Be Willing and Obedient
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 1:17–20
“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it,” Isaiah 1:19–20.
Be Willing and Obedient
Father God, we thank you because whatsoever we ask in your name by faith we receive. Grow our faith and make obedience to you a reality in our lives, in the name of Jesus we pray.
“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool,” Isaiah 1:17–18.
Beloved, many want their sins to be as white as snow; we want to enjoy the good of the land, but are not willing to come close to the Lord. We are not willing to reason together with the Lord, not willing to learn to do well, to seek judgment, or to relieve the oppressed. We are not willing to judge the fatherless or to plead for the widow. Because we are not doing all these things, the good of the land eludes us. I pray today in the name of Jesus that God will give us a willing and obedient heart and the grace to learn to do well. Doing well is not natural to man and that is why it must be given by grace.
We are in the age when Christianity is so full of liberty that the Word and the world are seen as one. But they are never one, and that is why the Bible says you need to learn to do well.
You need to learn by reading and hearing the Word of God, precept upon precept and line upon line. In this way you will understand and walk in the old paths and you will find rest for your soul. Learning to do well will help you enjoy the good of the land. Even for those who dwell in the land of plenty, there is lack; the good of the land is not reaching us. The Bible says that if you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. You must be willing to learn the right way of doing things, so that you can walk therein. Some people are stubborn and want to learn things their way, but if you are not learning what is biblical, you will not eat the good of the land. The Bible says to learn to do well; you must study the Word and show yourself approved.
We are then to seek judgment. To “seek” means you must look for it; it is not going to just come to you. What is true judgment? Judgment is in the Word of God, which will help us to make correct decisions. Wrong judgment has taken many people into a pit out of which only God can deliver. That is why the Bible says: learn to do well, seek judgment; relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow, come to the Lord and reason together with the Lord. Come to the Lord even as you are.
Come to the Lord and say, “I’ve been doing very poorly and now I have learned to do well; I found out that my judgment has been wrong and I have come to seek judgment. Lord, I’ve relieved the oppressed, judged the fatherless and pleaded for the widow. Now I’ve come to reason together with you Lord, so that you will wash away my sins and make them white as snow.” God sent His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to die so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life, John 3:16. When your sins of yesterday come knocking, the Righteous One, the Lord Jesus Himself will answer and say, “I paid in full for these sins, don’t even mention them.” Do you know that when you reason with God, your condemnation disappears because the Lord does not remember sins that have been confessed to Him and forsaken by you.
Some can forgive but not forget. But the Lord Jesus is able to forgive and forget. “Just come now,” that is what the Lord is saying: “Come now let us reason together. Come and understand my salvation plan, my redemption plan, my prosperity plan. Come and understand why I have deposited good in the land. It is for you to eat of, to receive and to enjoy. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”
Prayer Points:
Are you ready to come now to the Lord? This is the time for you to pray now and say, “Dear Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to you. Write my name in the book of life. Lord, in your mercy and in your love, accept me as your child as I accept you as my personal Lord and Saviour.” If you are already walking with the Lord, follow His precepts; be willing and obedient.
Yes, it is the time for good things; eat the good of the land in Jesus’ name. Amen.
