Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in Me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. John 16:7-11.

There are times when I stand at the abyss and wonder why. Why do things have to be this way, and why did Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit, choose this way to redeem us? I’ve been looking at the 151 Old Testament prophecies that Jesus, the Son, fulfilled. Slowly, only a few at a time so they can go deep. And it helps to read a few verses before and after those cited. One of the verses fulfilled by Jesus was 1 Peter 1:17-21, but I love those before also…Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:13-21. And then, right into our chapter, Isaiah 64: Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before You! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make Your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before You! For when You did awesome things that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled before You. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. v. 1-4. Can you name one? No. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? v. 5. I don’t understand the “them” referenced here, and none of us does right all the time. That’s the hardest lesson of all. I sin. I love God and I still sin. All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on Your name or strives to lay hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have given us over to our sins. v. 6-7. It’s hard to admit this but it’s true. Yet You, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all Your people. Your sacred cities have become a wasteland; even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a devastation. Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins. After all this, Lord, will you hold Yourself back? Will You keep silent and punish us beyond measure? v. 8-12.

To be convicted of what sin is and of our helplessness in the face of our sins and the sins of others, leads us to true repentance; and then with God’s help, we are led by Him to the renewing of our hearts and minds in Him. To see the world for what it is, where else can we go but to God for help? We can call on God and ask for His help! It begins with our deepest need and realizing how helpless we are to change without Him to guide us to our better way with Him. That way with Him is life abundant because we live with Him helping us. All that this world treasures will lie in ruins because the prince of this world is condemned. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God…cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14. Another O.T. fulfillment of Jesus, our Savior. All of Scripture testifies to what Creator God is doing and it is Good! Only the Father knows when Jesus will return. He knew just the right time to send His Son the first time, and He knows just the right time for His return in glory. And the Holy Spirit is here now ready to help us and how we need His help! He’s ready. Are you?