Our God works in mysterious ways. I normally write a devotional each day based off Bible Gateway’s “Verse Of The Day.” Today’s verse is Isaiah 12:4. But I generally expand the passage of Scripture to include the general context, so more verses were added. And verse 1 talked about giving thanks to the Lord, for although he was angry, his anger had turned away, and so he brought comfort to the people. But I wanted to know what he was angry about, so I went back a couple of chapters and I read this:
“Woe to those who enact evil statutes
And to those who constantly record unjust decisions,
So as to deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor of My people of their rights,
So that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the orphans.
Now what will you do in the day of punishment,
And in the devastation which will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your wealth?
Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives
Or fall among the slain.
In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.” (Isaiah 10:1-4 NASB1995)
Now what is really interesting about this is that the
president of the USA just signed into law a bill which provides tax relief to
seniors on Social Security. On a surface read that sounds good. But here’s the
clincher. Many of us already living on Social Security, (which we paid into, so
this is not welfare), are already not having to pay taxes on our SS payments.
So there is no benefit for us who are in the lower income brackets. It is the
people in the higher income brackets who are reaping the benefits, not the
poor.
But the bill is being marketed as though it is “providing
meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime
contributing to our nation’s economy.” And this bill is being touted as
something that “helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve
earned.”
Okay, so what is really interesting about this is that
yesterday I was having a friendly discussion about this with a family member on
Facebook, and with one of her friends, and then this morning, even before I saw
what the Scripture passage was for today, I added some additional thoughts to
that discussion. And this is what I wrote this morning:
“The rich get richer but the poor remain poor. So many
people my age, many of them in bad health, are being forced to get jobs to be
able to afford to eat. For the average SS monthly payment is about $2,000 per
month, which is not enough for anyone to live on with today's prices. And some
people get less than that. So, instead of giving the wealthier tax breaks, why
not increase the amount of SS payments for the poor who live off of SS? Our
rent for a modest apartment is about $1600.00 per month, and then add on
utilities and insurance and medical and food and car repairs, etc. But there
are two of us. So we each get paid. Many elderly live alone and cannot afford a
place to live much less to have food to eat.”
I believe God put that on my heart to write this morning,
for he knew before I did what passage of Scripture he was going to lead me to
this morning. Those kinds of coincidences don’t just happen to me. So I believe
very much that this was planned by God that I should write what I did and then
he had me end up in this passage of Scripture in Isaiah 10. For I believe very
much what is expressed in this Scripture passage directly relates to the bill
which was just signed into law by the USA president. It does not help the poor,
but it only helps those of higher income brackets. And this leaves the poor and
the elderly still struggling to survive off the little bit of money they
receive.
But it isn’t just that, but it is the deception which is
coupled with it, which gives the impression that our government has just done
something wonderful to help provide relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime
contributing to our nation’s economy. But there is no relief for us of the
lower income brackets in this bill, as the prices of everything in our nation
are soaring. There is nothing in this bill which “helps ensure that seniors”
(we of the lower income brackets) can better enjoy the retirement we’ve earned.
Look at how many elderly people, who are not in good physical shape, have had
to get jobs just to have food to put on the table to eat!
Now my husband and I are doing okay because there are two of
us and we have two incomes and we have no debts other than we do have a
contract (lease) we have signed with our apartment complex. But if one of us
dies, the other would only have one check, but with the same general expenses,
and so with today’s prices it would not be enough to live on, most likely, but
it would still be more than what so many seniors are getting each month.
But it isn’t just this. There is so much crookedness going
on in my nation, some of it in the name of God, and in the name of Jesus
Christ, and in the name of Christianity, much of which is being hid from the
general public, but which can be discovered through prayer and through reading
some writings of people who are not part of “the system.” But we need the
guidance of the Holy Spirit in this for there are so many liars and deceivers,
manipulators, and thieves and robbers putting on a disguise of goodness who are
leading many people astray, even many who profess faith in Jesus Christ. Test
them!
[Matthew 7:15-23;
Matthew 24:11-14; John 10:1-15; Romans 16:17-19; 2 Corinthians 11:3,13-15; Ephesians
4:11-16; Philippians 3:2; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 1 Timothy
1:3-7; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1:1-25]
Professionally recorded in Nashville,
TN
Via Gerry Peters, music producer and
arranger
An
Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s
Free Servant, Sue J Love
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
Woe to Those Who Enact Evil Statutes
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