Day 200, or July 19. Eat, drink, and be merry. Our thoughts today are rooted in Isaiah 22,
verse 13. But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,
eating of meat and drinking of wine. Let us eat and drink, you say, for tomorrow we die.
Now the big picture surrounding this verse. Isaiah spoke not only to Israel's neighbours
but also to Israel herself. He prophesies to Jerusalem and warns its inhabitants with
our verse for today as well as many others. It seems God's people were living just for
today and giving little thought for tomorrow. As well as words of judgment, Isaiah is also
given insights into the end times which he can share with his hearers.
And now today's action step. I remember when links between smoking and lung cancer
hit the news in the 1970s, and adults up and down our nation were justifying their continued
smoking by saying, It's one of the few pleasures I have, so I'm not giving up. So many people
believed in the maxim of, Enjoy today because you never know what the future has in store
for you. It's very similar to our verse today from Isaiah. I have detected a slight change
from people, especially those who are outside our fellowships. The maxim has changed to,
Let me enjoy myself today and then I can get serious with God once I have at least enjoyed
part of my life. What a condemnation of the church. People are saying that enjoyment and
spiritual life are incompatible. Actually they aren't quite saying that. They are saying
enjoyment and church don't go together. Sadly that's sometimes true. So how can we remedy
that? A good start is for you and me to enjoy church and look as though we are. It's the
church that puts people off, not the gospel. As part of the church be sure to act as though
your life depended on others enjoying and benefiting from the service. Of course your
life doesn't, but their life might.