Daily Devotions
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor. Isaiah 61:3
Few people stand tall today against the evils of our age. People talk resolutely but soon bend like a willow in the wind when compromise seems the better course. When forests covered the land in America, sturdy leaders pioneered the way for a fledgling nation. Now strong leaders seem harder to find.
Isaiah in a time of disobedience and compromise points ahead to the Messiah who will one day step into the synagogue at Nazareth and apply these words of Isaiah 61 to Himself as Savior. Isaiah prophesies the results of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for believers: “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor.” Oaks of righteousness – sturdy, unbending, enduring, solid, towering oaks.
God makes us “oaks of righteousness,” beginning in our baptism. Our weakness and compromise forgiven in the blood of Christ, we stand tall with His strength. As a planting of the Lord, we display His splendor, witness to His love, and speak out for Him against evil in its many forms. When the storms come and the winds blow, we can by God’s grace stand tall and firm in His strength, so that others can find their strength in us, to the glory of His name.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, for protecting me during the storms of my life, and making me an oak of righteousness. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988 CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)