Scripture Union Daily Guide 8 May 2024 (Wednesday) Devotional Message
TOPIC: God Reverses Ugly Situations!
OPENING PRAYER: As I read your word O Lord, grant me an insight and grace to do your will in Jesus name.
SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 54:1-17
1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles*, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
QUESTION FOR REFLECTION
* Q 1: What does the passage teach about God the Father, or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
Scripture Union Daily Guide 8 May 2024 – MESSAGE
Identify the different social states in this passage (three in v.1; one in v.4; and one in v.6). Do you fall into any of them? They are ugly and unpleasant, but you are not alone in your situation. God’s command in v.1 requires a faith response with corresponding actions (personal responsibilities attached) as in vs.2-3.
Note, however, the “do not” in vs.2&4. When God’s people fail to heed these warnings, we hinder Him from reversing our ugly situations. God has not changed. We must still apply Hebrews 11:1 and 6a to receive anything from Him. Your long-expected miracle may after all be in your own hands.
Ugly situations have many possible origins – natural, personal, divine, or demonic. They demand different responses from us for God to reverse them. Think about this. By faith, do your part and trust God to intervene. He certainly will. Why? See v.10.
When the Lord turns around your ugly situation as He has promised, see in vs.11–17 how glorious your lot would be. Vs.15-17 assure us that demonic and natural origins or sources of calamities in the lives of believers are not a problem for God. What then can be? Balaam’s direct effort against Israel failed. What did he resort to? See Revelation 2:14; Numbers 31:16. What is the limit of Satan and his agents (v.16)?
* Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
CLOSING PRAYER
Help me to make my way pleasing unto you, dear Lord, so that you can make my enemies to be at peace with me.
Offer a prayer of faith in line with Psalms 145:18
One Year Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading Plan: Day 129 – 2 Samuel 8-9; 1 Chronicles 18
NATIONAL PRAYER BULLETIN – Wed May 08, 2024
PRAYER FOCUS
CHILDREN MINISTRY IN BENIN REGION
‘Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised…’
Psalms 48:1.
THANK GOD FOR:
* Fruitful labours among children in the Region. • Dedicated children workers in the Region.
PRAY FOR:
* Dedicated workers among the children in the Region.
* Sanctified life and the fear of the Lord among the children.