Verse of the Day 2/9

Verse of the Day 2/9

Isaiah 30:15

English Standard Version

15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,

"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength."
But you were unwilling,

In our fast paced society, people barely slow down to take a breath and when trouble arises, quite often they become even more caught up with action, thinking "I have to do something" frantically trying something that may give them an answer.  Today's verses remind us that turning to God, or returning to God if we've strayed from Him, and rest we find strength and are saved.

David Jeremiah writes that "Isaiah's word for rest or "quietness" means ceasing from activity, rather than the cessation of noise.  This is the message of Isaiah 30 - God wanted His people to stop their frantic activity by which they were trying to solve their own problems.  The whole chapter is filled with the people's striving, running here and there trying to get help, building alliances with pagan neighbors.  You can feel the stress and tension escalating as you read the chapter."

The people, tragically, were unwilling to turn to the Lord.  What about us?  What or to whom to we go to first, second, .... before turning to God?  We too can be unwilling to surrender to Him.

The next time we face a new unexpected challenge, may we "cease from striving" on our own but find rest in Him.

1 All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2 All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine. [Refrain]

3 All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me. [Refrain]

Blessings,

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 30:8-15

English Standard Version

A Rebellious People

8 And now, go, write it before them on a tablet
    and inscribe it in a book,
that it may be for the time to come
    as a witness forever.[a]
9 For they are a rebellious people,
    lying children,
children unwilling to hear
    the instruction of the Lord;
10 who say to the seers, "Do not see,"
    and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us smooth things,
    prophesy illusions,
11 leave the way, turn aside from the path,
    let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel."
12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel,
"Because you despise this word
    and trust in oppression and perverseness
    and rely on them,
13 therefore this iniquity shall be to you
    like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse,
    whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant;
14 and its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel
    that is smashed so ruthlessly
that among its fragments not a shard is found
    with which to take fire from the hearth,
    or to dip up water out of the cistern."

15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
"In returning[b] and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength."
But you were unwilling,