QT 3 Dec 14, Isa 25:1-8a, There is a plan and it is there for us to learn

Isa 25:1-8 (ESV) O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name,

for you have done wonderful things,

 plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

2 For you have made the city a heap,

the fortified city a ruin;

the foreigners' palace is a city no more;

it will never be rebuilt.

3  Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;

cities of ruthless nations will fear you.

4  For you have been a stronghold to the poor,

a stronghold to the needy in his distress,

 a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;

 for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,

5  like heat in a dry place.

You subdue the noise of the foreigners;

as heat by the shade of a cloud,

so the song of the ruthless is put down.

6  On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,

 of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

7 And he will swallow up on this mountain

the covering that is cast over all peoples,

 the veil that is spread over all nations.

8  He will swallow up death forever;

NOTE: There is a plan, and it has been formed of old. It is faithful and sure. So, if there is a plan, why does it have to take so long? Why does it seem so chaotic? Why does it allow evil to reign? Because we believe that God has made the plan, we also know that the plan has purpose. It is not chaotic, slow, or evil. It has a purpose and it is to make abundantly clear that God's ways are much better than anything man can devised. For all of our supposed intelligence, new ideas, and solutions, our world does not get better where it matters most. We don't treat people with respect and dignity. We don't love. We don't worship the creator (which is very important if in fact we are created--which I believe--how we are created is debatable). And so our culture crumbles as relative truth reigns and fails to give us the future we hope to see. We consistently make excuses for the failures, suggesting more and more things are needed. Someday (although it has happened in other nations), the world leader will make the argument that the problem is religion, specifically Jews and Christians that are holding back progress. And the only way to achieve our "dream" is to eliminate these subversive elements. It will happen. Revelation tells us that it will happen. Revelation promises death to tribulation saints, but with the certainty of a much better eternal reward. There is a plan and it is designed to teach the world. Are we learning or are we also ignoring what God is teaching?