Good News

Is. 61:1

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor, He has sent Me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."

After Jesus' mission in Is. 53, this sounds so positive. Here He came to bring me good news, to bind my broken heart, to give me liberty from the power of sin. He comforts my mourning. He has transformed my ashes for oil of gladness giving me praise instead of a faint spirit. I am to be called an Oak of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord! Praise God! What good news! Why is all this happening? So that God may be glorified? How it is all happening? Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His great gift of grace. What a beautiful passage!

Father,

Help me to live daily in the power of this new life. Thank You for these great gifts!

Thirst Satisfied

Is. 55:1-2

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without  money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy."

Such grace! I can come thirsting and be satisfied. I can buy wine, milk, and bread without price. God offers it to me freely, but sadly, many times I choose to work for what I think will satisfy only to find out that it doesn't satisfy in the least. The only thing that satisfies is what God offers freely. What He desires is for me to come hungry and thirsting, with nothing of mine own, dependent and seeking. 

The question that God asks has such pathos. Why does man spend money for something that is not spiritually nutritious? Why does man labor for that which only creates more emptiness? How deceptive sin is! It totally masks this free and great gift of God deceiving man into thinking what he does is somehow better. But God's words are true. "Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant..."

Father,

Keep me only eating from the riches of Your table. Thank you for such grace that you would give me life and satisfaction and require to bring nothing in return.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Is. 53

Is. 53:12

"I will divide Him a portion with the many, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors."

Jesus willingly poured out His soul to death for me. He bore my sin and the sin of the world, and now He makes intercession for me. Amazing redemption! When I think that God determined to wound His own Son so that He might redeem me, I am overcome. Not only was He wounded, but He was crushed until the last breath of life was gone from Him. What a human existence He had to endure! 

• He grew up like a young plant like a root out of dry ground. I think this might be the best part of His whole life.
• He had no form, majesty, or beauty to make Him desirable. He gave up His divine majesty for me.
• He was despised and rejected, sorrowful, and full of grief. I can't imagine how He felt knowing all this before He came to earth. No wonder He had to focus on the joy that was set before Him!
• He carried my griefs and sorrow and was afflicted by God, by His own Father. I think being smitten by His own Father must have been the worst thing since He and the Father were one. Part of His own essence was gone. He was surrounded by my evil blackness.
• His wounds and chastisement brought my peace and my healing. What a gift for me!
• Because I was a straying sheep, my sins were laid on Him.
• He never answered back when unjust oppression flooded His life. He was the Lamb to the slaughter. He was my sacrifice.
• His death was through oppression and judgment. His grace with the wicked and the rich. All of which was undeserved!
• Through all this there was no violence or deceit in His mouth. What an example of the Sermon on the Mount and of the way believers are to live. How needy I am for His grace to live for Him!
• It was God's will to crush Him and to make His soul the offering for guilt. My life must identify with this suffering. God's will for me must not be different than His will for His son.
• His anguish brought many to righteousness and forgiveness. I am one of them!
• His satisfaction came in knowing His sacrifice was sufficient. He will have a portion with the strong, He will have the joy that was set before Him. He will be the firstborn of many brethren. Amazingly, I am one of them!

God's plan for my salvation and the salvation of all men is something man would have never planned and can barely understand; in fact, if not for the grace of God would never understand. I thank God for His great grace and the gift of salvation, for His great sacrifice of His Son, and for His choosing me to receive and believe this glorious One.

Father,

Help me to keep Your gospel in my mind and heart. Help me to value this sacrifice and not take it for granted. Thank You, Jesus,  for a gift like no other.

In Jesus name,

Amen 

Refuge and Strength

Ps. 46:1

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

How powerful these words are in any situation, but when Judah was besieged by the Assyrians ( II Kings 18-19), these words took on a whole new life. Sennacherib's men were mocking the people and  God saying it was impossible for Hezekiah or God to protect them. Realistically, the brutal reputation of the Assyrians supported what they were saying. But Hezekiah did not take matters into his own hands or act out of fear, he went straight to the Lord, fell on his face, and poured out his heart. What did he say? Ps. 46 reveals his heart.

• He would not fear though a huge disaster was looming. v. 1
• He knew God was in the midst of Jerusalem and because of that she could not be moved. v. 5
• He knew God would help in the morning, and that He was their fortress. v. 5,7
• God did answer. He made the war cease without Judah throwing one spear. He broke their bows, shattered their spears, and burned their chariots. The angel of the Lord brought desolation for the Assyrians killing 185,000 of them. In the morning they all were dead. Sennacherib went home and when he was worshipping his false god, his sons killed him. How powerful were Sennacherib's threats now? v. 8-9
• Hezekiah needed to be still before God and see Him work. God needed nothing from Hezekiah but a quiet, waiting spirit. v. 10
• God was exalted among the nations and in the earth. v. 10
• The God of Jacob was their fortress.v.11

What a great victory that day! How important was it for Hezekiah to be waiting before the Lord and not out fighting the Lord's battles in his own strength! What a lesson!

Father,

Keep me ever on my face before You, waiting and believing. Root out my penchant for action and transform it into stillness. I know You will be exalted. You are God!

In Jesus name,

Amen

Even to Old Age

Is. 44:4

"Even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and I will save."

God's power and care continue throughout my entire life. For after all, what is my old age and gray hair in light of eternity? Since God is timeless, what does gray hair even mean to Him? He has promised in Ps. 92 that "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." Apparently, old age in God's realm means fruitfulness. His purpose for me has nothing to do with my age. It has to do with my planting. Am I planted in the house of the Lord? Am I flourishing like the palm tree as I withstand the trials of life? Am I declaring His uprightness and His righteousness? It is in this planting that I can bear fruit and declare Him to those He has placed in my life.

Sadly, as people age, diseases attack their bodies making life cumbersome and painful. When that happens  the focus of life can change from declaring the Lord to just withstanding the pain and suffering of aging. But what does God say? Even though the pain is there, focus on Me. I will carry You. I will bear you up in my arms of love. God made and designed me so He certainly knows my aging process. So whatever it is, I can trust in Him and focus on Him as I declare His righteousness and uprightness. 

 "For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose'...I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass, I have purposed, and I will do it." How can I doubt the word of such a God? If He promises to carry me and bear me up, He will!  What He says will come to pass!

Father,

Keep my eyes focused on You and not on the pain of aging. Help me to declare You with all the breath that I have. Teach me to rest in Your words and let Your will be accomplished in my life,

In Jesus name,

Amen

Sovereign God

Isaiah 40

Who is God?

"His glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

When He speaks, all will see and know.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God sill stand forever."

His Word is everlasting, unfading, and strong standing.

"He will tend His flock like a sheperd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."

He is our tender shepherd who gently leads us.

"All nations are as nothing before Him, they are accounted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness."

Man is insignificant, less than nothing, and full of nothing.

"He sits above the circle of the earth and stretches out the heaven like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to dwell in."

He is Creator, powerful in order.

"The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable."

He is the eternal Creator of all who never tires and can not be understood. I must only trust. 

"They who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings, like eagles, they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

God is the source of all strength. I must only wait.

What a powerful and glorious God I serve! My heart is full of thanks and praise!

Father,

Help me always to remember who You are. Teach me to wait on You and trust Your understanding as the guide for my life. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

Security in My Days

Is.39: 8

"'Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days."'

God had done great things through Hezekiah, and Hezekiah had honored God. But in his later years after God had given him 15 more years of health, he seemed to have lost his edge. Men, envoys, from Babylon came to see Hezekiah on the pretext of his illness. Hezekiah showed them all his treasure houses; in fact, all that he had. Later, Isaiah came to him, questioned him about the men, and pronounced the word of the Lord. All that was in Hezekiah's house would be taken away to Babylon even Hezekiah's own sons. Sadly,  they would be made eunuchs. After hearing this, he should have been chagrined. These were his own sons and his only way to preserve the throne, but what was his attitude? He said it was good as long as he had peace in his day! What kind of a poor father and leader is this? What a lesson about selfishness!

Father,

Keep my heart tender toward You so that my decisions are Yours. Crucify my selfishness and keep me thinking of You and others. Help me lean on You.

In Jesus  name,

Amen

Be Gracious

Is. 33:2

"O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble."

The cry of Israel so many years ago is the same cry of my heart today. Man is still seeking for God's grace, for His salvation, and for Him to be a vital part of every day life. What does the arm of God connote? I know that in the case of poor vision, people need someone's arm to navigate the paths of life. His arm could also refer to His strong right arm of protection, or it could refer to a loving embrace. Certainly, God's right arm would change as the situation required since He is there to meet all needs. I know that He has been all of these for me. How wonderful to worship and love a God who is timeless, who meets all the needs that I might have, and who desires to have a personal, loving relationship with me.

Father,

Thank You for Your arm that encircles me every morning. Your grace is my stay.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Teacher

Is. 30:20-21

"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

What a picture of the Spirit in my life today! God sends me the bread of adversity and the water of affliction for my good so that I might grow and flourish, so that I might identify with Christ in His suffering. In faithfulness He afflicts me, but all the while through the entire experience, He is there visible and close whispering in my ear, guiding and leading. What a promise to claim! Just like bread and water are necessary for life, for daily existence, in the spiritual realm, affliction and adversity are necessary for daily existence. Not only that but these temporary, slight afflictions prepare me for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. They change my focus from the temporal to the eternal so that I might listen and obey and walk in His way.

Thank You for adversity and affliction. I know that in Your faithfulness You send it to grow me. As I journey through these times, keep my ears open and attune to Your leading. I want to walk in Your way.

In Jesus name,

Amen

It is Time.

Hosea 10:12-13

"Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up the fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you. You have plowed iniquity; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your warriors."

It is time to seek the Lord! God's people had been willful and sinful. They had plowed evil, and for their labors, reaped injustice. With their diet based on lies, they had trusted in themselves, exactly what they wanted for personal gratification. But now they must sow for righteousness and reap steadfast love. What a different harvest! When righteousness and seeking God are the focus then steadfast love floods the life. What a difference in the life when God is honored and glorified!

Father,

Keep my heart tender and broken up so that I will seek You and Your righteousness. Let Your steadfast love fill and control my life.

In Jesus name,

Amen 

Judgment with Hope

Hos. 2:23

"And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, You are my people. and he shall say, You are my God."

What a deal for Hosea! As the prophet he was to marry a whore and have children of whoredom because the land was committing great whoredom by forsaking the Lord. So Hosea obeyed and took for a wife Gomer. Her first son was named Jezreel for in a short while he would punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel and put and end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. On that day God would break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel. Next Gomer had a daughter named No Mercy because God would have no mercy on Israel. Next she had a son named Not My People because Israel was no longer His people and He was not their God. It sounds dire for Israel! What a message Hosea had to give! What a life he had to live!

Yet, on the flip side of these dire predictions God would show mercy one day when their hearts had changed. In that day, Israel would call God her husband and not Her Baal. In turn, God would show mercy to No Mercy and Not My People would become You are My People. The people would say You are my God! It is a time for great rejoicing, but imagine what they had to go through before they arrived at that day. Their hearts were consumed with idolatry. They had taken the grain, wine, and oil that God had blessed them with and used it for Baal. There was no faithfulness, steadfast love, or knowledge of God in the land, but instead swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. Their lives were bloodshed upon bloodshed! God's people were destroyed because they had rejected God's knowledge and consequently were rejected by God. God disciplined and even judged, but all in love. He waited until they could acknowledge their guilt and seek His face. One day they would return to the Lord with right hearts. For He "desires steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

Father,

Keep my heart tender, full of faithfulness and steadfast love. Help me to know You and honor You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Finally

II Kings 18:3-5

"And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him."

Hezekiah broke the mold of the disobedient kings. His heart was for God, and he diligently followed him. "For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him, wherever he went out, he prospered." Because his heart was God's, he went 100% for God, no high places, no idols, not even the bronze serpent. I imagine this was very difficult since the people were not used to this. They had indulged their flesh for many years, but still Hezekiah was determined to cleanse and restore the temple of God. Because his heart was for God, he would not allow anything to deter him. God would have His proper place and focus in Judah.  What an example of single-minded dedication to God!

Father,

Keep me single-mindedly on a course with You and for You. Give me the strength to root out any hidden idols in my heart.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Deliverance and Peace

Is. 26:3

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trust in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

In that day a song of peace will be sung. Judgment will be over, and their paths will be leveled. Finally, His name and remembrance will be the desire of their souls. They will be yearning for God in the night, earnestly seeking Him. Quite a difference from the pictures of judgment! However, this peace goes far beyond Judah. It extends to anyone whose mind is focused on God. When my mind is stayed on Him, when He is my focus, then I will have His perfect peace. Why? Because I am trusting in God, in the God who has established the world and all that happens within it. He is the only One worthy of trust because He has swallowed up death forever and will wipe away all tears from their faces... Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the Lord...let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.  He is also my rock, the rock that is the basis of my life, my foundation. He is the rock that has laid low the pompous pride of the unrighteous and the high fortifications of the enemy whether that enemy is from without or one of my own making. My soul yearns for Him and my spirit earnestly seeks Him.  

Father,

Keep me focused on You so that I will be consumed by Your peace with my mind steadfastly focused on You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Naked and Barefoot

"Then the Lord said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt." Is. 20:3-4

How difficult was this for Isaiah? Sometimes God called the prophets to act out their messages with bizarre behavior. It was as it the prophet's life was an object lesson to people whose hearts were hard and rebellious. Perhaps the hardness of their hearts could not be impacted by words anymore. Now they needed pictures, especially pictures that came true before their eyes.

Similarly, Jeremiah bought and hid the linen loincloth until it was spoiled and no good for anything. Then the Lord said that He would in turn spoil the pride of Jerusalem and Judah. "For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen." Jer. 13:11 Later Jeremiah bought a earthenware flask. After giving his message of doom, he was to break the potter's vessels so that it could never be mended. "So I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never  be mended."

Then Ezekiel was told to eat the scroll. "Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it." He did eat and it was sweet as honey. Then later as he went into his house, he was bound with cords and his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth leaving him mute and unable to admonish because of Israel's great rebellion. If Ezekiel was to speak, God would open his mouth. This was only the beginning for Ezekiel. God used him repeatedly to illustrate the spiritual condition of Israel.

No matter the reason, I am thinking the calling of prophet would be extremely difficult not just because of the task itself but because of the response to the task by the people involved. Serving God certainly calls for explicit obedience!

Father,
Help me to obey explicitly, never questioning. Give me the strength to speak your message even to people who are bent on rejecting You.
In Jesus name,
Amen

The 'I' Problem

Is. 14: 13-15

"You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."

When 'I' takes over, the plans become grandiose, the boundaries limitless, and the glory heady, but sadly, it is a fool's dream. In the very next verse, the outcome is revealed. "But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit."  This man's condition becomes one where others stare and ponder wondering what became of the great dreams. The text says that even though kings lie in glory in their tombs, this king will be cast out like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain and those pierced by the sword. He will not be joined with the other kings because he destroyed his land and killed his own people. He became the focus of his entire life. Power and position consumed him destroying any good that he could have accomplished. This king of Babylon's life is a warning to all people of the power and corruption of personal pride and ambition. I

Father,

Reveal pride to me. Teach me how to repent and go in a different direction. Help me keep my eyes on You and You alone.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Required

Micah 6:8

"He has told you, O Man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Micah asks the question, with what shall I come before the Lord? Is God pleased with burnt offering, or anything that I give from the fruit of my hands or even my body? The answer is no. God is pleased with the heart attitudes of justice, kindness, and humility. Certainly these are three things that are at variance with what the world values. Perhaps that is why it is so hard. I am conditioned by my culture to think and behave in certain ways, yet God desires that I be counter-cultural. To do justice speaks of meekness, giving up personal rights and the revenge for anyone injuring those rights. Kindness is thinking about others and honoring them in deeds, words, and thoughts. Proverbs says that the law of kindness should be on my tongue. This would mean my flesh would not seek my will and its gratification but the well being of others. How different from my normal fleshly actions! Finally, I am to walk humbly before God because God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humility is the absence of pride, pride for what I do, who I am, my relationships, possessions, or position. Once again humility is not seeking to gratify myself first but it is thinking of others. What pleases God is focusing on Him completely and then reaching out to others. It is the absence of my fleshly self. But how?? Grace is His strength for my weakness! Grace is His power for my daily living! 

Father,

Teach me to live by grace alone, to do justice, to speak kindly, and to walk humbly with You.

In Jesus name,

Amen 

In That Day

Is. 12: 1

"You will say in that day: I will give thanks to You, O Lord, for though You were angry with me, Your anger turned away, that You might comfort me."

In that day, Israel will be turned back to God. They will have endured judgment and hardship commensurate with the hardness and rebellion of their hearts. But God will not leave them without hope because in that day, the tables will be turned. Israel will say, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation." What a time of rejoicing when their hearts are united to their God! As they draw water from the wells of salvation, they will have hearts and mouths of thanksgiving, calling on His name and telling of His deeds. They will be singing because God has done gloriously. "Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." They will be finally home! God is faithful and has afflicted His people in faithfulness. What He has begun in them,  He will bring to completion. The same goes for me. When I am afflicted, He does so in faithfulness. His Words are faithful and true. I can count on Him bringing me to completion and meeting Him in glory.

Father,

Keep my mouth and heart ever praising You and telling of Your deeds. Help me to speak out without fear.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Plumb Line

Amos 7:8-9

"Behold I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them. The high places shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid wast, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."

The plumb line showed how far off vertical alignment Israel was from the standard of the Torah. In fact the alignment was so far off, that collapse was inevitable. Israel's heart was hardened and idolatrous. The result: "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord God, "when I will send a famine on the land- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it." How tragic! I can't imagine the inability to find God's word, the all-satisfying life-giving words. The consequences of sin and hardness of heart are devastating, but God doesn't leave them there. "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name." God honored His covenant with Israel, but their sin and its consequences could not be ignored. As I compare my life to the plumb line of God's word, where do I stand? I am so thankful for His grace and the blood of Jesus that covers me completely.

Father,

Keep my eyes focused on Your words. Make me vertically straight, perfectly aligned with You and Your will for my life. Convict me when idols creep in and seek to claim my heart. Grant me repentance by Your grace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Prepare to Meet Your God

Amos. 4:12-13

"Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel. For behold, He who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth- the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name!"

Man will meet God either in judgment or in salvation. In Israel's case God said that if they would seek Him, they would live. If not, He would break out like an unquenchable fire. God spoke clearly, "Seek good, and not evil, that you may live...Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate."  If they would do this, it may be that the Lord would be gracious to them. But sadly, the problem was idolatry, an idolatry that had tentacles deep within their hearts and controlled their minds and bodies. "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion..."

Father,

Open my eyes to any idols that seek control of my heart and life. Help me to seek You completely and to be united to You in all my thoughts.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Woe Is Me!

Is. 6:5

"And I said, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!"

Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on His throne as the seraphim called to one another, praising God. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." When the foundations shook at the sound of His voice, the house was filled with smoke. What an image for Isaiah! He saw the holiness of God, and his response was "Woe is me." He knew that in comparison to God's holiness, he was unclean. He was undone! There was no hope, yet one of the seraphim flew to him, and with a burning coal touched Isaiah's mouth. Then comes the great declaration of grace. "Behold this has touched your lips, your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." One touch from God and all is taken away. Through the blood of Jesus my guilt is taken away, and my sin is atoned. I am covered in His blood and made me a new person. Much like Isaiah, when God needs to send someone, I can say that I am ready to go because I go only in His grace and covered in His blood.

Father,

Thank You for touching my mouth, my heart, and my entire life with your burning coal. Thank You for covering me with the blood of Jesus and giving me Your strength to answer when You call.

In Jesus name,

Amen

What account is he?

Is. 2:22

"Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?"

It is amazing how much people value the opinions of other people! It affects decisions about our hair, our clothes, our hobbies, our homes, our possessions, our vocations, our vacations, and even our children or spouses, to name a few. We want others to think well of us. But what does God say? Stop regarding man! What difference does it make what he thinks? He is nothing but hot air! I should be concerned with what God thinks. He is the one who truly counts! Not only was He the Creator of all life, but He has ordered all my days, not only mine, but all the days of all people. So what's up with my preoccupation with man's opinion? It's not like man decides anything anyway. All things are the servants of God!!

Father,

Keep my eyes on You not on man. Give me the strength to be Yours in every decision that I make without a concern for peer pressure.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Pride

II Chron. 26:16

"But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense."

Uzziah purposed to seek God and do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. To help him achieve his goal, he was instructed in the fear of the Lord by Zechariah. As a result, when he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. But then he lost it. When he was strong, he seemed to forget who had made him strong and all the training he had received. He grew proud to his destruction and was unfaithful to God! Why would he throw away his relationship with God and his prosperity? It was because pride had blinded him to the truth. When pride takes over in the life, the eyes only focus on self. Suddenly, pride convinced Uzziah that he had accomplished all that he had done. He felt that he was so powerful that he could take liberties in the temple of the Lord. Big mistake! Instead of prosperity, he got leprosy! What a warning about the destructive power of pride!

Father,

Open my eyes to the vicious lies of pride. Help me keep my eyes on You and bringing glory to Your name.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Mercy

Jonah 4:2

"And he prayed to the Lord and said, 'O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? that is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster."

Amazingly, even though Jonah knew the character of God, and had no doubt experienced the mercy of God himself, he could not show mercy to others. Perhaps Jonah's journey to the Ninevites was more for his own spiritual growth than for their salvation. Perhaps God was taking him on a journey that revealed his inner, unloving nature. God showed him that His children show mercy to all, not just to those who are merciful in return or to those who are socially acceptable, but to those who are enemies. When believers receive God's mercy and forgiveness for their sins, they realize the true blackness of their hearts. They realize that they were enemies of God and had absolutely no righteousness in themselves. In essence, they were Ninevites as well! Basking in this great mercy should change their very natures. It should make them extend this same great mercy to others, even to the Ninevites in their lives.

It is interesting that the book ends with an unanswered question. What did Jonah do? Was his heart changed and impacted by God's mercy? But the important question is, what about my heart? Is my heart impacted by God's mercy? Who are the Ninevites in my life, and do I show them mercy?

Father,

Teach me to have a merciful heart toward all, especially toward those in my life that are difficult for me to love. Give my Your grace and strength to do this.

In Jesus name,

Amen  

But not with a whole heart...

II Chron. 25:2

"And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart."

I am seeing a pattern here. Either man is totally evil or half-heartedly the Lord's, but there are very few who are whole heartedly the Lord's. Is this the heart of man? Does he refuse to commit to God? Is he a fence rider, one foot in idolatry and one foot in the camp of the Lord? I know that Jer. 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." In spite of this deceitful heart God has commanded "You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your might." He wants whole-hearted worship. What is my heart? I am clinging to idols?

Father,

Clean my heart. Show me what needs to be thrown out. Grant me repentance and a life that is pleasing to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Power

II Kings 13:21

"And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet."

When Elisha was sick and about to die, Joash, the king of Israel, came to him weeping. Elisha told him to open the window and shoot an arrow eastward. This was the arrow of victory over Syria. Then he told Joash to strike the ground with the arrows which he did three times. Angrily, Elisha told him he should have struck the arrows many more times. Now he would only subdue them three times. This alone seemed to described Joash's rule. He did a little to renovate the temple and serve God, but he also fell sadly short.  What Elisha said did come true! Joash defeated Syria only three times without destroying them.

Then Elisha died, and even in his death, he was powerful. A man was thrown into his grave and the man revived and came to life again. When Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's power, he certainly got it. What a contrast between Joash and Elisha, one half-hearted and one whole-hearted, one weak and one powerful, and one inconsistent and one consistent for God. Where is my heart? What is my desire, a double-portion or a nominal portion?

Father,

Help me not to be half-hearted in my worship and service of You. Make me a woman of faith through Your grace and strength.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Almost but not quite

II Kings 10:27

"And they demolished the pillar of Baal and demolished the house of Baal and made it a latrine to this day."

Jehu carried out the task that Elijah commanded. He destroyed all the house of Ahab, Joram, and Ahaziah. When Jezebel heard the news, she painted herself ready to deceive and control the enemy, but to no avail, she was thrown down. When the men came out to bury her, all that was left were her skull, feet, and palms of her hands. It was all as the Word of the Lord had said through Elisha the Tishbite. Then in a final bit of cunning, Jehu gathered al the priests of Baal together under the ruse of him worshipping Baal, but instead he had a surprise for them. They met their deaths, and the pillar of Baal was demolished as was the house of Baal. And it was made a latrine to this day!!

I would think that after all this obedience, Jehu would have continued on with the Lord, but the text says, he did not turn aside from the golden calves which were in Bethel and Dan. How sad! Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord. He did not follow with all his heart, yet because of his obedience with Ahab, his sons would sit on the throne of Israel for four generations. How characteristic of man! We see clearly some things but rationalize other things. Jehu could see clearly Baal as evil, but not see the evil in his golden calves. What a warning for me to ask for a heart that sees and discerns clearly, one that abhors evil, and one that seeks to follow God in all things!

Father,

Give me a heart united to You that seeks constantly to follow You. Convict me when I begin to rationalize any sin in my life. Open my eyes to idolatry and give me Your strength to root it out. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

High Cost

II Kings 5:27

"Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever. So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow."

Gehazi was used by Elisha to deliver a message of hope to Naaman. Even though Naaman nearly refused, he did dip in the Jordan and "his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."  Naaman came and stood before Elisha declaring his belief in the one, true God and offered a gift to the prophet which Elisha immediately rejected. Gehazi witnessed these events, and after Naaman had left, ran after him requesting a gift of 2 talents of silver and two changes of clothing. Naaman's servant brought them to Gehazi.

Later, when Gehazi went in to stand before the man of God, Elisha simply asked, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" Elisha knew what he had done and proclaimed that the leprosy taken from Naaman would be on him and his descendants forever. How quick was the justice administered! He went out a leper, white as snow. Disobedience comes at a high cost, and as it was in this case, its side-effects were long-lasting. How strong is the flesh and how quick to seek its own fulfillment.

Father,
Keep my heart true to You. Help me to hold fast in love and not compromise on what You say.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Double Portion

II Kings 2:9

"When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.' And Elisha said, 'Please let there be double portion of your spirit on me."

Elisha was not requesting land for his inheritance; instead, he was desiring spiritual power, a double portion of Elijah's spirit on him. What Elijah had, he wanted, only more so! Elijah told him that it was a hard thing but that if he could see him being taken, it would be so for him. Repeatedly Elijah asked Elisha to stay at Gilgal, Bethel, and Jericho, but Elisha's response was always, "As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." He was undeterred in his spiritual quest! Finally as the two of them were talking, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw it! He cried out, "My father, my father!"

In mourning and in preparation for his new power, he tore his clothes and picked up Elijah's cloak. On the bank of the Jordan, he struck the water with the cloak as he cried out, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" The water parted and Elisha crossed over. It was obvious to all watching that the Spirit of Elijah rested now on Elisha. His desire was granted. God would use Elisha like He had Elijah. His power was on Elisha as it had been on Elijah.

What a heart he had! He wanted only the spiritual blessing and power, to be like his master and continue to serve God. Are my desires to serve God that strong? Do I desire His power over anything else? Am I undeterred in my seeking?

Father,

Give me a heart only for You. Give me the strength of purpose and desire to seek only You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Imagery

Obadiah 1:18

"For the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken."

What a powerful statement of doom! The house of Esau will be no more!! Yet here in the midst of this prophecy is poetry. Instead of saying that Jacob and Joseph will destroy Esau in military terms, God describes what they will do in metaphors of nature. Jacob will be fire, and Joseph a flame. Why would God write in these terms? Perhaps because the power of nature is uncontrolled by man and brings unbelievable destruction. Maybe because it is saying that their destruction will be heated and have fire as an element.

Ps. 83 gives clarity to this prophecy and imagery. The psalmist prays, "O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind. As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, so may you pursue them with Your tempest and terrify them with Your hurricane."  How perfectly these two passages coordinate! God heard the psalmist's prayer and answered in similar imagery. Perhaps the reason for the nature imagery is because nature is often God's chosen instrument of destruction since He alone controls it. Whatever the reason, I find it encouraging that God uses and loves poetry.

Father,
Thank You for writing with such beautiful words and images. I am sure that You put within me a love for words and images. You have blessed my life with Your words.
In Jesus name,
Amen