Monday, February 10, 2014

Reflecting God’s Devotions for Holy Living – Monday, 10 February 2014 “God Keeps Those Who Trust Him” Scripture Isaiah 25

Reflecting God’s Devotions for Holy Living – Monday, 10 February 2014 “God Keeps Those Who Trust Him” Scripture Isaiah 25: 1 Yahweh, you are my God. I will exalt you! I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago, in complete faithfulness and truth. 2 For you have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no city. It will never be built. 3 Therefore a strong people will glorify you. A city of awesome nations will fear you. 4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat, when the blast of the dreaded ones is like a storm against the wall. 5 As the heat in a dry place will you bring down the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the dreaded ones will be brought low. 6 In this mountain, Yahweh of Armies will make all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of choice wines, of fat things full of marrow, of well refined choice wines. 7 He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the covering that covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord Yahweh will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for Yahweh has spoken it. 9 It shall be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us! This is Yahweh! We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!” 10 For in this mountain Yahweh’s hand will rest.
Moab will be trodden down in his place, even like straw is trodden down in the water of the dunghill. 11 He will spread out his hands in the middle of it, like one who swims spreads out hands to swim, but his pride will be humbled together with the craft of his hands. 12 He has brought the high fortress of your walls down, laid low, and brought to the ground, even to the dust.
“God Keeps Those Who Trust Him” by Richard H. Neiderhiser
How does it strike you when a football player celebrates a touchdown in the end zone? Some spike the ball, some do a little dance, and some simply hand the ball to the referee. In college football, if the celebration is too expressive, the scoring team might be penalized. For fans whose team has just scored, there is celebration. That celebration is intensified at the end of the game for the winning team. Celebration is part of the game.
Challenge to Holy Living
If celebration is appropriate in sports, how much more should we celebrate when God’s victories affect the direction and outcome of our spiritual journey? Isaiah’s words are a celebration of God’s victory on behalf of His people. God’s victory is their victory. That is cause for celebration. And that celebration does not belong only to an individual or isolated group. It is a reason for all God’s people to celebrate. It is reason to celebrate when a brother or sister in Christ experiences spiritual, physical, or emotional healing. It is a reason to celebrate when a new Christian comes to faith in Christ. It is celebration of God’s keeping power in those who trust Him.
Hymn for Today:
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” by Joachim Neander; translated by Catherine Winkworth
1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.
2. Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?
3. Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.
4. Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him.
Thought for Today:
““Hear, you kings!
    Give ear, you princes!
I, even I, will sing to Yahweh.
    I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel.” (Judges 5:3)!
Prayer Needs:
Developing Christian Leaders in Sri Lanka!
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