Category: Isaiah Devotionals

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Isaiah Devotionals

When death is swallowed up

This article was originally written about a year after my father passed back in 2011. My mother joined him in glory yesterday morning. 

For many, death is a painful thing.

I still remember standing vigil over my dad in his last days. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.

The experience of losing my mother has been no less painful.

But there will come a day when death itself will die. And in this chapter, Isaiah talks about the return of our Lord. On that day, Isaiah says,

He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.  (Isaiah 25:7-8)

And on that day, people will praise God, singing,

Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation. (9)

When my dad died, he had diabetes, was completely blind, was suffering from pneumonia, and had a sore that never quite healed on his leg.

My mother, on the other hand, not only had physical issues, but also battled with depression off and on for much of her life.

But now, all of that is gone. All the sorrow they experienced, all the pain, has been washed away in victory. And now, they are singing the song of salvation, feasting at our Lord’s table.

So in my pain, I rejoice for them.

And I wait in hope for that day when I will see them again.

There are burdens that I carry every day
Sometimes it makes me want to cry…

In the middle of the darkness in my life
I find the strength to carry on
I am holding to a promise Jesus made
And I know it won’t be long ’til we’ll be gone

In a while we’ll be gone
And we won’t have to cry anymore.
All our sorrows left behind

And that’s the day that I am waiting for
And that’s the day that I am longing for
And that’s the day I’m looking for
— Amy Grant

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Isaiah Devotionals

Forgiven and forgotten

cross

For the former troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from my sight.

For I will create new heavens and a new earth;
the past events will not be remembered or come to mind. (Isaiah 65:16-17)

Somehow, whenever I’ve read verses 16-17, I’ve always thought about how when we see God face to face in the new heavens and new earth, we will forget all our former troubles, all our sins and mistakes.

I still think we’ll forget all those things.

But I don’t think that’s what God’s saying. He said, “the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from MY sight.”

And so when he says the past events will not be remembered or come to mind, I think he’s saying, “They will not come to MY mind.”

How much trouble have we brought into this world since Adam and Eve first sinned? How much have we grieved God’s heart?

That’s what we see in this chapter. God recounts all the sin and rebellion of his people, and how much they have grieved him over the years.

And yet, God says, “I will make all things new. And on that day, all your sins, all the times you’ve grieved my heart will be forgotten and hidden from my sight. They will not be remembered or come to my mind.”

All our sins forgiven and forgotten because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

That’s amazing grace!

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Isaiah Devotionals

The God who “mercies” us

three crosses

In this Easter season, it’s good to think about why Jesus had to die.

This passage is interesting in that on one hand, Isaiah prays that God would rend the heavens and come down, revealing himself to the nations.

At the same time, he recognizes that should God do so, it would mean judgment not only for Israel’s enemies, but for Israel itself, because the people had turned their backs on God.

And so he prays,

Lord, do not be terribly angry
or remember our iniquity forever.

Please look—all of us are your people! (Isaiah 64:9)

That prayer reveals why Jesus had to die. Jesus bore the wrath of God for us on the cross. And it’s because of Jesus and what he did there that our sins are forgiven.

The translation of verse 4 into Greek (which is the translation the early church used) is very interesting.

It says something like, “From eternity, we have not heard, nor have our eyes seen any God except for you, and your works that you do for those waiting for mercy.

The ultimate work of God’s mercy toward us was shown on that cross.

Paul seems to see it that way. Talking about the cross, he paraphrases Isaiah 64:4.

What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

The cross was no tragic accident. It was God’s plan from eternity past to save us, to “mercy” us.

That’s an awesome thing.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Pray!

I will not keep silent because of Zion,
and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem,
until her righteousness shines like a bright light
and her salvation, like a flaming torch…

Jerusalem,
I have appointed watchmen on your walls;
they will never be silent, day or night.

There is no rest for you,
who remind the Lord.

Do not give him rest
until he establishes and makes Jerusalem
the praise of the earth. (Isaiah 62:1, 6-7)

In verses 1-2, it seems like Messiah is saying that he will not keep silent or keep still, but will keep interceding and working for Jerusalem until her righteousness shines like a bright light and her salvation like a flaming torch.

That was cool to see, because I think that Jesus will not only do that for Jerusalem, but for all his people.

He won’t stop interceding or working on our behalf until our righteousness shines like a bright light and our salvation like a burning torch. (Hebrews 7:22-25)

But it was verses 6-7 that really struck me. Because Messiah assigns people as watchmen.

And he says to us, “There’s no rest for you. Remind the Lord of his promises. Keep praying. Do not let him rest until he establishes and makes Jerusalem the praise of the earth.”

I thought of Japan, and I think Jesus assigns us Christians in Japan as his watchmen for this nation.

And he tells us, “Don’t stop praying, don’t stop interceding for Japan. Remind him of his promises to draw people from every nation to himself.” (John 10:16, 12:32; Revelation 7:9-10)

Pray that God’s kingdom comes to this nation. Pray that he keeps working until Japan’s righteousness in Christ shines like a bright light and Japan’s salvation like a burning torch.

But whatever nation you are in, the same holds true for you.

So let us each pray for the nation we are in:

Father, let your kingdom come in this nation that so desperately needs you.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Blessed

blessing

All who see them will recognize 
that they are a people the LORD has blessed. 

I rejoice greatly in the LORD, 
I exult in my God; 
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation 
and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness…” (Isaiah 61:9-10)

Usually when I read this passage, most of my focus is on the first three verses because Jesus applied them to himself. (Luke 4:18-21)

But today my eyes focused on verses 9-10. And I realized just how blessed I really am.

I see all my flaws, all my failures, all my sins. But by his grace, God has clothed me with his salvation and Christ’s righteousness.

Father, I am blessed.  I rejoice in you, I exult in you, because you have clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in Christ’s robe of righteousness.

I didn’t have to make those clothes. I didn’t have to buy them. Jesus, you purchased them with your blood and you clothed me. All I can say is, “Thank you.”

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Isaiah Devotionals

Shine!

Just in case you forgot, Isaiah 60 follows chapter 59. 🙂

And in chapter 59, we saw the hope that we have in Christ in this darkened world. That when things were at its worst, when we couldn’t save ourselves, God himself sent Jesus to bring about our salvation.

God, of course, was primarily talking about Israel’s restoration in chapters 59-60, but we see John in Revelation using Isaiah’s words to describe the new heavens and new earth, and particularly the new Jerusalem. (Isaiah 60:3, Revelation 21:24; Isaiah 60:11, Revelation 21:25-26; Isaiah 60:19-20; Revelation 21:4, 23; 22:5)

All of this is the hope we have.

And so the words God spoke concerning Jerusalem and the Jews, he speaks also to us.

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord shines over you. (Isaiah 60:1)

I just felt God telling me this morning, “Hey, don’t get all down from all the darkness that you see in this world. Don’t get discouraged by all the evil you see, by all the hopelessness and brokenness of the people around you.

“Get up! Shine in this world! Shine the hope that you have. And as you do, people will come out of their darkness into my light.”

Father, help me to shine today.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Our hope in a darkened world

darkened world

As I read Isaiah’s words, it reminded me of how little this world has changed.

Just looking at the news this week, I see all the violence and bloodshed, all the injustice that’s in this world.

We live in a world where truth has stumbled in the public square, where people have rejected God’s truth and are trying to create their own.

But again, these are not new problems. Isaiah was talking about this kind of thing thousands of years ago. And sometimes it’s easy to feel like Isaiah.

We hope for light, but there is darkness;
for brightness, but we live in the night. (Isaiah 59:9)

But I love Isaiah’s words in verses 15-16.

The Lord saw that there was no justice,
and he was offended.

He saw that there was no man—
he was amazed that there was no one interceding;
so his own arm brought salvation,
and his own righteousness supported him. (15-16)

Of course, Isaiah is talking about Jesus. And by going to the cross, he paid the price for our sin which had separated us from God, and brought us salvation.

But more, we see in this passage that Jesus will come again and he will bring justice. And this world will be made whole. (17-20)

That’s our hope.

So as we face this darkened world, let us put on the armor of God, his helmet of salvation and his breastplate of righteousness, guarding our hearts and minds from discouragement and any spiritual attack Satan would bring against us.

And let’s go out wearing the shoes of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15), bringing the hope of our salvation to those around us who are without hope.

As Isaiah said,

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the herald,
who proclaims peace,
who brings news of good things,
who proclaims salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)

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Isaiah Devotionals

To be a father like You

Me and my daughter

For the High and Exalted One,
who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this:

“I live in a high and holy place,
and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and revive the heart of the oppressed.

For I will not accuse you forever,
and I will not always be angry;
for then the spirit would grow weak before me,
even the breath, which I have made.” (Isaiah 57:15-16)

Father, thank you that you are not a God who is distant and uncaring, but a God who is near and full of compassion.

Thank you that you are a Father that is not always accusing, not always angry.

Rather, you see my weaknesses, and have mercy on me.

Let me be such a father to my daughter. Let her see what kind of Father you are as she looks at me.

I want to be like you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Slinging stones

slinging stones

Last Sunday, I was listening to a message on David and Goliath. And one of the things my pastor was talking about was David slinging his stone that the world might know the God that Israel followed. (1 Samuel 17:40, 46)

And that stone skillfully slung accomplished the purpose God intended, not only defeating Goliath, but letting the Israelites, the Philistines, and all the other nations know that he is God.

As I read today’s passage, I thought about that message. And one stone I want to sling skillfully is the stone of his Word, namely, the gospel.

I want to encourage the people around me to stop seeking things that can’t satisfy and to seek God who alone can fill the hole in their hearts.

I want to urge them to turn from the sins that are destroying them.

And I want to tell them the good news that it is never too late for them. That our God freely pardons all who come to him in repentance.

God promises that his word, like David’s stone, will never return to him empty, but will accomplish all that he desires.

Father, help me know your word well and sling it skillfully that those around me may know you are God and find life.

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Isaiah Devotionals

How can you be so good to me?

cross

Jesus, you came to this earth, and you became just like us. There was nothing in your appearance that people would desire you. You were just an ordinary looking man.

You understood rejection. You experienced illness.

And then you were pierced. You were crushed. By the time you were crucified, your appearance was so disfigured, you did not even look like a man anymore (Isaiah 52:14).

And all that because of me. You were pierced and struck for my rebellion. Crushed for my iniqutiies.

The whole reason I have peace with the Father was because you took my punishment for me. And by your wounds, my brokenness caused by my sin is healed.

I was like a sheep gone astray. I had turned to my own way. But like a good shepherd, you went chasing after me. And you took the punishment I deserved on yourself.

No one forced you to do this. You willingly submitted yourself to death. You bore my sin.

And you intercede for me even now: “Father, forgive him, for he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Jesus, you carried my iniquities on the cross, and because you did so, I now stand justified before the Father.

You saw anguish and death. But you rose from the grave, and now you see me and all those you died for and are satisfied.

Jesus, I stand in awe of your grace. How can you be so good to me?

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Isaiah Devotionals

A prayer

prayer

Pay attention to me, my people,
and listen to me, my nation;
for instruction will come from me…

Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my instruction… (Isaiah 51:4, 7)

Father, direct my heart to you. May I be alert, paying attention to you, and listening to you in my prayers.

I want to hear the instruction that comes from you. To have your instruction in my heart.

And as I pray, let me not merely say, “Your will be done.” But remind me of what you have said in your Word so that I can truly know your will and pray your will.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Following our Lord’s example

The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are instructed to know how to sustain the weary with a word.

He awakens me each morning; he awakens my ear to listen like those being instructed. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn back. (Isaiah 50:4-5)

In a lot of ways, Jesus fulfilled the words found in verses 4-7. (Mark 1:35-38; Luke 9:51; John 12:23-33; Matthew 26:67; John 19:1-3)

But it is his example in verses 4-5 that I especially want to follow this year and every year.

I want to have the tongue of a disciple of Christ, able to sustain the weary with a word.

But if I’m going to do that, I need to have the ears of a disciple of Christ, listening to my Lord, giving him my time each morning.

More importantly, I need the heart of a disciple of Christ, submitting to him as my Lord moment to moment, day to day,

Father, give me the ears of a disciple of Christ, listening to your voice. Give me the tongue of a disciple of Christ, giving the weary your words of life. Give me the heart of a disciple of Christ, submitting to Jesus as Lord, moment to moment, day to day.

Jesus, I want to be like you. Amen.

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Isaiah Devotionals

A Christmas song

Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you. I will praise your name,
for you have accomplished wonders,
plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. (Isaiah 25:1)

That song resonated with me this morning, especially as I think about Christmas.

According to his plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness, God sent his Son.

But Isaiah 24-25 seem focused not on Jesus’ first coming, but his second.

When Jesus comes again, he will make all things right, destroying all evil. And after he does so, he will conquer the final enemy: death.

Death which covers this world like a burial shroud will be taken away forever. God will remove the disgrace and shame of all our sin. And he will wipe every tear from our eyes. (Isaiah 25:7-8)

Paul and John also talk about this, so I really encourage you to read their words. (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 51-57; Revelation 20:7-21:4)

Anyway, on that day, we will see Jesus and sing this Christmas song, a song we can sing now, but one which will have far greater meaning when he comes again.

Look, this is our God;
we have waited for him, and he has saved us.

This is the Lord; we have waited for him.
Let’s rejoice and be glad in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:9)

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Isaiah Devotionals

Shepherds’ song?

Shepherds

I was reading a Christmas advent devotional today and thinking about the shepherds. I was thinking about how they felt when they saw the angel.

Luke tells us they were terrified. Why?

God had been silent for 400 years. Now he was breaking that silence. For what? To bring judgment on his people?

No. To bring good news.

His anger was ended. And now he was bringing salvation through his Son.

Did the shepherds think of Isaiah 12 when they heard the angels?

Probably not. But if they had, I think they would have been singing it.

I will give thanks to you, Lord,
although you were angry with me.

Your anger has turned away,
and you have comforted me.

Indeed, God is my salvation;
I will trust him and not be afraid,
for the Lord, the Lord himself,
is my strength and my song.
He has become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:1-2)

Jesus, the root of Jesse had come. (Isaiah 11:1-5, 10)

And after seeing Jesus, the shepherds went and told everyone what they had seen and heard. (Luke 2:16-18)

Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion,
for the Holy One of Israel is among you
in his greatness. (Isaiah 12:6)

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Isaiah Devotionals

Take me back Tuesday — For you

A little something I wrote a few years ago, but seems appropriate to bring back as we start approaching the Christmas season.

You may feel like the shepherds. You may feel insignificant. Unimportant.

But Jesus was born for you.

For you.

For you (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 2:11)
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Isaiah Devotionals

Choosing to trust

For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you.

They say, ‘Let’s go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.’

This is what the Lord God says: It will not happen; it will not occur. (Isaiah 7:5-7)

As I read that, I wondered: “How often do I worry about things that will never happen?”

I can remember times I have actually lost sleep worrying about things that never happened.

How much better is it to trust God? How much better to remember that he is with me.

Two thousand years ago, he gave me a sign of his presence. The sign came in the form of a baby, lying in a manger.

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. (14)

As Matthew points out, “Immanuel” means “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)

It’s easy to criticize Ahaz for refusing to trust God. But how often do I fail to look at the sign he has given me and trust him?

Jesus you are always with me. You truly are Immanuel. So whenever I’m tempted to worry, help me to turn to you…and trust.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Holy God, gracious God

Joy Ornament

This passage is one of my favorites in the Bible and it never fails to touch me.

I was just thinking today about God’s holiness and God’s grace.

The seraphim (a kind of angel) cried out,

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies;
his glory fills the whole earth. (Isaiah 6:3)

That was something that King Uzziah failed to recognize late in his life. (2 Chronicles 26:16-21)

Isaiah, on the other hand, recognized God’s holiness all too well, crying out,

Woe is me for I am ruined
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of Armies. (5)

And yet, we see God’s grace just as clearly.

Ironically, we see it in the judgment God declared on Israel. He told Isaiah to harden the hearts of the people.

How? By telling them the truth they didn’t want to hear.

But while the nation would ultimately fall to the Babylonians, there would remain a stump, a remnant of people who would remain faithful to God because of the words Isaiah spoke. People like Daniel, Ezekiel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

And ultimately, through that remnant, Jesus came to save us. The King that Isaiah saw that day in his vision would come down from his throne to die for our sins. (John 12:23-41)

That’s what Christmas is all about. The King coming down from his throne to save us.

And now, when we come before him burdened with guilt and shame as Isaiah did, he looks at us in grace, and tells us, “Your iniquity is removed. Your sins is atoned for.”

That’s why we sing,

Joy to the world!
The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King!

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Isaiah Devotionals

When healing will come

Father, we are waiting for the day when the mountain of your house is established. For the time when war is at an end. When all evil is judged with justice. Where people seek you. (Isaiah 2:2-4)

When will healing come? This whole world is spiritually sick. And so are its people. (Isaiah 1:5-6)

Why? Because they don’t recognize their Lord. They don’t understand the source of life, the one who can satisfy the hunger in their hearts.

Instead, they’ve abandoned you, despised you, turned their backs on you. (Isaiah 1:3-4)

When will healing come?

It won’t come by putting our trust in money or anything else we take pride in. (Isaiah 2:7-18)

It certainly won’t come by any of our political leaders. (Isaiah 2:22)

Healing will come when this world recognizes you as King, as Lord, as God.

Healing will come as we seek you. Truly seek you, not just in form, but from the heart. (Isaiah 1:11-19)

When people turn to you saying,

Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths. (Isaiah 2:3)

That starts with us, Father. That starts with your people turning to you with all our hearts.

So Father, put a hunger in me to seek you. Moment to moment, day to day, in full trust and dependence on you. Seeking your Word. Seeking your will. Seeking your wisdom. Seeking your strength.

Let your kingdom come to this broken world and the broken people around me.

Use me to that end.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Our light, our hope

Isaiah

As we fast approach December 25th, I hope to write a few meditations on Christmas this week.

I was recently reading Isaiah 59-60, admittedly not the first passage most people go to when thinking about Christmas.

But it does go to the very heart of what Christmas is all about.

Isaiah wrote,

Indeed, the Lord’s arm is not too weak to save,
and his ear is not too deaf to hear.

But your iniquities are separating you
from your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not listen. (Isaiah 59:1-2)

We live in a world now where people take sin very lightly. They scoff at the idea that they could have possibly offended a righteous God.

But in times of trouble, they cry out to God, and when he is silent, they wonder why he doesn’t seem to hear.

As a result, many start to doubt his very existence. And yet they fail to see that their sin has separated them from him.

Isaiah writes,

For our transgressions have multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us.

For our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
transgression and deception against the Lord,
turning away from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart. (Isaiah 59:12-13)

Notice here who is the primary one offended. It is not the people around us that we have hurt. It is God.

Isaiah prays, “Our transgressions have multiplied against you, Lord. Our transgression and deception is against our Lord.”

And then Isaiah gives the ultimate definition of sin: turning away from our God, revolting against him.

The result of our rebellion? A broken world filled with broken people. What was God’s response?

He saw that there was no man—
he was amazed that there was no one interceding…(Isaiah 59:16a)

But God did not simply wonder at the terrible situation. Since no one was interceding, he himself interceded.

so his own arm brought salvation,
and his own righteousness supported him.

He put on righteousness as body armor,
and a helmet of salvation on his head…

“The Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.” (Isaiah 59:16b-17)

And that is what Christmas is all about. The Redeemer has come bringing us salvation from our sins.

But more than that, the day is coming when he will return, judging this world and bringing the justice we all long for. And on that day, all will fear the Lord, every knee bowing, and every tongue confessing Jesus Christ is Lord. (Isaiah 59:17b-19)

So God tells us,

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord shines over you.

For look, darkness will cover the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will shine over you,
and his glory will appear over you.

Nations will come to your light,
and kings to your shining brightness. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

God never promised us a life that is always happy and free from trouble. Even now, we see darkness covering this earth.

We see it in the Corona virus. We see it in violence. We see it in broken families. We see it in broken lives.

But our light, Jesus, has come. And he shines over us and through us.

This Christmas, may Jesus shine through us that all who see us may come to him who is our light and find the hope of salvation we have in him.

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Isaiah Devotionals Jeremiah Devotionals

A prayer for the nation

Isaiah

I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel.

But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do.

The word of the LORD came to me: “House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?”—this is the LORD’s declaration.

“Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:3-6)

As I read these words, I couldn’t help but think about Japan, where I live.

Because of the sin in this country, we, like Israel, are broken vessels. But there is hope for us, because like the potter, God can reshape this country into something good. If the people of this nation repent, God will forgive us.

So pray for Japan.

But how exactly should we pray?

In reading Jeremiah’s words, I thought of another passage. In that passage, the prophet Isaiah also used the metaphor of a potter in his prayer.

You can find his prayer in Isaiah 64:1-9. So read that passage and pray for Japan.

And of course, feel free to pray for whatever country you’re from, because all I said goes for America, Australia, and all the nations around the world as well.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Recognizing our Owner and Master

Isaiah

The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but Israel does not know;
my people do not understand. (Isaiah 1:3)

Here at Christmas time, we often see Nativity scenes, with Jesus in the manger.

But how many people recognize their Owner and Master in that manger?

How many, instead, are weighed down by their own sin, evildoers and depraved children, and they don’t even realize it?

How many have abandoned the Lord, despising him, and turning their backs on him? (4)

At this time of year, some even make token sacrifices, going to church, and putting a few coins or bills in the offering basket.

But God doesn’t accept any of these actions from those who take him so lightly. These things are useless offerings, detestable to him. They are a burden to him.

And he will not look at or listen to people who offer them and yet all the while refuse to recognize him as their Owner and Master. (11-15)

And so he says,

Come, let us settle this…

Though your sins are scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;
though they are crimson red,
they will be like wool. (18)

God indeed did settle this dispute between himself and us. He sent his Son to die on a cross and shed his blood for us. And by his blood, we are made clean. (1 John 1:7)

So let us recognize our Owner and Master. Two thousand years ago, the ox and the donkey did so. How much more should we?

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Isaiah Devotionals Luke Devotionals

For you

For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.

He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

“A child will be born for us.”

As I reflected on those words, I thought about what the angels said to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth.

Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

I can’t help but wonder. Did the angel say what he did with Isaiah’s words in mind? I think he did.

He could have simply said, “A Savior was born.”

Or, “A Savior was born for Israel.”

But he says, “A Savior has been born for you all. Not just for the influential and powerful. But for the ordinary person as well. He is born for you.”

And then he invites these shepherds to be the first visitors to the newborn King.

This King was not in a palace surrounded by soldiers. He was accessible to even the shepherds, lying in a manger in Bethlehem, surrounded only by his father, his mother, and perhaps some animals.

A Savior has been born for you.

You may feel like the shepherds. You may feel insignificant. Unimportant.

But Jesus was born for you.

For you.

Categories
Isaiah Devotionals

A little perspective

Isaiah

Isaiah 43 is definitely one of my favorite passages, especially verses 1-3.

But today verses 7 and 21 stand out to me.

God talks of Israel returning from Babylon, and in describing them, he says,

everyone who bears my name
and is created for my glory.
I have formed them; indeed, I have made them. (Isaiah 43:7)

And again,

The people I formed for myself
will declare my praise. (21)

I asked yesterday about who we tend to point to in our lives: Ourselves? Or Jesus?

And in this passage again, we see what perspective we should hold in life.

We bear God’s name. We were created for his glory. We were created for him.

Sin is essentially turning that perspective 180 degrees. We are concerned about our name. We live for our glory. We act as if we were created  to live for ourselves.

Repentance is all about turning our perspective back to where it belongs.

And so Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15,

For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If one died for all, then all died.

And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

What perspective do you live your life by?

Categories
Isaiah Devotionals

The one who is in control

Isaiah

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this many times before, but it’s good to remember this in a world that often seems like it’s going crazy: God is in control.

In declaring judgment on Babylon and Assyria, he said,

As I have purposed, so it will be;
as I have planned it, so it will happen. (Isaiah 14:24)

And again,

The Lord of Armies himself has planned it;
therefore, who can stand in its way?

It is his hand that is outstretched,
so who can turn it back? (24-27)

Assyria was a world power wreaking havoc, and Babylon came after them wreaking even more havoc. As a result, Israel suffered greatly.

But ultimately, it was God who was in control. It was God who allowed these nations to torment Israel because His people had turned their backs on him.

But after his purpose was accomplished in disciplining his people, God said he would then turn on their tormentors and bring judgment on them.

So many times we fret about the leaders that are in power around the world, or even in our own countries.

But don’t think for a minute that God has lost control of the situation. No one can checkmate God.

And in the end, his purposes will stand.