Wednesday, September 26: Isaiah 14- Jesus is our safe harbor.

It amazes me how our minds make associations and connections with its thoughts. An idea here, a comment there weave our web of thoughts.

As I was reading verses 3 and 4, On the day the LORD gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!  My mind connected these words with the New Testament words "Fallen, Fallen is Babylon."  I knew those words were from Revelation, so I looked them up. Sure enough, Revelation 18:1-2: After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted: " 'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!' She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.

This chapter of Revelation pictures the judgment of the great harlot Babylon… the name for all that is vile and evil in the world, God's enemy Satan and his kingdom. The judgment spoken in Revelation 18 comes immediately before the Halleluiahs of chapter 19 and the description of the final end of God's enemy and the establishment of God's forever kingdom the new heaven and new earth of chapters 19-22.

Is God in Isaiah foretelling the destruction of earthly Babylon or spiritual Babylon? I am not certain. Either way the overarching message for me is that God will judge all that is evil. And God will establish His people forever and ever. In that day all aligned with Jesus will sing with the multitudes of God's people in glory, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants" (Revelation 19:1b-2).

What a day that will be… what a day that will be.

Lord, I long for Your day, that day when evil is crushed and Your new and perfect kingdom is reality. Until then, Lord, I pledge my life to You. To live for You, to obey You, and to follow You in the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

Tuesday, September 25: Isaiah 13- God's rightful judgment.

The entire chapter is God exercising His right to judge. Babylon judged will fall… men, women, children, all will be struck down.

I don't like to read these chapters. They are so different from Jesus in the New Testament. And yet the New Testament discusses the judgment of God as well. God's judgment is declared throughout the entire Bible.

Judgment is never pretty. It is a topic I would avoid but then it comes up in my Bible reading and I can avoid it no longer. Today is one of the days I must consider judgment.

The Lord will avenge sin. The Lord will punish sin. And if it were not for Jesus and His grace, I would receive God's judgment, and rightfully so.

My life is marred by sin. I deserved God's wrath, punishment and judgment. Only faith in Jesus saves me from my deserved punishment. Only faith in Jesus saves me from the fate of Babylon.

If you are reading this blog, then you should ask yourself, "Do I know Jesus? Have I confessed Him to be Lord and Savior of my life? Am I following Jesus as His disciple?" Only an honest and heart-filled 'yes' can save you from the wrath and punishment of God Almighty.

Think about it…

Oh, Jesus, I surrender to you. You alone are Lord and Savior. I believe in You. I will follow You. I will live with and for You… I pray in Your name. Amen.

 

Monday, September 24: Isaiah 12- The things God has done.

In this delightful chapter of praise and joy to the Lord I wondered where I should stop to meditate. It is all so positive, so life-lifting. I read it over and felt a slight nudge toward the last verses, so that is where I landed for my deep meditation.

In that day you will say: "Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you" (4-6).

I started remembering things God has done. About a month ago a ministry I am involved with had a significant fire, destroying its primary facility at its home base. While the fire was not God I could see God's hand in mitigating the loss of life and property. The fire happened just after a few visitors had exited the building to inspect the site of a new prayer chapel being built about 100 yards down the road. Their proximity to the main house meant that the fire was spotted quickly and emergency personnel were on site in about 10 minutes. The building was vacant of people so no human harm happened. And since it is a heavily wooded area, the fire personnel said that had the fire blazed for much longer without notice, the woods could easily have caught fire which could have been catastrophic for the camp and the wooded acreage surrounding the camp. So while the fire was not good, God's hand kept things from being far worse than they were. And we are hopeful that a beautiful and modern structure will rise from the ashes of the old house.

My extended family has had the joy of welcoming a new child into the world... what a joy and gift.

I could go on... to issues of health, and riches of faith. Rather than writing all I simply sat and remembered the many works of God I have witnessed. Just this week I met with a missionary friend who shared stories of conversions and much more in a very difficult land...

God is good and His blessings are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, O God, my father. I bless You, Lord, along with Isaiah the prophet: In that day you will say: "I will praise you, LORD. ... Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation" (1-2). Through Christ, my Lord, I pray. Amen.

 

Saturday, October 6: Isaiah 23- Can't hide from God.

I did a little reading on Tyre, it was a small sailing powerhouse in the ancient world. And because of its small size Tyre was generally left alone by major powers when they roared through and conquered the region. This however was about to change. God's judgment was soon to be realized. No longer would Tyre be a hidden gem, left alone by the large powers.

The Expositor's Bible Commentary notes: The Phoenicians, with their accumulated wealth and their blatant materialism, represented the very type of culture against whose vices Amos in particular warned the Israelites. Until the time of the Assyrians, who had designs on the whole Mediterranean seaboard and its hinterland, this small state and its important commercial cities had been left relatively undisturbed by conflict. From Assyria forward most powerhouses inflicted their will on the Phoenicians.

Pondering Tyre's story brought some interesting thoughts. For years they escaped any kind of punishment/attack as different rulers moved through the area. But then God named a day and said now I will bring judgment upon you for the way you have been living... a way that doesn't acknowledge Me or My way.

Like Tyre I can feel like I am not seen, as if God is not paying attention to my sin. This can lead to false feelings that God won't be bothered with my sin. Thus, I'm okay.

But I am not okay and my sin is mounting up. The story of Tyre reminds me that judgment will eventually come, in God's timing. The story of Tyre also reminds me that I don't get away with sin; eventually in God's timing judgment comes to everyone. Everyone... even me and you.

Have I been hiding from God? Do I think I can hide my sins from God? I can't. God sees and knows everything... and my day will come.

Without Jesus that day would be a disaster, like it was for Tyre.

Lord, I sit here and face myself and my sin. I am far from perfect. I would be lost without your grace and the atonement of Jesus for my sins and the sins of the world. Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

Friday, October 5: Isaiah 22- The danger of becoming puffed up.

I can easily imagine God's people in Jerusalem becoming puffed up as God circles them, judging all their neighbors and enemies. How much more the hammer blow of this chapter must have hurt as they rolled the scroll only to find their city and their name among the judged!

This stings because I can imagine so easily how puffed up Jerusalem could have felt because I think I would have become puffed up. My imagination is so much a projection of myself.

So even as God is judging Jerusalem in this chapter of the Bible, I am feeling a pinch of warning.

"Bill, don't allow yourself to become puffed up with pride on how well or how blessed you are. Beware, Bill, for you, too, are a sinner deserving of judgment. Only God's grace, mercy and love through Jesus Christ separates you from deserved judgment… don't ever forget this."

Lord, Your Word has chastised me. It has cut me to the bone and marrow. Cleanse me, O Lord, from my sin of pride, that I might be Your faithful servant. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

Thursday, October 4: Isaiah 21- The final word.

The Lord continues His scan of Israel's neighbors, parceling out His judgments against these nations. The third prophecy in this chapter closes with the words, The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken (17b).

There it is. The final word, the God of Israel, has spoken.

The Lord doesn't need incantations, or magic or displays of power. All God needs to do is speak and what He says happens. This has been the picture we see of God from the very first words of the Bible. God spoke and creation happened. Now God speaks and judgment happens.

The Lord God, all-powerful, only needs to speak and what He speaks happens.

Absolute power. Absolute authority. Absolute rule. Absolute…

It is difficult for me to fathom absolute. Nothing in my frame of reference is absolute, except the Lord. And it is difficult to truly comprehend a lone exception. To simply be able to speak and create things, that is so far above my frame of understanding.

As I ponder all this I am awed by the greatness of the Lord. And then I am awed that the Absolute Sovereign of the world would be mindful of me, a tiny insignificant speck of humanity.

Humbled. Awed. Blessed. Amazed. Appreciative.

Oh, Lord God, I do not deserve Your lavish love, care, concern and interest. I don't really have words to respond. Joy and wonder roll over me. Appreciation for You and Your kindness well up inside of me. Tears of love fill my eyes. Thank You, Lord. Bless You, Lord.

I pray through Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

 

Wednesday, October 3: Isaiah 20- Prayers for the United States of America.

In this short chapter, when I read verse 5: Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame, I immediately thought when we trust in anything other than the Lord we will be dismayed and put to shame.

At one point Egypt was the pinnacle of human society, and yet here Egypt is being defeated by Assyria. Oh, how the mighty fall. Instantly as I wrote this last sentence I thought, someday that will likely be true of my country, the United States of America. Right now it feels like we are a forever great nation. Likely Egypt at one point certainly thought they were a forever great nation, but then the tide changes and the mighty fall.

Hopefully I will not be alive when the USA slips, but only God knows His plans for any country, including mine.

These thoughts drive me to pray for my country…

Lord God, for two centuries and counting you have had Your eye on the USA. You have protected her and helped us flourish. We like to think it is our ideals, and while that may be an element of our greatness, Your providential hand is the more foundational reason. I lift up my country and pray that You would sustain us. I pray that You would watch over us. Keep our eyes on doing good and help us from growing arrogant and haughty… like any mighty country we are more vulnerable when that happens. Grace us also to be a force for good in the world and to be a force for You and the completion of Your commission to take the name of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.