Devotion
Lions and lambs
David Jacobs
There is a popular video online of a lion named Christian. Christian was raised by two men when he was a cub after they found him when he was injured as a baby. They took care of the cub as they would with any pet or child, until the lion was too big for them to care for. It was time for Christian to be released into the wild.
A few years later, Christian had been living in the wild and was a fully grown adult lion. Perhaps foolishly, the two men that raised him went to see how he was doing. In the shocking video, Christian the lion runs at his two parents and starts to play with them and lick them, like he was a cub again. It is a heartwarming scene, one that I am reminded of when reading these verses.
Isaiah speaks about God's judgment of humanity. He says that humanity will not be judged based on the sight of humanity, but on righteousness. The poor and meek who did not try to take too much will inherit the earth. They will inherit God's kingdom. This message provided hope to all the people that would have heard it, and is almost mimicked by Christ when he lives amongst us.
Prayer
Holy Lord, God of power and might, you shall judge the quick of the dead. We are so fortunate, O Lord, that you judge not based on our worldly achievements but on the quality of our spirit. Strengthen my spirit, O Lord, so that I may, in turn, strengthen those around me, as did Isaiah. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
