Isaiah 58:14
“Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee
to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the
heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
God always gives motivation for His people to get right with Him. You would think when a Christian learns of the LORD’s blessings that every Christian would want to serve Him, but sadly, many continue in the way of sin and reap the heartache it causes. In Isaiah 58, God shows several benefits you receive when you choose to serve Him.
First, serving the LORD brings victory. In verse 8 God says, the “…light break forth as the morning…” As long as you continue to live in sin, you will continue to experience defeat; however, when you choose to get right with the LORD, you will start to see the victories in life that you so earnestly desire. God wants you to live a victorious life, but you can’t have the victories He has in store for you until you choose to serve Him. The only reason you continually experience defeat is because you have chosen to continue in sin. If you want to turn defeat into victory, you need to turn from sin to serving the LORD.
Second, serving the LORD brings answered prayer. God says in verse 9, “Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer…” If the only reason you stay right with the LORD is to get your prayers answered, that in and of itself is a good enough reason to serve Him. God hears and answers the prayers of those saints who stay close to Him, walk with Him and serve Him.
Third, serving the LORD brings the LORD’s guidance to your life. God says in verse 11, “And the LORD shall guide thee continually…” If you need clarity as to which direction you should go in life, be sure that your life is right with the LORD. He promises to give you guidance if you will follow Him. Let me make this clear; you may not always understand why He is leading you a certain way, but as long as you follow Him, He will guide you to live in His perfect will. You will not always see where the LORD is guiding, but if you trust the voice of His Holy Spirit, He will guide you to the right paths of life.
Fourth, serving the LORD brings blessings. The blessings of God are what every Christian desires. Verse 11 continues to say, “…and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” My friend, do you want the blessings of God? If you do, you will only receive them when you serve Him and have a heart that is right with Him. Don’t expect God to bless you when you are living in sin. God’s blessings are reserved for those who trust and serve Him with a heart that is right with Him.
Fifth, serving the LORD brings enjoyment to the Christian life. The verse above says, “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD…” When you serve the LORD, you will find your desires will change from a selfish, worldly desire to a godly desire which pleases Him. True enjoyment in serving the LORD will only be found when your heart is right with Him. If you find yourself not enjoying serving the LORD, you might want to check and see if everything is right between you and the LORD. A clear heart between you and the LORD brings total enjoyment and satisfaction in serving Him. There are benefits to serving the LORD with a clean heart, and maybe the best is that you will find the enjoyment in the Christian life you desire.