Twin Peaks

The scripture for today is Isaiah 1:19

Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

“Isaiah here sets forth the fruitage of obedience. A life of joy and blessedness is the natural result of obedience to the laws of God, for God cannot bless those who do not do their best. The joys of heaven are not arbitrary gifts of God to those who follow Him, but the natural result of compliance with His requirements. God sets before man the ways of righteousness because they are right and because they bring blessing in their train.

This promise applies both to this world and to the world to come. The harvest of obedience is reaped not only in heaven but also on earth (see on Matt. 19:29). Before Israel entered the Promised Land Moses set forth the blessings that would be theirs if they walked in the ways of the Lord (Deut. 28:1–13). Isaiah points out that these blessings had not been realized because of Israel’s failure to obey the commands of the Lord, God now assures them that these blessings may still be theirs if they will repent and walk in the ways of righteousness.” The SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 99

If we have transgressed in any way, it does not mean that God has rejected us or thrown us away. His mercy is extended to His people today just as it has always been throughout human history. He promises us eternal blessings to come and He also promises to bless us in this life. God, like any good parent, wants His children to be happy and prosperous in every area of their lives. He only asks that we be willing to follow Him and to demonstrate our willingness through obedience to His Word. The requirements of God are not difficult, it is the flesh that makes things difficult. God does not lead us through the flesh; He speaks to our hearts and He asks us to receive Him there, in the heart.

When our hearts have been changed and our desires are in harmony with God’s desires, it will not be a burden to follow Him in obedience. Those who perceive obedience to God’s commands as a burden do not realize that God has given all to remove our burden from us; that burden is the burden of sin. Sin is a tyrant and those who are enslaved by it spend their lives trying to satisfy the flesh, which can never be satisfied. The tyrant of sin demands more and more until finally the very life of the sinner is exhausted. All that is left are the broken pieces of a wasted life with nothing but eternal death to look forward to.

God has so much more to offer us, may we be “willing and obedient” and may we eat the good of the land, enjoying what our Heavenly Father has provided for us today and forever.

God bless you as you continue in His service.

Tim