Today's Verse: Isaiah 1:17

Sunday, January 17, 2016

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 Sunday, January 17, 2016

Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Max Lucado:
"God never promises to remove us from our struggles. He does promise, however, to change the way we look at them."
What Jesus Did!
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'Hungry?' (Jn. 6:35)
"Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.""
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'The Spirit Poured Down' (Is. 32:15)
"Yes, weep and grieve until the Spirit is poured down on us from above and the badlands desert grows crops and the fertile fields become forests."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Jesus' Ministry Roadmap' (Acts 8:29-33)
"The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage [of the treasurer of Ethiopia]." Philip ran over and heard the man..."

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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