The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to find out if it had any fruit. When He reached it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” Mark 11:12-14.

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion. Psalm 71:1 KJV.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6.

I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. Psalm 52:8.

As I read our chapter, Isaiah 5, I thought about the first Scripture verse cited above. I will sing for the one I love a song about His vineyard; My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. v. 1-2. Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit, does work that is good. Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines He delighted in. And He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. v. 3-4, 7. Does He see that in our nations, in us? Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land…Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of His hands. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding…Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, “Let God hurry; let Him hasten His work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel – let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it.” Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter….v. 8, 11-13, 18-20. Isaiah goes on to describe what will be when Israel and then Judah are taken into bondage for their sins against God and one another, v. 24-30. What about us? Have we sinned less?

Living in a world that is broken by deception and has turned away from God, how can we begin to see what is true and good? For they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel, v. 24. What is needed? Our hearts turned to Almighty Creator God. He alone brings clarity and understanding of what is truly needed for each of us – and it is good! Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? Mark 12:24. How can we know unless we study Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit guiding us? We can’t do this on our own. Even teachers of the law in Jesus’ day needed understanding. One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31.

As we look at the world we are living in, do we see what Jesus plainly said was needed? We can’t change the world. We can open our hearts to God and let Him lead us. He can change the world. He can change your heart and mine. It takes relationship with Almighty God who loves us and longs to show us a better way…with Him. How can we teach others if we don’t understand? How can we understand unless we trust the One who knows? He is what is needed.