Sept. 22, 2026: God's Grace Toward the Unworthy

BIG IDEA: The world preaches a tolerance of stuckness, but God’s kindness offers us freedom through Jesus.

Isaiah 7:10-14:
“Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 'Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.' But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.' And he said, 'Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.'

Romans 5:6-8
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

King Ahaz was not a sympathetic figure. He stole from God's temple, burned his own children as offerings to pagan gods, and shut down worship of the Lord. He was, by every measure, undeserving of God's attention. And yet God sent Isaiah to him. God offered him a sign. God extended grace to a man who had done everything possible to reject it.
 
It’s hard to imagine the amazing depth of our God’s amazing grace!!!  Romans 5:8 reminds us that God demonstrated his love for us while we were still sinners. The prophecy of Immanuel was not spoken to the righteous. It was spoken to the wicked. That is the nature of grace. It goes where it is least expected.

Personal Reflection:
Do you ever feel too far gone for God's grace to reach you? Or do you know someone in your life whom you have written off as beyond hope?

Practical Application:
Write down the name of one person in your life who seems far from God. Begin praying for them daily this week. Remember that God sent Isaiah to Ahaz. He may be sending you to someone just like him.

Song of the Day:
Amy Grant - El Shaddai (Audio) 
 
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