Isaiah 5:1
“Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:”
God said that He placed Israel in a “very fruitful hill.” God did not give the worst to Israel, but He gave them the best. God said He fenced this vineyard to keep the wild animals out. He gathered the stones out of the ground so that the vineyard could flourish. He built a tower in this vineyard so He could warn of the dangers from afar. He also used the choicest of seed to plant this vineyard. Why did He do so much work for the vineyard? He did this much work because He wanted it to flourish.
This verse reminds me of another hill, and that hill is Calvary. It was on Calvary that any person can become fruitful. When I think of Calvary, there are several things that make it a very fruitful hill.
First, all sins were paid for at Calvary. Many have tried to add to Calvary’s payment, but those works will fail. You must remember that most people were not alive when Jesus paid for our sins at Calvary, but His payment paid for all past, present, and future sins. What a fruitful hill Calvary became for anyone who desires for their sins to be paid!
Second, Calvary is the fruitful hill where peace with God is found. Oh my friend, if it were not for Calvary, you would never find peace in life because peace is only found in Jesus Christ. You can try works to be at peace with God, but you will fail. You can try church attendance to be at peace with God, but that is not enough. You can try helping others to be at peace with God, but you will still find that there is no peace without Calvary. When a person accepts Christ’s paid sacrifice at Calvary, they find peace with God that gives them peace in life for which they have always sought.
Third, it is because of Calvary that we find healing. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” The healing that hurts have caused can only be found at Calvary. Many have tried drugs, alcohol, and vice to find healing for their hurts, but the only thing they found was more hurt in these vices. Many have sought psychological counseling to heal life’s hurts, but they found that it cannot heal the hurt on the inside. My friend, the healing for which you are looking for from life’s hurts can only be found at Calvary.
Fourth, because of Calvary, we can find true joy in life. Joy does not come by living for yourself, but it comes by living for Christ and for others. The verse above says that God’s vineyard is a “very fruitful hill.” In other words, you find the ability to be fruitful so you can be of help to others because of Calvary. Methods, programs, and community events will never give you the true joy for which you are looking. Certainly, these things may appease for awhile, but eventually it wears off because these are not eternal works. The work of Calvary is an eternal work; therefore, any person who spreads the good news of Calvary to others will find joy in life. There is nothing like seeing someone accept Christ as their Saviour because of your work to give them the Gospel. Are you looking for joy in life? Only by spreading the wonderful work of what Christ did at Calvary to the lost world is where you will find true joy. Joy is always found by being a soul winner.
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