Read. Listen. Pay attention. For the Lord God, the Creator of all things, the One who was and is and is to come, the great I AM is speaking:
"As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him he is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the LORD of hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it... And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor. His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic"(Isaiah 31:4-5, 8-9; ESV).
How encouraging are these words to me. I challenge you to spend some time thinking and meditating on those words. Then consider the advice from Isaiah, inspired by the LORD, "whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem"(Isaiah 31:9, ESV):
"Turn to him.... " (Isaiah 31:6a, ESV).
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Isaiah 31:1-3
Isaiah 31:2a-"And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words..." (ESV).
That "he is wise and brings disaster" seems almost contrary to God's character, but it is not. Sometimes we may not want to think of God like this, and at other times (and usually for the wrong reasons) we rejoice over this part of God's nature. But I'm willing to bet that whether we hate or love this part of God, we do not understand it. We may think we do, but when pressed a reason why God is like this, we find we don't really understand. However, the second part of the phrase in verse 2 helps us understand this aspect of God's character: "he does not call back his words." In other words, God is immutable; He is unchanging. He brings disaster on those who disobey Him. And He has to. If He did not, He would not be immutable. And if He was not immutable, how could He be trusted? Also, how could He be just? If He were not immutable then He entire character, the entire nature of God would crumble. He would cease to be God! Then where would that leave us? We'd be better off dead.
But if God brings disaster on those who disobey Him, what about Christians who disobey? Praise God, for that is where forgiveness comes into play. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9, ESV).
That "he is wise and brings disaster" seems almost contrary to God's character, but it is not. Sometimes we may not want to think of God like this, and at other times (and usually for the wrong reasons) we rejoice over this part of God's nature. But I'm willing to bet that whether we hate or love this part of God, we do not understand it. We may think we do, but when pressed a reason why God is like this, we find we don't really understand. However, the second part of the phrase in verse 2 helps us understand this aspect of God's character: "he does not call back his words." In other words, God is immutable; He is unchanging. He brings disaster on those who disobey Him. And He has to. If He did not, He would not be immutable. And if He was not immutable, how could He be trusted? Also, how could He be just? If He were not immutable then He entire character, the entire nature of God would crumble. He would cease to be God! Then where would that leave us? We'd be better off dead.
But if God brings disaster on those who disobey Him, what about Christians who disobey? Praise God, for that is where forgiveness comes into play. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9, ESV).
Monday, June 16, 2008
MEEKNESS
This is only a short break and then I will return to Isaiah.
Matthew 5:5-“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (ESV).
What is meekness anyway? Have you ever wondered that? Webster’s defines it as enduring injury with patience and without resentment; deficient in spirit and courage; not violent or strong.
I recently came across a Bible devotional study book I went through in the summer 2000. Curious about what I wrote in it, I skimmed through it and came across a page in which I wrote about meekness. And to my annoyance, God used my own words to smack me upside the head and say, “Hey, get with it, Stephen.” I thought it would be beneficial to share those words with you:
“Sometimes [you] might [have] a goal… and [you] try to get there, [you] try to reach it on [your] own. For example, there is this beautiful place [you] want to get to, but [you] want to get there as quickly as possible. [You] want to take the easiest way possible—the highway—and [you] don’t care what kind of country, wilderness, beauty, [you] cut down to pave that road. However, the road may still be beautiful. But God might want to get [you] to that beautiful spot via a different route or He may want to take [you] somewhere else. Yet the road God wants [you] to take is almost always the narrow, dirt road. It is less traveled and the travel will always be harder and it will probably take a longer time [getting there]. But at the end of the road you look back and see that the scenery was more beautiful and the place where you ended up, if it is different, will be more beautiful. And over all you will appreciate everything a whole lot more.
“Meekness… is willingly following God through the backwoods and dirt roads rather that making Him drag you through.”
Matthew 5:5-“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (ESV).
What is meekness anyway? Have you ever wondered that? Webster’s defines it as enduring injury with patience and without resentment; deficient in spirit and courage; not violent or strong.
I recently came across a Bible devotional study book I went through in the summer 2000. Curious about what I wrote in it, I skimmed through it and came across a page in which I wrote about meekness. And to my annoyance, God used my own words to smack me upside the head and say, “Hey, get with it, Stephen.” I thought it would be beneficial to share those words with you:
“Sometimes [you] might [have] a goal… and [you] try to get there, [you] try to reach it on [your] own. For example, there is this beautiful place [you] want to get to, but [you] want to get there as quickly as possible. [You] want to take the easiest way possible—the highway—and [you] don’t care what kind of country, wilderness, beauty, [you] cut down to pave that road. However, the road may still be beautiful. But God might want to get [you] to that beautiful spot via a different route or He may want to take [you] somewhere else. Yet the road God wants [you] to take is almost always the narrow, dirt road. It is less traveled and the travel will always be harder and it will probably take a longer time [getting there]. But at the end of the road you look back and see that the scenery was more beautiful and the place where you ended up, if it is different, will be more beautiful. And over all you will appreciate everything a whole lot more.
“Meekness… is willingly following God through the backwoods and dirt roads rather that making Him drag you through.”
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Isaiah 30:23-33
What does this passage teach me about the character of God? It teaches me that He is to be feared, but also that He is to be loved...
It has often been difficult for me to understand how God can be one of judgment and wrath while also being a god of love. In my mind He could only be one or the other, not both at the same time. And yet He is God and cannot be limited by our own logic and reasoning. And here is a very beautiful passage that shows both sides of God's character, intertwined and without contradiction.
As I read these verses, I realize that I used to be just like the Assyrians--at the mercy of God's anger. Indeed, by nature, I was a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love which He loved me, made me alive with Christ (Eph. 2:4-5)!
One must be careful to not just dwell on only one side of God. Rather, we need to take both sides togther. For "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7, ESV), and we have been commanded to "love the LORD [our] God with all [our] heart and with all [our] soul and with all [our] strength and with all [our]mind" (Luke 10:27, ESV).
It has often been difficult for me to understand how God can be one of judgment and wrath while also being a god of love. In my mind He could only be one or the other, not both at the same time. And yet He is God and cannot be limited by our own logic and reasoning. And here is a very beautiful passage that shows both sides of God's character, intertwined and without contradiction.
As I read these verses, I realize that I used to be just like the Assyrians--at the mercy of God's anger. Indeed, by nature, I was a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love which He loved me, made me alive with Christ (Eph. 2:4-5)!
One must be careful to not just dwell on only one side of God. Rather, we need to take both sides togther. For "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7, ESV), and we have been commanded to "love the LORD [our] God with all [our] heart and with all [our] soul and with all [our] strength and with all [our]mind" (Luke 10:27, ESV).
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Isaiah 30:19-22
"And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left" (v. 21, ESV).
If God is my guide, leading me on the road toward heaven, then why do I hear his voice behind me? Everytime I stray from the path I've been called to follow, I put myself in front, leading the way. Whether it is intentional or that I was just distracted does not matter. The fact remains that I am no longer following Christ, my guide. And that is why I hear his voice behind saying, "Hey, Stephen, let's go. This is way. Walk in it."
If God is my guide, leading me on the road toward heaven, then why do I hear his voice behind me? Everytime I stray from the path I've been called to follow, I put myself in front, leading the way. Whether it is intentional or that I was just distracted does not matter. The fact remains that I am no longer following Christ, my guide. And that is why I hear his voice behind saying, "Hey, Stephen, let's go. This is way. Walk in it."
Friday, February 29, 2008
Isaiah 30:8-18
“…blessed are all those who wait for him” (Is 30:18, ESV)
What does it mean to wait? Patience readily comes to mind. But there is more to the question I feel. It goes beyond patience to trust: not knowing when or how the one you are waiting for will show up, but having faith, believing that they will come through for you before it’s too late.
I guess it’s not any easy thing for us to wait for God, which is probably why he said those who do wait for him will be blessed. But waiting means trusting. And the LORD God, the Holy One of Israel has said in Isaiah 30:15, “in quietness and trust shall be your strength” (ESV).
Our strength comes from God as we trust in him. And as we trust in him, we learn to wait for him. And when we wait for him, he blesses us. So difficult to actually live out, but such a wonderful promise.
And as the psalmist says, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Ps 27:14, NIV).
What does it mean to wait? Patience readily comes to mind. But there is more to the question I feel. It goes beyond patience to trust: not knowing when or how the one you are waiting for will show up, but having faith, believing that they will come through for you before it’s too late.
I guess it’s not any easy thing for us to wait for God, which is probably why he said those who do wait for him will be blessed. But waiting means trusting. And the LORD God, the Holy One of Israel has said in Isaiah 30:15, “in quietness and trust shall be your strength” (ESV).
Our strength comes from God as we trust in him. And as we trust in him, we learn to wait for him. And when we wait for him, he blesses us. So difficult to actually live out, but such a wonderful promise.
And as the psalmist says, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Ps 27:14, NIV).
Friday, February 22, 2008
Isaiah 30:1-7
I don't know how many times I have read these verses over that past few months, but as I read them yesterday morning, it was as thouugh I understood them for the first time. The verse God used to really draw me in and open my eyes was verse 2--"Who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction..."(ESV).
How dangerous it is for us to go about making and carrying out big decisions without first consulting God. When we try live our life on our own and look to the world for help, shame and disgrace will be our reward.
"Egypt's hlep is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her 'Rahab who sits still'" (verse 7, ESV).
How dangerous it is for us to go about making and carrying out big decisions without first consulting God. When we try live our life on our own and look to the world for help, shame and disgrace will be our reward.
"Egypt's hlep is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her 'Rahab who sits still'" (verse 7, ESV).
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