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Saturday, September 19, 2020

God’s People and God’s Story

We finish our week of studying the “blessings of life together” with a song of praise from the prophetic book of Isaiah. This book is full of hard truths and scary warnings about the consequences of sin and rebellion against God. But here, toward its end, we hear the faith-filled song of a suffering people who have seen God work and trust Him to do it again. As you read and pray today, take time to journal and thank God for all the ways you’ve seen Him at work in the past. Then spend time writing out the ways you desire to see God working in your present and your future. 

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from Isaiah 63:7-19 

For more help use this Bible Study method

REFLECTION

Where Are You God? 
By Mary McGinnis


Read: 
Corona virus, political upheaval, racial tension, protesting, violence, tropical storms, and wildfires. What do we do at times like this? Times when it feels like there is more and more bad news, unrest, and chaos. It seems like things only seem to be going from bad to worse and there is really no end in sight.

The book Isaiah finds God’s people amid such chaos. They had been invaded by neighboring enemies, defeated, and led into captivity. Their situation kept going from bad to worse.

Today’s reading begins with these words: “I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord. . .” 

The word for “steadfast love” in the original language is the Hebrew word “hesed.” The word “hesed” is used 253 times in the Old Testament and has a much richer meaning than what our English translations can capture. It is sometimes translated as loving kindness, mercy, faithfulness, or unfailing love. God’s “hesed” love is rich in kindness, faithfulness, a dedicated and committed love. It is a love without expectations, regardless of the response, a constant and abiding favor. It is a love that sees the distress of the one loved, and is willing to act on their behalf, no matter the cost.

Amid their distress, God’s people recounted God’s “hesed” love for them. In their vocabulary of praise, they recount His great goodness, His compassion, how He became their Savior, His love, His pity, how He carried them and led them. 
After recalling the faithfulness of God on their behalf, they then bring their raw, honest cries before their God. “Where are your zeal and your might?” and “Return for your servant’s sake.” 

How have you seen God’s “hesed” love revealed in Your life? Take time to journal some memories of when God showed His loving kindness, mercy, and steadfast love to you in tangible ways. Look around you today. How is God’s love being revealed to You right now in your present circumstances? Use Psalm 136 to prompt your writing. 
How does this encourage you even when answers to all the chaos does not seem evident? 

“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things? 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:32,35,38-39)

Prayer Practice: Prayer Journaling

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