10/30/2022
Pastor Ben Anderson of Christ Church Nashville shared a picture of a beautiful fall scene on Facebook, and attached a verse from Isaiah 55 to it. Together they inspired me to write today’s devotional… and prayer…
Speak to us oh Lord, let your voice call us from unrighteousness, and return our hearts to you. Let every sin fall away, and your joy fill the void left by our passing iniquity. In your Son Jesus is our trust, and in your love our hope. Speak to us oh Lord from the halls of your mercy, and sing from the towers of your grace. Let your redemption comfort us in our darkest nights, and warm our hardened hearts in the winter’s chill as we shiver in the world.
“let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Isaiah 55:7 ESV
Sing to us oh Lord from the mountains, and sooth our souls with the sound of your bubbling brook. Wash over us with living water, and cool our burning desires with the sweet breath of spring. Settle us in your arms, and let us wrap our hands around your cup of warm wine. Let the taste of broken bread make us whole once more.
““For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV
Hear our voices oh Lord as we sing out Holy, Holy, Holy, to you, and raise our arms to embrace and welcome you. Hear our voices oh Lord as we shout Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! to you, the King of kings, and the author of our living. Hear our voices oh Lord as we whisper to you from the depths of our soul, and with a hush capture your breath within us where it will become our sigh.
““For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:12 ESV
Comfort us oh Lord, and as our voices intermingle in loving embrace with yours may you be glorified, and we be blessed, by your presence within us… forevermore.
“Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.””
Isaiah 55:13 ESV
Let every voice in reverence say Amen, Amen, Amen!
Rich Forbes