Thurs.’s Devo - The End

Read: Isaiah 66:1-24; Phil. 3:4b-21; Ps. 74:1-233; Pr. 24:15-16 We end Isaiah with a description of the end of times. God establishes that heaven is his throne and earth his footstool and we are the houses built for him to rest in. He is looking for the people who consider themselves poor and humble and tremble at his word. Those that are wicked and offer God their sacrifices will fall to their worse fears. Those that persecuted the church will one day have to see their joy and be ashamed. It will look bad on earth but God will come in a day and change everything. Israel came to birth in a day in 1948. It will spiritually come to birth again in a day. She is the baby that will be born. When that happens there will be peace in Jerusalem and the Jews will come to Christ like the Gentiles have. They will worship God together. Then God will come and destroy the earth with fire and a sword and the wicked will be destroyed. All nations will see the glory of God and God’s fame will be proclaimed. God will usher in the new heavens and the new earth and establish his worship upon the earth. The wicked will experience eternal torment. Ephesians follows this same theme. Paul describes the life of the followers of Christ and contrasts it with the reward of the wicked. Paul had every reason to boast in his self. He was from the right lineage, the right schools, and highly esteemed of men. He gave it all up to follow God and be abased. His goal was Jesus and Him alone. He describes the wicked as those whose end is destruction, they live for their own pleasure and care only about earthly things. Lord, may we be those who tremble at your Word and count you more glorious than anything earth can give.