Trust the Plan: 5. Israel's stump will be a holy seed

My heart is trembling right now. Most of what I have been writing the last week or two, I have seen for a while. The LORD keeps building on His word. I get a deeper understanding of who God is and what He wants. But this morning I read something that I have never seen before, and I tremble.

So I have come to understand the last several years that there are basically two groups of people. First, there are those who do not want anything to do with God, or they want to make up their own idea of who God is and what He does. These people are those who belong to the world. Then there are those who have decided to follow God. These people (we) belong to Christ. When I read the Bible, spiritually speaking, we Christians are called many things: the Temple, the Branch, the City of God - Jerusalem, the Mountain of God - Zion, Judah, Israel, trees, sheep, etc. So even though the Bible is written in a very natural sense, is is also a parable of what happens in the spiritual realm.

So when I listen to what God says about Israel (us) or Jerusalem (us) or Judah (us), I find that God is not pleased with His people. In fact, He is coming to judge HIS people. All that is about to come on the whole earth is because God's people have turned their back to Him and have chosen to go their own way. God is not happy, and that is putting it very mildly.

However, there is a remnant - not very many - who really want to follow God. Their heart cry is to please Him. They want to do what is right, but oftentimes find that things get in the way. That does not change the fact that their heart is still crying out for "Holy." These few people will experience all the goodness God has promised to His people from the foundation of the earth. Every promise. Glorious freedom. Healing. Safety. Noisy family. Oneness. Peace. Joy. Happiness. JOY! and more JOY! Trees planted by streams of water that bring forth fruit in its season. These people are heart-wide-open to Jesus, and I can see God's big, good plan for this small group of people, and it is all good - even though things may get hard, it is good. That's why I am writing these posts. I want you to understand what God wants from us and how He is going to get it.

This morning, however, I saw something I had never seen before. In Isaiah 6, we see that Isaiah has a vision and sees God high and lifted up with angels crying, "Holy, holy, holy!" And he realizes he is doomed. He is a sinful man with filthy lips, and he lives among a people with filthy lips, but the angel brings a coal and touches his lips and his guilt is removed and his sins are forgiven. (That's what happens to us when we ask Jesus to come and save us.). So Isaiah heard the LORD asking, "Whom shall I send as a messenger to My people? Who will go for us?" And Isaiah said, "Here I am. Send me." - When I read this I could see my hand raised. Send me!

And He said, "Yes, go and say to this people,
"Listen carefully, but do not understand.
Watch closely, but learn nothing."
Harden the hearts of these people.
Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
and turn to Me for healing."

I have seen this happen. I am telling you. I have seen this happen, so I asked, along with Isaiah, "LORD, how long will this go on? And He replied,

"Until their towns are empty,
their houses are deserted,
and the whole country is a wasteland;
until the LORD has sent everyone away,
and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.
If even a tenth - a remnant - survive,
it will be invaded again and burned.
But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down,
so Israel's stump will be a holy seed."

I think that this is the first time that I realized that there will not be anything left of us but a stump. Even the remnant. Read it again. We will be invaded again and burned. But we will be a holy seed.

What does that look like? I don't know. What does any of this look like? I don't know. Never did I ever imagine what has happened the last couple of years. This is not how I thought it would play out. I can see it all in the Word. I can see the beginning and the end, but I don't know what the in-between actually will be like. But I do know this. God has a plan. A good plan. A plan to prosper and not to harm. A plan to give us hope and a future. I know, too, that all things are going to work together for our good because we love Him and we are called according to His purpose, and we are being conformed into His image.

Pride will disappear. We will faithfully and joyfully worship God and God alone. He will be our God, and we will be His people. Eye has never seen, nor ear has ever heard, nor has it ever entered into the heart of man the good things that God has planned for those who love Him. These light troubles will only be momentary. Trust Him. Whatever happens is going to be good.
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Terri