evening prayer).

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary afflictions are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Click on the image below to draw close to the fire
and experience the warmth, love and light of Christ
as we come boldly before the Throne of Grace and
join our hearts together in prayer:

HARVEST The Kingdom of God

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