Daily Devotions
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon My salvation will come, and My righteousness be revealed. … And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, to love the Name of the Lord, and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast My covenant—these I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.” (Isaiah 56:1, 6-8)
It isn’t easy being a foreigner. And it’s even harder if you feel like a foreigner in your own church! And that was what happened to a lot of people who weren’t born into Israel. No matter how much they loved the Lord, there were customs and rules and traditions that reminded them they were the outsiders—unexpected—often unwanted by those around them.
Under those circumstances, no wonder some foreigners started wondering about the Lord. Was He, too, going to reject them in the end?
The Lord makes it clear that His answer is No. He says: “Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely separate me from His people’” (Isaiah 56:3a). There are no foreigners to the Lord. There are only people whom He suffered and died for—people He rose from the dead to save. They are people He intends to make part of His family, people He calls His own. And in the end, He will give them joy in His presence, together with all His creation—because He loves us.
You may be feeling like a foreigner at the moment. Perhaps you go to church or live in some other Christian environment and still, you feel like an outsider—unknown, unwanted, un-cared for. I’ve been there—a lot of us have. But when the church falls into sin and rejects God’s people, the Lord does not. He reaches out to us and calls us to Himself. And we will be with Him forever. That’s what keeps us going.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, You loved me and made me Your own. When I’m rejected by others, protect me and draw me close to Yourself. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- Why do Christians sometimes reject other people? What can be done about this?
- Was Jesus accepted by the religious people of His day? Why or why not?
- How does the Lord sustain us, even when we’re being hurt by others?
Today's Readings:
1 Chronicles 1-31 Corinthians 6
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