Thursday 1 Feb 2018

February 1: Isaiah 26:1-4

Key Verse: Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Devotion:
During any stormy weather it is good to be able to be inside a nice cosy house, protected from the elements by your walls and roof. It is good to have the comfort of heaters or a fire whilst inside too. But when the weather gets really bad, there is always that chance the wind will blow a bit too hard and break something! No matter how safe we think we are, we are not as safe as we could be – but then would we want to be living underground in a concrete bunker with no windows? Imagine the safety you would feel by living in a huge castle – one which has spent the last few hundred years standing against the elements, rock solid.

There is one safety which we will never be able to reach the heights of in our worldly lives and that is the safety of salvation which Christ has promised us. Nothing in our physical world will ever be compared to that safety.  The unchangeable promise made by God because of His love for us – that the walls of the church will be our fortress. That our salvation will be forever, and nothing will ever be able to change it! No matter what happens on the outside, nothing will ever be able to change it!

But the gates to that fortress need to be opened so we can encourage others to come in. Wait, isn't that a weakness – like leaving the castle gate wide open and the drawbridge down? No. We have Christ standing at the gate protecting us. All powerful, all seeing Christ; willing to stand there as our guard so nothing can break through. But anyone who is willing to believe in Him and ask for His forgiveness is able to come walking through those gates and will then know “the peace that passeth all understanding!” No imitator or pretender will ever make it past Christ! The safety that is Salvation!

Points to Ponder:
Do you long for a safe place to live?

Have you considered how safe Salvation is?