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Topic: Full Gaze On Him
[DCLM Daily Manna 11 September 2018 Daily Devotional]
Text: Isaiah 29:1-8 (KJV)
Key Verse: “Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel“ (Isaiah 29:2).
MESSAGE:
The Lord relates with His people in true holiness and abiding righteousness. Thus, His children must also worship Him in truth and righteousness. The Lord does not compromise His standard: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
The passage for today starts with a decree of woe to Ariel, “the city where David dwelt”. Ariel, in this passage, refers to Jerusalem, a city which had become so mighty in power and splendour. But more specifically, Ariel signifies an altar of sacrifice. In the course of exaltation by the Lord, Jerusalem had become the consecrated city where the altar of sacrifice to the Lord was and where many came to worship. However, Jerusalem became backslidden and all its eventual outward show of religiosity became abominable to the Lord.
Ariel is a representation of the gradual and eventual backsliding of a once fervent child of God. We are clearly warned: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The Lord will, however, be faithful to as many who honour Him and be an enemy against their enemies.
A true child of God dwells in the secret place of the Most High and abides in His secure and blessed sanctuary. He does not serve or worship God selectively. On the contrary, he is on fire for God all the time. Believers must always wait on the Lord and dwell in His presence at all times. A loss of the vision for the Lord can spell grave repercussions. Therefore, let your hearts be fixed on God and allow nothing to derail your princely pursuit of God.
Thought For The Day: The Lord requires absolute surrender.
Bible Reading In One Year: Ezekiel 44-45
