OT Fire Starters – Day 273: Isaiah 31-32
READ: Isaiah 31-32
THINK: Are you comfortable with the status quo-the way things are? Or are you open to improvement and progress? Most younger people claim to embrace newness and change, but is this true of your spiritual life? Are you constantly growing deeper and reaching higher in your faith? Or have you become complacent-carelessly content and comfortably inactive-in your relationship with Christ? Such an attitude may seem harmless enough, but it can be as dangerous as outright defiance against God. Complacency can cause you to take God and His activity in your life for granted. It can make you spiritually weak and vulnerable to sin. It can ultimately destroy your relationship with Christ. Don’t let a lazy, do-nothing attitude keep you from fulfilling God’s plans for your life. Stay fresh and keep moving forward spiritually by staying connected to God through prayer and putting His Word into practice
RESPOND: Who was Judah trusting rather than looking to God for help, and why (31:1)? (See 31:1 note.) Why and how do people who know God sometimes depend on people or things rather than God? What does it mean that the Lord will “do battle on Mount Zion” (31:4), and who would He fight in order to defend His people (31:8)? (See 31:4-9 note.) What did God expect the people to do in order to receive His help (31:6)? Who is the king who will reign in righteousness (32:1)? (See 32:1-8 note.) What will characterize this righteous reign, and how will it affect people (32:1-8)? In what ways had the Jews become complacent, how was this affecting their lives, and what did God expect them to do? (See 32:9-14 note.) What time period does 32:15-29 refer to, and what effects will the Holy Spirit have during that time (32:16-18)? (See 32:15-20 note.)
PRAY: Pray that you’ll not become complacent in your relationship with God or in serving His purposes. Pray that you’ll never rely on anything in place of God for help, support or rescue. Give God thanks for being your Defender. Praise Jesus for the fact that He will reign forever in righteousness.
ACT: Have you in any way become complacent-carelessly content-in your relationship with God? Do you take His care, provision and purposes for granted? If so, confess these things to God and ask Him to forgive you. Then renew your relationship with Him through consistent personal prayer, worship and devotion to God’s Word. Also, restructure or remove from your life anything that distracts your attention from God or keeps you from relying on Him.