Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Isaiah - Day 84

versebyverse | August 26, 2008 18:04

Scripture:  Isaiah 5:4 (NIV):  " 'What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?  When I looked for grapes, why did it yield only bad?' "

Thought:  To me, we often blame God for our own wrong behaviors.

Question:  Has my life born "good" or "bad" fruit?  Why?

God illustrates the fact through these two questions that His efforts are above-board, and that it is not wrong for Him to now expect good fruit.  He poses the great questions of 1) what more could I do? and 2) why bad fruit? now to Israel.  They need to think about why they've "gone bad."  And, of course, so do we.

By asking the first question, God makes it clear that it is not His failure or insufficiency that has caused this problem.  Mankind needs to look deep within themselves to discover their shortcomings in the eyes of God.  By asking the second question, God goes even further to remove blame from Himself.  He has given us every good thing necessary for productivity, but we have often wasted what He has given, or lost it through disuse, or misused it for wrong purposes.  We owe God so much!  And there is really nothing more that He needs to do:  we need to be "doing"!  The apostle Paul states in Romans 1:14 that he is a "debtor" to God (King James version), and "obligated" to preach the gospel. (NIV)  Why?  Paul rightly realizes how much good God has done for him and his response is to be busy doing for God in return!  Paul again refers to how he is moved to serve God in 2 Corinthians 5:14:  "For Christ's love compels us...", (NIV), and in the King James, "For the love of Christ constraineth us..."  

Let us not be guilty of wasting our gifts and talents.  Let us not be guilty of failing to use them at all.  And let us not be guilty of misusing them selfishly or wrongly. 

Prayer:  Father, You have not failed me.  If there is a lack, it is my doing!  Strengthen me to respond to Your good gifts by producing through them what You want in my life.  Guide me to find what You want by looking deeply into Your Word.  Amen. 

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