Give Them Up

Scripture:
Do not fear, for I am with you;
    I will bring your descendants from the east,
    and gather you from the west;
I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
    and to the south, “Do not keep them back.
Bring My sons from afar,
    and My daughters from the ends of the earth,
even everyone who is called by My name,
    for I have created him for My glory;
    I have formed him, and I have made him.”
Bring forth the blind people who have eyes,
    and the deaf who have ears.
Let all the nations be gathered together,
    and let the people be assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
    and show us former things?
Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified;
    or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
Isaiah 43:5-9

Observation: As Isaiah continued to predict the future recovery of the Israelites, he goes beyond the "they will return to the land" prophecy, and dives into "all the nations". All nations will be gathered together. This will include the blind who have eyes and the deaf who have ears ... those who do not believe in God but are open to seeing and learning. Those people - "all the nations" - will come forward. They will gather together and be assembled, and themselves will bring their witness about God. They will hear of salvation, declare "it is true", and believe.

And they will come from east, west, north, and south.

Application: We pray this often at church ... "give them up" ... facing in the cardinal directions. Isaiah is clear about this prayer - we are to say to the directions to give up the people and let them come to faith in God. I did not know that this routine of ours was biblical instruction.

When praying this, I have often prayed for specific people - many different people. I have asked for them to come to church, to events, to Alpha. I have asked that they just open their eyes, see the truth of the world we live in, and for once in their lives understand the truth. However, that lands me on the metaphor of the blind and the deaf. Isaiah has a qualification to these descriptions ... that they have eyes and ears. In other words, they are ignorant, but open to the truth. Thus, one of my prayers when I ask to "give 'em up" has often been to let people be at least open to the good news of Jesus. However, this is my fear, that they simply are not open.

I know this is their free will. God has loved them so much that he has granted them the quality and ability to choose whatever they like. This is an "image of God" quality. And so there are sons and daughters who will refused to cross the street, let alone come from afar or the ends of the earth, in order to see and hear about Jesus.

Israel was SO lost that they had people that turned sin into a calling (idol makers), so God destroyed them, going so far as formally blessing the king of Babylon has his chosen destroyer of nations. Yet he had a good plan for them. Today, I know people SO lost that they turn sin into a calling, and I pray God won't destroy them or raise up a power to destroy the nation. Yet either way, I know he has a good plan.

Prayer: This is my prayer today, or Lord, my God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God of David, father of Jesus, Lord of hosts, Lord the creator, God almighty, Lord my provider ... please give them up. Release all from the grip upon their hard hearts, and give them all at least a moment of softness so their eyes will see and their ears will hear. Give them another chance to witness your love, and determine again if they believe it is true. You are the God of second chances. You love, and you never give up on anyone. Please do not give up on the millions in this region, or on the many millions in this nation. Please give them up from their lost lives, misguided missions, and material dreams. Return them to you, the source of their origin, and the void they seek but cannot find. Call them once again to return from their distant places. Bring them from afar, from the ends of the earth, where their hearts have wandered. You formed them and made them. And you love them. Please give them up, for your truth and your son. Amen, and amen.