Day 17

If you hadn’t noticed, our Scripture reading for the previous three days was the same - Isaiah 58. And guess what? It's on the docket for today, again! (Along with Psalm 112 this time.)

You might have been wondering if there was a mistake. Why would we look at the same Scripture three days (now four!) in row? In fact, we've repeated readings of Matthew 6 (days 1 & 11) already, and Isaiah 58 will be repeated again on days 19 &20. Why? Why not come up with something different?

The fact is, it is easy for us to be distracted and miss things. It's easy to rush through that with which we should take our time. It's easy to miss what's right in front of us for a number of reasons ... so repeating a reading is something that can help us grasp what we would otherwise miss.

But another truth is that God's Word is something that can never be digested in a single serving. We can read the same passage a hundred different times, and it will offer a hundred new insights and benefits - if we're willing to see them!

We're called to meditate on the Bible day and night (see Psalm 1), and repeating these readings is a way to help us step into that practice of mediation while we engage in our 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting.

In His Hands,
Grace Church