Day: April 18, 2021

Immanuel God With Us

Isaiah’s national call for repentance
is so urgent that even his personal
call and commission to prophetic
office must wait until chapter 6.
The task set before Isaiah is an
unenviable one, for God promises
from the start that the people will
be spiritually deaf & nearsighted.
But armed with confidence in his
Immanuel, Isaiah begins to declare
harsh words from on high in the
courts and palaces of Judah.

All Praise be to Immanuel:
The Lord spoke again to Ahaz
saying: Ask a sign for yourself
from the Lord your God…
Then Isaiah said: Hear now, you
house of David! Is it not enough
to try the patience of men?
Will you try the patience of my
God also? Therefore the Lord
Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, a virgin will be with child
and bear a son, and she will call
his name Immanuel (Isa 7:10-14).

Immanuel, God with us. The most
perfect being – the Creator of all
things, chose to dwell among us.
Lord, You are fully God but also
fully man & You took on the sin of
all humanity to offer us salvation.
You Lord are the King of kings,
in a manger – the humble King,
who came to reveal the heart and
character of Father to us. Amen.

Immanuel, we focus much on You
during Christmas and give You
the honour rightly due to You.
But often throughout the rest of
the year, we forget the significance
of Your name – God with us!
Forgive me for being so easily
distracted that I fail to give You
the honour due You each day.
Forgive me for looking elsewhere
for that which only You can supply:
meaning & purpose of life. Amen.

Immanuel,strengthen Your followers
to live lives that reflect Your glory
& point people to U as God with us.
May Your name spread in such
a way as to draw people to You.
May we experience You more
fully and intimately each day.
May You not be to us a distant God,
but truly know You as God with us.
And May I know You as Immanuel,
God with me. In Jesus’ name.

Being Faithful to the Gospel

For 11 chapters Paul has set forth
the doctrine of the Christian faith.
The balance of his letter moves
into the practical outworking of
that faith. For every assignment,
there is a enablement from God.
The letter closes with Paul’s stating
his plans, a long series of greetings,
an admonition followed by doxology.

Lord, we will Defend the Gospel:
Brothers and sisters, I ask you
to look out for those who cause
people to be against each other
and who upset other people’s faith.
They are against the true teaching
you learned, so stay away from them.
For those who are such do not serve
our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 16:17-18).
Everyone knows that you are
obedient to the Lord. This makes
me very happy. I want you to see
clearly what is right and to stay
innocent of any wrong (v19).
And the God of peace will crush
Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you. Amen (v20).

Lord, make us be faithful to the
gospel in our area of influence.
Help us to be watchful for those
who undermine sound doctrine.
Lead us be wise and discerning
so that we could recognise
what is good and what is evil.
Prompt us to want to do good
and make us be willing servants.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, help me to travel life’s
road seeing things clearly
and living innocent of wrong.
Help me Lord to depend fully
on the light of Your Son Jesus.
Help me see the path You have
for me and through the truth of
Your Word leads me gently on it.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we realize the more we
yield to sin, the more enticements
to sin we seem to encounter.
But the more consistently and
firmly we resist temptation, the
stronger our resolve becomes.
Lord, the enemy is strong and
sinister; but You are stronger.
Give me the grace to recognise
the attacks of the enemy; and the
strength to spurn his offers. Amen.