DCLM Daily Manna Saturday, August 20, 2022
TOPIC: Useful Beautiful Garment
TEXT: ISAIAH 52:1-8
52 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
KEY VERSE:
“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean”
(ISAIAH 52:1).
DCLM Daily Manna Saturday, August 20, 2022 MESSAGE
An author wrote, “Unused money devalues, unused talent diminishes, unused time dies and unused knowledge becomes a burden. The tragedy of life isn’t the ultimate death but the resources that die within you when you are still alive.” Our world is littered with unused talents and resources. As the author rightly observed, many useful talents and ideas eventually go waste when not used on times.
The children of Israel were looking for external help when all they needed had been provided. So Isaiah challenged them to wake up to their responsibility. They must put on their hitherto unused beautiful garment and their strength. They must also awake from their despondency and distrust, break away from their slavery mentality and look unto God that was working for them hitherto. The prophet pointed out that they sold themselves cheap to the enemy and the Assyrians took advantage of them. God then promised to deliver them if they would return to Him.
Christians today are busy carrying out many good causes, but neglecting the primary task that Jesus gave them. We have all that we need but many are still waiting for a more convenient time to do the work of God.
READ: Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional August 20, 2022 – Don’t Sell Yourself Short
The tragedy of unused garment or talent is that they soon lose their usefulness. The promised restoration of Zion would be a mirage if Israel would continue to sleep instead of making their ways right with God. Delay is dangerous for every saint and unused garment might soon be unusable by God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Use what you have before it decays and loses its usefulness.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DANIEL 1-2
