Daily Devotions
“My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will … wail in brokenness of spirit.” Isaiah 65:14
Through the prophet Isaiah, God articulates a clear choice for the people of Israel. On the one hand, those who disobey can expect wails in brokenness of spirit, they provoke God, forget His holy mountain, offer sacrifices to idols, and walk in evil ways. God vows to pay them back in full for their sins and the sins of their fathers.
How easily we can forget God in the midst of our selfish pursuits, follow the example of those who pursue modern idols and say that we are above reproach! Persistent disobedience can lead to anguish of heart and wails of brokenness when we experience God’s wrath against our sins.
But, on the other hand, God offers us salvation freely by His grace. He sent His Son to pay for our sins by dying on the cross. Chosen by Him in Baptism, we sing out of the joy of our hearts. We treasure our inheritance, thank Him for many blessings, hear the answers to our prayers before we even ask, and anticipate new heavens and a new earth which He will create for us. No wonder we fill the air with songs of joy.
“The Sovereign LORD says: ‘My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.’” (Isaiah 65:13). Songs of joy or wails of brokenness? Thank God for the gift of His Son!
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, for the gift of Your Son. 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.)