September 22

Isaiah 39:1-41:16, Ephesians 1:1-23, Psalm 66:1-20, Proverbs 23:25-28

Pray: “No one can comprehend the depth of the Lord’s understanding” of all life and specifically of your life. Be humbled and praise the One who calls the stars in the sky by name for taking an interest in you.

Read: Focus on the connection between the great promises of God in Isaiah and the explanation of their fulfillment in Ephesians. 

Edify: We’re good at making plans. We envision the coming week, month, or several years and project our assumptions, our hopes, and our fears into our plan of our future. Paul says that God’s plan will be fulfilled as everything is brought under the authority of Christ. The glory of the Lord revealed as Isaiah pointed to has come in Christ, and He has come offering forgiveness of sins and with a shepherd’s heart. Our fears and uncertainties bring anxiety, but God promises that He will hold us in His mighty hand and give us renewed strength. When this strong promise is seen in the light of Christ, we have a confident hope of every spiritual blessing available and the great inheritance we have in store.

Practice: One of the great promises of God of gathering His people together in a transformed community is now worked out in the world through His Church. Paul even says that Christ’s authority is for the very benefit of the Church, who is His body. Commit today to taking one step towards His Church which plays a prominent role in His salvation plan through giving, serving, life groups, leadership, or prayer.