Blessed God, pour out Your power and love on the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Here is our text for this morning: Isaiah 5: 1 Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!
There is nothing sweeter than a good grape. But there have been a number of times that I have seen what appear to be juicy, plump grapes in the grocery store, which I'll buy and take home, wash, and then taste only to discover they look better than they taste. Most times they'll just sit there only to be thrown out. In this prophetic passage the same question is being raised but from the grower's point of view; what good is all the work that goes into a vineyard only to discover that the grapes yielded have a sour taste. The ground was fertile, all stones were removed, and the best vines were planted; a person was even positioned to watch over it and a wine vat, that which would hold the results of that vineyard was even made of the stones found on that precious land, and what does it yield? Nothing.
This passage was a word from God to the people of Israel and it's a clear message to us today as well. If you think of all that God does on our behalf, the work and blessings that God shares with us, the preparation and protection that is ours and yet off we wander away from God looking not to be a precious harvest or crop, but whatever it is that we want. Pastors sense this and it grieves them. Parents experience this and they are hurt and wonder what could have been different had something else been tried, when in truth it was the child who chose wrong over right.
What is God seeing in your life? What fruit are you producing? It is sweet and appealing to God? Does it invite others to come and experience all God has done for you? Don't stray from what God provides, walk towards God and be what God would have you be.
PRAYER: Gracious God, be merciful to me, for many have been the times that I have walked away from where I could have done or been good; forgive me and let this day be a new opportunity for faithful service and witness. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
