Daily Devotional For Thursday, June 25, 2026
Good morning and good day Southside! Our daily devotional comes from Isaiah 12:4-5:
“On that wonderful day you will sing: ‘Thank the LORD! Praise His name! Tell the nations what He has done. Let them know how mighty He is! (5) Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world” (NLT).
Chapter 12 of Isaiah reveals that God is accomplishing what He said He would do to Israel for their rebellion, sin, and idolatry. Yet, in the middle of this is a word reminding His people to praise Him, to make known the Lord and the wonderful things He has done. Many of God’s people never do this at all, even when God blesses their lives. They receive God’s blessings and then then give themselves the credit for it by sharing how creative or how much ingenuity that had to get the blessings.
The Apostle Paul was so overwhelmed at God’s love to him, he asked this question in Romans 8:31a, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?” (NLT). How can we remain silent? How can we not give God the credit? The fact that you are reading this is another reason to give God credit for your eyesight, your ability to read and understand and apply this truth. So many people, even Christians, are fast to blame God for the bad in their lives.
Like that great old hymn, when it comes to God’s love, we can’t just sit here. Why? The stanza from the hymn, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” That is where Isaiah takes us now. He takes to a time in the future when God will and would restore us to HIm in a relationship we have consistently messed up due to our sin and rebellion. Isaiah wrote this in Isaiah 12:1, “Then you will say on that day . . .” (NASB).
This is a reference to an event in the distant future. Just like the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos receiving his vision from the Lord about the end of the world and not being able to fully grasp it, so was Isaiah. What future? The future when the Messiah would come and fix on the cross all the wrong and sin we have done. Isaiah references this in Isaiah 12:3, "Therefore you will joyously draw water, From the springs of salvation” (NASB).
700 years in the future God the Father would send Emmanauel as our substitute. God’s full wrath would come on Jesus, not us, which if he had, we would have deserved it. This is why the Apostle Paul is so overwhelmed at God’s love. It is not a question of whether we will love God, BUT whether He will continually love us due to our consistent rebellion, sin and idolatry. This is why Paul writes what he does in Romans 8:31-39. God’s loathing wrath against us is warranted, but instead, God chose to lavish us with His unconditional love.
God’s love is so lavish that we take it for granted. I don’t know how many of you have ever seen Gene Kelly in the musical, Singing In The Rain. Old Testament scholar Raymond Orlund writes this about this Scripture and this musical:
“Gene Kelly is walking down the street, happily sloshing in the rain and puddles, wonderfully in love, and he just starts singing. It’s crazy. To enjoy that scene, we have to suspend belief just enough to play along with the movie. We have to let the spell come over us and identify with a grown man out in the rain, soaking wet and not caring at all and singing his head off. Why do people make films like that? Why do we watch them? The reason is that it isn’t really crazy. God has put into our hearts that very capacity, the freedom to break out into song as the wonder of his saving love fills our hearts. That holy delight is what we were created for. We sense that is so. And in the kingdom we will glorify and enjoy God with unrestrained song” (Source: Raymond C. Orlund, Preach The Word Bible Commentary, “Isaiah: God Saves Sinners, pp. 121–122).
Reflection Assignment: When was the last time that you just spontaneously broke out in praise to God for His unconditional and perpetual love? Take a moment and just “cut loose” in praise the Lord for His love to you instead of his warranted loathing wrath. Join the angels and Isaiah and break out in a hymn of praise and in that moment thank God for His love.
Scripture To Meditate On: Romans 8:38, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I do not deserve such love from You. I take it for granted and at times abuse this gift of Yourself to me. Lord, I want to praise You. Thank you for being my substitute on the cross. Thank You for prophesying through Isaiah of a future date when Emmanuel, God with us, would come as the Prince of peace, the everlasting father to make it possible for anyone to be saved. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly