January 14, Thursday Devotion

January 14, Thursday Devotion
Isaiah 18:1-7
1 Listen, Ethiopia—land of fluttering sails that lies at the headwaters of the Nile, 2 that sends ambassadors in swift boats down the river. Go, swift messengers! Take a message to a tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction, and whose land is divided by rivers. 3 All you people of the world, everyone who lives on the earth—when I raise my battle flag on the mountain, look! When I blow the ram’s horn, listen! 4 For the Lord has told me this:
“I will watch quietly from my dwelling place—as quietly as the heat rises on a summer day, or as the morning dew forms during the harvest.”
5 Even before you begin your attack, while your plans are ripening like grapes, the Lord will cut off your new growth with pruning shears. He will snip off and discard your spreading branches. 6 Your mighty army will be left dead in the fields for the mountain vultures and wild animals. The vultures will tear at the corpses all summer. The wild animals will gnaw at the bones all winter.
7 At that time the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will receive gifts from this land divided by rivers, from this tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction. They will bring the gifts to Jerusalem, where the Lord of Heaven’s Armies dwells.
Quick Notes/Questions
Ripple effect is the term used when describing "a situation like the ever expanding ripples across water when an object is dropped into it" which is "an effect from an initial state can be followed outwards incrementally." To overly simplify it, everything that we do affects the world in bigger ways than we actually imagine. Near the end of every football season, several coaches are hired, fired or choose to quit. Because this happens often, it should not make a very big impact, yet we see this year that the college and professional football world have been turned upside down with the movement of coaches. What does this have to do with Isaiah 18? The world is being turned upside down by a ripple effect in the fact that the king of Israel would rather be victorious by joining with the other nations than relying on the Lord. Is it fair that all of the world is paying for the mistakes of one man? What are some of the consequences of when you do not rely on God? What are some ways that you can rely on God more?
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, I have to be honest in stating that I do not know all of the different ripple effects that I am a part. There are so many things that take my attention that I do not rely on you enough. Let me live in your grace that I may come to rely on you more and more. Amen.