Prophet’s Reading Plan: Isaiah 43-47
And the fruit of the Spirit is… kindness…
Isaiah 63:7 (NIV) I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which He is to be praised,
according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things He has
done for the house of Israel, according to His compassion and many kindnesses.
Through
the stories of the Bible, we see God exercising His kindness time and time
again. Sometimes we struggle to see God’s kindness towards us. Sure, we can
encourage others that God is kind to them, but when it comes to our own lives, we see our mistakes and
kindness is not the first thing we expect from God. But God is kind, and He enjoys answering our prayers – even yours! He
loves to show us kindness because only then can we show kindness to others.
Just as the Bible says, “We love because He first loved us” we can be kind only
because He was kind to us first. In kindness, God banished Adam and Eve from
the Garden. He could have destroyed them, or He could have allowed them to live
eternally in their sinfulness but He chose to shut them out that one day we
could all enter back in forever. Sometimes the kindness is sweet, as when God
gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a baby after years of barrenness. Sometimes the
kindness is so humbling, like when Jesus reinstated Peter after he had failed
miserably by denying Christ. Sometimes the kindness is painful, such as the time
when God chose not to remove Paul’s thorn in the flesh so as to keep him from
conceit. By definition, kindness is that “disposition which delights in
contributing to the happiness of others” (Webster’s, 1828). Whatever the form,
you can trust that God’s kindness is contributing to your eternal happiness.
You may not see it in the moment, but He knows the far-reaching effects of
every move He makes in your life.
PRAYER &
MEDITATION
1. Think upon your life: what are some various forms of
kindness you have felt from God? Do you see where times of humbling or painful
kindness in the past have benefited you today? Is there something new God is
revealing that you can thank Him for?
2. Ask God to reveal two ways He has been kind to you in the
past week that you had not noticed before.
3.
Read today’s verse again. Decide that you will tell
others about the Lord’s kindness today.
