Verse of the Week

This week, the verse of the week is from Isaiah 1:18...

Come now and let's deliberate over the next steps to take together. Yahweh promises you over and over: Though your sins stain you like scarlet, I will whiten them like bright, new-fallen snow! Even though they are deep red like crimson, they will be made white like wool!

This verse is written to the people of Judah and Jerusalem at a time when they were blatantly rebelling against God, and their society was showing the evidence of this (sounds very much like today right?). God had just been saying that He is sick and tired of what was happening in the nation, and was calling them to change their ways.

BUT in the midst of that, we see God's mercy and kindness. God is ALWAYS hungry for relationship and intimacy with His people, and Isaiah 1:18 is evidence of that. He starts by inviting His people to draw near to Him, so they can move forward together. No matter what situation we find ourselves in, whether self-inflicted or the result of external circumstances, that invitation is always there for you and I as well.

God then makes an incredible promise. He promises to remove the stain of sin. He uses the image of being stained like scarlet and deep red like crimson. Both of those pictures would have made sense to those who read or heard this, because this was referring to clothing and garments being dyed, and the method that was used to dye them created a permanent stain on the garments.

Sometimes the enemy will attempt to cause us to be overcome by shame, because he can make us feel like there is no way out from our sin and mistakes. But our God and Father is a supernatural God. He is a master of redeeming the mistakes of our lives. And He does it not by condemning, shaming or ridiculing us, but by inviting us to walk with Him in intimacy.

When we make a mistake, we are so blessed, because we don't have to run and hide. We can run TO Him, and walk things out together, knowing that we are free, forgiven and cleansed. What a blessing!