Today’s scripture: Isaiah 45:20-25 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Jeff Cope):
They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.’ (Isaiah 45:24).
If there is one thing we can be sure of in our faith, it’s that we will be delivered. Every fear, ache, and pain will be gone, and there will be calm and peace once and for all. All of our problems will be resolved, and what once brought tears to our eyes will be replaced with joy and laughter. This we are promised through the cross.
However, the one thing we avoid talking about is that God’s deliverance isn’t assured in this lifetime. We have all experienced it. .A loved one gets sick, and we pray fervently for that person’s deliverance from illness. Alas, it doesn’t come, and we lose that person. On this side of the veil, we can never know the reason, but God wouldn’t allow if it weren’t part of the overall picture; this part we can’t see — or even understand if we could!
Still, our hope should be in God for Earthly trials of all shapes and sizes. The Bible illustrates numerous situations in which God has intervened on the behalf of the faithful to make the impossible possible. While your own miracle may not include the parting of a large body of water, I think we can all look back and see how the hand of God has worked to bring about good events in our lives. Be it making the timing perfect to meet your significant other, bringing a child into your life, or even giving you a job just as you had given up hope.
Thought for the day: Never give up. Always pray with hope, and expect God’s deliverance — even if it doesn’t turn out exactly as you have imagined it.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.