Daily Devotions
“I have put My words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of My hand.” Isaiah 51:16
What could be worse than walking under a mercilessly hot sun with no shade in sight? Skin grows dry and parched. Headache begins. We feel faint. Many times our daily life brings temptations and problems which beat down on our heads like the blazing sun. We try to cover up and protect ourselves but fail to dispel the heat.
Isaiah describes God’s salvation with the words, “I have … covered you with the shadow of my hand.” God with His powerful hand reaches down to us and provides refreshing cool, life-giving shade to protect us from sin and temptation. Our Bible reading emphasizes both God’s might and His mercy. He, the great, merciful God, will take care of His own and will save us, His children, from our enemies.
Alone, we die in sin. But God’s Son went to Calvary for us, where He endured the blazing wrath of God on our sins. He won the victory. Now forgiveness is ours through Jesus Christ. God’s hand shades us from all guilt and shame.
By speaking the words God puts in our mouth, we can also bring the good news of God’s shading hand to others. Repenting of their sins, they too can rest in the shade of God’s protecting hand. The next time you seek the shade of a large tree, remember the gracious hand of God available at all times for you in a hot, desert, land.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for offering rest and protection to help us face the temptations and problems of this life. 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.)