December 12: Isaiah 40:6-8

Key Verse: Isaiah 40:7
The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass.

Devotion:
Not all the news Isaiah had to dish out was bad news. Here we see comfort coming back to the people of Israel; someone will come and prepare the way of the Lord and with that the people will eventually listen and things will turn round for the good of everyone who praises God. But it’s not just the people of God who will benefit: everyone around them will enjoy the good times as well.

We come, not to just praise God and hope for blessings, but to show other people we are praising Him and receiving blessing. God’s glory is revealed through our blessings. Unless we tell people we have these blessings because our God is good, how will they know where any of this comes from.

The evil one will be jumping up and down trying to take credit for all manner of things which look like they are good. He wants to take the credit away from God so he can get the praise instead of God getting the praise.

We have to show others we may not be like a great pillar of stone which remains strong even in the strongest winds. We have to show people we will get battered and bruised in the bad times just as they will. But when we continue to praise God, even in those bad times, He will bring blessing to us which far outweigh the praise we give Him. We will fail during the hard times just as others will unless we continue to receive our strength from God to remain firm.

Points to Ponder:
Do you find it hard during hard times?

Have you tried praising God even when you don’t want to?