For almost twenty seconds I was proud of myself! When reading the “But Now” Chapter this morning (Isaiah 1) I read in verse nine about the remnant that God had left who serve Him,
9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
And I thought… hey! I’m that remnant! And just as I was patting myself on the back the 2nd time I felt the distinct feeling that even from the couch I had been kicked in the pants. Conviction poured into my soul as I read on…
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
Did you catch it? I sure did. To what purpose is what you’re doing helping me out? You do, you write, you sing, you teach, and it’s all good… but that’s the desert of my meal. What about the meat and potatoes. The stuff that sticks to the ribs and will make it through the fire. The things you do are the pretty things, and I’m sick of it… what about the real work?
Isaiah 1: 21-23 ~
How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
What a sad indictment to leadership. To “Shari quote it” Thy princes (leadership) are hanging out with lowlife (and not to win them to Christ), but they rather love what they receive for serving (as a matter of fact that’s why they do it, not for Me) and the people who need your help, you don’t even notice.
But now… you didn’t even notice.
For me it’s another day of serving Jesus doing the pretty stuff. And God’s all about it! There’s nothing wrong with it; we need the pretty stuff, but what about the ugly stuff that nobody wants to do? Like visiting the elderly and sick, helping the homeless, picking up the snotty nosed kid for the church, telling someone you don’t even know that Jesus loves them and wants to save their soul. What about those things? God wants the pretty stuff, but not if that’s the only thing we’re about.
God called them a murderer. That’s serious business. That means somebody’s blood is on our hands…And we didn’t even notice.