Only God

Welcome to the combined Monday Manna with Living By Grace (click here for this new Facebook community). The purpose of Monday Manna to get together and get to know Christ more through His Word. Each Thursday, a Bible verse to ponder will be posted, either here or at my dear friend Vonnie's blog, My Back Door. The following Monday, those participating will post their thoughts on the verse at their own blogs and link up at the bottom of the post in the Mr. Linky  gadget. The main purpose is to chew on the same Scripture and learn from one another.

AND now, we'll also be discussing the devotional - and thoughts about it - at Living By Grace.

I'm hosting today - and here's the verse:

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11

Looking forward to your thoughts. Mine are below.
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When I was growing up, I remember some people believing that we were getting closer to utopia - that the world was getting better and better, and eventually would be ideal. Modern technology was making life easier, they figured. Sooner or later, everything would just fall into place and we would live in the perfect society.

That isn't a very common belief anymore. You may find people who believe their life is getting better and better, but I'd wager you would be hard pressed to find very many who believe that SOCIETY is doing the same. From corruption to the economy to abortion to crime to who knows what else, the outside influences on our lives are clearly steering us away from, rather than toward, a perfect society.

But still, we all long for it, don't we? And, often, we work toward it. We wish everyone would just get along. We try to encourage those around us to perform random acts of kindness. We hope for justice. We teach our kids right from wrong. We elect (or try to elect) people into office who hold our beliefs. And sometimes it works for a while. But it doesn't get "all better."

Why not, you ask? Because we're sinners, and this world is chock full of them.

We plant the seeds, we water them and give them good soil, fertilizer and sunlight, but we can't make them grow - without the Lord, anyway. We can have an effect for certain, but were it not for God, nothing good would ever occur,. In fact, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17 NIV)

The only way righteousness will overcome the nation - the only way we will TRULY be able to praise and enjoy a perfect world we all long for - is when the Lord our God brings it. Don't stop wishing for it, or working toward it, but remember...

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11

Don't put your faith in politicians, people, government, or programs. Only God can bring about the perfect world we all desire.


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Thanks for reading. Be sure to link up below with your own thoughts - and stop over at Living By Grace to join the discussion!



Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength