1 But the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel and will settle them in their own land, and aliens will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the nations will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess the nations as male and female slaves in the Lord’s land; they will take captive those who were their captors and rule over those who oppressed them.
Downfall of the King of Babylon
3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
How the oppressor has ceased!
How his insolence has ceased!
5
The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers,
6
that struck down the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution.
7
The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
they break forth into singing.
8
The cypresses exult over you,
the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
“Since you were laid low,
no one comes to cut us down.”
9
Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.
10
All of them will speak
and say to you:
“You, too, have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!”
11
Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
and the sound of your harps;
maggots are the bed beneath you,
and worms are your covering.
12
How you are fallen from heaven,
O Morning Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13
You said to yourself,
“I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
on the heights of Zaphon;
14
I will ascend to the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
15
But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the depths of the Pit.
16
Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
“Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
17
who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who would not let his prisoners go home?”
18
All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb,
19
but you are cast out, away from your grave,
like loathsome carrion,
clothed with the dead, those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the Pit
like a corpse trampled underfoot.
20
You will not be joined with them in burial
because you have destroyed your land;
you have killed your people.
May the descendants of evildoers
nevermore be named!
21
Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons
because of the guilt of their father.
Let them never rise to possess the earth
or cover the face of the world with cities.
22 I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts, and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, offspring and posterity, says the Lord. 23 And I will make it a possession of the screech owl and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the Lord of hosts.
An Oracle concerning Assyria
24
The Lord of hosts has sworn:
As I have designed,
so shall it be,
and as I have planned,
so shall it come to pass:
25
I will break the Assyrian in my land
and on my mountains trample him under foot;
his yoke shall be removed from them
and his burden from their shoulders.
26
This is the plan that is planned
concerning the whole earth,
and this is the hand that is stretched out
over all the nations.
27
For the Lord of hosts has planned,
and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
and who will turn it back?
An Oracle concerning Philistia
28 In the year that King Ahaz died this oracle came:
29
Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,
that the rod that struck you is broken,
for from the root of the snake will come forth an adder,
and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
30
In my pastures the poor will graze
and the needy lie down in safety,
but I will make your root die of famine,
and your remnant I will kill.
31
Wail, O gate; cry, O city;
melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!
For smoke comes out of the north,
and there is no straggler in its ranks.
There has never, ever been anyone like you, and there never will be. God made you on purpose and for a purpose. And God wants to reveal the purpose He has for your life. You be you—that is how God is most glorified through you.
When you die, you don’t stop existing, or have your memories wiped out, or become angels. You are still yourself.
In these verses (Luke 9:29-30), we read about how two dead prophets (Moses and Elijah) came down to earth —momentarily because no one lingers on after death— to talk to the Lord during the Transfiguration.
In Luke 16:19-31, the Lord tells of two men who died but went to very different places. One went into agony and the other into comfort. The one in torment knew the name of the other man (Luke 16:24), and he also remembered he had a family (Luke 16:27-28). His memories weren’t wiped out.
In 1 Samuel 28:16-19, we read about how a dead prophet comes back to life —once again, momentarily to fulfill God’s purpose— and he still remembers king Saul (who also recognized the dead prophet), and Samuel still remembered the events of the past (1 Samuel 28:16-18). The dead prophet’s memory wasn’t wiped out.
Personally, I believe that just like our sins (Acts 3:19), so will the guilt/shame of sin for those covered by the blood of the Lamb to be blotted out once we make it to heaven.
The sin that clouds the mind will be gone once we leave this sinful body behind. For the first time, we will be able to think clearly. For a believer, this is an unfathomable joyful thought, while for the unbeliever such clarity will only make hell a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” due to the clear thinking (not to mention the obvious physical agony) which now haunts them for all they’ve done on this earth.
Unless you “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15), all that waits for you is eternal torment (Revelation 14:10-11).
“These were potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.”
1 Chronicles 4:23
Potters were not the very highest grade of workers, but “the king” needed potters, and therefore they were in royal service, although the material upon which they worked was nothing but clay. We, too, may be engaged in the most menial part of the Lord’s work, but it is a great privilege to do anything for “the king”; and therefore we will abide in our calling, hoping that, “although we have lien among the pots, yet shall we be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.” The text tells us of those who dwelt among plants and hedges, having rough, rustic, hedging and ditching work to do. They may have desired to live in the city, amid its life, society, and refinement, but they kept their appointed places, for they also were doing the king’s work. The place of our habitation is fixed, and we are not to remove from it out of whim and caprice, but seek to serve the Lord in it, by being a blessing to those among whom we reside. These potters and gardeners had royal company, for they dwelt “with the king” and although among hedges and plants, they dwelt with the king there. No lawful place, or gracious occupation, however mean, can debar us from communion with our divine Lord. In visiting hovels, swarming lodging-houses, workhouses, or jails, we may go with the king. In all works of faith we may count upon Jesus’ fellowship. It is when we are in his work that we may reckon upon his smile. Ye unknown workers who are occupied for your Lord amid the dirt and wretchedness of the lowest of the low, be of good cheer, for jewels have been found upon dunghills ere now, earthen pots have been filled with heavenly treasure, and ill weeds have been transformed into precious flowers. Dwell ye with the King for his work, and when he writes his chronicles your name shall be recorded.
Daily Bible and Devotional for Women - http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=daily.bible.for.woman
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
New Living Translation : ROMANS 8v 31 - 39
Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
"Every adversity that comes across our path, whether large or small, is intended to help us grow in some way. If it were not beneficial, God would not allow it or send it, “For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” (Lamentations 3:33). God does not delight in our sufferings. He brings only that which is necessary, but He does not shrink from that which will help us grow."
- Jerry Bridges
"I'm confident that there's a purpose behind this painful waiting"
In this unfamiliar place,take heart and give yourself an endless amount of grace and recognize this: you're still here, you're still standing,you're still fighting. You still have a mighty purpose in Him. You have not lost your great destiny in the Lord.
🌺All this time, God has brought you and kept you. Look back and see all the ways He's proven Himself faithful 🌺