Glorify The Lord

Jesus said, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” John 15:5

The Heavenly Father blesses us as we abide in His Son and glorify His Name. Jesus Christ is the One whom He chosen to inherit all things. When we are in Him and to Him, blessings flow.

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2

Praise God that we need not be distant from Him and under His wrath any longer. Jesus took the chastisement that our sins deserved to bring us to God. He purged our sin record when He became our atoning sacrifice. All we do now is acknowledge our sin and guilt and ask Him to be apply His soul cleansing blood to our sin, and He does.

“No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.” “The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.” Isaiah 59:4, 8

It is great to have our sins forgiven by God, but He doesn’t stop there. He places within us His precious Holy Spirit who calls out for justice and pleads for truth. The Holy Spirit takes peace from us when we engage in empty (meaningless) words, lies, evil deeds, iniquity (unfairness), injustice, and crookedness. He guides and helps us to be more like Jesus Christ.

“Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.” Isaiah 59:14-15

Justice and righteousness flows where the Holy Spirit flows. He guides us into all truth. Yes, those who enjoy evil seek to punish those who depart from them to the Lord’s side, but the Lord says in 1 John 4:8, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” He says in 2 Kings 6:16, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” He says in 2 Chronicles 32:8, “With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battle.” God is a majority of one.

“He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore, His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; the coastlands He will fully repay. So shall they fear the Name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the Lord.” Isaiah 59:16-20

When the Lord sees us failing to stem the tide of injustice in our societies, He intercedes. After praying, He puts on His breastplate of righteousness, His helmet of salvation and His garments of vengeance and zeal, and He goes after the enemies of righteousness with a fiery vengeance that they might fear His Name. Yes, when the enemy comes into a nation like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord is the standard that God raises up against him. “Come, Holy Spirit, come! Reveal to the nations our Redeemer Jesus Christ!” Christ does this work through His body the Church.

“As for Me, says the Lord, this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My Words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants, says the Lord, from this time and forevermore.” Isaiah 59:21

Our victory stems from the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God in us, and in the lives of our descendants after us.

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3

The glory of the Lord is our light. As He radiates from us, nations come to Him.

“Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.” “...I will glorify the house of My glory.” Isaiah 60:4-5, 7

According to Hebrews 1:2, God the Father has appointed Jesus Christ as heir of all things. All good things are coming to Him, so as we side with Him and glorify Him, He shares His blessings with us which we do not deserve, but as His friends, He graciously grants them to us.

In 2 Samuel 9:1-10, King David showed kindness to a descendant of his deceased friend Jonathan. Jonathan’s grandson Mephibosheth was crippled. King David invited Mephibosheth to eat at his table all his days. Mephibosheth received an inheritance due to someone else’s relationship with the king. IWe believers in Christ receive kingly blessings from God our Heavenly Father due to the relationship that His Son Jesus has with Him.

“For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined.” Isaiah 60:12

The nation and kingdom that will not serve Jesus Christ shall perish. Christ is the answer Human rulers are like a vapor that appears for a brief moment and then vanish. Christ is forever. Blessed are those who glorify Jesus Christ. He is Lord!

“I will make the place of My feet glorious. Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations. You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, and milk the breast of kings; you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Isaiah 60:13-16

In due season, the Lord will flip the script on those who seem to be powerful and wealthy now. In eternity, they will languish in pain and poverty unless they repent and give glory to Christ. All the wealth of the world and even better than that will be to Christ and to those of us who glorify Him. Jesus Christ is the only Savior and Redeemer!

“Instead of bronze I will bring gold, instead of iron I will bring silver, instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will also make your officers peace, and your magistrates righteousness. Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.” Isaiah 60:17-18

The rewards of Christ surpass underhanded deals. He shares with us His kingdom of peace and righteousness. He saves from oppression. He gives us praise within His gates.

“...The Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.” Isaiah 60:19-22

The Lord has planned an everlasting and glorious future for us who trust in Him. No more darkness. No more tears. No more corruption. No more transientness. He will firmly establish us and make us strong. When He does this, it will happen quickly, even in the blink of an eye.

Proverbs 19:16 says, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.” Therefore, we must take the Lord seriously. Psalm 124:8 says, “Our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The Lord helps us. We are not alone. Psalm 125:1 says, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” The victories and progress happen as we rely on the Lord for salvation.