![]() "We love You, Lord Jesus," we often may say, By yielding to Christ and heeding the warning of the Spirit when we sin, we can avoid His chastening and instead enjoy the blessings reserved for His repentant children. The land of milk and honey was looted and ransacked before their very eyes.Īs believers, we should tremble at the thought of spurning the grace and mercy of God. They resisted His gracious warnings and finally experienced divine judgment. Their worship and sacrifices became a stench in the nostrils of God, for their hearts were far from Him. The people of Israel turned away from the Lord like rebellious children. But Israel ignored God’s tender care and eventually provoked Him to anger (Isaiah 1:4). He said that a dumb ox recognizes his owner, and the stubborn donkey knows enough to come home to his own stall (Isaiah 1:3). The prophet Isaiah emphasized the unruly behavior of the people of Israel in the first chapter of his book. In fact, there were occasions when he sank his teeth into the very hands that fed him. Having affectionately cared for this “little bandit” for several months, I was amazed and frustrated when he forgot my friendship and turned on me. I once had a pet raccoon by the name of Jason. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me. We can follow God’s command: “Wash yourselves!” (Isaiah 1:16), and He will make us truly spotless. With the Holy Spirit’s help (Ezekiel 36:27), we can stop that cycle and align our actions with our repentant hearts. Like the Israelites, many of us sin like crazy, and then supposedly come clean before God every Sunday. Specifically, we can lend a hand to the poor, defend orphans, or champion the rights of widows. Getting clean involves “ to do good” (Isaiah 1:17). Once we discontinue specific sinful actions, it’s important to replace them with activities that please God. Paul asked, “Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not!” (Romans 6:1-2). As believers in Jesus, we have the same responsibility to knock off the sin that separates us from God. He began by saying, “Give up your evil ways” (Isaiah 1:16). ![]() God didn’t want an outward show of confession without an inner commitment to act differently.įortunately, God outlined a couple of steps to help the nation get right with Him. He said, “I am sick of your burnt offerings” (Isaiah 1:11), and “When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look” (Isaiah 1:15). They’d been living as a nation of spiritual renegades (Isaiah 1:4) even as they continued to observe their religious ceremonies. God called the people of Israel to “sanitize” themselves. I didn’t stop until the phone was spotless. Horrified, I set to work spraying, scrubbing, and disinfecting. It slid straight to the bottom, and when I pulled it out, it was covered with some kind of disgusting mystery goo. I accidentally dropped my cell phone into the garbage can. Wash yourselves and be clean! (Isa 1:16). Live so that others know whom you belong to I am Yours, Lord, yet teach me all it means, Take a lesson from the animals and remember your Owner and Provider. They had been bought with a price and were to honor God in all they said and did (1Cor 6:19-20). Hundreds of years after Isaiah, the apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians that they were not their own. God’s people, however, often aren’t smart enough to remember their Owner. These animals know who takes care of them. He noted that an ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows where its food comes from (Isaiah 1:3). And in Japan, 20 small quakes within a few months were accurately forecast because observers noted that catfish swam frantically, as if chased by sharks.įrom the prophet Isaiah we learn that observing animals can even teach us how to prevent a ruined life (Isa 1:2-9). They were alerted to the disaster by cattle that mooed more than usual and chickens that refused to roost. ![]() In northeastern China, officials were able to warn and evacuate people from high-risk areas hours before a killer earthquake struck. Because of their alertness to natural phenomena, they have at times helped us to avoid disaster. Isaiah 1:3Īnimals sometimes seem to have more sense than people. The ox knows its owner … but Israel does not know, My people do not consider. Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.These devotionals make excellent sermon illustrations. Devotionals from Moody Bible Institute's Today in the Word - Isaiah 45-66īelow is a compilation of more than 300 "Our Daily Bread" Devotionals arranged by chapter.Devotionals from Moody Bible Institute's Today in the Word - Isaiah 1 - 44.
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