Scripture: Isaiah 59.

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Isaiah 59:1-3 (NLT)
¹ Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
² It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
³ Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

There comes a time in our lives when we feel like our prayers are hitting a brick wall, when they are falling on deaf ears, when we conclude that God must have turned His face on us. Friends I pray that you will see the value in these verses like I saw, when God made it very clear that it is not He that is too weak to save me, not Him that is too deaf to hear my cry for help, but it is my sin that has cut me off from His presence. I believe that we know that God hates sin, He will have no part of it. Yet we do it anyway and then come before Him in our times of desperation and expect Him to plow through the muck and mire and take care of us in our sinful condition. Friends, I am convinced that God loves us unconditionally, and that He made the greatest of sacrifices for us on Calvary, but I also believe that He provided His Word for our instruction, for our guidance, for our good, expecting us to be obedient to it and live in accordance with His instruction. When we don’t follow the commands given to us, God sees us with hands like murderers, fingers filthy with sin, lips filled with lies and mouths spewing nothing but corruption. These things make God turn away and not listen to us anymore, and this is a very bad position to be in, for with God on our side, ALL things are possible, and His love is unrestrictedly expressed to us, in us and through us.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, when I stop and think of all that You have done for me, I feel so unworthy when I find myself neglecting or disobeying Your commands. I am distraught to think about You turning a deaf ear to me, or ignoring my cry for help. I pray that I will not obey out of selfishness for what You can and will do for me, but Lord I pray that my appreciation for all that You have done for me, and my love for You will go much deeper and that I will have an unending desire to please You and obey You in all that I do. Please fill me, and refill me as necessary, with so much of Your love and Your power, that I will be constantly reminded of my commitment to You and my ultimate desire to please You in all that I do.

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
ß