READING FOR DECEMBER 12, 2025: ISAIAH 3, REVELATION 8, PSALM 121 ISAIAH 3 Quotation from a well-known Progressive Christian: “If you accept a punitive notion of God, who punishes or even eternally tortures those who do not love him, then you have an absurd universe where most people on this earth end up being more loving than God.” Quotation from a well-known Christian Nationalist: “Social justice is concerned not with equality of opportunity but equality of outcomes. In order to achieve this, it must hold back those who are ahead and push forward those who are behind.”
For those of us who have recently spent much time on social media, we have read lots of self-identified Christians ridiculing other Christians who hold different viewpoints. Perhaps today’s reflection is doing more of the same, so this writer proceeds with humility. On that point, each of the two individuals referenced above have made statements elsewhere that most of us could embrace. But let’s evaluate these particular statements in light of Isaiah 3.
Does God punish those who don’t love Him? If so, are most people more loving than He is? This chapter says God will remove food, drink, and all who are in positions of authority from the land He gave them. There will be a total crisis of leadership and general lawlessness. Why is this happening? “Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glori -ous presence” (vs.8). Is this because God is less loving than most people? God loved us so much that He created us in His image, giving us free will to love or not love Him in return. What have we/they done with this freedom? “Woe to them! For they have done evil to themselves” (vs. 9). To repeatedly rebel against His glorious presence (vs. 8) removes us from receiving benefits of His love. Later in Isaiah, we’ll see the extent of God’s vast love that sent His Son to die for us all.
Does concern for the poor mean no interest in equal opportunity? Are outcomes unimport- ant? This chapter says that those who set the rules have taken advantage of the poor by op- pressing them: “The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people, ‘It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The goods stolen from the poor are in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people and oppressing the face of the poor?”’ (vs.14-15). One example just today: we had another state move toward changing voting boundary lines so that poorer voters will have less impact. God calls the poor here “My people” not a group that, as the Christian Nationalist above implies, threatens our status—that is unless that status is one of “oppressors.”
We see that in one chapter God’s Word is capable of speaking truth against the so-called Christian Left and Christian Right. He is capable of correcting us when, likely not just if, we wander from His revealed truth. God alone, not social media, is the perfect balance of truth, love, wisdom, justice, and holiness. He graciously guides those of us who seek Him: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
READING FOR DECEMBER 12, 2025 CONTINUED: REVELATION 8, PSALM 121 REVELATION 8: Chapter 8 begins with 30 minutes of silence once the seventh seal was opened. The seventh seal reveals seven angels who are each given a trumpet. Each trumpet will sound and bring about crisis upon the earth. Chapter 8 reveals the first four trumpets:
- First Trumpet: Hail and fire mingled with blood will cause the grass on earth and a third of the trees to be burned up.
- Second Trumpet: A great mountainous burning object will be thrown into the earth’s oceans, causing one third of them to become blood, one third of sea life to die and one third of the ships to be destroyed.
- Third Trumpet: John saw a burning star fall from heaven on sources of fresh water, causing one third of the water to become bitter and kill many.
- Fourth Trumpet: The light of the sun, moon and stars upon the earth will be diminished by one third.
As terrifying as these trumpets are, there is a word of hope before they are blown. Consider the hope found in verse 3-4, “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.”
This is another reminder that our prayers really do make a difference. Our prayers are brought to the altar before God’s throne. This is seen elsewhere in Scripture:
- May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2)
- Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
- Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8)
Take a few minutes and lift your concerns and joys to God with the confidence that your prayers are rising like incense before God.
PSALM 121 Yorktown, Indiana is flat. But if we had hills, like those viewed by the travelers to Jerusalem, looking up at them might remind us that our only real help comes from above, from God. He who created the heavens and the earth is certainly capable of caring for us. Several years ago, someone asked in a YMC Sunday School class, does God ever sleep? The Psalmist says He doesn’t even take a nap. He is always available to us in any time zone, day and night. So agrees this great Irish hymn: “Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best thought, by day or by night Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.”
