April 26, 2024
Pastor Darin Youngberg
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Daily Bread
Posted on Thursday, December 07, 2017 by Bro_D
Daily Bread Dec. 7, 2017
Isaiah 66:12-14 The LORD has promised: "I will flood Jerusalem with the wealth of nations and make the city prosper. Zion will nurse you at her breast, carry you in her arms, and hold you in her lap. (13) I will comfort you there like a mother comforting her child." (14) When you see this happen, you will celebrate; your strength will return faster than grass can sprout. Then everyone will know that the LORD is present with his servants…
I love verse 14 … “when you see this happen…” – The LORD keeps His promise. God has never ever not kept His promise. The promise of comfort, the promise of strength, the promise that He will provide with great abundance --- “when you see this, you will celebrate..”. There is no command to celebrate, the text implies that the one who has been/is being comforted, strengthened and provided for, can’t help but celebrate. It is just like Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." --- not a command or a suggestion, rather, a response to what/who has acted upon our life. The “celebration” and the “testimony” just happens, there is no controlling it, there is not “mustering it up” it is a supra-natural response to the supra-natural acting upon one’s life. The celebration spoken of by Isaiah is not some elaborate emotional response – no flopping around like a fish out of water – no unintelligible utterances that nobody can understand --- it is a joy-filled expression that is Spirit empowered, Spirit filled and God honoring – it is a testimony from a witness who has personally experienced a supra-natural encounter with the living God. You can find these responses throughout the Bible – especially as you read the Psalms – go ahead, open to Psalms and see how quickly you will find a “celebration” of the LORD.
There is a very sobering implication in these verses as well, no “celebration” or no “testimony” implies no supra-natural act. I did not know the joy of being a “good-good papa” until my first grandbaby was born. I had people tell me about, they gave me their testimonies – but I had no idea until I actually became a grandpa. I could talk about what I thought it would be like, what I thought I would do – but it was not until I actually became a grandpa --- then I new the joy and I had a real testimony.
In the day we live in, we can self-identify as just about anything we choose. The reality is – our self-identifying is empty – just because I say I am a giraffe, my statement does not make it a reality. I am not an orange spotted animal, I do not have a 6 foot long neck, I do not eat leaves from trees and I do not live in the savannahs of Africa. I have no testimony that equates with me being a giraffe, therefore, I can not genuinely celebrate being a giraffe. The same goes for those who self-identify as Christians … unless the Spirit of God Himself is testifying in and through that person’s life, there is no genuine celebration – they can “muster” up a smile, or a tear, they can say a few words and even maybe do some kind deeds, but the truth of the matter is --- when the Comforter has/is comforting us, we can’t help but celebrate with a testimony – when the Strong Tower has/is strengthening us, we can’t help but celebrate with a testimony --- when Jehovah Jireh (God my Provider) has/is providing for us, we can’t help but celebrate with a testimony.
Jesus put it this way, Luke 19:40 He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." Sadly, it seems there are far too many rocks crying out – cuz many who call themselves by His Name are silent. Let’s flood Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat – and all the other social media thinbymabobs with His praise today – and everyday. Let’s fill our workplaces, our schools, our homes with testimonies, celebrating who He is, what He has done, what He is doing ---- let’s not give another rock the chance to cry out!