Daliy Devotions 27th March 2017

Isaiah 43: 4You are precious and honoured in my sight, and … I love you

Though there were times when the Israelites turned away from God especially after the death of Joshua and a new generation was born while sojourning through the desert, this generation had not known God as the previous generation had.

Very soon after Joshua’s death the new generation began to run after the foreign women and men and together with that, they also turned away from God and turned to the idols worshipped among the aliens. The new generation had turned their backs to God and because they had done so, God allowed some of the remaining nations to rise up against the Israelites as a lesson to them so that they can turn back to God.

Another aspect was that the new generation had not known war as they did not have to take the Promised Land and they were unskilled in the art of war. Therefore God also used these nations to give them the necessary training by allowing war to happen and giving the opportunity for the new generation to develop a new army.

Having said that, the new generation had forsaken God over and over but the love and compassion of God for His people had not vain. Isaiah brught the word to the Israelites that though they had failed God but He did not forsake them and God said that they are precious and honoured in His sight. God also said that He still loved them in spite of their rebellion and stiff neck nature.

This is also applicable to us in this present time, we too are distracted by the world. We may not be chasing after actual idols but we are chasing after what the world offers. These are the idols of our hearts which have side lined and pushed God aside just as the new generation of the Israelites had done.

However God is the same yesterday, today and forever and so is his love which never changes. He still loves us just as he did His people in the days of old. God is softly and tenderly calling us to turn back to Him. If we are overwhelmed by the world, it is time that we turn back to God before we lose our way and completely depart from Him.