Isaiah 24:1–23 ‘The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.’ (v18b)
In Derbyshire there is a village called Eyam, made famous after the Black Death of 1665 and 1666. To protect those outside the village, Eyam was cut off: no one inside could leave, and no one outside could go in.
Before vaccines, masks and lateral flow tests, this was the only protection. Outsiders would leave food around the boundaries for residents to collect. It was a place of despair, isolation and mourning.
This is a vivid reminder of how we once were in our sin: cut off from God, abandoned to death. But we are reminded today of how Jesus didn’t just beckon us from the boundary but stepped into our plague town to draw us back into His kingdom.
Our reading today tells us a story of two contrasting cities, elaborately describing the bleakness of a life of idolatry and separation from God, then beautifully describing the city of God full of wine, laughter and life.
Jesus has saved us for this new city. However, are there areas in your life where the ‘plague’ still festers?
Do you still allow fear to take hold, do temptations and addictions rule your day, are you held captive by despair? Today, Jesus doesn’t wait on the boundary for us to be better; He meets us in those places.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Thank You, Lord, that You do not abandon us to our hopelessness. Help me to embrace the goodness that is available to me. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Consider today if you are isolating yourself from God.
Seek the goodness of His presence at these times.
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 27:13–14; Zech. 8:3–5; Rom. 8:37–39; 2 Cor. 1:3–7
