Week 4 November 2025, Devotion Part 2

Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips… and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote; therefore, behold, I will again do marvelous things with this people…  Isaiah 29:13-14

Thanksgiving Day in many homes is a lavish affair with many guests. Out come the obligatory folding tables for the youngsters. Let them giggle and wiggle and gobble to their hearts’ content. Do they ever talk – or do we – about what else might go on in those hearts? Take the obligatory prayer before the meal. it must not be too short or too long. Make it solemn but not preachy. Cute works if the preschooler prays. Chuckles are guaranteed if affable Harry does the honors. Clara is not a churchgoer, but her spiritual aura is convincing. Some lucky person gets picked to “say grace” and receive ample compliments for doing such a “marvelous job.” It made everybody feel good. Everybody except God, that is, if we allow that less than congenial prophet to weigh in.

Isaiah’s words drip with sarcasm. When he says “marvelous” it really means watch out: God will not be the ceremonial figurehead at your parties! If you are careless with “grace” you may find yourself hungering and thirsting for it someday!  Part 2 of 2

Comment: Family gatherings and a roast turkey that was fussed and prayed over, then  carved to perfection, make for a marvelous feast.  While the meat is known to contain tryptophan, per Merriam-Webster dictionary the amino acid that makes us crave a nap,   it amazingly lists 259 synonyms for the word “marvelous.”  These fall into categories such as causing wonder or astonishment, being of the highest quality, or something extraordinary and superb.  Our startled prophet might sit bolt upright and point out that Isaiah 29:14 is quite self-explanatory: “Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be concealed.”  The chapter is titled, “Woe on Judah for her hypocrisy.”  It’s being two-faced, pretending to fear God, yet deliberately disobeying Him.  In 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, the Apostle Paul brings this straight home into our modern church age.  “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’”  I ended my previous devotion on this note, “The only nimble thing I have at 90 are my fingers.  They’re having a field day right now!”  It referred to my writer’s gift, which I have long defined as the Apostle Peter did, first and foremost given to glorify God and secondly, to edify the church.  When I read my copy of OUR DAILY BREAD, I thank Him for gifting the contributors and ask to be personally “edified.” So, when I say grace these days I thank Him for my daily necessities, but also lift up their community and that of the immigrant workers, whose backbreaking labors of their hard “field days” marvelously help put daily food on my table..  Isaiah 29