9 Minute Read

Be Still

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a couple of minutes to breathe deeply, to quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, prayerfully ask the Lord to speak to you in this time and let Him know that you will be listening and will make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Isaiah 57:15–59:21
Philippians 1:1-26
Psalm 71:1-24
Proverbs 24:9-10

Listen to the Lord

Slowly and reflectively read the following verses and listen to what God will say to you through them. Then, consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Isaiah 59:15-16 (NLT): “… The LORD looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him.”

Reflections from Scripture:

We serve a big God. He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3), and nothing can stop Him (Job 42:2). If God weren’t such a loving God (1 John 4:8,16), we would have a legitimate reason to be terrified of Him. But, because He loves us so much, we have reason to “fear” (stand in awe) of Him. We can love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). 

So, each morning is an invitation to wake up and enjoy another day with our God. Regardless of what the day brings, we can enjoy a relationship with Him knowing He’s entirely in control of all things and loves us immensely.

But, if we aren’t careful, we will read through those previous paragraphs and think that our relationship with God is self-centered. It is ultimately for our therapy. It makes us feel good as an end in itself. 

And that would be so far from the truth.

God is not ‘man-centered.’ He is ‘God-centered.’ Each day is an opportunity to discover what God is doing and join Him in that activity.

Well, what is God up to? As we enjoy Him today, what might He be doing around us? In my Bible reading a few moments ago, I came across an answer to those questions.

Isaiah 59:15-16 (NLT): “… The LORD looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him.”

One of the things God might be doing around you today is to seek justice for those who are oppressed. Whether it is a fellow student who is being bullied, an elderly parent who got scammed by a salesman, or someone who is mistreated because of the color of their skin.

Wherever injustice can be found, you can be sure that God is looking for someone to intercede.

Now, Christians typically don’t fight for our own rights. Instead, we follow Jesus’ example (Philippians 2:3-8) and frequently give up our rights for the benefit of others. But, when it comes to other people whose rights have been violated – well, that’s a different matter. We are supposed to be particularly focused on helping the helpless.

If you see injustice today, ask yourself what God might be doing in that situation. Then, with your mind informed by regular Scripture intake, ask what God might desire you to do in that situation.

If you do this, you will be moving away from a me-centered theology to one that is God-centered and others-centered. These are much more biblical and are the essence of the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:34-40).

Spend Time in Prayer

Lord Jesus, it is easy to be me-centered. Yet, the two greatest commands call me to get things right in myself (“as you love yourself”) so that I focus on you and others. Help me to do that, Lord Jesus. Give me the eyes to see who needs me to step in to help and then let Your love flow through me. With this focus, I go into this day with a sense of adventure. I pray this in Your Name, Amen.

Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com). His latest book is God’s Grace in the Real World. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

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