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Isaiah-65

A Hopeful tomorrow: A Devotional Study on Isaiah 65​

Introduction​

In the final chapter of the first third of the prophetic book of Isaiah, the writer presents a hopeful future inspired by God. The analogy drawn through Isaiah's words is breathtaking in its explanation of the transformative and all-encompassing nature of God's goodness and mercy. In this devotional study, we will focus on Isaiah 65:17-25.

Section 1: The Beast that Consumes (Isaiah 65:17-20)​

Devotional Thought: Isaiah 65:17-20 describes the desolation caused by "the Beast that Consumes," the imagery denoting the devastation inflicted upon the landscape and its inhabitants. Despite the abject horror depicted here, Isaiah implores us to "Have no fear." In this hopeless scenario, what God offers is something extraordinary. His promise to us is a complete regeneration that causes the earth to bloom with life. It is imperative that we comprehend hope's strength to overcome fear, even during the worst circumstances, and trust God's promise.

Reflection Questions:

  • How often do you find yourself plagued by fear in times of desolation?
  • How can you rely on the transformative strength of God's promise to overcome hopelessness and fear?

Section 2: New Heavens and a New Earth (Isaiah 65:17, 21-22)​

Devotional Thought: The prophetic verses envision God's intervention, heralding the arrival of a newly formed Heaven and Earth, where impossible becomes possible, birthing a divine reality without trace of the malevolent forces commonly seen in ordinary life. God's holiness will permeate every molecule of these, impacting all domains of reality, from the supernatural to the mundane. We can only imagine the all-encompassing impact God's intervention would have on the contours of human life.

Reflection Questions:

  • How do you feel about the concepts presented of God's intervention?
  • How can you meditate on the contents of the future world, and what conservation can you draw for your current life?

Section 3: The Origin of Life (Isaiah 65:23-25)​

Devotional Thought: At the climax of these prophetic words, God promises that He will create a new kind of humanity, courtesy of these new heavens and earth. This new and vibrant generation of humanity will be holistically transformed, with a spiritual and physical change, reconciled to God, increasing longevity, grandfathers teaching their grandchildren wisdom, and generations of peace. It is a vision of life where new and old coexist, a scenario where the past is reconciled to the present, and the future is divine.

Reflection Questions:

  • How did Isaiah's promise of a holistic transformed humanity shake you?
  • What conservation can you draw concerning the spiritual, physical, and generational dimensions of your current life?

Conclusion:​

In this devotional study, we explored Isaiah's predictions of a future full of divine life and demonstrated how, through God's promise, hope shatters the fear and vibrancy substitutes the loss. Let us respectfully anticipate this future world while keeping the sacred present in a state of reverence. The walls between the past-present-future lose their power when we consider the gift of hope and what it offers us for today. May we cherish and be thankful for both God's powerful past and divine future. Vanishing the walls between them is the summons of Isaiah 65:17-25. Let us dutifully heed the call.