September 19 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading:

Isaiah 28:5-13

⁵In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,
⁶And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
⁷But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
⁸For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
⁹Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
¹⁰For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
¹¹For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
¹²To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
¹³But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Devotional:

'Say, Please,' we say to our child. We do not stop if we see no results after twenty-five times. It might be that the twenty-sixth time will bear fruit!

Training should be from birth and must consistently continue throughout life. 'Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts' (28:9). The instruction, correction and admonition required for a frail sinful man to live a productive, consistent and God-honoring life must be taken up by the parent as soon as the infant shows need of learning the lessons of submission and humility! Teachers and church are to follow through. Gradually more and more of the task devolves upon the individual, who must himself bear the responsibility as he matures. It is one continuous process. We call it education in a broad sense. As far as the individual's spiritual growth is involved we call it sanctification.

'Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little' (28:10 and 13). Isaiah repeats his phrases within the verse to demonstrate what he means. Then he even repeats the whole verse, so we can have no excuse for misunderstanding! Repetition is one of the most important keys in the learning process. Never may we be ashamed of it. Patience, tact, understanding and firmness are required on the part of the parent as he trains his child. Similar qualities are required on the part of the maturing adult as he continues his self-discipline. But it is God's way, the way God has used with His frail children all through the years, the method He patiently uses with His frail children today.

This is not a gloomy and monotonous syndrome. This is, really, one of the exciting things about the Christian life! New doors of learning and living are continually opening. They will continue to open until we walk through the gates of heaven itself. Even then we shall surely grow in our knowledge and appreciation of God and His glory through eternity.