Message from Scripture: 8/28/2020

Today’s message from Scripture is Isa. 53:3; “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

It is interesting, and sad, that many of those in Scripture who stood with God did so alone, who felt alone. For Moses, he knew that Pharaoh would reject him, as God had said so before sending him to free the Israelites (Ex. 4:21). How much harder was it when he discovered his own people would reject him as well (Ex. 5:21).

In our Scripture today, Isaiah prophesied how Jesus would be rejected by His own as well. How sad to hear the cry of those He came to save shout, “Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21). John recorded Jesus knew this would be true, as He writes, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11).

Jesus told His own disciples in advance of their ministry for Him, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18).

The world’s system is under the influence of Satan (1 John 5:19), and being deceived by sin, doesn’t understand what a relationship with God is really like, what real peace, joy, love, hope, and forgiveness is all about. May we never be discouraged because it seems we stand alone. We have family in Christ to encourage us. We have God’s word to encourage us. We have God and His Son who will never forsake us. As Paul, who at times was alone as well, wrote, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). Hold on to God, no matter what anyone else says or does. Though others fail, He will never let us go. God bless.

Robert