January 18, 2011
THANKFULNESS FOR GOD'S SALVATION
Isaiah 12
Madeline Bonnet
Central Truth
God, who is my salvation, is trustworthy with all things and worthy of praise.
Key Verse | Isaiah 12:2
"Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For the Lord God is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation."
(Isaiah 12:2)
Isaiah 12
The LORD Is My Strength and My Song
1
You
1
12:1
The Hebrew for you is singular in verse 1
will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
2
Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD God
2
12:2
Hebrew for Yah, the LORD
is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you 3 12:3 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 3, 4 will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:
“Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5
Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known
4
12:5
Or this is made known
in all the earth.
6
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your
5
12:6
The Hebrew for your in verse 6 is singular, referring to the inhabitant of Zion
midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Dive Deeper | Isaiah 12
This chapter reminded me of God's gift of salvation to me and how I want to tell others about Him because I am so thankful. Think about it—when somebody gives you a gift, you always say, "Thank you." So in response to God's gift of salvation, we should be thankful and praise Him. We can express our thanks by telling others about His incredible gift and saving grace.
Isaiah 12:2 says, "Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation." This verse says to me that, even though we experience tough times, we have God's comfort and salvation from sin and death, for which we should always praise Him.
Last fall, I was running up the stairs at home and tore ligaments in my ankle, right before soccer season and volleyball tryouts were to begin. I was so upset about all I was sure to miss by being injured. Then, I remembered that God is my comfort and that I could trust Him with my injury and worries even though I didn't understand why this happened to me.
The next morning, God led me to this passage in my devotional, and I remembered that I could completely trust Him and not be afraid. I read that He was my strength as well as my song, which made me think that I should praise Him for all that He has done for me, even though my sports future was uncertain. He saved me from my sin through Jesus Christ, and I belonged to Him. If I could trust God with the big things in my life, surely I could trust Him with a hurt ankle.
I pressed on, in a boot and on crutches, learning more each day to lean on God. I was so thankful He was with me, no matter what. What a joyful surprise then to be chosen for the team, even in a boot! To God be the glory! "I will trust and not be afraid."
Discussion Questions
1. What are some things that worry you? What is keeping you from turning them over to the Lord?
2. What does it mean for the Lord be your strength?
3. Verse 5 tells us to praise the Lord in song and let this be known throughout the earth. Who can you tell this week of all the excellent things God has done?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
ISAIAH 11-15 (JAN 17-21)
It’s winter outside. What does your yard look like? Most things are brown and dead. But what happens in the spring when the sun and rain come? The grass that was once brown and crunchy grows soft, lush, green blades. In our reading today, let’s see what Isaiah says about “a shoot” and “a new branch.”
Read Isaiah 11:1-5.
Who is Isaiah talking about in this passage? How do you know?
Read the passage again. How does it make you feel? Why?
What is your favorite characteristic of the One that this portion of Scripture describes?
Compare this description to yourself. What’s different? What’s the same? How can you be more like Jesus in how you live?
Activity: Go outside and gather some dead blades of grass or a stick. Put your items in an envelope. On the outside of the envelope write Isaiah 11:1.
Keep this reminder in your home of the hope you have in Jesus! Keep it through the winter until Easter when the season changes to unveil green leaves, flowers, and fruit! Celebrate the hope we have because Jesus has given us new life in Him!