Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. (Isaiah 39:5-6) Pride is dangerous. Without realizing what he's doing, the proud person makes decision based on the ... [Continue Reading]
He Will Surely Come (Isaiah 35-36)
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:3-4) Are you weary and tired? Does it seem like you can't go on any longer? Are you discouraged or afraid? The words of Isaiah are an ... [Continue Reading]
A Simple Prayer (Isaiah 31-34)
Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. (Isaiah 33:2) In times of trouble, it's natural to turn to God. In fact, many people turn back to God when things in their lives are less than ideal. Isaiah models a simple prayer for us to pray when we face. Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. God, we ... [Continue Reading]
Being Clay (Isaiah 28-30)
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”? (Isaiah 29:16b) When I was in college, a friend of mine informed me that students were allowed to visit the art department in the evening and use potting wheels and clay. I had very little prior experience "throwing clay," as it's called, so I ... [Continue Reading]
Sowing and Reaping (Hosea 9-14)
Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:8) Have you ever wondered what you get when you plant apple seeds? Apple trees. Do you know what you get when you plant pumpkin seeds? Pumpkins. Here's a more serious ... [Continue Reading]
When God Can’t be Found (Hosea 5-8)
When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord, they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them. (Hosea 5:6) Whereas a person may believe that it's possible to move so far away from God that, when he or she finally does seek Him, He isn't to be found, such a belief simply isn't true. Those who desire to truly know God can find Him when they pursue ... [Continue Reading]
Restoration (Psalm 48; Hosea 1-4)
I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” (Hosea 2:23) There's something beautiful about old, broken things being restored, isn't there? I believe that, when we see such beauty, we get a taste of what's to come ... [Continue Reading]
Hindsight (2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 29-31)
Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. (2 Kings 18:5) The quality of a person and his or her leadership isn't always known until years after the person's life is over. It's only in hindsight that we can truly see the motives behind a person's actions and the quality of a ... [Continue Reading]
Merry Christmas (Isaiah 11)
...for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9b) Isn't it amazing that much of the earth pauses today to celebrate the birth of a Jewish carpenter? I don't know if you've given that idea much thought, but it's worth thinking about. Nearly 2000 years after his death, millions of people still take a reprieve from ... [Continue Reading]
If Not To God, To Whom? (Isaiah 10)
What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? (Isaiah 10:3) It's tempting sometimes to believe that we have a lot of say in what goes on in our lives and in the world. While we do have some level of freedom in our lives, Isaiah reminds us that God is ultimately the One in ... [Continue Reading]
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