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May 1 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 121

DAILY READINGS

Isaiah 49-51 & Psalm 119:65-96

DAILY NOTES

Isaiah 49

  • Of course, the Church has long seen Christ in these passages.  We recognize various aspects of the Gospel story within details of the servant's mission.
  • The servant of God will not just deliver Israel and bring them back to their land, the servant will also be a "as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).  Remember when Jesus told his disciples to go make disciples of all nations?
    • Remember how we used to sing "This little light of mine...."
  • Israel will feel like God has forgotten them.  But God cannot forget his people.  They are inscribed on the palms of his hands.  
    • They will be surprised by their deliverance.  There will be so many children that they won't know what to do with them!
Isaiah 50
  • Israel's rebellion does not negate God's redeeming power.  Praise God!
  • The servant of God is a teacher.  God instructs him every day.
Isaiah 51
  • God instructs the people to look to their spiritual roots.  Look at their obedience and the fruit of it.  God moved through them and the Lord will do the same through Israel.
  • The powers that held the people under control before will fade away.  God will bring the people back to their land with "singing" and "everlasting joy."

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Do you know righteousness?  Do you have the teaching of God in your heart?  Then you don't have to worry about "the reproach of others" (51:7).  That is, your life does not revolve around the approval of other people.  You have a divine reputation before God.  That's all that matters.

Of course, that doesn't mean we flaunt a haughty attitude about it.  We don't try to make people not like us.  We aren't rude, we aren't impatient, we aren't unkind.  We walk in love.  That love extends from our heart to the lives of others because that love first extended from God's heart to ours.  1 John 4:9 reminds us that we love because God first loved us.

Life's a little less stressful when you're not trying to win people's approval.  Soak up God's approval of you and you see the world (and people) in a different way.  That's seems to be part of what God was preparing the Israelites for.  That's still a message God gives to us.

Stay blessed...john

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