Today's Verse: Isaiah 1:17

Saturday, January 17, 2004

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
— Isaiah 1:17
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Thoughts on Today's Verse...

"As a man, you've got to learn to take care of Yourself!" My dad's words were worn into my heart as he gave me jobs and taught me responsibility as a teenager. We do have to be responsible for our actions and taking care of ourselves. But, part of being blessed and taking care of ourselves - at least as God sees it - is caring for others, sticking up for the disadvantaged, and intervening when someone else is being exploited. After all, we are our "brothers' and sisters' keepers!" What convicts me most about this passage, however, are the three verbs for me to obey: encourage, defend, and plead. I can't sit on the sideline and hope someone else takes care of the needs!

My Prayer...

Remove the heart of selfishness, O God, that sometimes keeps me from caring for the oppressed, abused, forgotten, and broken. Give me your eyes of concern and Jesus' heart of compassion to see the oppressed, fatherless, and widowed. O, Holy Spirit, please stir me to action and help me minister to them. In his name, the Lord, Jesus, the compassionate Christ, I pray. Amen.

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4 Related Resources by Heartlight

Isaiah 1:17
Devo: Today's Verse
"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed."
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. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Saturday, January 17, 2004

Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'A Shelter for the Oppressed!' (Ps. 9:9-10)
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Unstoppable!
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"While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers...."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'God's Instruction' (1 Th. 4:8)
"Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit."
What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'Kingdom Laborers' (Mt. 20:1-7)
"[Jesus said,] "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the...."

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.

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