Isaiah 3:10 (NKJV): "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them..."
The word 'righteous' here is from the Hebrew word 'tsadaq', which means 'to be right, to be just, to be in the truth (or to be truthful), to be cleansed (or to cleanse), to be clear (or to clear self)', whereas the word 'well' here is 'towb' in Hebrew, meaning 'beautiful, bountiful, cheerful, favorable, pleasant, prosperous, sweetness'. It describes a person who was ill, but now have regained health, or a person who was suffering lack, but now have received providence.
As I was praying in the spirit the other day, the Lord spoke these words:
"In the midst of judgment, tribulation and perilous days in the world today, do not allow yourselves to be disheartened or discouraged, and do not allow yourselves to be upset. I am the Lord your God and I will still be. And I say to the righteous that it shall be well with them. Look to Me, and look to My Word! Hang on to Me, and hang on to My Word! You will rise above every obstacle, and you shall see Me in all My glory!"
The Lord is assuring us that the ending of world history will be well for God's people. In other words, you and I (the believers) will have happy ending, in spite of all that happens in the world today! Have you ever watched a drama series where the hero and heroine went through every obstacle and finally found themselves living 'happily ever after'? Well, this kind of ending isn't always a 'fairy tale'. It will happen to you and I (the believers). Isaiah 3:10 says so! Jesus in all His glory will come and receive His bride, the church!
If you read Isaiah chapter 3, you'd have noticed this whole chapter is about judgment, tribulation and perilous times for Jerusalem and Judah. Isaiah 3:8 mentions about the stumbling and falling because 'their words and their deeds are against the Lord'.
'To be against the Lord' is 'to be against what He has spoken (i.e. the Word of God)'.
Isaiah 3:16-17 then mentions about the consequences for those who are 'haughty (i.e. proud), walking with outstretched necks (i.e. heads held high, instead of arms held high in worship and surrender to the Lord), and wanton (i.e. seductive) eyes'. In short, this chapter shows how God's people were 'plundered' by the enemy when they departed from God (and His Word)!
But yet, in the midst of all these, there's a bright light, and there's hope! As can be seen in Isaiah 3:10! Let's read this verse again: "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them..."
Are you righteous? Yes!
You are made righteous through what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross! 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, 'For He made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him'. Romans 5:19 says, 'For as by one man's (Adam's) disobedience many were made sinners, so also by One Man's (Jesus Christ's) obedience many will be made righteous'.
Is the Lord righteous! Yes! Of course!
In 2 Timothy 4:8, the apostle Paul wrote, 'Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing'. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, 'But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness and sanctification and redemption'.
As He is, so are you in this world! (1 John 4:17) Therefore, walk as He walks! It can't be that you are called the righteousness of God and clothed in His righteousness, but you don't walk in righteousness! It's like saying a person who is called an army personnel and clothed in his army uniform, but he doesn't walk as an army! Be ye not just hearers, but doers of the Word (James 1:22). His Spirit in you will lead you, teach you, and guide you to walk in righteousness (Philippians 2:13). Let us not be like the Pharisees whom Jesus called as hypocrites, who 'cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence' (Matthew 23:25-28).
There is a clarion call for God's people these days! A time to awake to righteousness, and sin not! (1 Corinthians 15:34) You can make that choice! Let His Spirit (the Spirit of grace, i.e. His ability and His supply from heaven) help you and set you free! Hebrews 12:1-2 says, 'Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight (burden, hindrance), and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God'.
This is also a time to return to the Word! A lesson we can learn from Isaiah chapter 3 is God's people were plundered when they came against the Lord! (Isaiah 3:8) To come against the Lord is to come against the Word! Why? Because He is the Word! (John 1:1-4, John 1:14) It means to say God's people were plundered when they departed from the Word, and began walking in the ways of the world!
The key to your wellness is in the Word! Proverbs 4:20-22 says, 'My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh'. Proverbs 6:20-23 then says, 'My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teachings. Bind them upon your heart forever; and fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light...'
Romans 8:1 says, 'There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit'. Know that the Lord is not condemning you. He loves you so very much, and He yearns for you to walk in His righteousness (Galatians 5:16-18) and be mindful of His Word (2 Peter 3:1-2). Why? Because He is getting you ready for the best that's yet to come for you!
As I was praying in the spirit and preparing for this message the other day, I also heard the Lord say: "Tell My people don't settle for the second best, or the third best. Tell them to get ready for the very best that I have prepared for them!"
Indeed, God's promise for you is not slack! People of God, it's never too late to know you are clothed in His righteousness, and begin walking in it! And it's never too late for you to return to His Word, and begin walking according to all that is written in it! (Joshua 1:8, 2 Peter 3:7-9, 2 Peter 3:13-14, 2 Peter 3:17-18)
He can 'undo' and 'redo' your situation (however bad it may be at the moment), and turn things around for you. In Jesus' name. Amen!
