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Daily Devotion: Isaiah 55:12-13

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Isaiah 55:12-13     "For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  (13)  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

These are the last two verses of this chapter. Let's look at the overall picture of this chapter as we think on these verses.  It begins with the thought that we have gone astray from the Lord. We have spent our substance on things that just don't matter. They are things that we think will give us fulfillment; but in reality, they leave us with that empty feeling. Then, we hear the voice of the Lord saying, "Come unto me for that which is satisfying and fulfilling." He says, "Seek the Lord and call upon His name."  Then He begins to talk about the power of His words. And now in these verses, He speaks of the results that come from His voice. Though it is not mentioned, we can safely come to the conclusion that something must take place between His speaking and the results in our lives. What could that possibly be? As I think upon these things, I believe the element that must take place is that we must listen to what the Lord is saying and we must apply His Word into our lives.

God speaks to us through the Psalmist, "Be still, and know that I am God."  Then we read in the book of Hebrews, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) The thought going through my mind this morning concerns prayer. When I pray (seek Him and call upon His name), do I really believe that He is listening to me? Do I really believe that God can, and will, make a difference in my life? Am I willing to shut out all the noise and bright lights of the world in order to listen to Him? Then, am I willing to do what He tells me to do? If I am willing to seek His will instead of my own, then I can have joy and peace in my life.  Even all nature around me begins to sing the praises of God. Instead of inner strife, there is that calmness that can only come from God. I encourage us to go back and read the entire 55th chapter Isaiah again with these thoughts in mind.  God truly is able to make all the difference in the world in our lives!

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