Archive for the ‘Isaiah--BibleTrekToday’ Category

Scripture reading for August 4th:  Isaiah 63-66?

What are some things that you highly value?  Our culture values material wealth very highly. We love to look at the holdings of the extravagantly rich and imagine what it would be like if we could live in that luxury.  We also value those with talents or abilities that make them famous.  The recent death of the “king of pop”, Michael Jackson, revealed that many people idolized this man.  Nearly two million applied to go to his funeral!  The prices of his albums, music, and other memorabilia went up as people grabbed for them after his death.  News outlets are still talking about him and his legacy and death.  Wealth and fame because of talents and ability have been highly esteemed by our culture.  If we are honest, we have probably been caught up in this in some way or other.

God owns the universe and everything in it has come from His gracious hand. (Isaiah 66:1)  The God who made us and all creation has something that He esteems and values highly.  His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  (Isaiah 55:8-9)  “This is the one I esteem:  he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 65:2b) God values the man or woman or child who is humble and teachable.  He cares deeply for those who value His word.  In fact, He gives His word to them to encourage them that they will be rewarded for their faith and humble spirits!

God promises them that their enemies will be repaid for their mistreatment.  Isaiah 66:5-6 promises that the Lord will repay them!  He will come with fire and destroy those who have opposed God and His people.  (Isaiah 66:15-16)  God promises that those who love Him and Jerusalem will find joy and satisfaction when God delivers Jerusalem and brings in the age of peace!  (Isaiah 66:10-12)  They will enjoy a “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 66:22)  that will endure forever along with the righteous and their descendants!  When God’s people tremble at His word, it brings confidence and assurance.  It enables them to wait on the Lord to bring it to pass and to live quiet and godly lives of faith and trust.  (Isaiah 30:15) (Isaiah 40: 31)  Their strength is renewed and they can finish their race with joy and expectation!

The last words of Isaiah have to do with the final punishment of the wicked.  “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:24)  I am so thankful that through faith in Jesus Christ, I am now “highly esteemed” by God!  What a blessing it is that He was broken and contrite and trembled at the Word of God!  He perfectly kept it and offered His life for mine so I can escape this punishment!  What a God we serve!

Scripture reading for August 3rd: Isaiah 58-62

“”No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” Isaiah 60:18-19

There’s a newer song out that uses the thoughts of these verses of Isaiah.  Chris Tomlin sings “My Deliverer” and I love the chorus about the walls and gates of the New Jerusalem!  This passage and chapter of Isaiah have many similarities with Revelation 21 and the vision of the Apostle John and it is exciting to see that God’s plans are firmly established and moving forward.

Our nation and world are in deep darkness.  The peoples of the earth for the most part are living in ignorance  of the Lord and His light.  It was the vision of Isaiah that as the world lay in darkness, a call to arise and shine would be given to God’s people.  (Isaiah 60:1-2)  This might refer to the rapture of the Church at the end of time as well as when Jesus first appeared.  The Glory of the Lord will rise upon the earth and nations will come to the brightness of that new dawning.  Jesus Christ came into the darkness of this world and proclaimed that He is the light of the world!  (John 8:12)  Whoever will follow Him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life!  We shine with the brightness of God’s light and reflect that light to a dark world. At the end of time we will shine like the brightness of heaven and the stars!  (Daniel 12:3)

From the witness of that light of God within His church, Jesus Christ is populating the New Jerusalem.  It’s walls are salvation.  We are protected by God’s saving grace through the gift of forgiveness.  We are saved from the penalty of our sins and eternal judgment in the lake of fire and outer darkness.  It’s gates are praise!  Those who enter come singing and praising the One who gave them life and eternal light!  God is their light and they have no darkness in them!  There are no more tears, crying or pain.  Eternal light from God’s glory fills the city and it’s inhabitants!

When this will happen is not known by any man.  But the Lord tells us that in it’s time, it will be done swiftly!  We must be ready and watching!  “I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.” (Isaiah 60:22b)  “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon. (quickly)”  (Revelation 22:20)

Dear Friends,   Greetings on another day of rest!  Summer is a time of heat and humidity in Kentucky!  Every time you work or play outside, you work up a thirst!  It is easy to get dehydrated because of sweating and fluid loss.  Plenty of water is needed to stay hydrated and healthy.  But there’s another kind of thirst that I want us to talk about today.  It’s a spiritual thirst for God Himself!

Isaiah 55 is a chapter in this week’s reading that I did not get to comment on.  It is a prophetic call to those who are thirsty.  This thirst is not just for water, but thirst for the love of God and intimacy with Him.  “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1)  The fare offered doesn’t cost money but it isn’t totally free either!

Listening to God is one of the ‘costs’ that Isaiah lists as essential to enjoying the banquet of love with the Lord.  We must come to the Lord and listen to His Word.  We must hear what He says and obey.  We must be careful not to spend our money on that which is not bread.  (Isaiah 55:2-3)  Many people today are investing their time, money, and labor on frivolous pursuits that won’t count for anything in eternity.  They are seeking pleasure from things, building fine houses, and living for their flesh.  Seeking the Lord first while He may be found should be the priority of life.  (Matthew 6:38) (Isaiah 55:6)  In the Lord is the finest of pleasures and a delightful satisfaction of our hunger and thirst!

God’s call in Isaiah 55:7 is to those who are living in wickedness and evil.  He calls out to them to join the feast by repentance and dependence on God’s mercy.  God is not desiring to punish anyone but rather have them come to His banquet and enjoy the ever-lasting covenant of his faithful love.  (Isaiah 55:4)  His thoughts are higher than ours and His ways are beyond our ways.  He has spoken a word of mercy to all who will call on Him and just like the rain and snow coming from heaven to water the earth, so His Word will accomplish His purposes!  (Isaiah 55:10-11)

God’s promises can quench your thirst!  They are true, obtained by faith.  They are given by God because of His faithful love and everlasting covenant through our Lord Jesus Christ!  “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.  Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not been glorified.” John 7:37-39   May your thirst be quenched by drinking from Jesus today!   In His Love, Pastor John

Scripture reading for August 1st: Isaiah 52-57

When you think of beauty, what parts of the body do you immediately think of?  Are the feet the first parts to come to your mind?  Do you give lots of attention to your feet to make sure they are “beautiful” and noticed?  Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, made particular mention of the feet of those who would bring the “good news” of God reigning on Zion. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)  God would Himself come to Zion and lay bare His holy arm and all the earth would see His salvation!  (Isaiah 52:10)

Isaiah saw the servant as “high and lifted up and highly exalted”.  This servant would act wisely, but would be marred and disfigured.  He would not even look human anymore!  In His suffering, He would sprinkle many nations and bring understanding of His salvation to those who did not know!  (Isaiah 52:13-15)  Isaiah saw this servant  as one with no natural beauty that would attract us to Him.  (Isaiah 53:2)  He was actually despised and rejected by men and was a man who knew sorrow and grief intimately from personal experience.  He took our infirmities and carried our sorrows but we assumed that God was punishing Him.  (Isaiah 53:3-4)  In actuality, this Servant was willingly pierced and crushed for our sins and iniquities.  He took wounds for us that brought us healing!

When we think about this amazing description of a willing Servant and what He did for us, we better understand beautiful feet!  Our Savior walked on this earth on human feet!  He willingly walked in total obedience to God so that we can walk in healing, salvation and freedom!  He offered His feet to be nailed to a cross for us!  He was “high and lifted up” on that cross!  Those feet took our Savior to the place of suffering because of us!  What beautiful feet and what great good news He brought to us!

Now, we can have “beautiful feet” too!  We can continue the mission of our dear Savior by obeying Him and taking this message of “Good News” to a lost and dying world.  We may not be much to look at, but the beauty of our feet is that they are obediently walking in the path of Jesus Christ!  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Scripture reading for July 31st: Isaiah 49-51

“This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ “(Isaiah 49:8-9)

These next chapters of Isaiah tell of the “servant” of the Lord that will come to bring the promised comfort, salvation, and deliverance to God’s people.  God’s Word is very clear about the plans of the Lord to bring a deliverer.  Isaiah has already said that “Immanuel” would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14)  In Isaiah 9:5-6 He would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Prince of peace!  His government would be without end!  In Isaiah 49:5-6 God tells  how He will form this servant in the womb.  This servant will bring Jacob back to Him and gather Israel.  Then God says that He will also make this servant a light for the Gentiles and bring His salvation to the ends of the earth!  The story is so plain now in light of the life of Jesus Christ and all the prophecies that He fulfilled and the mission of His church!

God has a “time of favor” when His salvation is available to all who will avail themselves of it!   This time began when Jesus Christ announced His mission with a quote from Isaiah in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)  Notice how similar this quote is to our text for today’s devotion!   Jesus Christ announced His ministry of preaching, healing and deliverance to those in His home town of Nazareth.  They did not receive the message with the joy that was expected, however.  Those in the synagogue became furious and tried to throw Jesus off the brow of a steep cliff!  Not everyone responds to a “time of favor”.

In fact, the “time of favor” referred to the year of Jubilee during which every Israelite would have his inheritance restored!  If they had lost property through neglect or illness or bad business dealings, the property was to be restored and the inheritance was to be put back together.  It would be a joyous time of healing and restoration on the 50th years!  (Leviticus 25:8-13)  Jesus Christ was stating that He was their ‘Jubilee’!

Today we live in the “time of His favor” with promise of healing and restoration!  Be sure to thank the Lord for what He has done in Jesus Christ!  Share this good news with someone who needs favor today!

Scripture reading for July 30th: Isaiah 44-48

Comfort is needed when people have been through the fire of judgment or discipline.  God is a God of all comfort and one of the ways He comforts us is to encourage us not to be afraid.  It is said that the term “fear not” or variations of this phrase is used 366 times in the Bible.  This means that there are enough verses for every day of the year–even leap year!  God knows we need this encouragement.  Let’s look as some things God encourages us to not be afraid of and see our hope begin to rise!

In Isaiah 43:1-3, God tells His people to not be afraid when they pass through the rivers or walk through the fire.  He has redeemed them and they belong to Him.  He promised to be with them and protect them  no matter what the trouble.  He will ransom them and redeem them and gives His word!

In Isaiah 44:1-5, God tells His people to not be afraid for their children!  We can trust the Lord to pour out His Spirit on our offspring and His blessing on our descendants.  When we follow the Lord and live by faith, God takes care of our kids.  He is able to guide them and help them to choose to walk by faith too!  Let’s say “amen” to this promise and live free from fear for our children’s future.

In Isaiah 44:6-8, God encourages His people to not be afraid of the future.  He is their redeemer and is the Almighty Lord who has all power and knowledge.  He knows the future and holds it in His hands.  He is a Rock for those who are in fear of the future.  Trusting in Him can make us truly free!

The last thing we can give up fearing is old age and the weakness and frailty associated with it.  “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, have carried since your birth.  Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you, I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:3-4)  Sounds like God can handle us in old age, too, doesn’t it?  What’s there to be afraid of anyway?  We are people of faith and please God by trusting Him in everything!  “Fear Not!”

Scripture reading for July 29th: Isaiah 40-43

Chapter 40 of Isaiah begins a new theme for the prophet.  Instead of the warnings of coming judgment and retribution on Israel and the nations for their sins, idolatry and waywardness, this next section speaks of hope, comfort and encouragement.  The last 27 chapters are like the New Testament’s 27 books of encouragement, history and prophecy.  As we begin in Isaiah 40, let’s get a fresh look at the God of heaven and learn why we can wait for Him to do what He has promised!

How big is your view of God?  Isaiah’s perspective from 700 years before Christ is amazing given what we know today from science and space exploration.  This God is so big that he measures the waters of the earth in the hollow of His hand.  He marks off the expanse of the universe with a breadth of His hands!  He could pick up all the dust of the earth and put it in a basket and weigh it. (Isaiah 40:12)  To God, all the nations of the earth are but a drop in His bucket and the islands of the sea are just fine dust.  (Isaiah 40:16)  According to Isaiah, God sits enthroned above the circle of the earth.  (Isaiah 40: 22)  He makes this statement 2700 years ago when most people thought the earth was flat!  Prophecy is from God’s perspective and He is always right!

God also has a tender side and is very personal.  He tends His flock of people like a shepherd.  He gathers his little lambs into His arms and carries them close to His heart!  He gently leads those that have young ones.  (Isaiah 40:11)  He calls all the multiple billions of galaxies and their billions of stars each by name.  He places them where He desires and not one is missing! (Isaiah 40:26)  God does all of this effortlessly without getting tired or weary.  His power and strength know no bounds.  His understanding of every detail of every creature is beyond what we can fathom!  (Isaiah 40:27-28)

This God cares for the weary and the weak as well as all creation.  His specialty is renewing the weary and the weak.  As they wait and hope in Him, they are strengthened by His Spirit.  Isaiah, under the anointing of the Spirit of prophecy, uses the analogy of the eagle. (Isaiah 40:29-31)   The eagle must wait upon the Lord when it goes through a time of renewal.  It loses it’s feathers and beak and must wait on the Lord in the cleft of a rock.  After the renewal of feathers and beak, the eagle again can mount up on it’s wings and soar!  God’s people will be able to run and walk again in strength and power!  What a promise of comfort and hope after a time of weariness and fainting!

Take time today to meditate on the greatness of God as reflected in these chapters of Isaiah.  Let your vision of how big your God is grow and your faith to wait upon Him be enlarged!  He is truly worth waiting for!

Scripture reading for July 28th: Isaiah 36-39

In Isaiah 38 we have the record of an interesting incident in the life of a good king of Israel, Hezekiah.  Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to tell him to get his house in order because he was going to die.  (Isaiah 38:1)  God told this man that his time was up on earth!   Who are we to argue with what God says?

In the next verse, we find Hezekiah turning his face to the wall.  He humbly prayed to the Lord a simple prayer and wept bitterly.  “Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” (Isaiah 38:2)  Isaiah then heard the Lord speak to him again.  He was to go back to Hezekiah and tell him that the Lord had heard his prayer and seen his tears and would add 15 years to his life.  The Lord also assured him that He would deliver the king and Jerusalem from the Assyrians.  (Isaiah 38:4-6)

God also gave Hezekiah a special sign of His favor and mercy.  He made the sunlight go back ten steps on the staircase of Ahaz.  As God had promised more time, He demonstrated His power to turn back the clock!  Wow, what an amazing God we serve!  What a powerful answer to prayer and what grace for a visual sign of the answer!

This record seems so easy!  But there are several things to note that are instructive for us.  First, Hezekiah simply reminded God of his life of faith! (James 5:16)  He had lived by faith for many years and had a habit of trusting God.  What a good record to draw on!  Second, Hezekiah was sincere and did not just put on a show.  He was real with God about his feelings and desire. Third,  he did not demand anything from God, but simply appealed to the one who held His life in His hands.  God answered because he heard the prayer and saw the tears! (Isaiah 38:5)  God saw a sincere heart of faith and it moved Him.  Faith always moves God!  (Mark 11:22-24)  Faith pleases God like nothing else!  (Hebrews 11:6)  Jesus asked in respect to prayer if He would find faith on earth when He came again.  (Luke 18:8)

If you are facing an impossible situation today, try simply asking God like Hezekiah of old.  Trust Him to hear and answer!  Here is Hezekiah’s response to God’s grace: “But what can I say:  He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this.  I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul.  Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too.  You restored me to health and let me live.  Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.  In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” Isaiah 38:15-17

Scripture reading for July 27th: Isaiah 31-35

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek help from the Lord. Yet He too is wise and can bring disaster, He does not take back His words.  He will rise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers.  But the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together.“  Isaiah 31:1-3

Our city, state and nation are obsessed with gambling.  Our state governor and elected officials are constantly trying to find a way to institute more revenue through gambling.  The state horse racing industry is lobbying hard to add gambling casinos to the racetracks in hopes of snaring more money and preying on those with gambling addictions.  I have been in Kentucky for eight years, and this issue has come up every year.  Oh that the words of God recorded in the prophet Isaiah’s writing would be heard!

Now I know that Isaiah wasn’t writing about gambling.  He wasn’t writing about horse racing either.  He was writing to God’s people who had a tendency to trust in man and man’s ways rather than in the Lord and His ways.  It was a problem in Isaiah’s day and is still a problem today.  Trusting in man and horse-power is folly.  Man and horses are flesh.  The flesh profits us nothing; it is the Spirit that will bring life and peace.  (Romans 8:6-8)  Isaiah went on to tell the people what the real key to all that they needed was.  If they would just fear the Lord, they would have all the treasures of security, righteousness, justice, wisdom and knowledge.  (Isaiah 33:5-6)

If you want a real tip for a winning ticket for life, don’t bet on the horses!  Fear the Lord and humbly trust in Him and He will bless you with all your heart desires and far more!

“The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.  He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:5-6

Dear “People of Zion”,

As I look back on the week’s reading in Isaiah, God’s great understanding of individuals and nations and His control of history amazes me!  God is on a throne, high and lifted up!  He is worthy of worship and adoration!  He has plans that He has brought to pass and others that await fulfillment.  He raises up nations and leaders and brings them down just as easily.  He is just and righteous in all He does and is always merciful to those who trust in Him and walk by faith.

Those who trust in Him are often call by the name: “People of Zion”.  (Isaiah 12:6)  Mt. Zion was the city stronghold of the Jebusites that was captured by King David.  It became the “city of David”.  It was here that God had  His Temple built by Solomon and had His dwelling place among the Israelites in the promised land.  Zion was a place that the Lord loved.  (Psalm 78:68)  It is the city chosen by God to install His King!  (Psalm 2:6)   The Lord’s blessing flows out of Zion to His people.  (Psalm 128:5)  God is laying a cornerstone in Zion that will be precious for His people!  (Isaiah 28:16)  It is a place that is loved by those who love the Lord!  He is there and His presence makes that place more special than any other on earth!

In Isaiah 12, God is telling His people that they will be comforted from all their troubles and afflictions one day.  They can trust in God and not be afraid.  He is their strength and song, and has become their salvation. (Isaiah 12:2-3)  With joy they will draw water from the wells of salvation in Zion.  From Zion, they will make known what The Lord has done to save them.  They will exalt His name among the nations.  God’s program has always been world-wide in scope.  They can sing and shout for joy because of God in their midst.

Wow!  We are now people of Zion too!  We can publish to the nations that our God saves.  He is our strength and song.  We have drunk the water from the well that never runs dry.  God has done glorious things for us!  He is great among the “people of Zion” because He lives in us today and forever!

Take time to reflect on Isaiah 12 and this city of Zion. What a way to find rest and confidence in our great God and the Cornerstone He has laid for us in Zion!  (Isaiah 28:16)

In His Love, Pastor John