What is faithfulness? How do we measure hope? In Isaiah a promise is given by God to the people of Israel that help and hope will come into the of despair and wickedness of the world. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah-the king of Assyria.’” Isaiah 7:14-17 How would you live knowing that a promise from God had been given that will bring hope to your weary, broken, and helpless life? Would you wait expectantly for the fulfillment of the promise? How long do we wait for before we give up hope? The expectation and desire for complete fulfillment of a promise is based wholly on the the progenitor of the promise. Is God faithful? Can you hope in Him? Continue Reading…
Still awaiting the fulfillment of promise: Isaiah 7 and 8
Do not be consumed by the things of the world: Isaiah 5 and 6
Isaiah in chapter 5 presents a picture of Israel to the people of Jerusalem as a vineyard. Isaiah tells the people of Jerusalem of their straying from the path that God desired for them. “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!” Isaiah 5:3-7 Continue Reading…
Will you follow the servant leader’s steps: Isaiah 3 and 4
Do you work out consistently to keep your body healthy? If people look at your face will they notice a healthier look to you? What else does our face portray about us? Does our face reflect out faith in God? ”For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence. For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.”Isaiah 3:8,9 What do you seek out do you choose to seek out evil or do you seek out righteousness? Continue Reading…
Find your hope in the saving grace of God: Isaiah 1 and 2
What emotions and thought come to mind when you think about culture, society, and prosperity? Do we live today at the pinnacle of human society? Across the generations people have thought that their current progress and ingenuity was paramount to the existence of man. In Isaiah chapters 1 and 2 the prophet Isaiah brings the word of God to the people of Israel. ”Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: ‘Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.’ Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.” Isaiah 1:3,4 Continue Reading…
A love between bride and bridegroom: Song of Solomon Summary
The words of Solomon recorded within Song of Solomon provide a poetical love song between Solomon and his bride. They both relish in each other and their love for each other is intoxicating and all consuming. It can be difficult to read through Song of Solomon because it can be very graphic as Solomon describes his love for his bride. In the midst of Song of Solomon there is a great picture of God’s love for His people contained in the view that Solomon has for his bride. God expressed such a great love for mankind when Jesus Christ died willingly on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world. It was a furiously passionate love that compelled God to restore the fellowship between mankind and Himself. Do you marveled at the wonderful love of God? Will you trust in the all sufficient power of God? Continue Reading…
Learn to love from the author of love: Song of Solomon 7 and 8
How does love effect us? Can love be controlled once it take root? “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.” Song of Solomon 8:6,7 When love takes over your thoughts it becomes all consuming. Once love is awakened it cannot be put out so the word of Solomon ring even truer, ”I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.” Song of Solomon 8:4 Have you stirred love before its proper time? Do you live with regret over your past actions? Will you trust the author of love to heal your hurts? Commit your way to God and trust in Him. Seek to love God and learn to know what true love is from the author of love. Continue Reading…
Experience the transformative love of God :Song of Solomon 5 and 6
Can you convey the love that you feel to the people around you? Can love be truly conveyed through words or speech? Love is contained within the summation of the heart, mind, soul, and strength. God has woven love into the fiber of our being because we were made in His image. ”I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love. What is your beloved more than another beloved, O must beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?” Song of Solomon 5:8,9 People cannot fully grasp the passion of true love unless they have first experienced such a love. We all long for the acceptance of true love but often a pale and shallow love is embraced before true love and fully blossom. Continue Reading…
What captivates your eyes and heart: Song of Solomon 3 and 4
The message of Solomon in Song of Solomon is direct and poignant about the quality of true love. The search for love is described as a passionate pursuit in chapter 3. ”On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. Have you seen him whom my soul loves? Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me.” Song of Solomon 3:1-4 Continue Reading…
What is true love, do you know Him: Song of Solomon 1 and 2
What is love? Does true love exist? Can we be worthy of love? Within Song of Solomon we are given a portrait of love. This love represented is between a bride and bridegroom. “My beloved speaks and says to me: ‘Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.’” Song of Solomon 2:10-13 How would you categorize the love expressed here? Is this love like the often casually expressed love seen throughout the world or is there a deeper passion evident? Continue Reading…
What is catalyzing you to move beyond yourself: Ecclesiastes Summary
What is the driving purpose and meaning behind everything we do? The book of Ecclesiastes can be summarized as the factual warning from Solomon proclaiming that a life without God is meaningless foolishness. It does not matter what we do or the grandiose visions and motives that are catalyzing us to exert our entire strength because without God our existence is only our own vaporous creation. ”Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 Can humanity be virtuous as our perceptions declare? We want to believe that the noble tasks that we undertake are will cause the winds of change to transform our world. It doesn’t matter how good or debase our desires are because all mankind is equally damned from birth. Solomon’s desire within Ecclesiastes is to proclaim that no one can live a life of fulfillment without God. Continue Reading…
