COCIN DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY 11TH JANUARY 2024

1. I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside._

2. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit._

3. “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard._

4. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?_

5. Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled._

6. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”_

7. The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress._

8. Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land._

9. The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing: “Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants._

10. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.”_

11. Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine._

12. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands._

13. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.

14. Therefore Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers.

15. So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled.

16. But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.

The holy God requires fruitfulness from His children. Prophet Isaiah compared the condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem to a vineyard, which God expected to bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild or bad grapes. From Judah, He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of oppression and distress. He warned those who rise up early in the morning to run after alcoholic drinks and stay up late at night till they are intoxicated. Thus, God’s punishment was imminent. Our society is not any different from Isaiah’s time. People drink to stupor, injustice abounds even among Christians and bloodshed is rampant. Those who engage in these things cannot bear good fruit. Are you fruitful? Turn to the Lord and bear fruit.

REFLECTION: Those who live holy lives bear good fruit.

PRAYER: Almighty Father, that I may be fruitful through Jesus. Amen.

Today’s Bible Reading Plan Genesis 27-29