Daily Devotion January 13

January 13: Isaiah 33:15-16

KJV Key Verse: Isaiah 33:15
He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Devotion:
Isaiah directed people to turn away from their evil ways and turn back to God. He showed people they needed to recognise the law which God had given them many years before and uphold it. He reminded people of the law and how they were neglecting it. This was not a man who was judging other people but a man who was lifting up the law and showing people they were falling very short of the mark!

Isaiah was a man who wanted other people to see how important God’s law is. He reminded people of the law and gave them direction as well as example of how they fell short. He included himself and his fellow people in many circumstances because he recognised his own shortcomings. If we just blame other people and do not recognise when we fall short then we are nothing better than a judge against the law.

Against the law? How can I say we are against the law if we are trying to show people they are wrong? The law does not say we should put people down by calling them sinners and showing them they are wrong. That is only part of the law. The law says we need to uplift people so they want to be able to obey the law. If we put forward the law as a pure hardship we will not gain many followers. But equally we do need to remind people of the law.

Yes it is a fine balance and one which is difficult to maintain. The world will always seem to offer so many ways out or ways in which things can be bent to allow people to be happy in what they do. The law does not bend and fold under pressure. The law stays firm and has a foundation in Christ, our Rock, our Saviour. Turning our ways away from the ways of the world will allow us to aim toward Christ and to encourage people toward Him. Abusing the ways of the world will only lead to strife and chase people away from God. Be sensible, but be honest.

Points to Ponder:
Do you struggle with the law?

Are you being real with God?