ESOCS Devotional 7 January 2025 – Confusing Good and Evil
MEMORY VERSE: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil …” Isaiah 5:20
TEXT: ISAIAH 5:18–END
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity,
And sin as if with a cart rope;
19 That say, “Let Him make speed and hasten His work,
That we may see it;
And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come,
That we may know it.”
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!
24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble,
And the flame consumes the chaff,
So their root will be as rottenness,
And their blossom will ascend like dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore the anger of the Lord is aroused against His people;
He has stretched out His hand against them
And stricken them,
And the hills trembled.
Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets.
For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.
26 He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar,
And will whistle to them from the end of the earth;
Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly.
27 No one will be weary or stumble among them,
No one will slumber or sleep;
Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed,
Nor the strap of their sandals be broken;
28 Whose arrows are sharp,
And all their bows bent;
Their horses’ hooves will seem like flint,
And their wheels like a whirlwind.
29 Their roaring will be like a lion,
They will roar like young lions;
Yes, they will roar
And lay hold of the prey;
They will carry it away safely,
And no one will deliver.
30 In that day they will roar against them
Like the roaring of the sea.
And if one looks to the land,
Behold, darkness and sorrow;
And the light is darkened by the clouds.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
Humanity has always been dexterous at confusing evil with good. That was Adam and Eve’s problem, and it is our problem today. If evil were not made to appear good, there would be no such thing as temptation. It is in their close similarity that the danger lies.
Modern social righteousness often differs from the righteousness of the Bible. Someone has said: “A wrong deed is right if the majority of people declare it not to be wrong.” By this principle, we can see our standards shifting from year to year according to the popular vote! Divorce was once frowned upon by society, and laws against fornication and adultery were strictly enforced. But now, divorce is accepted by society, and fornication is glorified in our literature and films. . .
Man, without God is a contradiction, a paradox, a monstrosity. He sees evil as good and good as evil. That is why some people love evil and hate that which is good – they are still in their sins. For them, life’s values are confused. Paul found the cure for his violent, destructive disposition, not at the feet of Gamaliel or in the culture of Greece, but on the Damascus Road when he met Jesus Christ. Later he wrote: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Before his conversion, he saw Christ as the greatest evil and breathed out “threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). But after he encountered Christ on the Damascus Road, he loved what he had so fervently hated. At last, he could see evil as evil and good as good; and, according to Acts 9:18, “… there fell from his eyes something like scales.” His values were straightened out because his nature had been changed by the redeeming grace of God.
Dearly beloved, there are so many fake lives appearing to seem good before the world today. Learning from Jesus is a deliberate decision if we must get it right. We need to develop a heart that yearns for His word; we will not get tired or worn out during a word session. We will always allow the Holy Spirit to do the teaching; and above all, live by His word.
CHALLENGES
- How often do you standard for the good when you see people practicing evil.
PRAYER POINT
- Father, teach me to separate good from evil daily; and give me the heart of flesh that yearns for your sincere undiluted word, in Jesus name. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 6:1-end; 2 John 1:1-end; 3 John 1:1-end
ESOCS Devotional 7 January 2025
