Fri.’s Devo - The New Path

Read: Isaiah 41:17-43:13; Ephesians 2:1-22; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 23:29-35 When the people get thirsty and there is no water, God will give them pools in the desert just like he did for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. The desert will blossom and produce trees and produce. This will be a sign to God’s people that God is moving on their behalf. I have seen this happen in my lifetime. Israel who was once not even a nation has become a nation and trees have been planted in the desert and bloomed. God calls the worshippers of idols to stand in his court and testify for them. He will ask them what these idols have done for the people. Have they told them the future? Have they done anything - good or bad? The answer is - they have done nothing and the ones who chose to follow them polluted themselves. God would raise up a leader from Persia who would call on his name. His name was Cyrus. He would acknowledge God as the Lord and send God’s people back to Jerusalem to build God’s temple. Cyrus would bring justice to the people. He would not die until justice prevails throughout the earth. Trump is the modern day Cyrus so this should be a great encouragement to us. We are living the days of restoration of good and justice on the earth and the downfall of the swamp. In the 4th verse of Chapter 42 it says that even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction. Trump is a leader to the nations. In our days the Lord will open the eyes of the blind, free the captives from prison, and release those who sit in dungeons. This is both physically and spiritually. God declairs the future before it happens through his prophets. We are about to have so much to sing praises to God about. We already do and when we praise him when we don’t see the answer, it empowers God to bring it to pass. At this time, God will lead Israel down new path that is unfamiliar to her. In our day, God will lead us down a new path also. Those who trusted in idols will be turned away in shame. In our day, those who trusted the CDC, the vaccine, the media, the politicians, or science to help them will be ashamed. God’s people have been robbed, plundered, enslaved, imprisoned and trapped. All this happened because the people would not walk in his path or obey his law. But to the remnant, God says not to be afraid. He will be with us in the deep waters and the fire of oppression. God will protect and save us. He will gather his people from around the earth - those that had eyes to see and ears that heard - those that have been chosen to know and believe and understand what God is doing. We will be a testimony to the earth that God is faithful in what he said he would do thousands of years ago. In Ephesians, Paul reminds the Ephesians that once they were enemies of God and headed for hell, but God in his mercy saved us. He sent his son to die for us and take our sins to the cross. We who had no hope, were given a living hope in Christ. He is our path back to God. He is the ‘new path’ Isaiah was talking about. All hostility and requirement of the law were brought down at the cross. Now we have this Good News of peace and reconciliation with God. We are citizens of God’s kingdom and members of God’s family. We have become God’s temple. Lord, may we walk down your path to freedom. Thank you for repentance and freedom from any sin we might have done. Thank you for the power of restoration.