skip to Main Content
DONATE to Small Church Ministries     |     SUBSCRIBE to Daily Devotional

ISAIAH 62

Prayer for Jerusalem                                                     verse 1- 3

For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace

and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest

until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness

            and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burns

AND the Gentiles shall see your righteousness

and all kings your glory

and you shall be called by a new name

which the mouth of the LORD shall name

You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD

and a royal diadem in the hand of your God 

New name given to Jerusalem                                       verse 4- 5

You shall no more be termed FORSAKEN

            neither shall your land any more be termed DESOLATE

                        BUT you shall be called Hephzibah

and your land Beulah

                                                for the LORD delights in you

                                                            and your land shall be married

For as a young man marries a virgin

SO shall your sons marry you

                        AND as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride

                                    SO shall your God rejoice over you           

Promise of the LORD to Jerusalem                              verse 6- 9

I have set watchmen upon your walls – O Jerusalem

            which shall never hold their peace day nor night

                        you that make mention of the LORD

keep not silence

            and give HIM no rest – till HE establish

                        and till HE make Jerusalem a praise in the earth

The LORD hath sworn by HIS right hand

and by the arm of HIS strength

Surely I will no more give your corn to be meat for your enemies

and the sons of the stranger shall not drink your wine

for which you have labored

BUT they that have gathered it shall eat it and praise the LORD

            and they that have brought it together shall

                        drink it in the courts of MY holiness 

Roads need to be cleared for return to Jerusalem        verse 10- 12

Go through – go through the gates

prepare you the way of the people

                        cast up – cast up the highway

            gather out the stones – lift up a standard for the people

BEHOLD – the LORD hath proclaimed to the end of the world

            Say you to the daughter of Zion

                        BEHOLD – thy salvation comes

                        BEHOLD – HIS reward is with HIM

                                    and HIS work before HIM

AND they shall call them

            The holy people – The redeemed of the LORD

                            and you shall be called

                                    Sought out – A city not forsaken                 

  

COMMENTARY: 

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers 

: 4        Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. (2657 “Hephzibah” [Chephtaiy bah] means my delight is in her, for Yahweh delights in thee, Zion, Jerusalem, or name of Hezekiah’s wife.

DEVOTION:  Jerusalem is now in a time period of judgment. Isaiah is a book that tells of judgment, comfort and hope.

This chapter is one of hope. It is a time in the future when the Messiah will be reigning on this earth. It is a change from Jerusalem being divorced from the LORD to being married (Beulah).

Also Jerusalem shall not be forsaken but a place that the LORD delights in. The chapter ends with the LORD seek out Jerusalem to bless her. It is a future time period when Jerusalem will not be forsaken again.

How does this affect us? One thing we can learn from this is that God does not give up on HIS people. HE has made future promises to Israel and HE has made future promises to us.

HE will keep HIS promises. HE is a God of HOPE!!! We also are promised a new name. We will also sing a new song. The heaven and earth will be NEW in the future.

Our God continues to work HIS plan for our universe. We need to praise HIM continually. HE does delight in those who are followers of HIM. HE delights in us.

With this message of hope the children of Israel could look forward to a day when the LORD would again give them a time of joy and blessing. They lived much of their life after the destruction of Jerusalem in other lands. They are beginning to return to Israel today but it is a much smaller Israel. Jerusalem is not their own city but belongs to other nations and religions. That will end in the future.

Our nation has been blessed of the LORD for over two hundred years but we can see that we are moving further and further away from HIS teachings. Our courts are challenging our way of life. However, just as Israel has a promise we have a promise as well. God is still with us through the good times and through the not so good time.

We don’t know what the future holds for many nations in our world who are trying to honor the LORD but we know who holds the future in HIS hands. We are to work for HIM until we hear the sound of the trumpet.

CHALLENGE: Looking at the new on television or in the written press can get us discouraged but we need to read the Word of God first and foremost and belief and hope and encourage others.

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers 

: 6        I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). 8104  shamar (shaw-mar’); a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to.

DEVOTION: Out of His concern for His people the Lord has appointed watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. These individuals actually are not there to protect the city as the Lord (Yahweh) is the one that makes His people secure.  The watchman is to be prayer warriors and to pray day and night for the full restoration of the people of God.  This intercession by the watchmen were to be day and night and they were not to be silent.

The church today needs watchmen that will man the walls of the sanctuary and continually intercede for the people and the workers of the Lord. In too many ways the church is divided and separated and this is causing cracks in the security of God’s people.

Perhaps the Lord is calling you to assume the position of a watchman to pray without ceasing for the people and work of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is still consistent with that command as Paul entreats the believers to, “Pray without ceasing!

CHALLENGE: The church needs watchmen who will continually, day and night, not be silent but intercede for the work of God. Pray for your Pastors, workers, missionaries, evangelists and people who are faithfully proclaiming God’s word today. Man the walls and may the earth hear the praise of secure believers! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member 

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers 

: 11      Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the world, Say you to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes, behold HIS reward is with HIM, and HIS work before HIM. (3468 “salvation” [yesha] means safety, deliverance, rescue, welfare, prosperity, victory, a means of preserving from harm or unpleasantness, or liberation.)

DEVOTION: Here is a promise from the LORD that HE is not done with Jerusalem or the children of Israel. It is a future promise but a promise that will come true in the LORD’s timing.

There is a coming end of the world. We don’t know the day or time but we know that the LORD has promised the children of Israel in our present passage and Christians in the New Testament that judgment is coming to our world some time in the future.

We are not to pick the day or the hour that this will happen but we are to know that it is going to happen when the LORD has prepared it to happen. Too often some people think that the Bible is not telling the truth regarding the future but the LORD has a plan and is working HIS plan whether the rest of world agrees or not.

Israel is HIS chosen people. In spite of the fact that right now they are not the power that they were in the past, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be restored to power in the future.

Christ came to provide salvation to all those in the world who chose to become a follower of HIM whether they are Jew or Gentile.

However, the nation of Israel will have a special place in the future that the Bible tells us is true. We might not understand completely but the Bible states it as FACT.

CHALLENGE: Today the LORD is working through the CHURCH and those who are believers are promised eternal life in heaven with HIM. Our understanding of the relationship between God and Israel in the future will come to light at that time.

_________________________________________________________ 

: 12      And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.     (5800 “forsaken” [azab] means leave, loose, be abandoned, be neglected, be left in the lurch, divorced or deserted.)

DEVOTION:  Extremes are used in the Word of God to make a point. Here we find that the present state of Israel is one of divorced or abandoned from the perspective of the children of Israel. The LORD never leaves HIS people. However, HIS people seem to leave HIM behind and go their own way.

Presently, Isaiah is stating that Israel is in such a state. They are not following the LORD. Their leaders are not following the LORD. Their religious leaders are not following the LORD. They want to eat, drink because they believe tomorrow they will die. They live without hope because they have abandoned their God.

Isaiah brings a message of future hope to Israel. He informs them that they will be restored to a place of honor again with the return of the Messiah. Why should this happen? It is because they are still God’s holy people. HE is planning to redeem them from their present state and give them a new name and a renewed city. They will no longer be deserted or neglected but will be a city that people seek to go to and worship the LORD of LORD’S and King of Kings.

Sometimes we might feel that the LORD has abandoned the church but that is not true. The church is God’s called out body of believers that will always experience HIS blessing. There are many building that are called church but they are not preaching and teaching the Word of God. They might open the Bible but that is as far as it goes. What comes out of the mouth of those behind the pulpit is not found in the Word of God, it is their own personal beliefs that disagree with the Bible. The LORD will not honor their teachings. One day they will stand before HIM and give an answer for harming those who think they are receiving the TRUTH of the Bible but are not.

Leaders will be held accountable to the LORD for their teachings. If they are teaching things other than what is written in the Bible – God will judge them. The Pharisees did this in Jesus’ day and HE told them that they made their disciples twofold children of hell.

CHALLENGE: True believers are a holy and redeemed people – act like it. Only teach the Bible and practice it.

_____________________________________________________________

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group) 

          Praise the LORD                                                   verse 9

          Courts of holiness                                                verse 9

____________________________________________________________

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead) 

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)   verse 2- 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

Mouth of the LORD                                              verse 2

Hand of the LORD                                                verse 3

Royal diadem in hand of God                              verse 3

                        God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)                    verse 3, 5

                        LORD delights in Israel                                      verse 4

                        God shall rejoice over Israel                              verse 5

                        LORD has sworn by HIS right hand                   verse 8

                                    not give corn of Israel to enemies

                        Courts of HIS Holiness                                       verse 9 

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)    

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation) 

Gentiles shall see righteousness come to Israel  verse 2            

Kings                                                                     verse 2

Young man marries a virgin                                 verse 5

Virgin                                                                    verse 5

Bridegroom                                                          verse 5

Bride                                                                     verse 5

Enemies                                                                verse 8

Stranger                                                                verse 8 

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins) 

Peace                                                                    verse 1

Righteousness                                                      verse 1, 2

Salvation                                                               verse 1, 11

Praise the LORD                                                   verse 9

Reward                                                                 verse 11

Holy people                                                         verse 12

Redeemed                                                           verse 12 

Israel (Old Testament people of God) 

Isaiah’s Prayer                                                     verse 1- 12

          Hold his peace

          Will not rest until righteousness and

salvation comes

                                Israel receives a new name

                                Israel shall be a crown of glory

                                Go through the gates prepare the way of the people

                                Lift up the standard for the people

Zion                                                                     verse 1, 11

Jerusalem                                                            verse 1, 6, 7

Glory of Jerusalem                                             verse 2

New name                                                          verse 2

No longer be termed Forsaken                          verse 4, 12

No longer termed Desolate                               verse 4

Called Hephzihah                                               verse 4

Land called Beulah                                             verse 4

Land shall be married                                        verse 4

Watchman on the walls of Jerusalem               verse 6, 7

            never hold their peace

            never rest

Praise of the earth = Jerusalem                        verse 7

Stanger’s shall not drink Israel’s wine               verse 8

Brought together to drink in the courts of

            MY holiness                                            verse 9

Daughter of Zion                                                verse 11

Holy people                                                        verse 12

Redeemed of the LORD                                     verse 12

Called Sought out                                              verse 12

A city not forsaken – Jerusalem                        verse 12 

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events) 

      End of the world                                               verse 11

      Salvation comes                                               verse 11

      Reward is with the LORD                                 verse 11

      HIS work is before HIM                                   verse 11

____________________________________________________________

DONATIONS:

Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org.  Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method.  Thank you.

____________________________________________________

QUOTES regarding passage

4–5. The Anointed One will achieve a transformation like the change from lonely desolation (4ab) to happy marriage (4c–5)—the result of the work of the Servant in 54:1–8. The emptied city and the wasted land become the objects of delight (4ce), devotion (4df) and joy (5). The new names Hephzibah (‘My delight is in her’, niv mg.) and Beulah (‘Married’, niv mg.) are explained in the two halves of verse 5: respectively the wedding and the honeymoon. Zion’s sons make their marriage vow to their bride to ‘love and to cherish’, to give themselves in devoted service to the welfare of Zion, and the Lord goes on honeymoon with his people, rejoicing over them. With such economy of words and beauty of imagery Isaiah depicts the loving unanimity that characterizes Zion and her intimate union with the Lord—which Revelation 19:7 foresees as the marriage of the Lamb. (Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, pp. 431–432). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

_______________________________________________________

Verse 5 presents as strange an analogy as that in 60:16 (see comment there). In both cases there seems to be an intentional breach in the normal application of the analogy, perhaps in the interests of vivid impression. Such analogies puzzle us, but we do not forget them! Moreover, Jones (in loc.) points out that “the metaphor serves the thought, not the thought the metaphor.” There is, of course, a very real sense in which loyal citizens may be said to be married to their city. For an alternative interpretation resting on conjectural emendation, see the Notes. The analogy of the bride and groom reminds us of Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:17, chapters much influenced by this part of Isaiah. (Grogan, G. W. (1986). Isaiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, pp. 336–337). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

___________________________________________________________

The “watchmen” were to hold God to His promises, knowing that is what He desires. God’s people should pray for things even when they know God has promised them. Jesus made this clear when He taught His disciples to pray that the kingdom will come (Matt. 6:10). When Jerusalem is restored, it will never again fall to its enemies (Isa. 62:8–9). God has assured it by oath (sworn by His right hand) and by His power (arm; see comments on 40:10). (Martin, J. A. (1985). Isaiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1117). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

__________________________________________________________

As an unfaithful wife, Israel was “forsaken” by the Lord, but not “divorced” (50:1–3). Her trials will all be forgotten when she receives the new name “Hephzibah,” which means “my delight is in her.” God delights in His people and enjoys giving them His best. The old name “Desolate” will be replaced by “Beulah,” which means “married” (see also 54:1). When a bride marries, she receives a new name. In the case of Israel, she is already married to Jehovah; but she will get a new name when she is reconciled to Him. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Comforted (p. 157). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

___________________________________________________________

62:5 sons will marry you. “Marry” in the sense of occupying and possessing the city. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Is 62:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

______________________________________________________________

Ver. 5. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee, &c.] As a young man, having married a virgin, possesses and enjoys her, and lives and dwells with her in great harmony and love, having a delight and complacency in her, there being a suitableness in her person and age; so those that are born in Zion, and brought up there, have communion with the church, and enjoy the ordinances of it; dwell and continue with her, and delight in her fellowship, ways, and worship; and have their hearts knit in love to her, professing the same faith, joining in the same worship, and walking with her in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. So the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, as a young man dwells with a virgin, so thy sons shall dwell in thee; as does the Targum in like manner; and so Jarchi interprets it; for it seems exceeding disagreeable for sons to marry their mother; nor can there be an allusion to such an incestuous practice; rather it should be rendered, as a young man hath a virgin, thy sons shall have thee; have union to and communion with the church, and share in all the pleasures, privileges, and immunities of it: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee; Christ is the Lord God of his church and people; Immanuel, God with us; and he stands in the relation of a bridegroom to them, and they in the relation of a bride to him; and as such he rejoices over them with exceeding great joy, and that to do them good; so he rejoiced over them from all eternity, when first betrothed to him; and so he does in time, in redemption: this was the joy set before him, which animated him to bear the cross, and despise the shame of it; namely, that those would be redeemed, and saved by him, and brought to glory; he rejoices at the conversion of them, and will present them to himself with joy in the spiritual and personal reign, and to his father at the last day; and particularly, what is meant here, there will be such a profusion of blessings on the church in the latter day, as will abundantly shew the joy of Christ in his people. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, pp. 364–365). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

_____________________________________________________________

4–5. Hephzi-bah, signifies delight; and Beulah means union and marriage. The joy is, that the soul is a marriageable creature, and that the Lord Jesus, in his assumption of our nature, hath married us, and made us one with himself. Sweetest of all thoughts, my soul! thy Maker is thine Husband: the Lord of hosts is his name; Isaiah, 54:5. well might the Apostle speak of it as a great mystery, Ephes. 5:32. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Proverbs–Lamentations (Vol. 5, p. 494). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

_____________________________________________________ 

FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

____________________________________________________

Offended at Him
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” (Mark 6:3)

There is many an individual who has by God’s grace found the Lord and has had a fruitful ministry in a place far from his hometown where he once lived a lifestyle of which he has now repented. Going home is difficult, for his former companions in sin will be there to oppose and tempt and disbelieve.

In the course of His travels, Jesus returned to His hometown (Mark 6:1), and although He had lived a sinless life in His early years, He was still only one of the local citizens, and this resulted in their prideful opposition and disbelief.

“And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?” (v. 2). As in our text, His local roots brought scorn and pride and offense.

Their unbelief (v. 6) seemed to limit His ability to work miracles (“and he could there do no mighty work,” v. 5), but such is not the case. There is no limit to the power of the omnipotent Creator! He is not limited by our feeble faith, but evidently He chose to limit His work as a way of reproof of their pride and unbelief.

Yet, note Mark’s casual mention of the healing of “a few sick folk” (v. 5). Such healings were in fact a mighty display of God’s power, a fact that Mark’s readers (primarily Romans and other Gentiles very impressed with power) would have recognized.

Let us not allow our modern-day familiarity with Christ and His power limit the honor and obedience that we return to Him (v. 4). (JDM) 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Deuteronomy 26
The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.

INSIGHT

We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, “the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow,” we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love. (Quiet Walk)

____________________________________________________

HIGHEST POWER
As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. John 17:2
There is only one person who can give us the gift of eternal life, and that is the One who is praying: “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” Christ alone can give us this eternal life.
There is the terrible danger of mysticism here, or at any rate of the mysticism that does not make Christ central. There are many people in the world who are anxious to possess this life of God. You will find them writing about it, and one of the most remarkable examples of this has been Aldous Huxley, who used to be a complete skeptic, but who came to believe that nothing can save the world but mysticism, and who became a Buddhist for that reason. Such men believe that there is this eternal life of God to be had, that what we need is that life of God in ourselves, and that our trouble is that we have not got it. But these people think that they can get this life of God in themselves without mentioning the Lord Jesus Christ at all. You get it, they say, by contemplation of the Absolute, by increasingly sinking into the eternal and being lost in him, because as you do so, you are receiving life from him
But, my friends, it is Christ and He alone who can give eternal life. He claims it here, and Scripture says it everywhere: “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life . . .” There is no one else who can give eternal life to man except the Lord Jesus Christ. If it were possible in any other way, why did He ever come to earth? Why the death on the cross? There is no other way; the whole plan of salvation centers on Him.
A Thought to Ponder: Christ alone can give us this eternal life. (From Saved in Eternity, pp. 132-133, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

_________________________________________________________

To the Praise of His Glory

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5-6)
Theologians of great ability and unquestioned sincerity have argued the meaning of predestination for centuries. Since the question involves the eternal, inscrutable counsels of the infinite Creator, it is evidently impossible for finite humans to comprehend its full meaning. But we don’t have to understand it before we can rejoice in its truth. The Scriptures (especially our text) teach that the purpose of God’s predestinating work is that we might glorify Him and His amazing grace! We have been predestinated to become adopted sons of God, “to the praise of the glory of his grace.”
Then it is said that we have been predestinated to a great inheritance, in order “that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ” (v. 12). We have been “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” and, again, this is all “unto the praise of his glory” (vv. 13-14).
Note also that He has “predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself” (v. 5). “We have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (v. 11). We have also been predestinated “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29)—predestinated unto eternal holiness, sonship, heirship, and Christlikeness! Surely such gifts are cause enough for us to praise eternally the glory of His grace.
That is, indeed, what we shall do in the ages to come. “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21). And since we are to be testifying to the praise of the glory of His grace throughout all ages, it behooves us to do so now as well. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

__________________________________________________________

Short End of the Stick

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. PROVERBS 13:12

We all come into marriage with a full yardstick of expectations—what love looks like, what our roles will be, what we’ll do on weekends, where we’ll go for Christmas. But over the years, that yardstick starts getting snapped off an inch or two at a time, until we’re left holding something a whole lot shorter than what we brought with us.

This leads to what I call the Unmet Expectation Syndrome. And every time it happens, the natural reaction is to go from disappointment to hurt to anger and finally to punishment—making your spouse pay for not living up to your expectations.

Here are four better ways to deal with these unmet expectations:
1. Love and forgive. Because you vowed before God to remain committed to each other, you must both own up to your failures and responsibilities. Your marriage will never outgrow its need for massive doses of forgiveness.
2. Communicate and seek to understand each other. Expectations must be managed, and the best way to do that is to keep the communication lines open. Clarify your needs and expectations. Don’t leave each other guessing.

3. Develop God’s perspective. Your spouse will never be able to meet the needs in your life that can only be met by God alone. Let Him be your sufficiency.
4. Don’t throw away the yardstick. Don’t give up on your dreams. Even though expectations sometimes tend to be out of step with reality, God doesn’t want you to live with just a few inches of the yardstick. Keep high hopes and expectations in your marriage, work toward them in a healthy way, and give thanks to God as He fulfills your true and deepest desires . . .both through Him and through each other. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)

___________________________________________________________

Faith + Virtue. “Add to your faith virtue” (@ Peter 1: 5). Do you know what virtue is? Courage. This is the New Testament word for moral goodness: having the courage to do the right thing no matter what the circumstances might dictate. People with storng integrity are consistent from one situation to another. They act from their moral base rather than form consensus or popular opinion.  (p 78-79)

____________________________________________

No, it’s not easy, but those who are diligent, those who continue to pursue the consistent Christian life, will enjoy a maturity that causes them to live with confidence in chaotic times. (p. 83)

____________________________________________

As we read the headlines, consider our own business and housing decisions, and wonder what’s just around the corner in our culture, we need to pray daily that we be granted the ability to see with the eyes of God, think with the mind of Christ, and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. (p. 85)

_____________________________________________

The goal of my life is to reach the place where diligence to God’s will is my total passion. (p. 86, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah.)

______________________________________________________

We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.

Back To Top