Daily Devotional

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1, 2). 

It’s probably no surprise that people in ancient Babylon worshipped dozens of false gods, but did you that know more than 2,000 different names have been found for the gods of ancient Egypt? 

Sadly, idolatry has been around almost as long as our world. In Isaiah’s day, it had even found its way into the hearts of those who were supposed to be God’s people. Indeed, idol worship in Judah had become so commonplace that it no longer shocked anyone. 

After he had experienced firsthand the Lord’s compassion and infinite love, Isaiah launched into his mission with a desire to help his people see the real character of the God they had forgotten. If he could only convey that Infinite Love to his listeners, he hoped it would inspire them to turn from their idols and come back to the Lord. Only then could God help them and show them His mercy. 

Unfortunately, most of them ignored the warning and continued on their self-destructive path. But there were some who listened and repented. They destroyed their idols, abandoned their sins, and began to worship only the true God. 

Sin is intolerable to the Lord because it separates Him from His precious children. Whenever this separation occurs, God invites us to come to Him and let Him purge away our sins. He promises, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). 

Although God can’t overlook sin, He longs to “revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15). After all, that was the whole purpose of the Messiah’s mission to this planet—so we can come to Him and be saved, not in our sins, but from them. 

Our Father, please cleanse me right now from anything that separates me from You.