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Day 320 (Isaiah 9:8-21) The Lord sent a word against Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel. All the people will know—Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria—who say in pride and arrogance of heart: “The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with hewn stones. The sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.” Therefore, the LORD will set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and spur his enemies on, the Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and they will devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this, His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. Therefore, the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, palm branch, and bulrush in one day. The elder and honorable, he is the head; the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. The leaders of these people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed. Therefore, the Lord will have no joy in their young men, nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows. For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this, His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. For wickedness burns as the fire. It will devour the briers and thorns, and kindle in the thickets of the forest. They will mount up like rising smoke. Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts, the land is burned up, and the people will be as fuel for the fire; no man will spare his brother. He will snatch on the right hand and be hungry. He will devour the left hand and not be satisfied. Every man will eat the flesh of his own arm. Manasseh will devour Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh. Together they will be against Judah. For all this, His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. When you disobeyed your parents, teachers, or those in authority, you felt their displeasure. Punishment was swift and sometimes painful. God was displeased with Israel, specifically, Ephraim and Manasseh. He had no joy in their actions because everything they did was evil. Being a Christian doesn’t mean God is always happy with you. You can’t sin and live as you did before accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. You made a commitment to change, to live for Jesus. When you act like the world, He has no joy in you. He sees you as a hypocrite and so does the world. When you make a heart change to follow Jesus and follow through, He will have joy in you and the world will know you no longer walk with them, but you set yourself to follow Jesus and be obedient to His Word. Let’s pray: Father, let everything I do show my love for You. Let me walk in Your will and Your way for my life so that Satan can’t bring an accusation against me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 29 May 2023 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay