Reading for today
Old Testament: Isaiah 30, 31, 32
New Testament: 3 John 1
Thoughts from today’s reading
Isaiah 30:1-3, 15-16. When we act in haste and are not patient to wait for the counsel of God, we will rely on the systems and the wisdom of men which end up worsening our situation. Our strength will come from quiet confidence in waiting on the Lord and receiving His directions for our actions.
3 John 1:11. We are encouraged to imitate good and not evil. Children are really good at imitating what they see their parents do. You will also find that they come back home with new learned behaviours from friends at school which may be conflicting with what they have been taught at home. Our focus should be on God and all the good that He does so we can imitate it, as Jesus said, be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
Prayer
1. Lord, you said they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, mounting up with wings as eagles, walking and not growing weary, running and not fainting. Teach us Lord to wait on you, to wait for your counsel and instruction, to listen for your voice, so that we do not take action hastily by relying on the flesh and the wisdom of men. Thank you that our strength and confidence comes from you and you will never let us be ashamed.
2. Father, your word declares that he who does evil has not seen God. Jesus also said that it is the pure in heart who shall see God (Matthew 5:8). You have washed us by the blood of Jesus Christ, purifying our hearts by faith (Acts 15:9). Because of what you have done, we can see the Father God and we can imitate Him as He does good. Thank you that in imitating the Father, we will experience the power of God in all that we do through Jesus Christ, amen.