Bits and Pieces – 32nd Edition – October 11, 2020

“I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.”

“No man is beyond this drawing power.  Old and young, rich and poor, ignorant and learned, depraved or amiable – all men shall feel the attractive force.  Jesus is the one magnet.  Let us not think of any other.

“Music will not draw to Jesus, neither will eloquence, logic, ceremonial, or noise.  Jesus must draw men to Himself; and Jesus is quite equal to the work in every case.  Be not tempted by the quackeries of the day; but as workers for the Lord work in his own way, and draw with the Lord’s own cords.  Draw to Christ, and draw by Christ, for then Christ will draw by you.”

God “raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”  [Ephesians 1:20-23].

The prophecy of Isaiah has often been called ‘The Little Bible.”  The Bible has 66 books and Isaiah has 66 chapters.  Genesis is the book of beginnings, and especially of sin.  The first chapter of Isaiah addresses the people as “Ah, sinful nation”  [v4] and gives a vivid description of their sin [v5 & 6].

Chapter 66 of Isaiah, equivalent to the last book of the Bible, Revelation, speaks of the new heaven and new earth [66:22] as does Revelation [21:1].  Isaiah 40 is the equivalent of Matthew’s Gospel and speaks of the coming of the Lord’s forerunner, John the Baptist [40:3] and of Christ, the Creator and Redeemer.

The 35^th book of the Bible is Habakkuk and is a book of revival [3:2].  Isaiah 35 is a wonderful chapter on revival where “the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose”  [35:1].  These are just a few reasons why Isaiah has been called the ‘The Little Bible.’  We would encourage God’s people to read and pray on Isaiah 35 that the Lord would stir up our hearts in a spiritual awakening.

When someone is ill it is normal, and good, to pray for their healing, but there is something we should keep in mind.  David said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes”  [Psalm 119:71].  It is obvious then that the Lord sent affliction to direct, guide, and teach David.

The Lord allowed Paul to suffer from a “thorn in the flesh” [2 Cor. 12:7] and, despite Paul’s repeated requests, did not heal him.  Instead, Paul learned from the affliction that God’s “grace” was “sufficient” for him.  Had he been healed he would have missed God’s special blessing.  Is it possible that when praying for the healing of someone we are actually praying against the will of God?  Rather, ought we not to pray that the Lord will give them “sufficient grace”  in the trial and bring them out safe on the other side, having found the Lord’s “grace to help in time of need” [Hebrews 4:16]?

In Isaiah 40 God shows us how miniscule we are when compared to the infinite nature of the great Creator and Sustainer of this universe.  God likens “the nations” to the “small dust of the balance” [Isaiah 40:15].  That is, in the olden days when flour or meal was weighed in the balance and then poured into some sort of bag there was a little dust adhering to the balance.  This God likened to the nations of the world.

The Lord also likens them to “a drop in the bucket.”  When a bucket of water is emptied out there is always one drop sticking to the bucket rim. That is how the Lord sees the nations.

The “the inhabitants” of the earth are seen as “grasshoppers”  [Isaiah 40:22] not lions, tigers or other important animals, but mere, miniscule, “grasshoppers.”  The next time you feel a bit proud, take down your Bible, read and meditate on the truth of Isaiah 40.  We have nothing to be proud about.