Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Isaiah 1:16-17 -- On Making a Difference

"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."
Isaiah 1:16-17


God is amazing. :) At the beginning of the chapter he says "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." He knows that we've done evil things, and that we've suffered because of it... and then he asks "Why should you be stricken any more?" He's watched us suffer for our choices, but we just keep doing bad stuff, over and over again. And then this. God is truly our father, and he doesn't want to give up on us, despite our continual rebellion. He pleads with us to change, to do better... to not bring upon ourselves the natural consequences of evil actions. Throughout the scriptures, even when people get amazingly evil and they are just going to teach generations and generations to do more evil... he tries to save some. Noah from the flood... Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah... Lehi, Mulek... always a remnant of people to try to build up a good people and a safe place to send more of his children... like the parable of the olive trees. And it applies not just to the whole earth, but to each of us as individuals. He pleads with us to be the people who stand up and make a difference... to be the few in the city of many who are still dedicated to him, who will be willing to change our ways and become better people. He loves us, and wants to spare us suffering. He wants to lead us to good, to joy... to better futures than we could imagine for ourselves. Today, let's be clean. Let's put away the evil in our lives and learn to do well. Let's be compassionate and help other people that need justice, mercy, support, guidance, and love. Let's be the people that make the difference for good.

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