Daily Devotional
Sunday: Startled at the Servant: Isaiah 52:13-15
In our human thinking, we expect the hero of the story to be pleasant looking, have an appearance of strength and burst into the scene with a dynamic entrance. But God doesn’t approach things in the way we might anticipate. The hero of the salvation story was born in an unassuming way. He had no beauty that would attract people to Him. He was humble and ordinary—not at all what we would expect!
Monday: A Servant of Sorrows: Isaiah 53:1-3
It is hard to imagine how a man like Jesus, who was humble and gentle, could be rejected and despised. Yet it is our human nature to look at a man so ordinary in appearance that we reject His message without even a second thought. Finally, when He takes on the sins of the world in crucifixion, our human tendency is to reject Him altogether, because it is too difficult for us to face the pain He suffered for us.
Tuesday: The Smitten Servant: Isaiah 53:4-6
Who is “we” in this passage? The Bible was written directly speaking to the nation of Israel, and yet it also speaks to us in this day and age. The “we,” then, is us. We are the sheep who have gone astray. We are the ones who follow our own path and ideas instead of following the Lord. It was for us He was bruised and chastised and our sins—the sins of all of us—were laid on Him. The message of salvation is not just for the Jews of yesteryear; it is as vibrant and true a message today as it was then.
Wednesday: The Silent Servant: Isaiah 53:7-9
This passage reveals the innocence and submissiveness of the Servant. The poet compares him to a sheep, both in the aspects of proclaiming no defense and accepting his sentence without protest, and in the aspect of being the sacrificial lamb. When the trials of life come our way, do we react as Jesus did—with humility and quietness of spirit? Or does our human nature get in the way?
Thursday: The Satisfied Servant: Isaiah 53:10-12
How could a parent ever choose to kill his own son? If it happened today we would think that parent was demented. Yet, this is just what God chose. This sacrifice was the ultimate expression of his great love for us. How can we ever live up to the depths of love this sacrifice expresses?
Friday: Hope for a Disgraced Woman: Isaiah 54:1-10
Barren, widowed, divorced—three disgraces that women of ancient Israel faced. To each of these, though, God offers the solution: turn to him, and through his grace, be restored. Spiritually, without God’s grace, we are barren, widowed, and divorced. We are the disgraced woman—but there’s hope!
Saturday: Hope for a Ruined City: Isaiah 54:11-17
In the allegory of the disgraced woman, there is a dual application. Jerusalem would be rebuilt after the remnant returned. But the New Jerusalem, which would come down from God out of heaven (Revelation 21:1-3), will be the ultimate future fulfillment. Those who enter its gates will live eternally!