Isaiah 56:1-8
1 This is what the Lord says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. 2 Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. 3 “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’ 4 For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. 5 I will give them—within the walls of my house—a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear! 6 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. 8 For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.”
Quick Notes/Questions
Fifteen years ago today, my life changed completely. A man (possibly men) bombed a building in downtown OKC. Because we share the same pronunciation of our last name (though spelled differently), I had to endure much hatred and bitterness. I did not feel as one of the people in my own town. Yet this passage above tells me that I do have a people that I belong. Though an outcast of sorts with those in OKC, I have a place in the people of God. So do you. If you ever feel alone, know there is a God who loves and cares for you. His people do as well. Can you believe that?Quick Prayer
O God, thank you for letting me belong. Help me show that there is room for others to belong as well. Amen.
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