The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Isaiah 40-42, Psalm 46
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 7: Kings and Prophets: The southern kingdom as God’s people
Background Information: Isaiah 40-42, Psalm 46
Judah was going to be taken into captivity in Babylon; this was a settled fact. On the other side of that judgment was restoration. Their sins would be pardoned, and they would return to the land of promise. All this would happen after Isaiah and his hearers were long dead. What is the point of a prophecy of judgment and mercy that had no ramifications for the people hearing it? Isaiah spoke to his own time; there was plenty for his listeners to respond to then. Isaiah also spoke to the future when God’s people would need to know that he had not forgotten them, though they had forgotten him. As the fierce Babylonians were burning down Jerusalem and tearing down the temple, the people of God would feel forsaken by God. They would need to have the word of God telling them that “all men are like grass, but the Word of our God remains forever.” Isaiah also spoke to a future hundreds of years beyond the time of the Babylonians; he spoke of the Messiah who would come and permanently release his people from their captivity to sin. In Mark’s gospel, we find that this unnamed voice would have a name: John. (Mark 1:2-3). He would proclaim that the promised Messiah had arrived. We live somewhere between the promised first coming of the Messiah and his promised second coming. Like the people of Isaiah’s day, we live by settled faith in God’s fulfilled word and hopeful faith in God’s yet to be fulfilled word. Keep your eyes fixed on the one who has created and named the trillions of stars that light the night sky. Do not be impressed with humans; we are like insects, and the greatest among us will be reduced to nothing. Do not think that because you are small and he is great that he will forget you. Your way is not hidden from the Lord–he sees you. As you trust in him, he will continually renew your strength. This, of course, means that your strength will continually need to be renewed. Keep turning back to him and trusting him for today’s strength.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for Embrace. Ask God to use their ministry today to guide women to choose life for their babies. Ask God to use Embrace to lead men and women to Jesus, the way, the truth and the life.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.