Jehovah

DAY 1          WRITTEN BY: AMANDA WHITE

• READ

  Isaiah 40:3

  A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

• REFLECT

  In the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah, we read prophetic messages of God’s judgement coming because of Judah’s disobedience and sin. Judah, the northern kingdom of Israel, refused to repent and would experience the curses laid out in Deuteronomy by our righteous and holy God. Exile to Babylon would happen, but it wouldn’t be the end. Chapters 40-48 of Isaiah speak to the restoration and deliverance God would bring. After seventy years of exile and captivity, God would cause Babylon to fall, and restore the Israelites to Himself.

  The Israelites would experience “hard service” (40:2); their captivity would be like the hardships of war because of their sin against holy God. Spiritually and physically speaking, they were all in the wilderness, away from the Promised Land, separated from God, but Isaiah provides this message of hope from God that salvation is coming, Israel would be restored to the Promised Land. And this message of hope is for more than just the Israelites. The salvation that was coming was more than just a return to Jerusalem.

  This message of hope in Isaiah points us to the person of Jesus. Salvation has come for all people through Him.

  Jesus stepped down from Heaven into the wilderness of this world to bear God’s wrath for our sin on the cross. Because of His death and resurrection, there is now no eternal exile and no payment for sin required for all who believe in Jesus for salvation. God has provided the way for sinners to be restored to a right relationship with Him through His Son.

  Jehovah, YHWH (Yahweh), is the name that conveys God’s relationship with His people. A relationship marked by HIS grace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, peace, joy, love. As we begin our 75 days of prayer and fasting, let’s cling to the truth that Jehovah desires a relationship with us, and let’s be expectant to grow in our affections for Him as we open our hearts to His Word and allow the Spirit to work.

• RESPOND

  Heavenly Father, you are Jehovah; you desire a relationship with me, an undeserving sinner. And you have made that relationship possible through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus. Thank you for the cross. As I study your Word during this set aside time over the next 75 days, would you increase my affections for you? I want to grow in knowledge and understanding of WHO you are and love you more deeply.