Tues.’s Devo - To Live for Christ …

Read: Isaiah 57:15-59:21; Philippians 1:1-26; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 24:9-10 God who is high and holy comforts his people by letting them know that he would not be angry forever. He knew that to do that would make man hopeless. Man’s sins made him retreat for a while, but he will come back to restore. God responds quickly to the crushed and humble, but the wicked will not find his rest. God told Isaiah to be his trumpet telling the people their sins so they could repent. They had a form of righteousness and went through the rituals of religion but none of that pleased the Lord. It displeased him because their hearts were far from Him. The wickedness of their hearts came out in how they treated others. They oppressed those who worked for them and overlooked the poor and needy. God told them the type of fasting they needed to do. It wasn’t food they needed to fast from it was denying their flesh. They needed to stop feeding their soul with wickedness and repent. If they helped the poor and needy then their souls would prosper. They slandered their neighbor and brought them to court over trumped up charges made of lies. God told them that he was just and honest and they needed to be also. God was amazed to see that there was no justice and no one was trying to change that. So, God himself stepped in to change the situation. He put on his robe of the judge and judged the wicked of their deeds. When He did, the fear of his name would fill the earth and he would redeem the ones who had turned away from their sins to follow him. Paul wrote to the church in Philippi to thank them for their generous gift and their loving support while he was in prison. The church in Philippi was very mission minded and full of love. We know that by what John wrote to this church. He called it the church of brotherly love. Paul was closer in friendship with this church than any of the churches. He prayed grace and peace to them and told them of the joy they gave to his heart. He prayed that what they have would grow and mature and reminded them of what really matters in life. That is to always be filled with the great of their salvation which is the righteous character produced in their lives by Jesus Christ. He told them of all the opportunities his chains had gotten him to share the gospel. He assured them that everything he had gone through and was going through was worth it because the gospel was being preached and that was the main goal. Lord, thank you for people like Isaiah and Paul who have gone before us to show us that the gospel of Jesus Christ is worth dying for and living for. May we live in reverent fear of You.