The Lord Washes Away...

Scripture:
Isaiah 4 (ESV)

And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.”

In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

Devotional:

Isaiah chapter 4 starts off with the hardships and fall of Jerusalem, Israel is defeated.  But later in chapter 4 Isaiah shares God’s promises.  Isaiah tells of Christ and His eternal reign.  How God’s presence will once again be with His people.  Sins will be washed away, and His people restored.

Are there times when you feel far from God?  There are times when we can drift from God.  Sometimes our decisions are intentional and sometimes we do not even realize we have drifted.  Regardless of why or how we may feel abandoned there are times that we feel all alone.  Times in our lives when we think God is not to be found.  We struggle and we try to make a go of things on our own.  Maybe we do not think we need God.

I have just a few thoughts to share on this.  One, we do need God.  We cannot make it on our own.  Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”.  This means that no one is worthy.  None of us can make it to heaven on our own merit or actions.  That because of our sin we fall under God’s judgement just as the Israelites did in the Old Testament.  The second thought I have is that when we face judgement we can do so on our own, or we can have an advocate.  Jesus is ready and willing to stand judgement for all of our sins.  Romans 3:24-25:

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.    

We are restored through what Jesus has done.  God’s promise in Isaiah was fulfilled through Jesus.  No matter where we are or what we have done or are doing God’s promise includes us.  The Messiah came for all.  He will come again.  My final question.  Are you ready?