Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: Isaiah 8:17-20

By

Isaiah 8:17-20    "And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.  (18)  Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.  (19)  And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?  (20)  To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

As a reminder, so far in the past couple chapters, we have seen the Lord made a promise and instructed the people to believe Him. Even though they would not ask, God gave them a sign which would come to pass 700 years later. As they were waiting, they were instructed not to make an alliance with the world. And now they are making a commitment: "I will wait upon the Lord ... and I will look for Him." But while waiting, the people were to live their lives in such a way that their actions would serve as "signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts." In other words, they were to walk and show belief and trust in the Lord by the manner in which they lived.  Even then, the world would still try to influence them to seek wisdom and direction from familiar spirits (witchcraft) and wizards (fortune tellers).

"Should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Why would God's people seek to please the world, in which there is no light, by following them instead of looking to the Lord? Why would we want to walk in darkness when we have the Word of God and His Holy Spirit to guide us?  May our actions back up our words. We say we believe God and we trust Him; yet, we want to look like the world. I go back several chapters to those 7 women who wanted to be called by God's name but wear their own apparel. We can't have it both ways. "I will wait upon the LORD." I want my life to be a sign from the Lord of  hosts, that He is indeed alive and active still today. How about you?

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Psalm 100:4-5 - Thanksgiving

By
Psalm 100:4-5     "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (5)  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Many songs have been written about these verses and with these words included. What do they mean? Today, we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. I've listened to many people speak about their family traditions and most of them include family, food, and football. These are wonderful and fun things that enrich the day, but is it the true meaning that was intended when the day was established?  The Psalmist instructed us to include a special action with our words of thankfulness.  We are to "enter into HIS gates." The heartfelt words of thanksgiving allow us to enter the gates of the Lord, but there is a much deeper place into which we can go. Not only are we to enter into HIS gates, but He invites us to come much closer to H...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Colossians 1:25-26

By
Colossians 1:25-26    “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;  Even   the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” In verse twenty-four, Paul has expressed his joy in bearing hardship for the church. It is of this church, the body of Jesus Christ, that he is made a minister. Since Paul used the phrase “made a minister” in verse twenty-three of this same chapter, it seems there is something important that he wishes to convey. The Greek word translated as “made” means “to cause to be.” It was the will of God (Col 1:1) that caused Paul to become a minister. God is always the cause of true ministry. Although our fathers may be ministers, if we become true ministers of the gospel it is  not  because our fathers are ministers. True ministers of the gospel do not take that path because they seek honor for themselves, or b...
Read more