Removed and Peace at Last

Greetings in the Lord!

Today's word comes from Isaiah 57, and I will say that it is a rather stern word that also sheds light on the sometimes difficult ways of the Lord.  Difficult, in that we tend to think of God's mercy in gentle, soothing ways, and not necessarily in the way presented here.

"The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.  Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death."  (verses 1-2)

Death is God's mercy?  Well, when their present situation is too wicked too bear any longer, and no good person has the power to intervene and the whole lot of those in control are corrupt and wicked and still can inflict suffering on their victims, then, I guess, death would be a merciful act.  But still, it's kind of hard to imagine such a scenario, but in Isaiah 57:1-2 God's word tells us that God does indeed have control over our life and death and will give peace to the righteous in His way, so be it.

Having said that, the crux of today's message is that the righteous are removed to be spared from evil...and verses 3-13 tell of God's indictment against the wicked:

"But you--come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!  Whom are you mocking?  At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue?

Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars? 

You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags....Yes, to idols you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings....You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices.  Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols....You went to Molech with olive oil and increased your perfumes.  You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the grave itself!

Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me?  I will expose your "righteousness" and your works, and they will not benefit you.  When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you!  The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away.  But the man who makes Me his refuge will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain." 

So, who and what is the Lord referring to today?  I believe it is again another word for the power elites in Hollywood; those who are ruining young, talented individuals by using mind control techniques on them to orchestrate their every career move, pimping them for profit, and throwing them away when they are no longer profitable.  Unfortunately, these techniques destroy their minds in the process.  But what do they care?  Another younger, prettier child will come along and take their place, right?  Then the cycle begins again--groom them, control them, use them, and throw them away.  Wickedness!  God will expose their heinous doings while moving out from under their thumbs tormented captives.

"Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the Lord.  "And I will heal them."  But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.  "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

~Be blessed and be a blessing.