Many people care for the poor around the world. Most of them are unknown here on earth, but well known in heaven. The Bible highlights those who help the poor.
It speaks about caring for the oppressed, the disenfranchised, and the neglected. The Bible often describes how God cares for these individuals. Isaiah is one among many of the authors in the Bible who highlight this fact.
“Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one passing through,
I will make you majestic forever,
a joy from age to age.
And you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 60:15-16b)
People often ask me about difficult issues, curious about a preacher’s perspective. One of my go-to responses is that God is the most loving being there is. He’s holy, which means He’s completely perfect and just. So, whatever we receive from God will be loving, just, and holy.
When we see unfairness in the world and wonder why it happens, we can trust that God will execute His justice on behalf of those who have experienced hardship and unfair treatment.
A few weeks ago, I joined a small group discussion on the Bible with men living in a recovery house. They all admit they’ve hit rock bottom but are now seeking help from God and the Alcoholics Anonymous program to get sober and rebuild their lives.
I told them they are, in some ways, blessed to have reached rock bottom and turned to God. It’s better to come to God with nothing than to have everything—like popularity, power, or possessions—and not know Him at all.
In Isaiah, it says that as God helps people, they will recognize Him as the Lord, their Savior, Redeemer, and Mighty One. They may not know the rich and famous, but they are friends with the One who is described with these words.
God’s Message for Victims of Conflict
A very kind pastor led one of the first churches where I was blessed to preach as a young man. This was during the Vietnam era. The pastor’s son, who was my age, had gone to Vietnam and died in the conflict.
I’ve thought about my friend, the pastor, their congregation, and all the people who’ve faced the horrors of war. Is there good news for these people?
This passage in Isaiah, written 700 years before Jesus, carries a good news message for both then and now.
“I will appoint Peace as your overseer
and Righteousness as your taskmaster.
Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise.” (Isaiah 60:17b-18)
Rufus Moseley was a Pentecostal preacher from the last century. In one of his messages, Moseley asked, “If you beat the devil by being a bigger devil, what would you become?”
God defeated the devil, but not by being a bigger or more powerful devil. Instead, He came to this earth, gave His life on the cross through His Son, and was raised from the dead. He defeated His enemies by making them His friends.
In love, God has reached out to broken and hopeless people to bring us peace, righteousness, and salvation. Ultimately, He is our praise.
End-Time Blessings
When Isaiah wrote these words, the Hebrew people were suffering greatly from foreign enemies. God gave them a vision of a wonderful future.
We are still waiting for that future today, but one day it will come true for those who have accepted God’s grace.
Take a moment to look back and forward through these verses. See what God has in store for humans to experience His character and presence, and a blessed environment. This is not just our present, but our forever blessed life because of God’s abundant grace.
“The sun shall no longer be
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give light to you by night,
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun shall no more go down
or your moon withdraw itself,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.” (Isaiah 60:19-20)
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 