Daily Devotions

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord … Give attention to Me, My people, and give ear to Me, My nation; for a law will go out from Me, and I will set My justice for a light to the peoples. My righteousness draws near, My salvation has gone out, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for Me, and for My arm they wait. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will never be dismayed.” (Isaiah 51:1a, 4-6)

In the Old Testament, “arm” is another way of saying “strength.” God says, “My righteousness draws near, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for Me, and for My arm they wait.”

There’s nothing to surprise us in the idea of God’s people waiting for God to save them. Of course they do! They know His heart—that He loves them and wants to rescue them. So of course they wait for His arms.

But that’s not what this text says. It says, “the coastlands” are waiting for God’s arms to save them. Who are these people?

Well, most of them are Gentiles! They are the people who live next to the Mediterranean, and most of them are not Israelites. Most of them are idol worshippers. And yet, God says, they are waiting for His arms to save them—even though they are not His people. Not yet, that is.

Because they are right to hope for God’s salvation. God loves them—loves us!—enough to come down into our broken world, to be born as one of us, to become our Savior. Jesus, who is both God and Man, came into our world to save us all—not just the Israelites, not just the people of the coastlands, but every single human being—every one of us who will let Him. He came to pull us out from under the power of evil, and to give us life, joy, and peace that will last forever.

How? Through His arms! Because it was Jesus who willingly stretched out His arms on the cross, that day His enemies put Him to death. They didn’t realize that He had chosen that death long ago, before the world was made, in the wisdom of the Trinity. By dying for us all, Jesus broke the power of death forever; and by rising from the dead on the third day, Jesus opened the way to life for everyone who will trust in Him. He is the way to life. His strong arms will carry us, all the way into God’s kingdom. And we will be with Him forever.

WE PRAY: Dear Savior, thank You for what You have done for me. Keep me with You forever. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. Why is it an act of strength, to die for someone else?
2. Is that the sort of thing you’d expect God Most High to do? Why or why not?
3. If God uses His strength to save you, is your weakness going to take you away from Him?

Today's Readings:

Psalms 48-50
1 Corinthians 11:1-16

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