May 24, 2015 – Isaiah 11:1-2

A shoot shall come up from the stump of Jesse: from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord – and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.  Isaiah 11:1-2Jesse was the father of David.  The lineage of Christ Jesus is of a king, King David.  And the Spirit of the Lord sits on this branch, this Christ Jesus, from the old family.  When we choose to follow Jesus, we are led by One who is blessed of God, by the Spirit of God with attributes that lead to justice, mercy, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the LORD.No mortal man or government on earth has these blessings from the Holy Spirit.  2 Peter 2:19 tells us –They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.  We give ourselves to be controlled to whatever pleases us.  We delight in what controls us, whether it be evil or the LORD.The only sure salvation can come from God who has given us Jesus Christ.  For Jesus alone is my strength and salvation and fights for me.  Jesus alone can bring joy and peace.  We can choose to draw the living water from the wells of salvation and it will sustain us through disease, pestilence and temptations of this world.Trusting Him, for there’s no other way through this world. The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?  Psalm 27:1Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  Isaiah 12:2-3