Fri.’s Devo - Our Future Hope

Read: Isaiah 66:1-24; Philippians 3:5-21; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 24:15-16 This is the last chapter of Isaiah and it is like the Revelation of Isaiah. He sees the very end when Israel will have the veil taken from her eyes and accept Jesus as her Messiah. Their nation will be birthed all at once - in a single day, a mere moment. The wealth of other nations will pour into her. The earth will be punished by fire and by his sword. Those who worship idols and do detestable things will come to a terrible end. God’s glory will be revealed in all of this and he will perform a sign among them. Those who survive God’s punishment will be sent as messengers to the nations to declare his glory to those who have not heard. They will all come back to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. God will appoint some of them as Levites and priests. They will observe God’s holy days and when they come to the Temple, they will pass the dead bodies of those who have rebelled. The worms that devour them will never die and the fire that burns them will never go out but will remain as a reminder of their fate. In Philippians, Paul gave them his testimony. He was born into a strict Hebrew family from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a member of the Pharisees and a good one. He was a strict follower of the law and he persecuted all who believed otherwise…like the Christians. He once took pride in his education but after his conversion he considered it worthless and inferior to the knowledge of Christ. He came to see that knowledge and following rules had nothing to do with having faith and the power of the resurrection. Paul lived looking to the future and finishing his race of faith which kept him from the pitfalls of this earth. Paul lived in the kingdom of heaven above this earthly kingdom. He encourages us to do the same. Lord, thank you for a future of hope and resurrection. This earth is not our home but we have a wonderful home promised us and we pray to run our race with power and joy till the end.