Remove The Stumbling Blocks

 Isaiah 57:14-21

Have you ever tripped and fallen over anything?  We laugh at clowns who take pratfalls.  Falls can be quite serious, and clowns learn how to fall without getting injured.  Otherwise one can get critically injured in a fall.  It is a most unkind and terrible thing to do if someone deliberately sets something in another person’s way, so that they will trip and fall, and I’m sure none of us have ever done that.  Or have we?  There are different ways in which we can cause someone to stumble.  Let’s look at our Scripture passage and see what God’s Word tells us today.

As our Scripture passage opens, the Lord is telling us, His people, to prepare the way (vs. 14).  We are to prepare the way for Him to come to us, for His message to be sent forth to others.  The Lord wants us to remove the stumbling block out of the way of the people.  What is a stumbling block?  It is exactly what its name implies, something someone would trip over.  Naturally God does not want us to place physical things in the way for others to trip over, and if we can, to remove, or at least warn others of dangerous hazards.

However, there are other types of stumbling blocks.  These are things that hinder the way to the Lord, and hearing His message.  God tells us here that we are to remove all barriers so that people can come to Him.  Quite often the behavior and actions of Christians puts a stumbling block in the way for the unsaved to come to Jesus.  They see how we are acting, or the things we are saying, and they decide that they want nothing to do with Jesus because of that.  Is our behavior, the things we say and do, being a barrier, a hindrance for people to seek out God and find Him?  If we are causing anyone to fall spiritually, that is terrible business!  God tells us here to remove all the stumbling blocks we are putting in the way of others to find Him.

As our Scripture passage continues, we read that the Lord desires to send revival into the hearts of His people (vs. 15).  As I mentioned in writing about this past week’s psalm, a spiritual revival is a renewal or resurgence of one’s faith, especially when one has drifted away from the Lord, becoming spiritually asleep or apathetic.  Revival will come when His people are humble before Him, and contrite for their sinful behavior.  The Lord longs for an intimate relationship with those who come to Him in humility and contrition.  When Christians really start believing and obeying God’s Word, are sorry for their sins and turn away from them, removing the stumbling blocks in their lives, then there will be revival in the Church, and the lost will be drawn to Jesus.

Instead of bringing stumbling blocks to hinder someone from coming to Jesus, we should bring forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  The Scriptures here tell us to bring “fruit of the lips” (vs. 19), in other words, something good that comes forth from our mouth or speech, such as praise and thanksgiving to God.  We can also have fruitful lips when we preach and tell others God’s message of salvation and peace.

When we come to God in humility and with a contrite heart, He will not hold His anger forever towards us (vs. 16).  If He did, we would never be able to find His love and forgiveness against His Divine fury.  We would all perish.  God inhabits eternity (vs. 15).  He has lived in all eternity past.  His Name and nature are holy.  Yet He has chosen to descend to dwell with those who are humble and have a contrite spirit.  The Lord God has patience, love, and compassion, and will forgive us when we come to Him through the Blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In contrast to a spiritually revived believer, who has the love and peace of God, the wicked will never enjoy God’s peace (vs. 20-21).  A person who has not experienced God’s forgiveness does not have eternal peace.  Earthly possessions or relationships cannot provide true or lasting peace.  Eternal peace can only be found in salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.