Day 349
Isaiah 43:5-6; 62:4,12 Amplified Version
"Fear not,for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east [where they were dispersed] and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give up! And to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth-"
"You [Judah] shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be called Desolate anymore. But you shall be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land be called Beulah [that is married]; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married [owned and protected by the Lord]."
"And they shall call them, The holy People, the redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken. "
The prophet Isaiah prophesied long ago about the restoration of Israel. He quoted God as saying He would gather the Jews from every part of the earth and would restore the land of Israel as a home for them. He promised that it would be a final restoration in that it would never be desolate again.
For many years, the land of Israel was a wilderness, and the Jews were scattered all over the earth. Yet, they never lost their identity and the knowledge of who they were, because God had plans of reestablishing the nation of Israel in the last days. He has been faithful to His Word. In this century, the Jews have reestablished themselves as a nation and rebuilt the land of Israel. The return of the Jews seemed mysterious. All over the world, without consulting each other or having any mass organizational plan, Jews began to have a desire to return to their homeland to live. Countries under Communist rule, whose leaders would not permit their citizens to leave, were forced to give up the Jews. God moved until they were released to go home to Israel.
Today the land of Israel can indeed be called "sought out," a "city not forsaken." Tourists flock to the Holy Land every year as a testimony to the faithfulness of God.
As I think about the Holy Land and what God has done there, I praise Him for His greatness and thank Him for the demonstration of His faithfulness. I am encouraged to know that I serve a faithful God. I can count on Him to keep His Word to me.