Today’s Reading: Isaiah 41-47; Psalm 71

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:29-31

We serve such an incredible God!!! The Creator of everything LOVES US enough to care for us. He sees everything we are going through, knows us better than anyone else, and cares enough to give us what we need. He gives strength when we are weak. To trust God is like climbing on the wings of an eagle and soaring above life’s circumstances. His supply of strength is endless and His understanding is limitless. So what does God have planned for today? No matter what His plan, He will equip us.

How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”? – Isaiah 29:16

“And why have I called you for this work?
Why did I call you by name when you did not know me…” – Isaiah 45:4

There have been many times when I have wondered why God chose me for the purpose to which He has called me. I assume we have all had moments like this – moments when we wonder what our purpose is or why God chose us for THIS purpose. At times, we look to the person on our left and the person on our right and ask God why His plan for them is so different from His plan for us.

“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’” – Isaiah 45:9

Isaiah spoke of how God uses even those who do not know Him. 150 years before it took place, Isaiah prophesied that God would use a foreign leader named Cyrus to accomplish His plan of setting Israel free from Babylon.

“I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people – without seeking a reward! I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” – Isaiah 45:13

God had a plan for Cyrus before he was even born. He prepared the way for this man before he had even submitted to God’s sovereignty in his life. In the same way, God had a plan for each of us before we were even born. He goes before us and equips us for the battle to which He has called us. He does this for two purposes – SALVATION & RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is God’s plan that each of us would come to a saving knowledge of who He is and how He has loved and cared for us before we were even a thought in the mind of our parents. It is God’s plan for righteousness to “sprout up together” with salvation to accomplish His purposes (Is. 45:2-8).

“I have cared for you since before you were born.
Yes, I carried you before you were born.
I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.” – Isaiah 46:3b-4

O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.
No wonder I am always praising you! – Psalm 71:5-6

How beautiful! God cares for us and carries us from the time before we were born, throughout our lifetime, until the end of our life. He carries us along with the plan to save us and to accomplish His purposes through us – so that salvation and righteousness can sprout up together.

The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name.
He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword.
He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.
I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.
He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.”
I replied, “But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.”
And now the Lord speaks – the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength.
He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”– Isaiah 49:1b-6

God saves us for the sake of righteousness, with which he saves others for the sake of righteousness, so that still others can be restored to a place of salvation for the sake of righteousness. So, as we look around at our current situation, we may find ourselves asking “Why?” With confidence we believe that God will use EVERYTHING for His purposes – for the purpose of salvation and righteousness. We pray that today someone will come to a saving knowledge of God and that others will be drawn back into a relationship with Christ. We pray that thousands will take the opportunity to live out the righteousness of God in the lives of others.

God, only you know your plan for my day but I submit to your plan. Thank you for caring for me, for carrying me. Use me for your purposes today, Oh Lord. Help me to see you at work in the lives of all those around me – those who have come to a saving knowledge of you and those who still do not know you. Give me eyes to see what you see and a heart that trusts you with the details. Amen.

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. – Isaiah 64:8

Today’s Reading: Micah; Psalm 38, 41, 66

In November of 2013, several tornadoes ripped through our community, including the culdesac where my husband’s parents live. We spent the day with our family thanking God everyone was safe and praying for all the neighbors who had lost so much. It was heartbreaking to watch as families grieved and hugged, sifting through the rubble of what used to be their home. It took almost two years, but today the neighborhood is back to normal. It took time to rebuild, but God is faithful.

This is similar to Israel’s experience, only their destruction was a consequence of their own sinful behavior. God had a plan to rebuild His people, but first they would have to go through a time of loss. They would have to walk through the ruins before they found redemption.

Up! Begone! This is no longer your land and home, for you have filled it with sin and RUINED it completely. – Micah 2:10

God had made a covenant with His people and they had ignored their promises to Him and forgotten His faithfulness. He brought them out of Egypt to the land of Canaan, yet they chose to walk away from His plan for them. They rejected God and demanded an earthly king. He told them to serve Him only and to have no other gods before Him, yet they worshipped false gods and bowed to idols. They put themselves on the throne where God was meant to reign. The result – RUINS!

I will bring you to RUIN for all your sins.
You will eat but never have enough.
Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.
And though you try to save money, it will come to nothing in the end…
You will plant crops but not harvest them.
You will press your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.
You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine…
I will make an example of you, bring you to complete RUIN. – Micah 6:13-16a

God’s people used His covenant with them as an excuse to sin. They said, “No harm will come to us for the Lord is here among us” (3:11). This is Micah’s response to them, his call to RIGHTEOUSNESS – not their own effort to save themselves but their submission to God’s call to be righteous:

“Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong, but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil…Then you beg the Lord for help in times of trouble! Do you really expect him to answer? After all the evil you have done, he won’t even look at you!” – Micah 3:1,4

God had a message for His people – one of both REBUKE and REDEMPTION:

“O my people, what have I done to you?
What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!
For I brought you out of Egypt and REDEEMED you from slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
Don’t you REMEMBER…REMEMBER your journey…
When I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.” – Micah 6:3-5

The response of God’s people was REMORSE. They REPENTED of their sins and inquired of the necessary RETRIBUTION:

What can we bring to the Lord?
What kind of offerings should we give him?
Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves?
Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he REQUIRES of you:
to do what is right,
to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:6-8

But among the RUINS was a glimmer of hope – a promise that God would again RESCUE and RESTORE His people:

“Someday, O Israel, I will gather the remnant who are left.
I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture.
Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds!
Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile,
out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land.
Your king will lead you; the Lord himself will guide you.” – Micah 2:12-13

I love this RESPONSE to the hope given by God:

As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me…
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.
I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him. – Micah 7:7-9

I hate being punished. It is so awful to be called out on an error and have to admit you were wrong. I have no problem apologizing but suffering the consequences of my mistakes or sins is miserable. To be surrounded by the mess I have made is a rough place to be. I’m so thankful I serve a God who RESCUES and RESTORES me when I REPENT of my sins in true REMORSE.

I look to you for help, Oh Lord – my God will certainly hear me. When I am surrounded by darkness, the Lord is my light. I can survive the ruins because I am not alone. My God, you are with me on this path to redemption. Thank you for being this kind of loving God!!! Amen.

Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.
For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.
Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. – Psalm 66:16-20

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 19; Isaiah 31-40

The King of Assyria was pressing in on the nation of Judah, making threats and taunting the people with plans to destroy Judah. The chief of staff made comments like, “Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you from my power. Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely rescue us…’” (2 Kings 18:29-30).

But King Hezekiah, knowing and trusting in God to deliver, prayed this prayer before the Lord:
“O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of ALL the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God” (2 Kings 19:15-16).

Hezekiah knew how big his God was! The prophet Isaiah knew how big God was! In fact, he knew God was too big for man to fully understand – too awesome for our human minds to fathom!

Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? –Isaiah 40:12-14

To whom can you compare God? – Isaiah 40:18a

“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
Look up into the heavens.
Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. – Isaiah 40:25-26

I love this passage! We serve the God who is more incredible than we can even wrap our minds around! Think about it. Can we truly grasp how incredible our God is? Our human understanding causes us to compare God to what we know, but God is so much bigger than ANYTHING we know. So why do I question Him or struggle to trust Him? Why do I think I know better than He does of what I need or what should happen? Consider the lyrics of this song by Addison Road (addisonroad.com):

I made You promises a thousand times / I tried to hear from Heaven / But I talked the whole time / I think I made You too small / I never feared You at all, No / If You touched my face would I know You? / Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You who spoke me into motion? / Where have I even stood but the shore along Your ocean? / Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? / What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out / I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about / How You were mighty to save / Those were only empty words on a page / Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be / The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You who spoke me into motion? / Where have I even stood but the shore along Your ocean? / Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? / What do I know? What do I know of Holy? [addisonroad.com]

If we were to try to understand the ocean by merely standing on the beach, we would gain so very little knowledge of the wonders of this great body of water. If we were to wade in as far as possible, our understanding would increase because we would be experiencing the power of the ocean, but we would still have so much to learn. To try to understand God requires DIVING DEEPER, GOING FARTHER, trusting with a much greater faith. Our God is SO big, so CAPABLE of handling anything we may be facing. Read these words of Isaiah as if they were written specifically to you.

O ________, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O________, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:27-31

Today’s Reading: Hosea; Isaiah 26-29

God gave Adam & Eve an incredible opportunity to live in intimate relationship with their Creator. He blessed them generously, yet they chose to disobey. Even though He had greatly blessed them, they disregarded God’s plan, ignored God’s purpose in their creation and satisfied their own desires instead of faithfully following God. This began the pattern of sin, generation after generation, until God’s beautiful creation was deeply in need of a Savior – a sacrificial lamb.

God gave the nation of Israel this same opportunity to live in relationship with Him. He rescued them from slavery and gave them Canaan – a land flowing with milk and honey. He showered them with spiritual and material blessings, asking them to stay on His path of righteousness and worship Him only. But they disregarded God’s plan, ignored God’s purpose and satisfied their own desires instead of faithfully following God. They messed up God’s perfect plan.

Hosea the prophet’s life became an example of the unfaithfulness of Israel to their God. Hosea married a prostitute who continued to be unfaithful to him despite his generous love to her. Hosea’s anguish over his wife’s sins represents the heart of our God who grieves when we choose to love ourselves or something else more than we love Him. There were consequences to Gomer’s unfaithfulness coming from a heart full of mercy, just as God’s punishment and the natural consequences of our sins come out of a heart of MERCY FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDEMPTION.

She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has – the grain, the new wine, the olive oil; I even gave her silver and gold. But she gave all my gifts to Baal.
But now I take back…
I will strip her…
I will put an end to…
I will destroy…
I will punish…
But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.
I will return her vineyards to her and transform the VALLEY OF TROUBLE into a GATEWAY OF HOPE.
She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young,
when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
When that day comes,” says the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’…
I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion.
I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord. – Hosea 2:8-20

God offers each one of us the incredible opportunity to live in an intimate relationship with our Creator – the one who knows everything about us and loves us more than we can imagine. He enters into a covenant relationship with us, requiring us to walk down a path of righteousness – following God’s plan, clinging to God’s purposes and living fully for Him. When we break that covenant by putting something else or someone else ahead of Him, out of His great love and mercy for us He allows us to go through a time of judgment or punishment or consequences for our actions. This serves as His way of drawing us back to Him in order that He might restore us and reestablish His covenant with us. GOD’S HOPE ALWAYS FOLLOWS HIS JUDGMENT! Where are we on this path?

God’s desire for an intimate relationship:

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me, more than I want burnt offerings. – Hosea 6:6

God’s generous blessings on our lives and our tendency to turn away from all He has for us:

But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build.
The more bountiful their harvests, the more beautiful their sacred pillars.
The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished. – Hosea 10:1-2

“I have been the Lord your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt.
You must acknowledge no God but me, for THERE IN NO OTHER SAVIOR.
I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land.
But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me.” – Hosea 13:4-6

His call on our lives to live righteously:

I said, “Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.” – Hosea 10:12

Out of His great mercy, God’s punishes us with consequences to our unfaithfulness for the purpose of restoring us to a right relationship with Him – the relationship He sent His Son to restore:

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might KNOW THE LORD! LET US PRESS ON TO KNOW HIM. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” – Hosea 6:1-3

God’s judgment is always followed by the hope of restoration:

The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;
my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever…
My people will again live under my shade…O Israel, stay away from idols!
I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.
I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”
The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. – Hosea 14:4-9b

The love story of Hosea and Gomer is A STORY OF MERCY. Hosea’s love for Gomer was sacrificial, life-affirming, passionate and redemptive. What a great example of Christ’s love for us! While we were still sinners, Christ died for us! His love for us is sacrificial – He gave His life on the cross! Three days later, He conquered death and rose to life in order that we might experience eternal life. His passionate love for us is displayed in the greatest act of history! His heart of mercy held a PLAN OF REDEMPTION. Jesus Christ is alive and loves us with a redeeming love that restores us.

It’s worth asking again – Where are we on this path or journey? Are we enjoying an intimate relationship with God, resting in His plan and His purpose? Are we turning away from all of His blessings in our lives and continuing to search for something the world has to offer? Is God even now transforming our Valley of Trouble into a Gateway of Hope? Are we living once again under His shade, where the tree is always green and He is bearing fruit in our lives?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 13-25,30

What must it have been like for the followers of Jesus the day after His crucifixion? He told them He would be back, that He would rise from the dead, but they did not understand. Their emotions were mixed with sorrow and fear. Some, like Peter, must have felt strong regret over their lack of faith in the difficulties of the day before. This day between the crucifixion and the resurrection, the period of waiting to see what God will do next, waiting for God’s help. Have you been in this place before – in this TIME IN BETWEEN? Are you, even now, waiting to see what God will do next?

In Isaiah, we see the Israelites in a similar holding pattern. They knew God was upset with them for their consistent flopping between faithfulness and fickleness. They knew they were about to experience the consequences of their generational choices. They could look back and see the many ways in which God had rescued them and they could look forward to the coming destruction the prophets were describing. In the meantime, in the TIME IN BETWEEN, they waited for God’s help.

But the Israelites had a pattern of looking to their enemies for rescue instead of looking to their God. These enemies were receiving their own message from the prophets foretelling the wrath of God they were about to experience. Because they chose to battle God’s people, destruction and punishment would be in their future. Yet Israel foolishly looked to Egypt for rescue, begging them for a supply of horses for their army (2 Kings 18:24). But God desired for them to call upon His name and look to Him for help in the midst of trouble.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses riding into battle.’…

So the Lord must wait for you to COME TO HIM so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. – Isaiah 30:15-16a, 18

How often do I get impatient waiting on God and try to make things happen through another source or my own strength? I need to stop reaching out to “Egypt” and come to God with a willingness to WAIT for his help…in his time…his way.

He will be gracious if you ASK for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink,
HE WILL STILL BE WITH YOU to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.
Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them “Good riddance!” – Isaiah 30:19-22

It is time to throw out MY plans and MY idols – all of the things in my life that I have made more important than waiting on God. It’s time to throw them out and say, “Good riddance! I choose God!”

At times God’s plan for me may include adversity to teach me or guide me. Sometimes the adversity is the result of my own mistakes but He doesn’t leave me to experience my consequences alone. He doesn’t abandon me in my TIME IN BETWEEN. He stays with me and is my teacher. I hear His voice, “This is the way you should go.” During the hard times, I can rest in Him.

Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter – like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds HE gave them. – Isaiah 30:23-26

And so, in the TIME IN BETWEEN, I can wait. I can trust and rest in the knowledge that God is good and that God is present and that God is coming!

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord!
Make it a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!
Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.
The Lord has spoken!”

“Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in the field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” – Isaiah 40:3-8

I can wait on God knowing that He is coming! He is my deliverer and my Lord, in whom I trust and for whom I wait. Anything else I could reach out to or cling to will fade away because nothing else is eternal. The word of my God stands forever and He is coming!!!

Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. – Isaiah 40:10-11

The Lord is coming. And so, like Mary, we watch and we wait. We watch, knowing God is aware and has a plan. We wait, knowing God’s timing is always perfect.

Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. – Matthew 27:59-61

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 53, Psalm 111; Matthew 26:36-27:61

God used Isaiah to help His people understand what was about to happen to them – how they were about to go into a time of captivity and exile as a consequence of years of unfaithfulness. It was not all bad news, though. Isaiah also spoke boldly that God had a plan – a plan of REDEMPTION and RESTORATION. They would return again one day and they would rebuild what was about to be destroyed.

Part of God’s plan of restoration revealed through the prophet Isaiah was in regards to the Messiah. Isaiah foretold how he would grow, be rejected and beaten, killed and placed in a rich man’s tomb. This righteous servant would die, bearing all our sins and making it possible for the many to be counted righteous. Consider this morning the sacrifice of our Savior.

My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.
He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care. – Isaiah 53:2-3

Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”

But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss. But Jesus said, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” – Luke 22:39-48

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed. – Isaiah 53:4-5

“Crucify him!”
“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”
But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified…They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. Then they saluted him and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship…Then they led him away to be crucified. – Mark 15:13-15, 17-20

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:6

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” – Matthew 27:45-46

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned, he was led away. – Isaiah 53:7-8a

But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise. – Matthew 27:12-14

No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave… – Isaiah 53:8b-9

Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph…He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. – Luke 23:50-53

And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels. – Isaiah 53:11b-12

Lord, this morning we give you honor. Thank you for dying so that we could be restored from our sinful condition. Thank you for reminding me again this morning of your generous gift of redemption – that you made it possible for me to be counted righteous by bearing my sins on the cross. For that gift I am forever thankful! We have so much to thank you for – protection, provision, your generous love outpoured. Thank you for pointing my thankful heart back to the biggest reason I have to give you praise!

Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart…
He has paid a full ransom for his people.
He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!…
Praise him forever! – Psalm 111:1,9-10

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 18; Isaiah 9-12; 2 Chronicles 29-31; Psalm 100

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. – Psalm 100:4-5

Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, was 25 years old when he became the next king of Judah. He behaved in ways that were pleasing to the Lord, removing pagan shrines and also breaking the bronze serpent to which God’s people were offering sacrifices. (2 Kings 18:1-4). He repaired the Temple and reopened its doors, calling his country to return to the Lord in submission, coming to the Temple and worshiping the Lord God.

“For if you return to the Lord, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.” – 2 Chronicles 30:9

THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL.

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and remained faithful in everything he did, carefully obeying all the commands the Lord had given Moses. Hezekiah brought back the celebration of Passover and required his people to tithe so they would devote themselves fully to the Law of the Lord (2 Chron. 31:4). And here’s the good part – So the Lord was with him and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did (2 Kings 18:7).

In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God WHOLEHEARTEDLY. As a result, he was very successful. – 2 Chron. 31:20-21

Oh the blessings God bestows on those who faithfully obey Him! He longs to generously pour out His love on His people when they follow Him in obedience. Do you recognize the many ways in which God is blessing your obedience?

THE EVIDENCE THAT GOD CARES FOR YOU IS ALL AROUND. DO YOU SEE IT?

“Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care – but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” – Isaiah 1:3

I wonder how often I fail to recognize God’s blessings in my life – His care for me. This morning I long to wrap my mind around how incredible God is toward me DAILY! My prayer is that the death of Christ and His resurrection continues to get our attention; that we are able to recognize God’s favor and His care and that our hearts will respond in sincere thanksgiving toward our Creator, Provider and Friend.

“I will praise you, O Lord!
You were angry with me, but not anymore. Now you comfort me.
See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song, he has given me victory.”

With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!
In that wonderful day you will sing:
“Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
Let them know how mighty he is!
Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
Make known his praise around the world.
Let the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy!
For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.” – Isaiah 12:1-6

O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God.
You do such wonderful things!
You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them…
“This is our God!
We trusted in him, and he saved us!
This is the Lord, in whom we trusted.
Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!” – Isaiah 25:1,9

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal rock…
For those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough.
You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them.
Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws;
Our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.
All night long I search for you;
In the morning I earnestly seek for God. – Isaiah 26:3-4,7-9a

I love that last verse. It describes how I wake up in the morning – with a longing to hear from God. He is so faithful to meet us when we turn to Him!

EVERY GOOD AND WONDERFUL THING IN MY LIFE IS A GIFT FROM GOD!

Oh Lord, thank you so much for your tender care of me. When I am scared or lonely, you comfort me. When I am happy, it is because you have filled me with your joy. As I start a new day, I trust in you for what is ahead. You are my eternal rock and I long to fix my thoughts on you and stay there. The road ahead is unknown but I believe the way will not be steep or rough, for you will smooth out the path ahead for me. Glory to God in the Highest! Praise His Name!!!

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. – Psalm 100:1-3

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 27-28, Isaiah 1-8; Psalm 39

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem 16 years. He did NOT do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, as his ancestor David had done…Because of all this, the Lord his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army…At that time King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help…Even during this time of trouble, King Ahaz continued to reject the Lord. – 2 Chronicles 28:1,5,16,22

BUT SHOULDN’T PEOPLE ASK GOD FOR GUIDANCE?

Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! – Isaiah 8:19b-20a

Ahaz was still a young man when he became king of Judah, so naturally he looked to others for help. But why not look to the One who held the plan? Why not trust in God for rescue? It was during this time in Judah’s history that God called the prophet Isaiah to speak His message loud and clear: You CAN depend on God and it is foolishness to trust in anything or anyone else but God!

Don’t put your trust in mere humans.
They are as frail as breath. What good are they? – Isaiah 2:22

The horrible time that Judah was experiencing was a consequence of their sin. They needed the reminder that we serve a God who is able to break the power of sin and help us survive the mess we have made. When we look around and trouble surrounds us, when all we can see is the result of bad decisions and sinful actions, we can know that OUR GOD IS THERE TO GUIDE US OUT OF THE PREDICAMENT WE FIND OURSELVES IN. The secret is to surrender and trust in God so that we can experience the grace that rescues God’s people from the consequences of their sins.

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord.
Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
If you will only obey me…” – Isaiah 1:18-19a

WHY DO WE PUT OUR TRUST IN HUMANS.

God’s grace and mercy are calling out to us. He is eager to wash us clean and restore our relationship with Him. So what keeps us from running back into His arms? Why do we turn to other people or to other solutions for help when our Creator and loving Father is beckoning us? Is it pride? Do we struggle to find the humility needed to repent of our sins?

Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled.
Only the Lord will be exalted on the day of judgment.
For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has a day of reckoning.
He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted…
Human pride will be humbled and human arrogance will be brought down.
Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment. – Isaiah 2:11-12,17

King Ahaz and the people were trembling with fear and the Lord sent Isaiah to them. He had this message for the king: Stop worrying. You do not need to fear the fierce anger of other nations. But unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm (Isaiah 7:2-9).

God said: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want – as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.”

Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? All right then, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.” – Isaiah 7:11-16

DO YOU NEED A SIGN FROM GOD?

Do you need confirmation that your God is trustworthy and wants to restore you? Are you trembling with fear and in need of faith so that God can help you stand firm against what you are facing? Look – the sign you are seeking is in His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ is risen; He is risen indeed.

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” – Isaiah 2:3b

Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life.
He is the One you should fear.
He is the One who should make you tremble.
He will keep you safe…

May this be our testimony today, no matter what we are facing:
I will wait for the Lord…I will put my hope in him. – Isaiah 8:13-14a,17

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered – how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
Rescue me from my rebellion… – Psalm 39:4-8a

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. – Psalm 62:5-6

Today’s Reading: Amos

Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. – Amos 3:7

God used MANY prophets during the days of the kings to warn His people of what was ahead, an attempt to draw them out of their sin and back to Him. Amos was one of those men, only he would not have considered himself a prophet. Amos was simply a shepherd with a heart open to doing anything God asked him to do, even if he felt unqualified. Here is what Amos had to say about his call from God:

“I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore fig trees. But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’” – Amos 7:14-15

I’M JUST A SHEPHERD WITH A WILLING HEART

I love his heart! I love how Amos was just minding his own business, doing his thing, when God called him away to do His work and Amos responding with a willing heart. This is in direct contrast to what was happening among God’s people at that time. Amos’ call was to speak of God’s judgment on His people. Here was God’s accusation against His people.

The behavior of God’s people, the nation of Israel & Judah as well as six other nations, could be narrowed down to three words – arrogance, selfishness, and pretense. They put their own selfish desires for luxury before the needs of others around them. They were abusive and oppressive to those who had less than they did – the weak, the needy, and the poor. They ignored the needs of others and filled their hunger for earthly possessions. Because of this, God’s judgment was going to fall HARD on these people.

GOD IS PLEASED WITH HUMILITY, NOT ARROGANCE

This should be of significance for those of us who have been blessed with so much. God was clear in Amos’ prophecies that He was done with the arrogance of a nation who felt they were better than others. He was going to punish this selfish generation who put their own needs ahead of the needs of others. He was bringing judgment on those who continued to go through the motions of worship and the rituals of sacrifice but who were not living a lifestyle of sacrifice and worship.

God did not choose judgment before first drawing His people to Himself, but they would not listen.

“I brought hunger…but still you would not return to me…
I kept rain from falling when your crops needed it the most…but still you would not return to me…
I struck your farms and vineyards…but still you would not return to me…
I sent plagues…but still you would not return to me…
I destroyed some of your cities…but still you would not return to me…
THEREFORE I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced.
Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!” – Amos 4:6-12

God is not part of this world and cannot be manipulated by it. He determines how people can come to him. Attending church regularly, paying tithe and going through the rituals of being a believer are not substitutes for a GENUINE heart.

GOD IS LOOKING FOR A GENUINE HEART

“I hate all of your show and pretense – the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” – Amos 5:21-24

“You sing trivial songs to the sound of a harp and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David. You drink wine by the bowlful and perfume yourselves with fragrant lotions. You care nothing about the ruin of your nation. Therefore, you will be the first to be led away as captives. Suddenly, all your parties will end.” – Amos 6:5-7

GOD DECLARES – THE PARTY’S OVER!

God’s people had a false notion of privilege. They continued to live a life of self-indulgence and spoke of how they were looking forward to the day of the Lord but they did not realize the Lord was coming not to absolve their sinfulness but to punish them. They believed the covenant God had made with His people allowed them to live as they pleased – arrogance, selfishness and pretense – but God required righteous living. They lived as if God owed them salvation and eternal life because of a decision made a long time ago. But God does not ignore sin (7:8). This is His call to His people:

“Come back to me and live!…
Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live!
Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed.
Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice.
Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people.” – Amos 5:4b,14-15

Lord, forgive us for our moments of arrogance when we think too much of ourselves and too little of others. Forgive us for living comfortably with all you have blessed us with while others around us are in need. Forgive us for our attitudes of privilege and expectations of rewards because of a decision we made a long time ago, when we have stopped living the righteous life you have called us to. Open our eyes and call us out of our own agendas for today. We desire to respond to your call on our lives and do whatever you are asking us to do. Thank you for being a God who loves us enough to draw us to yourself. Thank you for your love and for your justice. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Jonah

God used many prophets during the reign of kings over Israel and Judah, sending some of his prophets even to the enemy nations to preach repentance. Some prophets went willingly and some struggled to reflect God’s mercy toward sinners. One of those struggling prophets was Jonah.

The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. – Jonah 1:1-3

WHY DO WE THINK WE CAN OUTRUN GOD?

Why do we think we know what is best? He creates this perfect plan for our lives and we whine, complain and argue that there is a better way. We expect God’s plan to look one way and then there is what seems to be a change of plans and we rebel. We were content doing what He had asked us to do, where He had asked us to do it, but now He is moving us to a new place or in a new direction. We hope to escape from what He is asking us to do but God pursues us because He loves us!

But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. – Jonah 1:4

WHILE WE ARE RUNNING, GOD IS INTERVENING.

God stood between Jonah and Jonah’s alternative plan. He got his attention – not in a quiet whisper but with a violent storm. After trying everything else, the crew on the ship threw Jonah overboard at his suggestion, for they knew Jonah was running from the Lord. God had a plan, God intervened in Jonah’s life and now God had a way to get Jonah back on track. Granted this was probably not the way Jonah would have chosen, but he was the one who was on a side track from the Lord’s will and this new plan was a consequence of Jonah’s own willful disobedience.

Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. – Jonah 1:17

Jonah recognized God’s intervention and prayed from inside the belly of the fish. Jonah was still not where he wanted to be and still not in a comfortable place in life, yet he knew God was at work and thanked Him for hearing his cry for help. He promised God that he would once more look toward God’s holy temple instead of running the opposite direction.

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,
and he answered me.
I called to you from the land of the dead,
and Lord, you heard me!
You threw me into the ocean depths,
and I sank down to the heart of the sea.
The mighty waters engulfed me;
I was buried beneath YOUR wild and stormy waves.
Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence.
Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’” – Jonah 2:2-4

The Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. As Jonah promised, he obediently went to Ninevah and preached a message of judgment on the city. The people, including their king, started fasting and putting on burlap to show how sorry they were for their sins. God again changed the plan on Jonah. He forgave the people of Ninevah and did not destroy the city.

WHY DO WE WHINE, COMPLAIN & ARGUE WITH GOD IN OUR ANGER?

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” – Jonah 4:1-4

Once again, Jonah whined and complained and even argued with God, because he was not happy with God’s plan. He was more consumed with how this change in plans made him look and more disappointed that the people would not be punished than he was thankful for God’s redemption. He went outside of the city and sat under the shade of a plant to pout, but God sent a worm and the plant died, which angered Jonah. God asked him a very direct question, a question we should all consider:

Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”
“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”
Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” – Jonah 4:9-11

WHILE WE ARE FEELING SORRY FOR OURSELVES, GOD’S HEART IS RESPONDING TO THE LOST.

Oh the heart of a God who loves His creation! Oh the love of a God who would send His Son to die for us! Lord, fill us with this same kind of love for others. Bring us to our knees in prayer for those who are lost. Fill our hearts with your mercy. Get our attention. Forgive us when we whine and complain over your plan because we like our plan better. You are Lord and we have no right to be angry with you when we don’t get our way. Bring our hearts to a point of submission – your will, your way, in your time! We love you, Lord. Amen.