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Day 16 Isaiah 18 18:1 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: 2 That sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! 3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifts up an ensign on the mountains; and when he blows a trumpet, hear ye. 4 For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. 5 For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. 6 They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. 7 In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion. Have you ever felt like nothing is going right for you no matter what you try? Every idea comes to nothing. Every door is closed or locked. No one is listening to what you say. God gave his people the Ten Commandments. He told them what would happen if they didn’t obey him. When Solomon built and dedicated the temple to God, God told him his face would be on it forever, unless. It didn’t take long for Israel to turn away from God. Solomon did so when he built altars to every god his wives worshiped. Fortunately, he saw his mistake and turned back to God before the end of his life. However, he had already done the damage for future generations. His son, Rehoboam, followed his father’s wayward ways, and disobeyed God, as did almost every king, of both Judah and Israel. Every prophet from Elijah to Jeremiah prophesied about what God would do because of their disobedience. God told Isaiah the time had come. He was about to bring his punishment on the people, and when he did, the land would have rest, the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth would enjoy the goodness of the land, but not his people. God was going to peel them from their land, and send them beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. In this case, it is not the country of Africa where God would send them, but to Assyria. The wings referred to here are rivers, Euphrates, and Tigris. Assyria did conquer Israel and took them into exile. As Christians, you know the consequences of disobedience. You don’t have several hundred years for God to plead with you to return to him. However, because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, you can be in right standing before God in an instant by confessing your sins, and God in his mercy will forgive you. The next time you feel like the door is not only closed, but locked, check your relationship with Jesus Christ, and repent of your disobedience and God will open those locked doors. He’s the only one who can. Let’s pray: Father, I know I am a sinner in need of you. I know I need your forgiveness for doing my own thing, and not listening to you or doing your will for my life. Forgive me, and bring me back to your side, so I can enjoy the blessings you have in store for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 5 September 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay