October 19, 2026 -- Day Nineteen of Joy: Isaiah 12:1-3

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
    for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
    that you might comfort me.
2 “Behold, God is my salvation;
    I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD God is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:1-3 ESV
 
Isn’t it strange how a non-Christian can’t see any reason why God might be angry with her. She believes she is fine. She takes a bit of spirituality from here, from there, and mixes it all together and figures it is all good. And she couldn’t be more wrong. While I was pastor at a rural church one of the senior ladies, who loved Jesus so much, heard me preach on the vileness of our sins and our need for a Savior. After the sermon she rushed up to me, tears welling up in her eyes, and she said how grieved she was over her sins. She found that the more she loved Jesus, the more her sins seemed to haunt her. What a precious, tender-hearted saint she was. Her insight shared more than twenty years ago still blesses me today!
 
Do you understand that is exactly the sequence of these verses? We know the anger of God against our sin. It is huge. It is real. It is powerful. And it was poured out against His own Son, Jesus. Though God the Father was angry with me, His Son bore the wrath and we stand forgiven at the cross. This is our comfort and life and in death—we are not our own, but we are in Christ. And in Christ it is as if we ourselves were punished. In Christ His righteousness is credited to us. In Christ we have the strength to draw on the Holy Spirit in every moment of need.
 
When we consider how great our need for this salvation is, we realize all over again how great is the salvation of our God that reaches farther, higher, deeper, wider than all our neediness. The waters of our salvation are drawn from the wells of salvation that have a never-ending supply of cleansing power. No wonder Isaiah calls God his strength and his song!
 
Father in heaven You are the strength and the song of Your people. Lord Jesus, how full and ever-flowing are the wells of Your salvation. Spirit of God thank You for guarding this rich salvation in us unto the day when faith becomes sight. Triune God, You are the joy of believers!
 
https://youtu.be/rswH9CSyWHk?si=qc61WzbyEYfKkG0l
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.