Verse of the Day 2/17
Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail. English Standard Version (ESV)
In reading today's verse of "scorched places" you may think of land recently scorched by forest fires or perhaps desert places where a few plants eek out survival from underground springs or the occasional rain. In our lives; scorched places can be dealing with a long term illness; loss of a loved on or perhaps financial loss. But it goes beyond that. It may be a diagnosis which indicates that you'll likely be heading through one of those scorched places in our lives and you need to prepare for that. Today's verse covers all of the scenarios.
It is a reminder that before, during and going through those scorched places to the other side, the Lord will guide you continually, as He has in the past. You will be "watered", find refreshment, springs of water that don't fail by trusting in God, leaning into Him in prayer, being watered by the Word. Other passages probably come to mind such as Psalm 1.
One thing that happens to the scorched places in the world, when the rain comes and the season changes, new life appears, often, more beautiful than what had been there before. We wait in hope, in faith and trust in God's mercy for the same things in our lives.
Regarding "the Lord will guide you continually", Charles Spurgeon writes, " There are no dilemmas out of which you shall not be delivered if you live near to God, and your heart be kept warm with holy love." Because we have this hope, even if we find ourselves in a scorched place, we can sing praise. We sang the following chorus in church today, it fit in well with the thoughts expressed here.
Like a vow that is tested like a covenant of old
And Your love is enduring through the winter rain
And beyond the horizon with mercy for today
You pledge yourself to me and it's why I sing
Songwriters: Bobby Strand / Christopher Allen Greely / Gabriel Wilson / Kalley Heiligenthal
Hebrews 12:1b - 2a "let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,"
-- In Christ, Mike Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
Isaiah 58:11-14 Amplified Bible (AMP)
11
"And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
12
"And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up and restore the age-old foundations [of buildings that have been laid waste];
You will be called Repairer of the Breach,
Restorer of Streets [a]with Dwellings.
Keeping the Sabbath
13
"If you turn back your foot from [[b]unnecessary travel on] the Sabbath,
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a [spiritual] delight, and the holy day of theLord honorable,
And honor it, not going your own way
Or [c]engaging in your own pleasure
Or speaking your own [idle] words,
14
Then you will take pleasure in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the high places of the earth,
And I will feed you with the [promised] heritage of Jacob your father;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
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