Scripture: Isaiah 40:31
…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary.
Thought for the Day: You may or may not have read Sunday’s devotional, but I wrote about how the disciples were to stay put until they had been filled with heavenly power. This was the period of preparation prior to the Day of Pentecost. Now were the disciples preparing themselves or was God in preparation mode? I tend to think of it as a combination of both. Here in the Prophet Isaiah, we read of a people who have been in Exile, an experience that was both physically and spiritually devastating. A time for their return was approaching, and the Prophet referenced those whose hope was in the Lord and how they would find renewal and strength. Earlier in the chapter, we find the very words that John the Baptist would echo: mountains being brought low and valleys lifted up as the way of the Lord was prepared. A lot of people picture God snapping the divine fingers and making things happen, but it sure appears as if God is One who respects free will. For that reason, God invites, lures, encourages, nudges, inspires, yet always recognizing the possibility of a NO from those whom God is calling. The Way of God, the way of love and mercy, grace and justice, doesn’t just happen with the snap of the fingers. It requires a lot of divine digging and godly grading for the mountainous obstacles and valley-like hindrances to be removed. It takes time, and our impatience that can lead to distraction is really not what God needs.
Prayer: As you work within this imperfect and often immoral world, Lord, may we be counted among those who are helping to bring your Kingdom and not hinder its arrival. Amen.
THIS SATURDAY
