TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE

DEVOTIONAL

by Sandra Chua

Israel had been punished by God for turning away from Him. God sent warnings after warnings, again and again, but the people did not listen. And so the Lord brought one judgment after another, one terror after another. First, there was Assyria, then came Babylon. The people were in despair, and God’s heart went out to His people. But though God is merciful, God did not exempt them from the consequences of their sins. They had to go through such terrible oppression from their enemies. What is so beautiful in the passage is that God sent messages of hope to His people in their suffering. He will forgive. He will restore. 

If you are a parent, I am sure you have disciplined your children either by spanking, withholding a privilege, or assigning them additional chores. I am sure that your hearts must have also ached to see them hurt or miss out on some treats because of their punishment. God’s heart is much the same way. He longs to fill us with good things. He wants us to live our lives to the full and longs to be merciful to us. It pains Him to see us hurt, yet He does what is good for us. We can be sure, though, that in the midst of our well-deserved punishment, He will not forget mercy. His purpose is to correct and restore. 

Are you going through difficult times? Whether it is due to the Lord’s discipline or just testing or honing your faith, try to sweep away the cobwebs of doubt from your outlook. Remind yourself that God is purposeful and merciful. As God’s children, we have hope, and our hope is sure because He who promised is faithful.

REFLECTION

How am I facing times of difficulty, especially when I know it is part of God’s discipline? How is hardship clouding my vision of future hope? What promises of God can I hold on to so that I can look forward to the future with hope? Have I asked for God’s forgiveness?

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, You are loving, but You are also just. You discipline us for our good that we may share in Your holiness. Thank You for disciplining us in love. We praise You that no matter how many promises You have made, You are faithful to fulfill them all. The Bible records Your faithfulness, and we can look forward with hope and approach with confidence the throne of grace because we are sure to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Praise be to God. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.