Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 297 – Isaiah 53:4-6 – By His Wounds We Are Healed – Growing As Disciples
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)
Wandered Away
There is no doubt about that. There is no doubt about what? I wandered away from you. I went and did my own thing. I turned to my own way. I lived for my own comfort and pleasure. I did what I wanted when I wanted. I pursued all that this life had to offer. I lived solely for myself. I acquired things and used people and of that I am not proud. I followed my own counsel. I neither wanted or needed any advice, especially from you, or so I thought, at the time. Where did your life lead you? I thought my life led me on a path farther and farther away from you. Now, I know that I was incorrect. How so? The life I was living brought me pain and suffering. I was bruised and battered and broken by my own poor choices. To some, especially me, that my seemed like being farther and farther from you. But pain and suffering got my attention. Being bruised and battered and broken caused me to cry out to you. And you were not distant from me. You would not let me go. You relentlessly pursued me. You heard my cry because you were very near to me. It is true, without a doubt, that you are close to the broken hearted. Yes, I am. And that is where I was, at the end of my rope, stuck in the muck and mire of life, so to speak. I asked you to show yourself to me if you were real. Asked is an understatement, I shouted at you, in what I now know was the prayer of my heart. That was quite a prayer. I was crying out to you and asking for your help. I was asking you to rescue me from a life without you. Did I hear your prayer? Yes, you heard my prayer. You helped me to confess and turn away from my sins. You forgave all my sins and cleansed all my unrighteousness. You came into my life and filled me with your Spirit. Now, for all these many years you have been molding and shaping me. You have been leading me on the path of life as I love and follow and serve you. You have given me a fresh and new life to live now and forever. You are my Savior and Lord. Yes, I am. For that, I give all my thanks and praise to you for all you have done for me. That is very good.
Lord, I was like a stubborn sheep determined to go my own way. What a bruised, battered, and broken life I lived. But you sought me out. Like a good shepherd you came after me. You forgave all my sins and cleansed all my unrighteousness as I turned to you. Amen
Key Question… When did you confess and turn from your sins to receive forgiveness and cleansing from the Lord?
Living It Out… Confess and turn away from your sins so you can be forgiven and cleansed of all your unrighteousness.
Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will forgive your sins and cleanse your unrighteous when you turn your life over to Him.
Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has given you a new life to live with and for Him.
Prayer To Bless Others… May you confess and turn from your sins so you can receive forgiveness and cleansing from the Lord.
For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:
Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.
Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.
By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved Copying not permitted www.GrowingAsDisciples.com
