How We Have Been Given This Great Gladness

Today's Word of Encouragement from Wayne:

"Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious"

Isaiah 11;10

Praise our awesome God because this future "day," which God spoke of through Isaiah, is now upon us. Yes, our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, the son of David, is "the root of Jesse." The apostle Paul actually quoted this verse, from Isaiah 11:10, in his letter to the church at Rome, specifically in reference to Jesus Christ (Romans 15:12).

Jesus Christ, right now, is God’s "signal for the peoples" and everyone, from every nation, is welcome to come to Him, for "in repentance and rest you will be saved" (Isaiah 30:15).

"And His resting place will be glorious." This is a reference to the temple of God, where our Lord dwells. In the Old Testament God’s resting place was in the temple in Jerusalem. Now, in this present day, because of the new covenant in Jesus Christ, our "Lord" and "priest forever" (Psalm 110: 1&4), God’s resting place dwells within us. "For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them" (2nd Corinthians 6:16).

While we do look forward to a yet future time, where we will live with our Lord forever in heaven, and indeed His resting place will be glorious, we truly need to see that it is now, in this present time, that we need, as the body of Christ, to avail ourselves of God’s glorious resting place. It is now that we need the strength and joy of God’s presence to empower us to live as Christians and to be faithful witnesses of our Lord, in His fullness, to all the peoples and nations of this world.

Now here is something for all of us to see and receive: God says that "His resting place will be glorious" and, we know that, "His resting place," right now, dwells within us. So, this can only mean that God sees His resting place, in you, as being glorious. Do you see this? Do you see God’s glorious resting place residing within you? It is time for each of us to see this as well - that God’s resting place in you, in me, and in all true Christians - is GLORIOUS! There is glory for us to behold when we enter the temple of God within us.

We have examined this next verse already quite a bit in our studies and devotions of our priesthood, but let me state once more this word of God. "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?" and then, answering His Own question, God continued with, "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word" (Isaiah 66: 1-2).

Yes, bless your Lord God today in His presence and thank Him that He has made you to be His resting place, and He says His resting place is "Glorious." Agree with God and minister to your Lord in His glorious presence today. Hallelujah!