Read
Isaiah 55:6-12
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Reflect
With this passage, Isaiah was preparing the Israelites for the coming of the our Lord, as his people were leaving Babylon and their sinful ways. Our omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God is always near and His purpose is always working out to our benefit, if we follow Him. His son, Christ Jesus, will “achieve this purpose” for which he was sent. Through Jesus we will “go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” God has a plan for us, his children. His thoughts, ways are so much higher than ours and He is achieving his purpose through His son.
Pray
Heavenly Father, thank you for you plan for your children. We are the fruit of your work and by our belief in Jesus and our commitment to following your commandments, we know you are constantly present with us. Help us in our endeavors to seek you and daily express our gratitude for all the blessings we receive.
Sing
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;
Let all their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders, wonders of his love.
Judy & Roger von Seldeneck