Rev. Patrick Vincent
“Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.” – Isa. 62:4
Where does righteousness grow but in a holy heart?
God can take a Forsaken and Desolate heart and make it one He delights in and marries.
(Hephzibah is “my delight is in her,” a fanciful name for Zion.)
“Lo, He is strong” – Job 9:19
God is most strong. He is El-shaddai, God almighty. He has both power and authority.
Lean on Him, trust in Him, and He will see you through.
Who shall dispute with God?
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” – James 5:7-8
Everyday is one day closer.
Be patient.
Jesus’s return is closer now than ever.
It is at hand.
“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?” – Job 9:4
God is most wise.
God alone is wise (2 Tim. 1:17).
Rest in God’s wisdom.
“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
When you feel all alone.
“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds,” – Deut. 33:26
Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel. It means “upright one.”
Indeed, there is no one like God. He rides the heavens to help you. What rich imagery of our sovereign,personal, and active God.
“For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” – Mal. 3:6
Man constantly changes. God does not.
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” – 1 Thes. 4:17
Ever With the Lord
Our suffering is short, our reward is eternal
“But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days.” – 2 Chr. 15:17
Asa, like us, had his blemishes, but his heart was right with God.
Thomas Watson said, “Men judge the heart by the actions, God judges the actions by the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7 “The Lord lookers upon the heart.”)
God bears with our MANY failings.
Another way to say it would be: God uses flawed people because that is all He has to pick from.
“Unto which promise our twelve tribes, INSTANTLY SERVING God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.” – Acts 26:7 (Emphasis mine)
What if our service to God took on this kind of zeal and intensity?
A Verse A Day 