Thurs.’s Devo -The Covenant

Read: Isaiah 51:1-53:12; Ephesians 5:1-33; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 24:7
Isaiah spoke to the remnant of Israel and told them to pursue righteousness and seek the Lord. He reminded them of their roots in Abraham who started as one person and grew into a mighty nation because God said he would. He told them that salvation and help was on the way. They were not to fear the insults and opinions of men who would try to terrorize and intimidate them. He called them to wake up and be strong. One day they would come with joy and singing back to Jerusalem and the Lord would redeem his people.
Isaiah gave a description of their savior. He would be disfigured beyond that of any man, be dispised and rejected by men. But, he would take the infirmities and sorrow and sin of man and through his suffering we would be healed. Through his death we would live.
Paul, then tells us to imitate Jesus and his sacrifice to God. Our suffering is not on a wooden cross on Calvary, but on the cross our affections. He told his people that they shouldn’t have a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or greed. All of these things require a dying to our old nature that is bent toward sin. Instead, we are to live like children of the light which will produce the fruit of goodness, righteousness and truth. We are to be submissive to everyone, honoring them above ourselves. Jesus came to be a servant to man and we are to imitate him.
Marriage is a covenant that is to represent the way we relate to God and he relates to us. The man is a picture of God so we are to submit to our husband as a picture of the way we submit to God. The woman is the picture of the church and God loves the church. So the husband is to love us like God loves the church. We have to leave our old life when we become saved just as Jesus told the man to leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. This is the way Christ wants to unite with us - until we are one with him and we know what Jesus is thinking and how he would react to every situation. That is an easy concept to say, a harder one to live out. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us power to act it out in the flesh.
Lord, help us to submit our thoughts and will to yours and see your plan play out in our lives and our nation.