Chosen
Opening Prayer
Lord, I need You. Open my heart to receive from You today.
Read Isaiah 10:20–27
20 In that day the remnant of Israel,
the survivors of Jacob,
will no longer rely on him
who struck them down
but will truly rely on the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel.
21 A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob
will return to the Mighty God.
22 Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel,
only a remnant will return.
Destruction has been decreed,
overwhelming and righteous.
23 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
the destruction decreed upon the whole land.
24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“My people who live in Zion,
do not be afraid of the Assyrians,
who beat you with a rod
and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
25 Very soon my anger against you will end
and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”
26 The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip,
as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff over the waters,
as he did in Egypt.
27 In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders,
their yoke from your neck;
the yoke will be broken
because you have grown so fat.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Our world doesn’t understand our faith. Pray for God’s patience and strength.Assyria has been appointed by God to deliver his judgement on Israel,
but they will fail to acknowledge him and end up being destroyed
themselves (10:5–19,25). Then the survivors of the Assyrian invasion will return to their God (20–22). The “remnant” are not just the people who physically survive. They are spiritual survivors, people who “truly rely on the Lord” (20).
Isaiah was not the only prophet to speak of a remnant. Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, wrote: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?” (Micah 7:18). A century later, during the decline of Judah, Jeremiah and Zephaniah prophesied similar concepts.
Today, it can seem like our faith is dying – but many who have turned away were only ever “cultural” Christians. Christianity is booming in nations such as Africa, South Korea and China. A central core of true believers will always endure.
God’s people need not fear the enemies that surround us (24). One day God will “part the sea” of opposition, secularism and false religion (26) and we will flourish in his kingdom (27).
Apply
How can you encourage the spread of the Gospel around the world: through giving? going? advocacy?
Closing prayer
Choose one aspect of society that troubles you, and pray for God to act.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.