1. Memorable Scriptures
I have been reading in the book of Isaiah, and the recent devotionals have included several verses from this book of prophecy. There are many more wonderful scriptures in this book and I feel that this would be a good time to remember some of these great passages. Many years ago I was reading through Isaiah and the Lord let me write on some of those familiar scriptures. (The Book Of Isaiah) Reading the book again brought back some of those memories and blessed me, just like the memories of a long time, faithful, friend. I want to look at some of those devotionals and share some of the thoughts from this wonderful book.
2. God's Invitation
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18
Do you remember how excited you used to be when you received an invitation? Well, the Lord is extending an invitation, "Come..." Just as He called, "Come and dine" to the disciples from the shore in John 21:12, He is calling to us, "Come..." The time of the invitation is "now". "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:" (Isaiah 55:6) We are not promised tomorrow. God is extending the invitation to you "now". Who is sending the invitation? The Lord Jesus Christ. He said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20) Jesus is calling. Can you hear His voice? Last of all, we see the purpose of the invitation, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Don't make the mistake of turning the Lord away because you have too much sin in your life. The Lord says, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..." I love to look out over the snow early in the morning before anyone has walked across the yard. There may be rocky soil or littered ground under the snow, but it all looks bright and clean with the blanket of snow. Jesus can take your cold, dirty heart and make it "white as snow". Who has received this invitation? "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17) Whosoever will may come. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
3. One And Only God
"I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else." Isaiah 45:5-6
I was reading the 45th chapter in Isaiah and God brought my attention to a phrase that was repeated over and over. "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me..." (Isaiah 45:5) I knew that there must be great significance in these words for God to repeat them throughout the chapter. Verse 18 tells us, "For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else." I know and serve the same God that created the heavens and the earth. My God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6) I don't know many famous people here on earth, but I know God. I pray to the same God that Daniel prayed to that delivered him from the lions. I walk with the same God who walked with the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. I lift up my hands to the same God to whom Moses lifted up the rod and the Red Sea parted. My God is real and there is no other. People say that Christians are close-minded, and they are right. We believe that we serve the only, true and living God. There is no other God. There is no other God that gives salvation. "Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." (Isaiah 45:21-23) Do you know the one and only God? One day every knee will bow and all people will humble themselves before God. Don't wait until it is too late. Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and then you can know God, too!
4. All We Like Sheep
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6
Psalm 100:3 tells us, "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." He is our Shepherd, and we are His sheep. In our verse from the book of Isaiah we see that "All we like sheep have gone astray". We are all sinners. Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Next, we see from our verse in Isaiah that we are all selfish, "we have turned every one to his own way". I want what I want and you want what you want and sometimes I may even want what you want. But our Good Shepherd takes care of our wants and needs. "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1) Another familiar verse is Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." I don't have to worry about my needs, or be selfish in my desires. Last of all, from our verse in Isaiah, we are all special. "The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:11) Yes, we are all sinners and we are all selfish, but we can praise the Lord, we are all special.
5. What Can Separate You From God?
"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:" Isaiah 59:1
Paul asks the question in Romans, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39) This is a wonderful promise! Nothing can separate us from God's love! Look at our title and verse again, "What can separate you from God?" "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." The next verse tells us the only thing that can separate us from God. "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness." (Isaiah 59:2-3) Sin separates us from God. The Psalmist said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me." (Psalm 66:18-20) Don't let sin in your heart and life separate you from God. Confess your sins to God and praise Him for His continual mercy.
6. Like A Watered Garden
I am pausing our look at the old devotions from Isaiah because I noticed a verse in my reading in Isaiah yesterday that speaks to me today. Isn't it a lovely thing when the Lord speaks to you through His Word? Before I sat down to type these devotions, I opened the curtains at the window so that I could enjoy watching the gentle rain falling on the trees. My granddaughter was over last week and we were talking about gardens and she said that we don't pay attention to the rain when we don't have a garden. I told her that she was right. We take rain for granted and don't fully appreciate it as a blessing from God until we have a garden. Then, we pray for rain, and look for rain, just as Elijah's servant going to look up towards the sky for a cloud. We thank the Lord for every little shower, no matter how light. I am reading in Isaiah 58. The Lord says that we are to give bread to the hungry and clothe the poor, "And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." I praise the Lord for the rain He sends to our garden. Last year was my seventh year and I let the land rest as God instructed the Israelites. I asked God to bless my garden this year and He surely has. We have picked more squash, cucumbers, and beans this year than ever before. We have had more to can, and more to give to others. It has been a joy to share God's blessing. Thank you Lord, for watering our garden!
"7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." (Isaiah 58:7-11)
7. Spring And Autumn
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." Isaiah 61:10-11
Isaiah gives us two comparisons in these verses. We have reason to rejoice in the Lord. We can "greatly rejoice" and "be joyful" in our God. In Isaiah 64:6 we read, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." He takes our sinful life and washes us white as snow. God takes away our "filthy rags" and clothes us in the wedding garments and His robe of righteousness as we get ready for the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9). Now let's notice the next contrast as we look again in Isaiah 64:6, "...and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." We are in the middle of summer, but it won't be long before the leaves on the trees will start changing colors and fading away. They will then fall and be carried away with the wind. This is a sign of the cold winter coming on. This is what sin does to our lives. We may think that the sin in our lives is giving us excitement and outward beauty just as the leaves get bright and change colors. But, then the leaves fade and fall to the ground. Sin will take away your beauty and your life too, will fade. Sin causes us all to fall. I like the contrast in Isaiah 61:11, "For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." When we accept the Lord as our Savior our lives are no longer like the coming of winter, but we enter into the springtime and new life comes forth. Think on these verses today and I am sure that you will be like Isaiah as you "greatly rejoice" and "be joyful" as you praise your wonderful Savior.
8. A House Of Prayer
"Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:7
I am so glad we have a house of prayer. I know that we can pray anywhere and anytime, and I am grateful for that opportunity. We should all have a devoted prayer life and "pray without ceasing". (I Thessalonians 5:17) But aren't you glad that we have a house of prayer where we can come together and worship the Lord our God with fellow believers? We can sing praises unto our God. We hear the Word of God preached. And we can pray. I learned the song, "I Can Pray", by Nathan Markee, during one of our Youth Jubilee meetings. The songwriter says that while we may feel too young or too old to be of service to the Lord, we can all pray. You may not be able to sing or preach, but you can pray. You may not be able to convince your friends and family to accept the Lord's gift of salvation, but you can continue to pray for them. We need to realize the importance of prayer in our lives. Just this week God has answered several prayers for me. I want to thank Him and praise His Holy Name for hearing and answering my prayers. I am sure that many people would think that the things I pray for are trivial and would not matter to God, but He has heard and answered these "small" prayers for me time and time again and I just want to thank Him one more time. Thank you Lord for giving me a house of prayer and hearing when I pray.
9. Praise The Lord For Salvation
"Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth." Isaiah 12:2-5
"Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth." Sing a song of praise to our God and our Savior. God has forgiven us of our sins and washed us whiter than snow. He has taken away our filthy rags and clothed us in His righteousness. Praise the Lord, my salvation is safe and sure. I don't have to worry about going to hell. I have a promise that my Lord will never leave me nor forsake me. Not only do I praise Him for salvation, but He provides my every need. He answers my prayers. He gives me peace and joy within and opens my heart with love towards others. Praise the Lord! He has given me a wonderful family, and a great Bible-believing church. He sent us a pastor who preaches the Word and prays for the people and has a burden to see lost sinners saved. God has been so good to me. Don't wait until Thanksgiving to offer up your voice of thanks. Give Him praise today and every day. "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." (Psalm 100)
10. Good And Evil
(This post was written 14 years ago, and so much more could be written today about calling evil good and good evil. It is so common in our world today that I am afraid there is a generation that does not even know the difference in good and evil.)
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:" Isaiah 5:20-22
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil..." You may not think about it, but this happens all the time. Someone may tell you about a movie that she rented and say that it is "really good". You take her recommendation and pick it up at a video store, only to find that it has offensive language and subject matter. In this case, she called evil good. Someone else may tell you that you are spending too much time in church activities and that it is bad for you to shelter your children from the things of the world. This time, he has called good evil. It happens all the time. Leaders in the business world may choose evil means to reach their goals, as they say, "The end justifies the means." Even in our churches, we should not use worldly methods that may be bad, to accomplish something that is good. Bad is bad and good is good and we need to call it like it is. Let's continue with the verse, "...that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Jesus is the Light of the world and the only way to eternal life. If you believe that you can do enough good works to get into heaven, you may think that you are walking in the light, but you are actually walking around in the dark. This leads to our next scripture portion, "Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes..." There are many people who don't know that they are on their way to hell. They "are wise in their own eyes". They don't think they need God in their lives. They believe they are doing well on their own. They believe that Christians are weak because they feel the need to have a God, and they are right. Paul said, "... for when I am weak, then am I strong." (II Corinthians 12:10) This leads us to our last verse, "Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink." I don't think this verse really needs an explanation. The message is clear. Our message today is to open your eyes and see things for what they really are. See good for good and evil for evil. Trust in the light of the Lord and don't walk in the darkness. And get your wisdom and strength from the Lord.
11. Spread It Before The Lord
"And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD, And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only." Isaiah 37:14-20
King Hezekiah had problems that he could not solve. His people were doomed to be destroyed and he did not have the power to rescue them or lead them to victory. He took the threatening letter and laid it on the altar before the LORD. He acknowledged that the Lord God of Israel was the only true God who made heaven and earth. He prayed that God would save them from the hands of the enemies. We should learn from these scriptures. When troubles come up against you, take it to the Lord in prayer and lay it on the altar of His grace. Stop trying to work things out on your own. Confess to the Lord that He alone can save you and rescue you from your enemies. Look at the answer that God gave to King Hezekiah. "Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." (Isaiah 37:33-35) God promised to deliver Hezekiah. "Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead." (Isaiah 37:36-38) Lay your problems on the altar and let God fight your battles for you.
12. Immanuel
Michael just told me that he goes back to school on August 8th. That's leaves only two and a half weeks of his summer vacation. So, this devotional from the past, seems like a good one for today.
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
The stores are filled with people doing their back to school shopping. I remember when my children were small and we had to get the school supply lists for each class. Not only did they have to have certain notebooks and folders in just the right size, but often they had to have them in certain colors for each classroom. And the kids always seemed to grow during the summer and often needed new clothes or new shoes to start school. The crowded stores and excited children reminded me of Christmas shopping. It is exciting to get ready for special events, like going back to school, and holidays. God wanted His people to get ready for the coming Messiah. This week we will look at some of the prophecies in the book of Isaiah. This prophecy was fulfilled with the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The angel spoke to Joseph, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23) "God with us", isn't that a blessed thought! The Lord came to earth to be with us. Not only that, but He still wants to be with us. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1-3)
13. For Unto Us A Child Is Born
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall perform this." Isaiah 9:6-7
Here is another prophecy of the birth of our Lord from the book of Isaiah. When we try to describe our Lord and Savior our words are so inadequate. "His name shall be called Wonderful..." There are not enough words in our language to tell how wonderful my Savior is. He left His home in glory to come to this sinful world to die on a cruel cross so that I could be saved. He walks with me and speaks to me through His Word. He supplies all my needs, and even blesses me with many of my wants. He gives me protection so that I don't have to fear. He gives me peace and joy and love. He is my Counsellor that I can talk to even in times when I can't talk to anyone else. No one understands like Jesus. He is The Mighty God and The Everlasting Father. He is The Prince of Peace. We read these verses and think about these things during the month of December each year, but we don't have to wait until Christmas to praise our Lord. We can praise Him every day of the year. We can celebrate His birth, and His death and resurrection each morning as we thank Him for each new day. We can have assurance that the Lord will fulfill all His precious promises just as He fulfilled these prophecies from the book of Isaiah. "The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall perform this."
14. "So Shall It Come To Pass"
"The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:" Isaiah 14:24
I was reading in Isaiah last night and I passed these pages and was reading in chapter 16 when the air from the ceiling fan blew the page back to chapter 14. As I began to think that maybe I had rushed through the page too quickly my eyes caught this verse. "The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:" Many times in my life I have thought that things would turn out in a certain way, and something happened to change the course. Sometimes I made plans, often good plans, and I could not follow through. We often have good intentions, but something gets in our way. We planned to take a group of children to the zoo one Saturday and it was pouring down rain when we awoke. The children were very disappointed, but we had to change our plans. Sickness can also interrupt our plans. We have begun to look at some of the prophecies in the book of Isaiah. God showed me through this verse that His thoughts always come to pass. He never fails on His plans and purposes. He spoke to the children of Israel through the prophets and every word has, or will in the future, come true. We can stand on His promises. He will never fail.
15. Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord
"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 40:3-5
We talked about getting ready to go back to school, and how God wanted His children to get ready for the Lord to come. As we read these verses in Isaiah we are reminded of the verses in which they are fulfilled in the New Testament. "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." (Matthew 3:1-3) Also in Mark 1:1-3 and in Luke 3:3-6, "And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." I especially like verse 6, "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." Jesus came to save lost sinners, and He gives salvation to Jews and Gentiles, men, women, and children, young and old. The children of Israel were God's chosen people, but they rejected Jesus, and He has graciously offered salvation to us by His wonderful mercy and grace. God spoke through the Old Testament prophets to prepare the world for the Lord. God spoke through John the Baptist to prepare the world for the coming Messiah. You may be thinking, "That was all good, but He has already come." Let me tell you that He is coming back. And we need to be sharing the message that just as He came once, He will return. We have used these verses before, but let's look at them again. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and we need to be messengers for Him to help others prepare to meet Him. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1-3)
16. Behold The Lord God
"Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?" Isaiah 40:10-12
My Grandma Hancock had a picture of two children with their guardian angel. I always enjoyed looking at the picture when I was a child. She also had a picture of Jesus as our Shepherd, holding a little lamb. We don't really know how Jesus looked when He walked on earth, but the Bible paints pictures in words that tell us who He is. We see several pictures of our Lord God in these verses. First we are told that He "will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him:" This verse reminds us of Revelation 19:15-16, "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." The next verse reminds us of the words of our Lord in John 10:11, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." Our God and King of Kings is also our kind and gentle shepherd. We also see the God of creation in these verses. We see that He is big and powerful enough to measure "the waters in the hollow of his hand" and measure out "heaven with the span." These verses of prophecy in Isaiah remind us of how great and mighty our God is. It is amazing that He would reach down and carry us through the rough times, as a Shepherd carries a little lamb, and gently lead us along. That is how wonderful my God is!
17. Respect For God
"At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 17:7
I read this verse this week and my mind keeps going back to it. School is getting ready to start back and I think of how different things are today than they were when I went to school. When I was young, children and their parents had respect for teachers. Today it seems as though teachers and principals are not given any respect. Actually, it seems as though parents, and anyone in authority, get no respect. The programs on television show the parents as being really stupid and the children in control. While shopping I see children hit at their parents when they don't get what they want. If children aren't taught respect at an early age, it isn't surprising to see how bad their behavior is as they get older. And sadly enough, if children are not taught to respect authority, they won't have any respect for God, either. We need to teach our children to have respect for their parents, their teachers, and all who are in authority. Most of all we need to teach them to have respect and a holy fear for God. "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." (Proverbs 9:9-10) One day God will get the respect He deserves. As we also read in Isaiah 45:22-23, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." Read our verse again, and think on it... "At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel."
18. They That Wait Upon The Lord
I am weary. I have worked hard in the garden all summer and now I am working to can and freeze the fresh vegetables. I am grateful for every squash, cucumber and fresh tomato I have pulled off the vines. I have enjoyed fresh beans, corn, okra, and our first watermelon and cantaloupe. I am so grateful to the Lord for the rain and sunshine and strength to work in the garden. But, today I am weary. This was the perfect devotional archive for me...
"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you get weary? Our verses here tell us that even the young get weary. Well, I am getting older and many times I feel like I have lost my strength and I have become weary. Paul tells us in II Thessalonians 3:13, "But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing." What can we do when we become so weary? "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Oh, my brother, are you weary? Wait on the Lord. Trust in the Lord for your help and strength. Do you feel like you are running on empty? Don't run ahead of the Lord's schedule for your life. Wait on the Lord and allow Him to lift you "up with wings as eagles". "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalm 27:13-14)
19. Prophecies Of The Lord
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;" Isaiah 61:1-2
God gave the Bible as His inspired Word and we see many prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled in the New Testament. Let's look in the book of Luke. "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. and he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 4:14-21) Jesus came to earth and fulfilled all the prophecies, those of His birth, His life, and His death and resurrection. We can be sure that all the unfulfilled prophecies of things to come will surely come to pass. Let Jesus come and heal your broken heart and give you deliverance from a life of sin. Trust in His Word.
20. A Word In Season To Him That Is Weary
I am sorry that I didn't send the devotionals the past two days. I was canning tomato sauce Wednesday morning and the air conditioner quit working. The temperature kept rising as I worked in the kitchen with my canner. The parts had to be ordered and the air conditioner was not repaired, so it kept getting hotter in the house. When it started raining that evening we opened the windows, and for a while the breeze felt good, but soon the house felt like a sauna as the humidity mixed with the high temperature. I packed a quick bag and went to Mom's for the night. I didn't get to send the devotions. This one is one of my favorite devotional memories. It reminds us that life is not always a down hill, easy ride, and sometimes our journey is hard.
"The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." Isaiah 50:4
Every morning on my way to work I pass a large bus manufacturing plant. A short way past the plant I often pass a man on a bicycle. He always looks sad and weary. I think about how tired he must be by the time he gets to work and wonder if he has a long hard day at the bus plant ahead of him. This morning I passed the bicycle man a couple of miles up the road and he was smiling. That was the first time I had ever seen him smile. I immediately wondered what made the difference. And just as quickly as the question entered my mind, I saw that he was going down hill. It is much easier to smile when you are riding a bike down hill. You can almost coast along when the weather is clear and there are no obstacles in your way. It is easy to smile then. But after you have traveled a while, and you have to start peddling up hill you get tired. When the storms roll in or the road gets rocky you get weary. Then it's hard to smile. As you go along in life, don't judge those who look weary and tired. You don't know what rough road they may be traveling. All the mornings I passed the bicycle man I thought he looked weary and worn, but now I realize he was riding up hard ground. He looked like a different person as he rode down hill this morning. Our verse above encourages us "to speak a word in season to him that is weary..." Be kind to those you meet, especially those who seem to be having a hard time. Lift them up with words of encouragement. You may need a little help up your next hill.
21. Eye Hath Not Seen
"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him." Isaiah 64:4
We have been looking into the book of Isaiah to think about some of the prophecies that God gave to prepare His people for the coming of the Lord. Many of the prophecies were fulfilled in the days of Christ. Some point to the future and will be fulfilled when Christ comes back to take His bride home to heaven. Paul used this verse in his letter to the believers at Corinth. "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (I Corinthians 2:9-10) We have only a glimpse of the goodness of God. The book of Revelation gives us a picture of the splendor of heaven, but I don't think our human minds can begin to see the glorious beauty that awaits us. Through the Holy Spirit we can only touch the surface of the "deep things of God". We may never fully understand the goodness of God to us, but let us keep praising Him for His goodness.
22. His Ways Are Higher Than Our Ways
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
Many times in our lives we face trials and storms. Many people question God when troubles come their way. Some even quit following the Lord altogether. As I thought on this verse today, I tried to put it in human perspective, because that is all we know. If the president of my company followed a business path that I did not fully understand, I would not go to him and ask him why he went in that direction. When my pastor, the under shepherd of our church, plans a revival meeting, I do not have the arrogance to ask him why he chose a certain preacher or singers to come. I have a respect for those in authority and pray that they will make the right choices. How much less should I go to God in prayer and ask Him why He led me down a certain path. He tells us through Isaiah, that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. We can't understand the ways of God. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33) The wise King Solomon tells us, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) I hope that these verses will encourage you today to follow the path God leads you, and be strong in the faith that His thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts and He wants what is best for us. I leave you with one more passage of scripture. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
23. God's Word Will Not Return Void
"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11
As I thought on these verses, I thought of the word, "void", and my mind went back to the very beginning of God's Word. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 1:1-4) The earth was dark and void, and God spoke light into existence and the void ended. This was the first instance of our verse in Isaiah, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please..." God's Word accomplished what He pleased and did not return "void" but took away the "void" from the earth. Are you searching aimlessly for things that don't satisfy? Only God can take away the "void" from your life. Walk in His Light and let His Word give meaning to your existence. Looking again at the word, "void", I thought of checks that I have written and I made a mistake on the amount, or spelling, and I wrote "VOID" across the checks and tore them up. They became useless. God says that His Word will not return void. God's Word always accomplishes what He pleases. He compares it to the rain that comes down from heaven to water the earth. I know that water evaporates, but rain comes down and fulfills its purpose in watering the ground "that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:" The New Testament tells us that God's Word is the seed and we also know that Jesus is the Bread of Life. Keep sowing the seed, God's Word, and don't get discouraged. God has promised that His Word shall not return void.
24. There Is No Peace To The Wicked
"But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Isaiah 57:20-21
Do you have peace in your soul? This verse paints a vivid picture of a troubled soul. I like to sit at the beach and hear the calm ocean waves roll gently to the shore. I have also been there after a storm when the waves sound mighty and look rough and dirty. Our lives can be like those ocean waves. God has not promised to take away all our storms, but He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He can lead us through the storms of life, and give us peace deep within. In our studies in Isaiah 9:6-7 we saw the prophecies of our Lord. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." He is The Prince of Peace. But for those who will not accept the Lord as their personal Savior, there is no peace. Do you have a troubled soul? God can give you peace beyond measure as we read in Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. Believe in your heart that Jesus died to pay the sin debt that you could not pay. Confess your sin to Him. It's that simple. Then you can say like David, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)
25. A Light For The Gentiles
"Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." Isaiah 42:5-7
The Children of Israel were God's chosen people. I heard a preacher say that the promises in the Old Testament are all for the Jews. I thought about this while reading through the book of Isaiah. There are blessed promises, as in Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." I wondered about the words of that preacher and thought, surely God has given that promise to all who love Him. Then, just a couple chapters over, I saw this verse, "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;" I had to stop and praise the Lord and thank Him for answering my prayerful question. I am not a Jew, but the Lord called me and clothed me with the righteousness of His dear Son. He holds my hand and keeps me. He sent His Son as a light for me. We should be so thankful that God has given light for the Gentiles. He has opened our blinded eyes and brought us out of the prison of sin.
26. Perfect Peace
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" Isaiah 26:3-4
We read earlier in Isaiah 57:20-21 that there is no peace to the wicked. The verses today give us a wonderful contrast for the child of God. True peace comes from God. We have had a few troubles since the storm knocked down limbs that put holes through our tin roof, and the lightning struck our air conditioner. The roof has been repaired, but we will probably have to get a new air conditioner system installed. Storms in life can bring troubles, and sometimes they seem to continue to multiply after we think the storm has ended. But God can give us peace in the storms, and after the storms. This is a precious promise to us. When we put our trust in the Lord, He gives us peace. And He gives us strength to make it through the storms. I am thankful for that wonderful peace! "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:"
27. Seek The Lord While He May Be Found
As we close this devotional series from the book of Isaiah, I want to share an important verse. It is as revelant today as it was when it was written some 2,500 years ago. "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7) God's plea to man is clear and sure. We are not promised tomorrow. There is an obituary column in the newspaper everyday. Many of those named probably thought they had plenty of time to serve God later on. Isaiah tells us to seek the Lord while he may be found and to call on Him while He is near. Don't put off serving God. Don't wait until it is too late to pray. God tells us in Isaiah 45:23, "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." Don't wait until it is too late and hear Him say, "I never knew you". (Matthew 7:23) "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:" I have now moved on to the book of Jeremiah and I want to close with this plea from the Lord, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD." (Jeremiah 22:29)
