Dipping Into the Word

"Rain down, you heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,
And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the LORD, have created it" (Isaiah 45:8).

Salvation came a while back. It's still knocking, too. When it came it came with such a humble entrance, sound words, self-sacrifice by the carpenter called Christ, and by the "first fruits" of His life by conquering death. And by my study here, He continually mention the coming of salvation to the people of Israel; an overwhelming gift of joy was decreed, that all men, "the nations," would be blessed, "Israel shall be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation..." (v. 17). At this point the context is pointed towards Cyprus, "whose right hand I have held," said God. "I even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me" (v. 4).

We were all lost; every one of us was uttering alone. Those who have yield their lives back over to Yahweh are indeed blessed because they have recognized that their reasoning won't show them joy, happiness, of life for eternity. I know there are many here in the world of men who zealously believe that the pursuit of happiness is what matters. "It's whatever that makes you happy," the overly sympathetic friend tells his chum. "It's all about you." Oh, will you not ever look at yourself in the light? Truthfully, are you that good? Gals, when all is said and done during the day, when you're home and all free of make up and formality (in any form), when you've cleaned up your face, when your peach, olive, black, brown, tan, or white skin is bare of all dress and pleasantries, do you think of what is real? Men, when all your successes have brought you to the end of the night, when no one pays you any mind, and all your certificates and plaques with snappy slogans and quite astounding victories are the only things looking back at you before you close your eyes to sleep, do you wonder if this is all there is? Or do you carry the thought for a moment, toss it away and say aloud in the darkness of your room, "At least I'm happy now"?

Dipping into the Word, something has just put itself to my attention. It faces the hope that one can look upon with the focus on the Living God.

"For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing,And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten" (Ecclesiastes 9:5).

Are we nothing if we have no souls? Simply pieces of wasted products of chance? John Cage, the "chance" musician didn't take the concepts of hollow art into his daily routines. The man frequently consumed mushrooms of the mind-altering kind, saying if he randomly selected any species of mushrooms like he practiced his theory about life in his music (that all is chance and meaningless), then he would die very quickly. There is no hope for the idea that all is nothing and, for he who believes that indeed is but a shell of a man, with no joy to come--no reward to enjoy. And greatness is soon lost through the generations. You may know this, that a dead emperor cannot stand up, conquer or rule.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).