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Don't you just love and admire the way Jesus Christ would answer a loaded question from adversaries, designed and directed to accuse and humiliate Him, by answering with a question? There are quite a few instances within the gospels, and one which readily springs to mind is that of "rendering (or giving) to Caesar that which is Caesar's". This is found in Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Luke 20. Matthew 22:15 provides information that the Pharisees "plotted to entangle Him". However 22:18 reveals that Jesus "perceived their wickedness". The Pharisees looked like absolute "dumb clucks" which translates to stupid, while Jesus not only answered with perfect wisdom, but replied intelligently and circumspectly so as to put the matter at hand to rest. The Pharisees were so stumped by His brilliant answer it is easy to imagine these wicked priests were filled with frustration, anger, rage, incredulity, and inability to take the conversation any further. They were left speechless (perhaps with mouths agape likened to "chins dragging on the ground") and could not get the better of Him. Actually, they were no match for the Son of God. Jesus did not resort to underhanded tactics, lies, innuendo, nor did He use poor language, but highlighted that they were hypocrites because this was the truth. His answer hit the proverbial nail on its head neatly, skilfully, and with exact precision. Just how awesome is our Saviour who provides us with His sinless incredible example that is so encouraging to us when we need encouragement, especially in the darkest of times.
Another piece of great encouragement comes from Isaiah 40:1-31 which commences with "'Comfort, yes, comfort My people', says your God". And continues with "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins." The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken". The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” O Zion, You who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? The workman molds an image, the goldsmith overspreads it with gold, and the silversmith casts silver chains. Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman to prepare a carved image that will not totter. Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. Scarcely shall they be planted, scarcely shall they be sown, scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, when He will also blow on them, and they will wither, and the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. “To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; Not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint".
Have you not known, have you not heard -- used twice within Isaiah 40 (in verses 21 and 28, notably 7 verses apart) are good reminders to these rhetorical questions directed to us upon meditation. How precious is this book, the Holy Bible. The way God has organised the Bible to be written via directly inspiring a number of people to scribe His words of love, wisdom and knowledge, of caution and warning, of inspiration and edification, comfort and joy, instructions via life lessons and meaningful examples, beautiful blessings -- directly and indirectly throughout Old and New Testaments, are sheer poetic genius to our feeble thought processes, even on our best days when all synapses are firing and connecting within our grey matter. The one thing I ask of God for my life is that I will always be able to have and hold God's greatest work, if not in my hands, then in my mind and heart where no human can remove this first love which burns with fervency for the return of Jesus Christ to usher in His Kingdom of God.
Further encouragement is found in Psalm 48 where God reveals that His city, the glorious city of Zion, will be established forever upon Christ's return to earth. It is His promise to us and it is as good as done. Once again how God speaks of this is incredibly poetic via the song sung from within this Psalm. In particular, as a writer, I take much pleasure and joy from the words in verse 8: "As we have heard, so we have seen". It is guaranteed because God cannot lie. Since the completion of our first annual holy day season of Passover, NTBMO, and Days of Unleavened Bread for 2021 where all was anticipated with eagerness and fervent desire, the stark contrast and reality of coming out of these days to once again live in this sick world careening wildly under the sway of the devil, it can be all too easy to become tired, discouraged and depressed while battling personal trials, while seeing others go through trials, while unconverted family members face difficulties and hardships, and while we experience the challenges we would not "put our hands up for" or choose in our "wildest dreams".
Just remember this -- the devil wants us to fail. He wants YOU to give up and he wants ME to surrender too. Are we going to fail? No, we are not going to do that. We have travelled quite a distance already. Instead we will unify together and strengthen ourselves in God's Word, His promises to us, and defeat the vilest, most wicked evil force out there in order to help the whole of humanity. Let us focus closely and clearly to prepare for what is ahead in the next holy day season of Pentecost and all that Holy Day symbolises and encompasses as it is very special to God and us, His people. Fight the good fight brethren, be strong in the LORD, put on the armour of God, the full armour as in Ephesians 6:10-18, and be wise as serpents and harmless as doves as in Matthew 10:16, because God and Christ are so worth it, more than worth every effort we may make actually, and humanity needs our present sufferings for the future time when we can comfort them, because if we think we need comfort now, they will need comfort on a monumental scale like never before, when together we will be able to answer all their questions with answers from leading righteous lives of humble service and sacrifice. Remember, Paul the apostle had a few very good words on this which we can read in Romans 8:18, and if any need further comfort then may the recommendation be that of reading Romans 8 in its full and glorious entirety. To God be the glory, now and forever!