What can be learned of God? As we look upon the interaction between God and his creation throughout scripture we start to glimpse how perfect God is and the completely dysfunctionality of mankind. We easily align ourselves in complete allegiance to God but do we truly live as a child of God? “Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. For they call themselves after the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name.” Isaiah 48:1,2 Have we progressed to a point where we only view our faith and religious endevours as chic, trendy, fashion? What percentage of people claim to be religious because they attend church once a year or because they feel in tune with themselves or nature? Continue Reading…
Will you abdicate the throne of life to the True King: Isaiah 48 and 49
Escape the weariness of life and find hope for tomorrow: Isaiah 46 and 47
What is pride? How does it dwell in your life? The weariness of life often times begs for some relief, any relief, a simple escape but our desire always eludes us. We often will think that if we could just have a little more prowess, luck, or even love we will finally be able to overcome the stress of life. Can anything in this life give us a lasting hope and pleasure? Is there any hope for us? “Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children’: These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments. You felt secure in your wickedness, you said, ‘No one sees me’; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me.’” Isaiah 47:8-10 We cannot afford to believe that we live in a world without God. We build up our fortresses and towers of rules, regulations, and ideologies but we cannot keep the living God outside of our walled existence. There is nothing that we should value more than God and His desire for our life. Continue Reading…
What idols have you carved to worship this week: Isaiah 44 and 45
What type of television do you have? Is it a real joy to watch movies on it? I love to think about buying a new car. What car is the best one to own? “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me” Isaiah 45:5 Do you enjoy drinking alcohol, what type of drink to you prefer? I love the feel of a tailored shirt. It feels great to have something that fits just right. ”Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22 I long for a wife. Do you long to be married,to have children or grandchildren? I have become more physically fit by working out a lot. Do you love to workout too? ”For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): ‘I am the LORD, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right. ’Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.’” Isaiah 45:18-20 Continue Reading…
Trust in God who declared you worthy: Isaiah 42 and 43
Do you know God? Do you trust God implicitly? Listen to the words of Isaiah and think about the quality of the relationship with God that we must desire. “And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’” Isaiah 42:16,17 Our relationship with God is marked by complete and total trust and dependance. Continue Reading…
The way is clear in the wilderness of life: Isaiah 40 and 41
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:3-5
Within Isaiah chapter 40 a question of God and His existence is asked. Do we know God? Can we comprehend the greatness of God in its fullness? “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:13,14 Can we individually or collectively sway the intents of God? Can we even understand ourselves and our surroundings? It is impossible for us to comprehend the grand scale of who God is. Continue Reading…
Thankfulness in the total sufficiency of God: Isaiah 38 and 39
It is God who enables. It is God who renews. It is God who uplifts. True faithfulness is God. When Hezekiah was faced with illness and death he pleaded before God. He knew that only God was his source of help, “‘Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly.” Isaiah 38:3 What does it say about us when we run to God in our despair? We cast aside our own self sufficiency and we embrace the total sufficiency of God. There is nothing that God cannot do. Is that enough? Continue Reading…
In the battle of allegiance what do you choose: Isaiah 36 and 37
We are in the midst of a great battle of allegiance and devotion. In Isaiah 36 and 37 we are privy to an encounter where the king of Israel is faced with a choice to trust men or trust God. What would you choose? When face with insurmountable opposition what choice do you make? When the world around you screams in a seductively alluring whisper to submit to the ways of the nature of sin do you listen to the sirens song? Of the king of Israel is whispered, “Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?” Isaiah 36:14-18 Continue Reading…
And we will see the Lord in His glory: Isaiah 35
Are you broken and weary by the trials and trouble of life? Do you look upon your life and despair think that all hope is lost? I challenge you to aspire to hope again. “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.” Isaiah 35:1,2 Jesus Christ lives! That is your hope. You can never change the fact that Jesus gave up His life that you could live. Will you trust fully in His provision? Continue Reading…
Who can dwell apart from God: Isaiah 33 and 34
Will you delight? Will you seek? Will you hear? Will you see? Will you? “O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.” Isaiah 33:2-6 The Lord is to be exalted and praised. We must give up and trust God. The saving grace of God will be the hope that we cling to.
What awaits those who choose to not trust God? What is in store for the people who have closed their hearts and minds to the saving grace of God? There will be eternal suffering and damnation for all people who shun God. There is no sugar coating to be placed on this fact that our sin leads to death but the hope is found when trust is placed in God. Continue Reading…
Are you standing upon the lavish simplicity of God: Isaiah 31 and 32
What do you place your trust and hope in? Do you trust, hope, and love money, sex, drugs, acceptance, or power? Happiness can never be secured by treasures of this life. Everything around you is temporal and the hope and blessing you derive from these trinkets will waiver and fail you when you are craving trust, hope, and love the most. “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD!” Isaiah 31:1 The beautiful simplicity of God’s truth is found in Isaiah. We cannot build our hope on anything apart from the glorious God who lavishly moved to save humanity from its foolish pride. Continue Reading…
