God’s channel of blessing

And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. Isaiah 35:5-8 The nation of Israel was chosen by God to be a blessing to other nations of the world. This was God’s plan so nations around them would come to God and worship the one true God. The temple in Jerusalem was to be the center from which the good news of God’s salvation would spread to every corner of the world. But the Israelites chose to disobey God and followed other gods. They abandoned their worship of God and started to get engaged in every kind of sin. Instead of bringing people to a faith in God, they became stumbling block. They turned to idols that led them to commit sin. “Son of man, these leaders have set up idols[a] in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin” (Ezekiel 14:3). The prophet Isaiah was sent by God to call back the Israelites to worshiping the God that had called them out from Egyptian bondage. Because of their rebellion against God, they were sent into exile. From the text, Isaiah spoke of a day when they will be restored but this will depend on their repentance and return to God. Christians are placed where they are so they could shine the light that comes from God. They are where they are so that the people around them could learn of the salvation that God provides those that trust Him with their lives. This is what Paul was also telling the Christians in Corinth. They lives are a testimony of God’s faithfulness. The way they live their lives reflect the working of the Holy Spirit within. “You are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3). Your life lived in obedience to God’s will could become an aroma for others to experience the fragrance of the life in Christ and this could lead to salvation. “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved” (2 Corinthians 2:15). If you will not be consistent with your claim that you are a child of God, you won’t be able to lead others to the saving knowledge of Christ. Isaiah referred to the lives of godly people as a “highway to holiness.” The implication is that their lives provide an easy access to God. When others see you and hear your claim that you are a child of God, can they tell that you are true to your claim? You may not be perfect in the way you live but you can be God’s channel of blessing so that others around you will desire the new life you have in Christ.

Blessings,