Plea for Grace August 1, 2022

Dear Reader, For the next several weeks, rather than briefly meditating on a portion of a psalm, I want to “stay” in a passage of Scripture. My hope is that as you become more and more familiar with a particular passage, you will find that you have “stored [this] word in your heart . . .” (see psalm 119:10, 11). I still plan to post daily, but you will find that you see the same passage, or part of it, for several days at a time. I still plan to post the prayers for the persecuted church and the daily wisdom. I pray that you are drawn even closer to God’s Word day by day.

Isaiah 52:13-15 ESV - 
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 
14 As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-- 
15 so shall he sprinkle* many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.
*naza --imperfect 3rd person masculine singular כֵּן יַזֶּה גּוֺיִם רַבִּים Isaiah 52:15 so shall he cause to leap (i.e. in joyful surprise, or = startle) many nations

Isaiah 53:1-12 ESV - 
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 

10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors

Behold, my servant shall act wisely — God does everything out of wisdom. He does not just act on a whim. He has purpose in all that he does. Whether Jesus’ humiliation, his exaltation, his suffering, his substitution, his victory — all is deliberate, purposeful, and good.

Pray for the Persecuted Church –OpenDoorsUSA

Last year saw protests in Colombia, partly against corruption and controversial government measures.
Church leaders were among those who supported the demonstrators, which led to threats and violence.
Violence remains high, with seven Christians killed for their faith between January and September 2021

Day 1: Pray for protection for pastors and communities
who are targeted by organized criminal groups

Daily Wisdom
Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, 121
Proverbs 1