Old Testament Reading - Isaiah 59

Reading Isaiah 59 sparked some thinking around what we believe 'continuing the work of Jesus in the world' really involves. 

God has revealed himself, his message, his purpose to his people. Just as Jesus made himself his message his purpose known to those who walked with him, we are called to make Jesus, his message, his purpose known to the ends of the earth.

Yet we do not... continue His work... we keep what we have. The hope of the world gets locked away...

I wonder if that is because we do not really believe God is able to save (vs1) or because we do not really believe the people have a need (though they are separated from God and have no peace - do we believe that...).  

We can not afford to be afraid any more.

God is able to save, he is able to give peace, but he will not do it if we are not prepared to have him engage, challenge and renew our hearts. Sin separates us from God, it really is a big problem, but God really did plan for a solution. That is a message this world needs to hear.

It is worth living so that people can hear that message!

Isaiah 59

 ¹ Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,
       nor his ear too dull to hear.  ² But your iniquities have separated        you from your God;
       your sins have hidden his face from you,
       so that he will not hear.
 ³ For your hands are stained with blood,
       your fingers with guilt.
       Your lips have spoken lies,
       and your tongue mutters wicked things.
 ⁴ No one calls for justice;
       no one pleads his case with integrity.
       They rely on empty arguments and speak lies;
       they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
 ⁵ They hatch the eggs of vipers
       and spin a spider's web.
       Whoever eats their eggs will die,
       and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
 ⁶ Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
       they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
       Their deeds are evil deeds,
       and acts of violence are in their hands.
 ⁷ Their feet rush into sin;
       they are swift to shed innocent blood.
       Their thoughts are evil thoughts;
       ruin and destruction mark their ways.
 ⁸ The way of peace they do not know;
       there is no justice in their paths.
       They have turned them into crooked roads;
       no one who walks in them will know peace.