the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
With everlasting grace I will have compassion on you (Isaiah 54:8).
Our view of God's character shapes every attitude and relationship in our lives. Is God harsh and aloof, watching from a distance for us to stumble, or is he unshakably loyal, always there for us, no matter what we may encounter?
Isaiah grapples with this question as he considers Israel in exile, seemingly forsaken by God. Has God given up on Israel? No, Isaiah reminds them, "For your husband is your Maker, ADONAI-Tzva'ot [LORD of Hosts] is his name" (Isaiah 54:5). God's character reflects chesed (unwavering favor and loyalty) such as underlies any healthy marriage. This favor depends not on Israel's performance, but on God's faithfulness to his own covenant promises. God, moreover, shows Israel not only chesed, but chesed olam (everlasting kindness).
Some theologians claim that God has divorced Israel, but the Lord says that the separation is only temporary; his favor and kindness are permanent. Messiah came to bring repentance, forgiveness, and atonement to Israel, so that the marriage between God and his people can be restored. In Messiah, God offers his chesed to all who believe. As we understand this chesed, we begin to practice it toward others, not treating them according to their performance or our prejudices, but giving favor freely— as God himself does.
...treat those around me with chesed, even if they don't deserve it, because God has shown me favor and kindness that I do not deserve.
RR
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
