Today's Verse: Isaiah 1:17

Friday, February 20, 1959

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
— Isaiah 1:17

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

We find it easy to be incensed when wrong is done to a friend. We are ready to fight injustice when someone we love has been wronged. However, God reminds us that our worship means little if we do not also protect those who are weak, marginalized, oppressed, and forgotten. It's not just our friends who need our help; it's also those who have no friends who need us. "To do right" doesn't just mean being a good person and avoiding evil in our sanctified little enclaves; it also means caring, comforting, and encouraging those no one else wants to notice.

My Prayer...

Forgive me, dear Father, for being selfish with your love and grace. I confess that I often find it easy to stay near those who are like me - who look like me, think like me, and dress like me. I know that many in the world around me do not have a friend, much less a defender. Open my eyes, dear Lord, to see those in my world that you would have me protect, encourage, and bless. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

4 Related Resources by Heartlight

Isaiah 1:17
Devo: Today's Verse
"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."
Do the Right Thing
Illustration of Isaiah 1:17
Inspirational illustration of Isaiah 1:17 -- Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Isaiah 1:16-17
Devo: Today's Verse
"Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."
The Nones
Article by Rubel Shelly
Are you a none? Rubel Shelly reminds us that the group of those who claim none for religion is growing quickly in the U.S. and that they do so because they are are tired of the hypocrisy.

Illustration

Illustration of Isaiah 1:17 — Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, February 20, 1959

Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
James 5:19-20
"My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will...."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Tom Drout:
"We cannot live with bitterness because it will first manifest itself in our spirit, then in our emotions, and finally in our bodies."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'God's Spirit' (Acts 11:12)
"[Peter continued telling the story of Cornelius' conversion:] "The Holy Spirit told me to go with [the messengers Cornelius had sent] and not to..."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Spirit-Foretold' (Ac. 28:25)
"And after [the Jewish leaders in Rome] had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: "The Holy Spirit was right when he...."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

More Today's Verse