ISAIAH

Today is Saturday and what a great evening we had last night at our first annual "Mighty Men's Conference".  We have Dr. Ray Young, President of Hyles-Anderson College with us, and what a blessing it was last evening.  We could have listened for hours more!  We had a great steak dinner, testimonies, special singing, 120 men singing out, and teaching time.  It was a great blessing!  I've read in Isaiah this morning, and here are a few thoughts that came to me: 1) I PROBLEM- In Isaiah 14:13,14, it says five times "I".  This is talking about Lucifer (vs. 12).  Don't get an "I" problem.  We might be our favorite subject, but that is not a subject anyone else loves to hear about.  We need to walk humbly before God realizing that the opposite of humility is pride, and God hates pride.  (We have no reason for it, because anything we are or have accomplished; God is the doing of it!) 2) A HEART FOR GOD EVERYDAY- In Isaiah 17:7, it says:  "At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel."  This should be an everyday occurrence.   To every day look to our Maker and have respect (love, honor, worship) for the God of heaven.  I was thinking of David as I read this passage.  The Bible says that David was a "man after God's own heart".  Now, I always read that to mean that David had a heart like the heart of God.  A man in tune with God.  But this morning it dawned on me that it was not about what he possessed, but what he was after!  David was constantly after the "heart of God".  He was a man "after" (striving after; looking for; thirsting for; hungering for; searching after; seeking for;...) the heart of God.  He wanted to know the heart of God.  He wanted God!  Do you want God?  You say.... I have Him!  Yes, in Salvation and in our lives we certainly do, but.... is there a hunger for the Heart of God?  Oh that our hearts would be constantly "after" the heart of God! 3) FAST ASLEEP- In Isaiah 29:10 it says: "For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered."  God closed the eyes of men who should have known the wisdom of God.  Why would God do this?  Then in verse 11, God makes His Word as "a book that is sealed", so that the men who are learned say "I cannot (read it); for it is sealed:"  Why?  Verse 13 tells us why: "Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:"  In verse 14, God goes on to say: "for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."  Then that leads the LORD to say of the people in verse 15: "Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?"  NOW... HERE IS WHAT GOD IS SAYING:  If you reject Me and My Word, I will make it so that My Word is closed to you, and then if you rely on your own wisdom, I will make your wisdom to perish, and then you will start trying to hide yourself from God saying "Who seeth me?"   Now, isn't that what is going on in America?  Pray for our nation, but let your eyes be open to God's Word and obedient! LORD, help my to have a heart for You.  A heart that is "after" Your Heart.  May today we a day I seek you and find you.  I love you Lord, thank you for this beautiful day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler