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by Bible League International

Verse of the Day and Devotion

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; – Isaiah 58:12 NIV

Devotion

They’re stories of chaos and destruction. What once was well-structured and well-organized is now scattered and destroyed. They’re stories that are always hard to tell. They’re full of sorrow, suffering, pity, and pathos. It’s because they’re stories of what happens when people turn from the Lord God and go their own way. Like the story of the ancient Israelite’s conquest by Babylon that forms the background of our verse for today, they’re stories of spiritual waywardness and the chaos and destruction that come from it.

As you can see, I’m not speaking of any specific story. Instead, I’m speaking in general of what happens when people turn from the Lord. Further, I’m not just speaking of stories about military wars and what comes from them. I’m speaking in general of the chaos and destruction that happens in any area of life when people forsake the Lord God, go their own way, and reap the consequences thereof. It could be a military story, but it could also be the story of a family, a school, a business, a government, a nation, or a church. It could be anything.

Literally or figuratively, these stories always end with everything in ruins, with foundations cast down to the ground, with broken walls, streets, and dwellings. People turn from the Lord and the Lord turns from them (II Chronicles 15:2). It’s always the same. No one is spared. You can’t ignore the Lord God with impunity. You can’t expect to prosper apart from Him (Psalm 2). Although you may get away with it for a while, there is always retribution. Although you may get away with it in this age, you won’t get away with it in the age to come.

The good news is that these stories don’t have to end where they end. There can be new stories that follow after them. They can be the kind of stories mentioned in our verse for today. Literally or figuratively, they can be stories of the rebuilding of ruins, even ancient ruins. They can be stories of the raising of foundations, even age-old foundations. And they can be the stories of the repair of broken walls, streets, and dwellings. If you turn back to the Lord, you can reverse the story of your life.