DEVOTION – DAY 392

Isaiah 1:4 “A Sinful People”

Isaiah 1:4 “Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given over to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.”

The prophet Isaiah lamented about the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel. Isaiah declared in v4, that God had considered the nation of Israel and judged it to be failing in a number of areas. 1) the nation and its people were sinful. 2) the people were weighed down by the guilt of their sin 3) the people do evil 4) they were corrupted by sin 5) they have forsaken the Lord 6) they have spurned the Lord and 7) they have turned their backs on Him.

In the same way, Isaiah could also accuse us of deserving God’s judgment for the same areas. 1) We are a sinful people. We are all selfish and we look after our own interests first. We are also proud people thinking highly of ourselves compared to others. People are selfish when they jump queues, park indiscriminately, and waste food in buffets by taking more than they can eat. As a nation, we waste resources, and ruin the environment in order to make more profits for ourselves. 2) Our sins of selfishness, pride, ignoring injustice and so on weighs us down with guilt. 3) In order to compete, we talk bad about others. We cut corners in order to enrich ourselves. This is just a fraction of the evil that people do. 4) We lie, we cheat, we lust, we curse and so on. We are corrupted by sin. 5-7) Some people deny that God exist. People do not want God to be taught in schools, or mentioned publicly, in order as to not offend others. People reject invitations to hear the gospel. They have turned away from God. It is because of the sad spiritual condition of the people in Isaiah’s day and throughout history including the present age, that God sent His Son, to die on the cross, to atone for the sins of mankind. For those who believe in Jesus, His Son, they will escape His judgment.

We know someone whose mother was an unbeliever. She had spent her life worshipping idols. Then, she became very ill and was hospitalized. We visited her in hospital and shared the gospel with her. She firmly refused to believe in Jesus. She knew she was not perfect but she did not want to turn from her idols. She was an example of someone who turned her back on God and was willing to face judgment. Her pride in being faithful to her idols prevented her heart to be opened to the gospel message.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, please forgive our nation for all that we have done that displeases you. Please have mercy in us. Thank you for your gift of grace offered freely to all who would believe in your Son as their Lord and Savior. We pray that many people will call on Him in their time of need and be saved. We pray this in the great name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

1. Why do people today turn their backs on the Lord? What are some of the sins people are guilty of and yet, they deny that they have even sinned? Discuss.
2. How can you intercede for our nation in prayer, for God to pour out His mercy on us?
3. Have you any unconfessed sins that you need to repent and ask for forgiveness from God?