Year 6, Day 36: Isaiah 52

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Up

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.

In the middle of Isaiah 52 – right at the end of the prose section – we learn about the point of redemption.  When you hear the word redemption, what do you think about?  Do you think about your own salvation?  Do you think about how you can live forever?  Do you think about how life will be once we are free from sin?

Of course you do.  So do I, just to be transparent.  But that isn’t actually the main point.  It’ll be great to be forgiven, released from my sinful nature, and allowed to live with God forever.  But as great as it is, it’s just not the main point.  I want it to be, but it isn’t.

The point of redemption is the glory of the Lord.  The point of redemption is the praise of the God who redeems us.  The point of redemption is a demonstration of God’s greatness.  The point of redemption is a display of what true grace looks like in a God that can truly deliver it.  That is the point of redemption.

Yes, I’ll love being redeemed and I can’t wait to experience life as God truly intended it to be.  But God deserves the credit.  He deserves the praise.  He gets the focus.  I benefit, but may god get all the glory.  May it be about Him, not me.

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