January 30 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Isaiah 55:

¹Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
²Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
³Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
⁴Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
⁵Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
⁶Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
⁷Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
¹¹So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
¹²For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
¹³Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Devotional

What a terrible thing sin is! Sin is the cause of all misery, sickness, and death. By nature all men are the servants of sin; they are in its power and cannot free themselves from it. As servants of sin they are without righteousness and therefore they cannot stand before God. As transgressors of God's holy law they have deserved eternal punishment for their sins.

But thanks be to God, there is deliverance from sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. "Where sin abounded, there grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." "Christ was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It is only for the sake of Christ, for his suffering and death and resurrection, that our sins can be forgiven. "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Note, God gives both repentance and forgiveness, and his forgiveness is so complete, that it is as if we had never committed or had any sins. He says, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." He has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west. He will cast our sins into the depths of the sea. He has blotted them out as a thick cloud. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."

Prayer

Merciful God and Father, if Thou shouldest mark iniquity, O Lord, who shall stand? We thank Thee that with Thee there is forgiveness, that Thou mayest be feared. Help us to put our hope and trust in Thee; for with Thee there is mercy and plenteous redemption. May we be assured of Thy forgiveness, and so may our lips overflow with praise and thanksgiving. Yea, may our whole life be a life of thankfulness for Thy salvation. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 6:20; 5:20, 21; 2 Cor. 5:21; Acts 5:31; Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:12; Ps. 108:12; Micah 7:19; Isa. 44:22; Rom. 8:1.

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