Fri.’s Devo - God’s Perfect Plan

Read: Isaiah 45:11-48:11; Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 24:3-4 God asks the people if they think he needs to ask them permission for what he is doing with the creation he made. He tells them that he is bringing a leader named Cyrus who will do what He wants to have happen. He will rebuilt Jerusalem and let the people return from their exile. Other nations will come to Jerusalem and come to them for help because they recognize that God is with them. Those who trusted in their idols will be dissappointed in them. God did not make the earth to be a place of empty chaos. God will be found of his people. Refugees will come from other nations carrying their idols that never helped them. God challenges their idols and tells them to look to him instead. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that God is the Lord and that He is the source of all righteousness and strength. All who were angry with God will come to him and be ashamed. God has something to say to Babylon the seat of confusion. Many of Israel and Judah had been taken to Babylon, but God was proclaiming freedom for his people and judgment to Babylon. They had boasted that what they did to others would never happen to them, but God said that it would. Their witchcraft and magic would not be able to save them. God spoke to his own people and told them that they had been stubborn and obstinate. He had sent prophet after prophet to tell them destruction and exile was coming but they had refused to listen. Even when it happened they refused to acknowledge it was the Lord doing it. So now God was going to tell them new things and secrets that they had not yet heard. God had refined them in the furnace of suffering, but one day He would one day rescue them for His name’s sake. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he admonishes them to be patient with each other. Everyone has faults but Chris’t love in us will bind us together in unity. People will never be perfect but we have this common bond in Jesus. He is the one that it worthy to be praised and adored. Christ gave his gifts to us so that we might bless others with them. Jesus came to earth to give us a new government of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers. Their responsibility to to equip the saints to continue Christ’s work on the earth. When we work together we look like Christ’s body here on earth. Lord, help us to find our place in your body and use the gifts you have given us to equip our fellow brothers and sisters. Help us to administer grace and forgiveness for each others’ faults and cover them with love.