Isa 57

Devotion 1 of 1: Isa 57

The most impactful verse of this chapter is the last verse, v.21, “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” The only way to obtain real peace deep in our hearts is to encounter Christ and receive forgiveness for our sins. Then the burden of our wrongdoings will be removed from us, and we can feel freedom from our guilt.
Let us share this wonderful message of hope to those around us seeking peace!

COL 4: Free sharing!
Our God gives us another chance to succeed though we may have failed in the past. We can see this in Mark, who appears in v.10, “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him)…”
Mark, also known as John Mark, went with Paul and Barnabas on their 1st missionary journey (Acts 13:5). But he soon quit and returned home (Acts 13:13)! So on their 2nd journey, when Barnabas wanted to take Mark again, Paul strongly objected because he thought Mark was a quitter. So they split, with Barnabas taking Mark and leaving Paul, and Paul choosing Silas as his new partner (Acts 15:36-40).
Probably because Mark was his cousin, Barnabas was willing to give him another chance and took him under his wings. The name Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement” and that was a good description of his ministry! When he first appears in Acts, he was sent by the apostles in Jerusalem to check out what was happening in Antioch (Acts 11:22). When he got there, v.23 says he encouraged them all.
What happened to Mark under Barnabas’ mentoring? Paul states in 2 Tim 4:11 that Mark was “helpful to me in my ministry.” So Mark didn’t waste his 2nd chance at gospel work and grew into a mature, dependable minister! PTL!
So if we make a mistake and fail in our ministry at church, let’s not think God is upset at us and doesn’t want us anymore! Rather, let’s remember Mark and believe that God will give us another chance so that we can correct our mistake and become a useful vessel in his kingdom! Amen!