I was reading through my daily devotions today and came across this passage in Isaiah:<\/p>\n
“He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,<\/span> Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;<\/span> As I meditated on these verses, I was struck how similar they are to Psalm 15 and Psalm 24, with the theme of righteous actions and refusing to engage in corruption and evil will result in blessing. The final thoughts of verse 15 made me consider, do I plug my ears when there are conversations (or movies or music or news) that is thick with violence and bloodshed? Do I shut my eyes when I see evil, refusing to allow evil into my mind? I was convicted.<\/p>\n Then I got to verse 17, an element not shared in the Psalms. At this point, Isaiah is moving beyond an immediate, partial fulfillment of Hezekiah released from his bondage under Sennacherib to an ultimate fulfillment when the King of Kings will be shown altogether beautiful and glorious, reigning far above all thrones, powers and authorities. How I long for my eyes to see the King in His beauty. I am inspired to live righteously, to speak uprightly, to flee corruption and compromise, to flee violence and evil – refusing to allow any evil influence to enter me. I have a long way to go, but the promise is there. Protection in the fortress of rocks, bread and water as secure provision, these are offered to the one who follows the way of the Lord. May God grant us the grace through Christ to fulfill this calling and receive the prize of gazing upon the King in His beauty!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I was reading through my daily devotions today and came across this passage in Isaiah: “He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will … Continue reading The King in His Beauty<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>who despises the gain of oppressions,<\/span><\/span>
\nwho shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,<\/span><\/span>
\nhe will dwell on the heights;<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>they will see a land that stretches afar.”\u00a0 (Isaiah 33:15-17)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n