I Chronicles 13-16  David's desire was to bring the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem.  Unfortunately, he went about it the wrong way at first.  Because of this, Uzza died when he reached out and touched the Ark.  It took three months before David was able to learn the right way.  There was a lesson to be learned. 

The second attempt worked.  They carried the ark the correct way. The correct people were put in place. The attitude of worship and thanksgiving accompanied the ark to the prepared tent.  And God was glorified. 

David  learned to listen to God's leading, follow God's Word, and worship God with all his heart.  He appointed singers and musicians to continually bring thanks before the Lord. All the other priests and levites were appointed to do the work that God had given them also.  But, the singers.. that is something special to me... 

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. " ( 16:8-10) 

Worship -  the difference between David's first attempt to bring the ark home and the second attempt.. The first attempt seems almost a military exercise.. David "consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader." (13:1)  But, the second time, David talked to the priests and Levites. "You are the heads of the fathers households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance." ( 15:12-13) 

David learned a great lesson about the Lord. A lesson we must always remember.  Yes, God is our Father and Jesus is our Savior and friend.. but we need to remember that God is holy and we "worship" Him in spirit and in Truth - with humble fear and awe-filled wonder.. in obedient submission with gratitude and praise. 

Father God, all glory and honor and praise we bring to You.  "O give thanks to the Lord for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting."  Thank You for the Salvation that You have given to us by Your grace through faith in Jesus Christ the Son. Teach us more about how to truly worship You. Amen. 

 I Chronicles 11-12  This section tells about David's army.  Mighty men of valor began to come to David and pledge their lives to fight for him. More and more came.  Men from all the tribes of Israel.. thousands came together.. "All these being men of war, who could draw up in a battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king." (v38) 

They recognized that God was with David. They were drawn to him and they chose him to be king of Israel.  Yet, we know that it was God who chose David first.  Through all the years that Saul chased David and tried to kill him, God was planning this outcome. 

We are living in a day with so much going on.. not just the pandemic, but the political, economical, and cultural upheavals.  May we be encouraged to trust our God like David did.. that He will bring about joy for His people.. that He will raise up an army of mighty men and women to accomplish His work that will usher in the Kingdom of God and the return of our Eternal King, Jesus Christ. 

Father, Your Name be glorified; Your Kingdom come; and Your will be done.. on earth, right now and right here.. we pray.  In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 I Chronicles 1-10 - These first 10 chapters contain an extensive record of the genealogies of Israel.. from Adam to the days when Israel returned from the exile.  Chapter 10 recaps the death of Saul and his sons. The rest of the book concentrates on the reign of David.   Having read Paul's warnings to both Timothy and Titus about the controversies  and arguments over genealogies.. I wonder if these were the basis for those arguments?

 Paul called them "unprofitable and worthless".. (Titus 3:9) and in I Timothy 1:4 he wrote, "nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.." 

The Chronicles are attributed to Ezra after his return to Jerusalem.  The nation of Israel needed to be reestablished and the core of that would include the true people of God, descendants of Abraham and the Law of God. The people had been in exile for so long that they needed to be reminded of who they were and what they were called to do.. their purpose as a nation.  

What can we learn from this.. this long list of names we cannot even pronounce?  We learn that God preserved for Himself a remnant.. just as He promised.  We learn that God still loved Israel and had a purpose for her.  We learn that the history of Israel was preserved for a reason. We learn that the line of David was preserved.. for the root of Jesse would again sprout up and the Messiah would come, just as God promised. 

We don't have to worry about our physical genealogies .. they don't make a difference for our salvation.. as Paul wrote.. "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. " ( I Tim. 1:5)  The truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all we need.  Praise the Lord!

Father, there is so much I don't understand, but what I do understand, I believe. I pray.. with Paul's words.. that our hearts "may be encouraged, having been knit together in love and attaining all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." ( Col. 2:2-3).  And this is the Truth that we stand on.. the solid ground.. Jesus Christ, who died on a cross to pay our ransom; who rose again on the third day..just as He said; and who will come again to take us with Him forever; to the praise and glory of Your Name.  Our names do not need to be written in the genealogies of Israel, but in the Lamb's book of Life.. and for that we praise You! Amen and amen!

 Philemon - Paul wrote to Philemon to appeal to him..  for the acceptance and forgiveness of the runaway slave, Onesimus.  Paul had much respect and love for both of these men, calling both his brothers and fellow workers.  He yearned for Philemon to forgive and restore Onesimus and to even free him from being his slave.  Yet, he would not go against Philemon's rights or wishes. 

Paul had clearly come to love Onesimus as a dear son.  He didn't try to cover up or excuse the behavior that could have led to severe punishment or even death.  But, he did ask for mercy and beyond that for grace...  Mercy to forgive the sins and debts that Onesimus owed to Philemon.. Grace to go beyond that and send Onesimus back to Paul as a freed man and as his own representative. 

We are not told of Philemon's response to this request. But, as a "beloved brother and fellow worker", one who was known for his love and faith, Paul had confidence that Philemon would grant his request and glorify God in doing so. 

Sometimes it is hard to give up your rights.. or your property.. to do the thing that God calls you to do.  Maybe this was a struggle for Philemon.. a time when he had to lay down his own desire and say "Thy will be done".  We all have those struggles, don't we?

This is not a book that we pay much attention to.. this short, personal letter that focuses on two men that we don't know very much about.  Yet, it is included in our Bibles and considered the Word of God as much as any other book. So, once again I ask myself, what is the Shepherd saying to me?

Father in heaven, help us to love others enough to intervene, even when it's uncomfortable. Help us to respect others enough to sacrifice our own wills or rights.  Help us to choose life, to choose "good things" for Christ's sake, even when we don't have to or don't want to.. Help us to bring every need to You and humbly, honestly, lay them at Your feet.. praying "Your will be done".  In the Name of the One who laid down His life for us, to do Your will and not His own..  we pray, amen. 

 Titus 3  Paul continues his letter to Titus, emphasizing once more, the need for godly living. 

v1 "... be ready for every good deed"

v8 "... be careful to engage in good deeds."

v14 ".. let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful." 

The word "deeds" here can also be interpreted as "toil" or "occupation". 

We, as those who have experienced the "kindness of God our Savior"; saved, "not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life"  are called to be occupied with doing "good". 

Paul has already illustrated this in the previous chapters, but continues to give us concrete examples of what it means to do good deeds:

v1 ".. be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient.." 

v2 ".. to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men."

v8  to do things that are "good and profitable for men." 

When we are occupied with doing what is good and profitable we will be fruitful. 

Again, Paul warns about staying focused on the Truth - "But shun foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes.. reject a factious man after a first and second warning...." ( v9-10)  These things cause division and disunity, not what is good and profitable. 

What are those things that cause division and disunity in our day?  Political agendas? Cultural norms?  I don't know.  But, we need to react to every situation in the light of God's grace and kindness.. in obedience to the His Word, and by the power of His Spirit who  dwells in us.  We can agree that there are many "good deeds" being done around the world by those who belong to Jesus Christ.. and we must continue to be faithful to live godly lives no matter what the world is doing. This is His desire for us. 

Father, grant us Your wisdom, Your strength, and Your grace, to live godly lives that please You and bear much fruit.  Thank You for the kindness and mercy that You have poured out on us. Thank you for true justice, true mercy, and true salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Be exalted and glorified by Your people as we walk in the Light, "ready for every good deed".  In Christ Jesus we come, bring these petitions to You. amen. 

 Titus 2   Paul exhorts Titus to teach "sound doctrine".... Truth.  Teaching the truth of God's word is necessary for the church, for, as we saw in chapter 1, only through obeying God's word will anyone exhibit godliness.  That is God's desire for each of us.  Here, Paul addresses every group - older men, younger men, older women, and younger women.  The standards of godly living are spelled out for us:

temperance- (serious, diligent, circumspect)

dignified, sensible behavior ( sound mind, self controlled)

soundness of faith and love

perseverance

reverence

teaching what is good

encouraging others to love

purity

kindness

hard work

proper respect

"For the grace of God has appeared, bring salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His possession, zealous for good deeds." (11-14) 

Our "present age" is also filled with ungodliness and worldliness.  Only as we, the true followers of Christ, live according to His Word, by the power of His Spirit, will our lives reflect His glory and His goodness. We press on to live godly lives.. to exhibit the character and grace of Jesus.. waiting for His blessed return! 

Father, we have been crucified with Christ.. according to Your Word. We have been made alive in Jesus who gave Himself for us. Complete the work in us that You desire.. for You alone can fulfill Your purposes for each of us.  You know us intimately. You love us deeply.  Examine us, our God, and know our hearts, test us and know our thoughts. If there are hurtful ways in us, we pray that You would forgive us and lead us along Your paths of righteousness. Thank You.  In the name of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus we pray. amen. 

 Titus 1  Paul writes this letter to Titus, a Gentile man who was put in charge of organizing the churches in Crete... quite a responsibility.  

There are two main points that Paul wants to emphasize - godliness and truth.  The church must have these characteristics in order to be all she should be.  It is "the knowledge of the truth" that leads to godliness. We cannot have one without the other. 

It is important that the leadership of any church to not only believe the truth, but to live it .. their lives must exhibit the godly character that they preach.  Therefore, Paul describes those traits carefully.. 

"For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word.. " (v7-9)

There were men who thought themselves worthy of these positions, but Paul cautioned Titus to have discernment - the rebellious, the "empty-talkers", the money hungry, the slanderous, those defiled by impurity.. those whose lives do not glorify God, but "deny Him".. must be refuted by the Truth. 

Father in heaven, we thank You for faithful, Spirit filled leaders in the Church. We thank You for every one who preaches or teaches Truth and who live it out with love and kindness towards others. Father, we pray for those who are in positions of leadership in our church, that they will know You more and more and that they will remain faithful in all circumstances.  Give them wisdom that is pure and peaceable, gentle and reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits.. to the glory of Your Name.  In the Name of Jesus we pray. amen. 

 Isaiah 66  The final chapter of this book speaks the same truths as throughout Isaiah's ministry.. the glory of the Lord - grace given to those who will humble themselves before Him - to see Him and serve Him forever;  and the fury of His wrath against those who refuse His grace, who rebel and continue in their sin. 

 Two paths.. Two choices.. Two outcomes...Each of us must decide. 

"To him who is humble and contrite of spirit and who trembles at My word."(v2) - the Lord receives. He extends His grace and His peace to us. We will find in Him - comfort, healing, and salvation..And,  we will see His glory.

But, to others, who ".. have chosen their own ways and their soul delights in their abominations, so I will choose their punishments, and I will bring on them what they dread." (v3-4)

In the end, "all mankind will come to bow down before Me, says the Lord." (v23)  The saved will rejoice, but the lost will suffer.. "For their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind." ( v24b) 

It breaks my heart to think of those I have loved.. who never called on Jesus.. suffering the eternal wrath of God, who loved them too.  Yet, I remember that God hears our prayers and He works in ways we cannot know.. so my faith is in Him alone.  I will choose Christ. I will choose to listen and obey His Word, by the power of His Spirit in me. And I pray that whoever reads this.. will choose that too. 

Father in heaven, thank You for everlasting Life in Jesus. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done.. on earth as it is in heaven.  Let Your glory be seen in every nation this day, that more people will make the choice to be humble and contrite before You.  I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Isaiah 65:17-24  This description of the new heavens and the new earth is what we have been made for and what we look forward to.. "and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing." 

No more tears. 

No more loss.

No more failure. 

No more enemies.

"It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking I will hear.." 

"They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain, says the Lord." 

Today, when sadness and sorrow fill many of our hearts.. when worry knocks on our doors.. when hope wants to hide.. we turn our eyes to the One who sits on the throne and reveals to us a blessed future.. "for His grace continues forever" (Psalm 136) 

Father in heaven, we give thanks to You, for You are good. You are God of gods and Lord of lords. You alone do great things.  You made the heavens and the earth and You will make a new heaven and earth that will surpass everything that will pass away.  We "give thanks to the God of heaven for His grace continues forever."  Encourage our hearts with these truths, dear Lord.  Fill  us with Your Holy Spirit that we might walk in Your Light and rejoice in Your Love. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your great gift of salvation, and that we can come into the presence of the Father in Your Name. Amen. 

 Isaiah 65:1-16

" I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ' Here am I, here am I'... " 

Adonai, the Lord, God of all creation.. chose to call a nation to be His own.  Yet, they rebelled.  They walked "in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts"  We all fit that description.. don't we?  And, we all face the penalty for that rebellion and sinfulness. 

But, the Gracious Lord promises that we will not destroy those who become His servants. Those who seek Him.. will find Him!  "So I will act on behalf of My servants in order not to destroy all of them..." 

To those who serve the Lord.. He promises blessings. To those who continue to rebel..there will none. "Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry. Behold My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty. Behold My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame.." 

We are blessed by the "God of truth".  If... if we answer when He calls. If we listen to what He speaks. If we choose what pleases Him instead of what pleases ourselves. 

What precious promises.. In God we find everything that we need.  We can trust Him and rest in His Truth.  Sometimes we just need to remember..  May we be encouraged by His voice today.. as our Good Shepherd speaks grace to us.. "Here am I, Here am I.." He calls out to us again today.. 

Father in Heaven, we honor Your Holy name. You are good. You are great.  You are above all gods. "Adonai, your name continues forever". ( Psalm 135)  There is joy and hope and peace in You. Father, provide for us, Your servants, daily bread, living water, and rejoicing in Your salvation and righteousness through Jesus our Lord. Forgive us our sins, our debts, and our rebellions.  Lead us Holy Spirit we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Isaiah 63-64   This chapter tells us that the Lord moved out in vengeance against the enemies of Israel. He moved against His rebellious people also.. so that they would remember Him and turn back to Him. Isaiah calls out to God, remembering how He had brought them out of Egypt.. and asks Him to "Look down from heaven and see... " 

We echo Isaiah's prayer.. "Oh, that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down.. "  

Isaiah asks God for many things... 

He asks to see God's zeal and mighty deeds. v15

He asks to know God's compassion. 

He asks God, who is his Father, to make His name known.. to enemies and to the nations. (64:2)

Isaiah stay his mind on His Father .. remembering that He is the "Redeemer from of old."   He is the One who shook the mountains with His presence. "...Thou didst awesome things which we did not expect.."  The Lord once acted with great power on Israel's behalf.. "Neither has the eye seen a God besides Thee, who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him."  Isaiah's prayer... and ours... is to see the hand of God moving with great power once again.. so that people will return to Him and be saved. 

Isaiah confesses the sins of Israel.. "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, take us away." (v6)  This is also truth for us and a confession that we must make. 

Isaiah's prayer ends with a humble request.. "But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father, we are the clay and Thou our potter; and all of us are the work of Thy hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, O Lord, neither remember iniquity forever; behold look now, all of us are Thy people.... Wilt Thou keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?" (v8-9;12b)

Isaiah was living at the time of Israel's exile to Assyria and Judah's exile to Babylon.  It was a terrible and terrifying time for God's people.  His prayer is a great example to us.. for the times in which we are living.. 

Father, we look to You, our Redeemer and King.. You are the Potter and we are the clay. Make us and mold us according to Your will. Father, we know that there is nothing impossible for You. We long to see Your powerful deeds once again.. on behalf of those who are waiting on You. We ask that You will forgive us and free us from sin. We pray for Your grace and mercy to flow and that many more will come to know Your compassion and zeal.  We are thankful for Your Word, for Your salvation, and for the joy of knowing Jesus Christ, our Lord. In His name we come, Amen. 

 Isaiah 62  A new day is coming.. when Jerusalem will be all that it is meant to be.  The description that the Lord shares with us is so wonderful... 

She will be bright.. like a torch, shining with righteousness and salvation. v1

She will be seen by every nation and praised by every king. v2

She will have a new name that will reveal her position as God's bride.v2-4

She will be a "crown of beauty".. a "royal diadem in the hand of God" v3

She will be the Lord's delight.. like a bride is to the groom. v4-5

The Lord will rejoice over her. v5

She will prosper in every way. v8-9

She will not be harmed by any more enemies. v8

She will be filled with "holy people.. the redeemed of the Lord." v12

She will be called "Beulah" - married to the Lord. v4

Verses 6b-7 give us important instructions.."You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth." 

Father, we fail to pray as we ought for You to complete Your plan for Jerusalem.  We know the conflicts in Israel. We know the threats against her. Yet, we forget to "give You no rest".. We focus so much on ourselves and our own needs, which are many, that we have not prayed as we should. Forgive us, Lord. We pray now, Lord that You would fulfill Your promise to make Jerusalem a place of salvation and righteousness, where Jesus reigns and You are praised continually. Your Kingdom come...  Come Lord Jesus! We ask this in Your Holy Name. amen. 

 Isaiah 61  O, the precious words of Jesus.. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." 

Written so many years before Jesus came to earth to show us the Way.. these words make our hearts rejoice.  Jesus came to fulfill the Father's will.. to bind up our hearts.. broken by sin and fear and death. He came to set us free.. and we are free.. in Christ.  In His death, we die to sin's hold on us. In His life we live in righteousness and peace. Hallelujah! 

Psalm 130:3,7  "Lord, if you kept a record of sins, who, Adonai, could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that you will be feared.. for grace is found with Adonai, and with him is unlimited redemption."

" I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness.. " ( Isaiah 61:10) 

May our hearts be filled.. our minds steadfast on Him who gives us "perfect peace" because we trust in Him!

The last verse in this chapter paints a beautiful picture.. "For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations."   We have a little garden in our yard.. and it is such a joy to see the seeds that we have sown turn into sprouts that grow up to produce vegetables that we can pick and eat! 

This promise of God.. that righteousness and praise will spring up before all the nations.. this is what we are waiting for. .and He will do it! " I wait longingly for Adonai; I put my hope in his word. Everything in me waits for Adonai more than the guards on watch wait for morning, more than guards on watch wait for morning." ( Psalm 130:5-6 CJB) 

Father in heaven, we wait on You, we long for You.. we put our trust in You, and we exult in You. Thank You for the gift of salvation through Jesus our Lord. May His glory be seen in all the earth. May we see Your righteousness and praise spring up! Amen!

 Isaiah 60  

Lord, hasten the day!  We are weary and tired of the sin that seems to be filling our world. We look towards the day that Isaiah wrote about so long ago.. when your glory will rise upon us.. when You will come and dwell among us... when Zion will be filled with the Your Light.

The Lord says that all the nations will come to Zion.. attracted by the brightness of His Presence. 

He says that all His sons and daughters will be returned to Him. 

He says that their faces will be radiant and their hearts will "thrill and rejoice."

There will be abundance everywhere they look.. "the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.". camels, gold, frankincense, flocks, "the glory of Lebanon", the riches of the earth will fill the City. 

Peace and righteousness will abound.. no more violence, no more devastation or destruction.. no more mourning.. no more darkness. 

God will be glorified. He will be "an everlasting light" .  The sun and the moon no longer needed. 

All that He has planned since the day He created the heavens and the earth.. will finally be accomplished. 

"I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time." 

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. We lift our eyes up. We are listening for the trumpet sound. We are waiting on You.  Help us to do the work that You have appointed to us.. to make disciples, to share Your good news.. to hasten that glorious day.. trusting and obeying Your Word. To glorify You. Let Your Name be hallowed. Let Your Kingdom come. And let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Yours is the glory and the power and the kingdom, forever...  Amen. 

 Isaiah 59:1-8  "Behold the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is HIs ear so dull that it cannot hear."   God sees. He hears. He Knows.. everything.   

"But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear." 

Separation.. such a devastating thought.  Separation from the One who loves us, who made us.. the only One who can save us from our sin..  We can barely survive separation from our loved ones.. how horrid it the truth of separation from our God. 

The world today has no concept of this.... of sin.  I'm not even sure that they could define it if they tried.  They boast of their sins. They flaunt sin. They ignore sin. They excuse sin. They blame sin on others and take no responsibility for their own sins.  But, Isaiah spoke up.. he gives the truth:

Sin.. is hands "defiled with blood".

Sin.. is fingers defiled with "iniquity". 

Sin is speaking lies. 

Sin is muttering "wickedness".

Sin is falsely accusing and testifying against each other. 

Sin is causing confusion with lies and deceit.

Sin is making mischief that brings about harm. 

Sin is like trying to make clothes with spider webs or food out of adders' eggs. 

Sin is trying to cover yourself with your own works... with violence, evil, and bloodshed. 

Sin is shedding innocent blood. 

Sin leads to "devastation and destruction".

Sin will never lead to peace and never bring justice. 

The world has denied God and turned away from Him.  They "hope for light but behold, darkness;"

"Speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and uttering lying words. And justice is turned back, and righteousness is far away; for truth is lacking.. "

Yes.. this clearly describes our world today as much as it did in Isaiah's day. 

" Now the Lord saw, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him... "  

Praise the Lord!  "There was Jesus!"  Righteous. Holy. Powerful. He came to bring truth and grace. He came to be the Redeemer!.. "to those who turn from transgression.. "  He came to bring the Word that brings life. He came to seek and save the lost.  Hallelujah. What a Savior!

Father in heaven, Your name is holy and blessed. We honor You, the Lord, God of heaven and earth. for there is none other.  Thank You that You see, that You hear, and that Your hand is never too short to save us. Thank You for saving us from sin, setting us free from darkness, and bringing us into the Eternal Light through Jesus Christ our Lord.  We live in a world that needs You, Lord. Send forth the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ today. We ask this in His wonderful Name. Amen. 

 Isaiah 58  Israel/Judah was claiming that they were righteous and didn't deserve the destruction heading towards them.. they fasted, they prayed, and they offered sacrifices.  Yet, God wasn't answering.. "Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and Thou dost not notice?"

The Lord answers.. and it is not what they expected.. He saw and heard them alright.. but He wasn't pleased.. 

Their fasting was all about themselves "you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist...."   In fact all of their "religious" activities were done out of selfishness and pride. It was all outward.. not from their hearts. 

The Lord instructs them again.. about what He really desires from His people

"Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke?" 

They were treating each other in ways that were contrary to God's true law - they made slaves of their fellow countrymen. They practiced usury, charging great interest so that no one could ever get free from their debt. They took the inheritances from their neighbors.  They sought wealth and power at the expense of others.  These were the bonds that needed to be loosened.. these were the oppressed that had to be set free. 

True obedience, that honors God, is seen in humility and compassion -In loving one's neighbor... 

 feed the hungry, help the homeless. give clothing to the naked, help the afflicted

And most importantly -  put God first, especially on the Sabbath.. revealing faithfulness and acknowledging that all things come from Him and that our faith and trust is in Him. 

When the heart is in right relationship with God, when we are living in obedience and faith.. then God will pour out His blessings, even as He promised.. "Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am'"

Father in heaven, forgive us for being selfish and prideful.  Forgive us for failing to help others.. to truly love our neighbors as ourselves. We humble ourselves before You and seek the fast that You choose for us.. to love, to serve, and to obey.  Fill us with Your Spirit that we might truly live as Your servants, loving You with all our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

 Isaiah 57  Even in light of the depravity and depth of sinfulness that Israel had fallen into.... God called out to His people.  "For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, 'I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"

His love knows no limit, but His judgements are always perfectly just. "... I will not contend forever, neither will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before Me and the breath of those whom I have made."   The sins of Israel caused the Lord to be angry with them.  But, He still loves them.. "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners, creating the praise of the lips. 'Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near.' says the Lord, 'and I will heal him.'" 

My hope is  in His Word. God is able to do anything.. and He will do more than anything we can ask or imagine... bringing salvation to all who will just believe.. to the praise of His glory.  Hallelujah!

" For God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."  Ephesians. 2:4-6

Father, rich in mercy, full of love and grace, be glorified in all the earth. Thank You for the salvation of our souls. Thank You for being patient and kind and merciful. Thank You for Your great love for us. Your praise is on our lips! Amen. 

 Isaiah 56:1-8  The Lord calls us to  "preserve justice and do righteousness".. to  keep "from profaning the Sabbath" or "from doing any evil."  

No matter if they are Jewish, Gentile, married or single,  rich or poor.. the Lord will bless anyone who will "join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord.. " His offer is to all of us.. He calls us to take hold of His word and to do what it says.  To choose to please Him. 

 Jesus told the people who followed Him, "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal." When they asked what works to do, He said..   "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:27-29

To believe... to trust in Jesus. To live in Him and abide with Him forever.. this is the place of blessing. This is just and right. This is true Sabbath rest.. this is full obedience. 

The Father has given "the true bread out of heaven" - the Bread of Life, Jesus, so that "he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." 

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." ( John 6:39-40)

This is the truth on which we stand. The Rock that we cling to. The covenant in which we trust.

Father, keep us walking in Your Light, hearing Your voice, and doing what is just and right.  Strengthen our faith and cover us with Your salvation, through Jesus Christ the Lord. May Your will be done.  Amen. 

 Isaiah 55  Our God is "merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and great in grace..."  He is "good to all; his compassion rests on all His creatures." ( Psalm 145)  Here in Isaiah, He calls for us to "Come!" 

Just come.. come when you are thirsty and He will give you water.  Come when you are hungry and He will feed you. Come when you are in need of Him.. and He will be there for you.  So thankful.. for this is His promise and He is faithful. 

 "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen that you may live;" He calls to us.. to every one of us. "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near."  Oh how blessed are those words to those who have no hope.. just come.. "return to the Lord and He will have compassion on him.."  on you. 

He will "abundantly pardon"....He will forgive every sin, heal every broken heart, and give His peace to all who will call upon Jesus. 

The Lord assures us that this is His promise.  Many argue that they are too sinful, too weak.. too lost to be found... but it is not so.. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." 

Heavenly Father,  You gave Your Word, that You would accomplish Your plan.. and it was so.  You gave Your Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.. to be crushed.. pierced.. and poured out to death.. to bear our sins, to pay the ransom.. to take away our guilt by the offering of Himself.  Your thoughts.. Your ways.. so much higher than anything we would ever think .. God of compassion and mercy.. Great are You Lord and greatly to be praised.  Thank You. All glory and honor and praise to our God and to the Lamb, the Risen King, Jesus Christ,  in whom we find life and true peace . Amen. 

 Isaiah 54  How great is the compassion of our God! He displays His great love for His people.  Their sin had sent them away from Him.. but His compassion causes Him to gather them back to His Presence. 

"For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth..... with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you. says the Lord your Redeemer." 

How thankful we are, that though we were separated from our Lord, He made a way.. called us back to Himself, Redeemed us.. by His powerful Hand. His compassions fail not. 

The promise of eternity with our Lord is more than we can fathom with our limited thinking. But, we cling to His promises with hope and put our trust in Him. 

Father, these days have been difficult. My heart has been grieving. Yet, I have known Your compassion and lovingkindness. I have known Your promises and have been reassured of Your great love and power to save.  Your hand is not too short that it cannot ransom .  You have the power to deliver. In this Word I have hope.  Keep us in Your perfect peace as we trust in You.  Be glorified in us, Your servants, we pray. Amen.