The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Isaiah 50-53
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 7: Kings and Prophets: The southern kingdom as God’s people
Background Information: Isaiah 50-53
Israel has failed to be God’s faithful servant, but there is one who will accomplish what Israel has failed to do. This servant will be empowered by God’s spirit, he will restore God’s people, and he will become a light to the nations. The way he will accomplish all this is surprising–in fact, shocking. He will be beaten and disfigured at the hands of his own people; he will carry our sins in his broken body. He will be pierced by nails and murdered because of our sins. The wounds that brought him death will bring us life.
“We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished him
for the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:6
It is remarkable that this great gospel verse was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus. The specifics of this prophecy of the savior’s life, death, and resurrection are remarkable. Isaiah wrote that he was going to be “with a rich man at his death.” Matthew tells us that Joseph of Arimathea, who provided a tomb and buried Jesus, was a rich man. Take joy in the fact that God has made a way through the ages to provide for our salvation. Take comfort in the fact that nothing man or Satan did was able to stop his plan. His punishment brought us peace, and by his wounds we are healed. This doesn’t mean that we will always have feelings of peace, but rather that we have the assurance of peace with God. This doesn’t mean that we won’t become sick and die, but that even in death, his wounds have brought us eternal life. Can’t the God who has ordained the details of salvation history also see to the details of your life? He knows of the single sparrow who falls in the field, not because he is frantically keeping count, but because all knowledge and power are fully and easily his. Trust him with your soul forever, and trust him with the details of your life today.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Ask God for opportunities to share the gospel. Pray for the lost people that you know. Ask God to save them.
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.