God Speaks
The LORD God is Calling His People to Forsake Their Evil Ways and Turn Back to Him Or Face Judgment
Verse of the Day: “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. [Quotes in original.] (Isaiah 1:18-20 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Isaiah 1-4:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Isaiah 1
1. God is offended by the actions and attitudes of the Israelites and is warning them of the severe discipline that is coming unless they repent and turn back to Him wholeheartedly. He is willing to restore them if they do so.
2. People are to love and serve the LORD God from the heart, not just go through the motions, ignore Him and His ways, or downright insult and disobey Him and His commandments.
Isaiah 2
1. God foretells the glorious future He has planned for those who are faithful to Him, but He also announces the terrible day of destruction that is coming if they don’t stop their evil ways.
2. People think they can enjoy all of God’s blessings and still do their own thing living however they want. They can’t! He won’t allow such disrespect without taking disciplinary action.
Isaiah 3
1. God calls people out for their sins. He will punish them by giving them the opposite of what they value.
2. People often think only of themselves and their possessions, not of what God wants or of the needs of others.
Isaiah 4
1. God’s goal is always to gloriously restore His chosen people.
2. People need the LORD to come and cleanse those He chooses of their sins and protect them from various elements.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Isaiah 1-4?
Dear LORD God, thank You that You love Your chosen people too much to let us get by with disrespecting You and misbehaving. You are, even in this day, calling us to wash ourselves in the blood of Jesus. Get rid of our sins. Give up our evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, take revenge on Your enemies and ours. Remove all our impurities. Give us good judges and wise counselors as we had before. Rebuild America on the firm foundation of Your word and faith in You. Make America Good Again. Please fulfill Your promise to raise Mount Zion in Jerusalem and make Israel prominent again. Draw people into Your presence. Remove and destroy our idols. Bring down human pride and arrogance. May we no longer put our trust in mere humans but turn to You with holy awe and behold the glory of Your majesty. As it is now, people oppress each other–man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people insult their elders, and vulgar people sneer at the honorable. Our leaders mislead us and send us on the wrong path. We need You to step in and draw people to know, believe, and obey You. We need You to reserve a remnant (may it be large) of people who will humble themselves and pray and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways so that You will hear from Heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. Then we will bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Isaiah 1-4? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask God to reveal and forgive all wrong attitudes and actions in my life.
- I will ask the LORD to reveal and forgive all wrong attitudes and actions in the people of my nation (USA) and bring to justice those who will not repent.
- I will love my enemies by giving them the opposite of what they have done to me, for example, kind acceptance in place of cruel rejection.
- I will give away something that I treasure and have focused on instead of the LORD.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.