February 19: Isaiah 66:12-13

Key Verse: Isaiah 66:12
For this is what the Lord says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees.

Devotion:
One thing which is always impressed me, and sometimes made me a bit jealous, is how a mother can always seem to calm her children down no matter what is going on around them! When Isaiah got word from God He was going to look after Jerusalem just as a mother looks after her children, I’m sure he was more than willing to pass this gem on to the people.

As we see the flooding in England once again after some pretty horrific rain over the past few weeks, we begin to see the unstoppable power of a river which is bursting its banks. No matter how much we try to build man-made defences against such occasions, they don’t seem to measure up to the power of nature. This is how we should be looking at the power of God as well. Not because of the destructive power but because of the unstoppable power…

When we are flooded out of our house or community, we feel separated from the rest of the town or city, but close to the people also affected by the flood. The same can be said about our Christian communities – we feel separated from the rest of the town or cities we live in, but close to other Christians we know. So how do we reach out to those we feel separated from?

The clue is in these verses which show us the unstoppable power and overwhelming love of God. This is the example we must live by and hopefully try to replicate toward others around us. Don’t cut yourself off any further than the overwhelming flood has done so already – rater use the power of the flood to reach out to others and invite them in to stand by your side. This is the way Christ wants us to be...

Points to Ponder:
What do you do when things go wrong for you?

Are you ready to reach out and invite someone in despite your circumstance?