Psalm 8:1, 31:1-3a, and 16:2

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Isaiah 63. His Mind engaged mine in verses 6-9:

Isaiah 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Isaiah 63:7 ¶ I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

Isaiah 63:8 For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.

Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

Remember 1 Corinthians 10:11 and Romans 15:4: This is written for you (1 Peter 2:10). Read through the chapter and see the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Along the still waters, He walked and talked with me as I ruminated on the passage He set before me.

With vengeance filling His heart, He sought an intercessor, finding none, He rolled up His sleeve and the “high and lofty One” (Isaiah 57:15), the “mighty One” (Isaiah 30:29; 49:26 and 60:16, and the “Holy One” (Isaiah 1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:17, 20; 17:7; 29:19, 23; 30:11, 12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 30:25; 41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14, 15; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17;  49:7 (2x); 54:5; 55:5; 60:9, 14; became the One every devil recognized (Mark 1:24) but most of His own despised (63:1-5).

His purpose upheld by His fury, He would “tread down the people” in His anger and bring down their strength to the earth (63:9).

His prophet responded: “I will mention the lovingkindnsses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD” (63:7). Isaiah paused to reflect on His “great goodness toward” His house (63:7; 1 Timothy 3:15). God paused in His wrath to reflect: “Surely they are my people, children that will not lie” (63:8a), therefore, He would be “their Saviour” (63:8b).

But the next verse slew me: “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old” (63:9). He spoke to them with an eye on us upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Corinthians 10:11).

And the next verse vexed me: “But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them” (Isaiah 63:10). I thought of how we grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-31) and quench Him (1 Thessalonians 5:19). And how this was fulfilled when, by the Spirit (see Isaiah 63:9, 10-11, 14), first Stephen rebuked them, “Ye do always resist,” (Acts 7:51), and then the Spirit through Paul testified: “Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Acts 28:25-27; see Isaiah 6:9-13).

Imagine, “in all [our] affliction,” He is afflicted, even though we provoke the affliction that befalls us. He remembers better times, with us (Isaiah 63:11-14), though we forget Him days without number (Jeremiah 2:32).

The greatest tragedy of Israel was that to be friends with God’s enemies, they became the enemy of God. This nation under God is at war with God, yet He extends His gracious hand to us, stretching out to us the arm by which He saved us.

In the valley, I knelt at the place where the bared arm of God set His outstretched hand to man on earth: the Cross. And I heard my Saviour call: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). 

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil, and the Spirit of the Holy One filled me. He stirred into my overflowing cup the measure of grace required for my day. Goodness and mercy sidled up to Christ, Who apponted to them their place behind me. We walked into His harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏