1 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
for soon my salvation will come,
and my righteousness be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this,
and the son of man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am a dry tree.” 4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant, 5 I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
What is the word or phrase that touches you today as you read and meditate on this passage? What is your emotion as you read this word or phrase? How is that related to your current situation? What does God tell you to do?
In this passage, God is extending an inclusive policy to all people to enter into the temple if they keep Sabbath and keep God’s covenant (verses 4, 6).
Have you ever felt an outsider or been excluded from joining some group? How does this passage apply to you today?
“A house of prayer for all nations” (v7). God’s intention—whether through the people of Israel in the past or through the Church today—has always been to draw all nations to worship Him. In your understanding, does God’s kingdom include all peoples? How do you pursue becoming part of this faith community of “all nations”?
Confession and repentance are proper attitudes for prayer, but so is joy, as this verse reminds us. Joy is also one of the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22). Try to begin or end with a praise song to help bring joy to your prayer/devotion time.
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
What is the word or phrase that touches you today as you read and meditate on this passage? What is your emotion as you read this word or phrase?
In light of verses 6-7, have you been seeking the Lord or hiding from Him this week? Why? What is God speaking to you about this?
Think of the most impressive range of mountains you have ever seen, the Rockies, or some other mountains. How would you feel as you realized that the mountains were singing for joy over what God has done in and for you (v12)? What does that imply about your importance to God?
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. 5 For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called. 6 For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God. 7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you. 8 In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “This is like the days of Noah to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you. 10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
What is the word or phrase that touches you today as you read and meditate on this passage? What is your emotion as you read this word or phrase? How is that related to your current situation? What does God tell you to do?
When you hear God saying that He turned His back in anger only for a moment but was not giving up on the relationship (esp. verses 7-8), what is your emotion? If this reminds you of someone in your life (past or present) that had made similar promises to you but reneged later, talk with God about it.
Read v10 as if God’s speaking to you right now. Spend a few minutes sitting quietly in His presence, enjoying the tranquility of that space before you move on to the rest of your day.
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
