February 1, Monday Devotion

February 1, Monday Devotion
Isaiah 27:1-13
1 In that day the Lord will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent, the coiling, writhing serpent. He will kill the dragon of the sea.
2 “In that day, sing about the fruitful vineyard. 3 I, the Lord, will watch over it, watering it carefully. Day and night I will watch so no one can harm it. 4 My anger will be gone. If I find briers and thorns growing, I will attack them; I will burn them up— 5 unless they turn to me for help. Let them make peace with me; yes, let them make peace with me.”
6 The time is coming when Jacob’s descendants will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole earth with fruit!
7 Has the Lord struck Israel as he struck her enemies? Has he punished her as he punished them? 8 No, but he exiled Israel to call her to account. She was exiled from her land as though blown away in a storm from the east. 9 The Lord did this to purge Israel’s wickedness, to take away all her sin. As a result, all the pagan altars will be crushed to dust. No Asherah pole or pagan shrine will be left standing. 10 The fortified towns will be silent and empty, the houses abandoned, the streets overgrown with weeds. Calves will graze there, chewing on twigs and branches. 11 The people are like the dead branches of a tree, broken off and used for kindling beneath the cooking pots. Israel is a foolish and stupid nation, for its people have turned away from God. Therefore, the one who made them will show them no pity or mercy.
12 Yet the time will come when the Lord will gather them together like handpicked grain. One by one he will gather them—from the Euphrates River in the east to the Brook of Egypt in the west. 13 In that day the great trumpet will sound. Many who were dying in exile in Assyria and Egypt will return to Jerusalem to worship the Lord on his holy mountain.
Quick Notes/Questions
Sometimes we get so bogged down with life, we do not even notice the signs of hope. Even when we stupidly turn from God, he offers grace to us. Would you be that gracious? Creating a world with people who continue chasing after other created things then simply worshiping you? I am not so sure I would be as kind of God.
Quick Prayer
O Lord, even in my ways right now I know that I need more of you in my life. I repent once again and turn from my stupidity and evil ways to worship you. Amen.

January 29, Friday Devotion

January 29, Friday Devotion
Isaiah 26:1-21
1 In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation. 2 Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! 4 Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. 5 He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust. 6 The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it.
7 But 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. 8 Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. 9 All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. 10 Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord’s majesty. 11 O Lord, they pay no attention to your upraised fist. Show them your eagerness to defend your people. Then they will be ashamed. Let your fire consume your enemies.
12 Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. 13 O Lord our God, others have ruled us, but you alone are the one we worship. 14 Those we served before are dead and gone. Their departed spirits will never return! You attacked them and destroyed them, and they are long forgotten. 15 O Lord, you have made our nation great; yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory!
16 Lord, in distress we searched for you. We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline. 17 Just as a pregnant woman writhes and cries out in pain as she gives birth, so were we in your presence, Lord. 18 We, too, writhe in agony, but nothing comes of our suffering. We have not given salvation to the earth, nor brought life into the world. 19 But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead! Restoration for Israel 20 Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed. 21 Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see.
Quick Notes/Questions
Where do you want your life to be in 15 years? What things would you like to have accomplished? In verse 18, it says, "We have not given salvation to the earth, nor brought life into the world." Of what you are hoping to do over the next 15 years, how many of those things will bring life into the world? How does giving the earth salvation fit into your plans?
Quick Prayer
O God, let our salvation bring salvation in others and creation. Amen.

January 28, Thursday Devotion

January 28, Thursday Devotion
Isaiah 25:1-12
1 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. 2 You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will fear you.
4 But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall, 5 or like the relentless heat of the desert. But you silence the roar of foreign nations. As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat, so the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled.
6 In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. 7 There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. 8 He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken!
9 In that day the people will proclaim, “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!” 10 For the Lord’s hand of blessing will rest on Jerusalem. But Moab will be crushed. It will be like straw trampled down and left to rot. 11 God will push down Moab’s people as a swimmer pushes down water with his hands. He will end their pride and all their evil works. 12 The high walls of Moab will be demolished. They will be brought down to the ground, down into the dust.
Quick Notes/Questions
So often those who claim Christ as Lord concern themselves with salvation meaning heaven, or more precisely avoiding hell. Though this may be accurate, we rarely look at how salvation provides justice. Salvation helps make the world we live in today more right. It brings balance to all the chaos. Do you see refuge in the tower or do you see what you hold dear becoming abolished? I hope you see refuge.
Quick Prayer
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. Glory be to you forever and ever. Amen.

January 26, Tuesday Devotion

January 26, Tuesday Devotion
Isaiah 24:1-23
1 Look! The Lord is about to destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. He devastates the surface of the earth and scatters the people. 2 Priests and laypeople, servants and masters, maids and mistresses, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, bankers and debtors—none will be spared. 3 The earth will be completely emptied and looted. The Lord has spoken!
4 The earth mourns and dries up, and the crops waste away and wither. Even the greatest people on earth waste away. 5 The earth suffers for the sins of its people,
for they have twisted God’s instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore, a curse consumes the earth. Its people must pay the price for their sin. They are destroyed by fire, and only a few are left alive. 7 The grapevines waste away, and there is no new wine. All the merrymakers sigh and mourn. 8 The cheerful sound of tambourines is stilled; the happy cries of celebration are heard no more. The melodious chords of the harp are silent. 9 Gone are the joys of wine and song; alcoholic drink turns bitter in the mouth. 10 The city writhes in chaos; every home is locked to keep out intruders. 11 Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine. Joy has turned to gloom. Gladness has been banished from the land. 12 The city is left in ruins, its gates battered down. 13 Throughout the earth the story is the same—only a remnant is left, like the stray olives left on the tree or the few grapes left on the vine after harvest.
14 But all who are left shout and sing for joy. Those in the west praise the Lord’s majesty. 15 In eastern lands, give glory to the Lord. In the lands beyond the sea, praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 16 We hear songs of praise from the ends of the earth, songs that give glory to the Righteous One! But my heart is heavy with grief. Weep for me, for I wither away. Deceit still prevails, and treachery is everywhere. 17 Terror and traps and snares will be your lot, you people of the earth. 18 Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap, and those who escape the trap will be caught in a snare. Destruction falls like rain from the heavens; the foundations of the earth shake. 19 The earth has broken up. It has utterly collapsed; it is violently shaken. 20 The earth staggers like a drunk. It trembles like a tent in a storm. It falls and will not rise again, for the guilt of its rebellion is very heavy.
21 In that day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. 22 They will be rounded up and put in prison. They will be shut up in prison
and will finally be punished. 23 Then the glory of the moon will wane, and the brightness of the sun will fade, for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion. He will rule in great glory in Jerusalem, in the sight of all the leaders of his people.
Quick Notes/Questions
Consequences of actions taken by even a few affect a vast many. The innocent and the guilty alike will receive the spoils or disaster. As we look back over what has happened in Haiti over the past few weeks, both good people and not-so-good people were equally devastated by the earthquake and aftershocks. It greatly affected the American culture as well, as everywhere you looked there were people and businesses showing how you and I could help out. Heck, even Saturday Night Live offered a way to help. How were you affected by the events in Haiti? How did your actions affect those in the world?
Quick Prayer
O God Almighty, there are so many needs in the world and I feel overwhelmed even looking at them. Give me a peace that I may be able to bring your kingdom here on earth even in small ways. Amen.

January 25, Monday Devotion

January 25, Monday Devotion
Isaiah 23:1-18
1 This message came to me concerning Tyre: Weep, O ships of Tarshish, for the harbor and houses of Tyre are gone! The rumors you heard in Cyprus
are all true. 2 Mourn in silence, you people of the coast and you merchants of Sidon. Your traders crossed the sea, 3 sailing over deep waters. They brought you grain from Egypt and harvests from along the Nile. You were the marketplace of the world. 4 But now you are put to shame, city of Sidon, for Tyre, the fortress of the sea, says, “Now I am childless; I have no sons or daughters.” 5 When Egypt hears the news about Tyre, there will be great sorrow. 6 Send word now to Tarshish! Wail, you people who live in distant lands! 7 Is this silent ruin all that is left of your once joyous city? What a long history was yours! Think of all the colonists you sent to distant places.
8 Who has brought this disaster on Tyre, that great creator of kingdoms? Her traders were all princes, her merchants were nobles. 9 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has done it to destroy your pride and bring low all earth’s nobility. 10 Come, people of Tarshish, sweep over the land like the flooding Nile, for Tyre is defenseless. 11 The Lord held out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He has spoken out against Phoenicia, ordering that her fortresses be destroyed. 12 He says, “Never again will you rejoice, O daughter of Sidon, for you have been crushed. Even if you flee to Cyprus, you will find no rest.”
13 Look at the land of Babylonia—the people of that land are gone! The Assyrians have handed Babylon over to the wild animals of the desert. They have built siege ramps against its walls, torn down its palaces, and turned it to a heap of rubble. 14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor is destroyed! 15 For seventy years, the length of a king’s life, Tyre will be forgotten. But then the city will come back to life as in the song about the prostitute: 16 Take a harp and walk the streets, you forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody and sing your songs so you will be remembered again. 17 Yes, after seventy years the Lord will revive Tyre. But she will be no different than she was before. She will again be a prostitute to all kingdoms around the world. 18 But in the end her profits will be given to the Lord. Her wealth will not be hoarded but will provide good food and fine clothing for the Lord’s priests.
Quick Notes/Questions
How much of what we participate in is beneficial? Now we can answer that question in several ways and say, well, it's beneficial because it makes us feel better. But how is that different then Tyre? They did things that made them feel better, like exploiting those under them. And then... they were destroyed themselves. We need to find those around us who get exploited and stand up for them. It's the way of the cross.
Quick Prayer
Lord, may my thoughts transform my actions and may my actions transform my thoughts that I might be like you. Amen.

January 22, Friday Devotion

January 22, Friday Devotion
Isaiah 22:15-25
15 This is what the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, said to me: “Confront Shebna, the palace administrator, and give him this message: 16 “Who do you think you are, and what are you doing here, building a beautiful tomb for yourself—a monument high up in the rock? 17 For the Lord is about to hurl you away, mighty man. He is going to grab you, 18 crumple you into a ball, and toss you away into a distant, barren land. There you will die, and your glorious chariots will be broken and useless. You are a disgrace to your master!
19 “Yes, I will drive you out of office,” says the Lord. “I will pull you down from your high position. 20 And then I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah to replace you. 21 I will dress him in your royal robes and will give him your title and your authority. And he will be a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. 22 I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. 23 He will bring honor to his family name, for I will drive him firmly in place like a nail in the wall. 24 They will give him great responsibility, and he will bring honor to even the lowliest members of his family.”
25 But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies also says: “The time will come when I will pull out the nail that seemed so firm. It will come out and fall to the ground. Everything it supports will fall with it. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Quick Notes/Questions
Do you find it comforting or distressing that in the midst of our world crumbling that our God has a plan for how the future will work out? Time and time again I am caught up with awe that even in my darkest, loneliest moment, there are plans that will find their fruition as the future unfolds.
Quick Prayer
Sweet precious Jesus, thank you for your vision to see more than the past and present. Amen.

January 21, Thursday Devotion

January 21, Thursday Devotion
Isaiah 22:1-14
1 This message came to me concerning Jerusalem—the Valley of Vision: What is happening? Why is everyone running to the rooftops? 2 The whole city is in a terrible uproar. What do I see in this reveling city? Bodies are lying everywhere, killed not in battle but by famine and disease. 3 All your leaders have fled. They surrendered without resistance. The people tried to slip away, but they were captured, too. 4 That’s why I said, “Leave me alone to weep; do not try to comfort me. Let me cry for my people as I watch them being destroyed.”
5 Oh, what a day of crushing defeat! What a day of confusion and terror brought by the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, upon the Valley of Vision! The walls of Jerusalem have been broken, and cries of death echo from the mountainsides. 6 Elamites are the archers, with their chariots and charioteers. The men of Kir hold up the shields. 7 Chariots fill your beautiful valleys, and charioteers storm your gates. 8 Judah’s defenses have been stripped away. You run to the armory for your weapons. 9 You inspect the breaks in the walls of Jerusalem. You store up water in the lower pool. 10 You survey the houses and tear some down for stone to strengthen the walls. 11 Between the city walls, you build a reservoir for water from the old pool. But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One who planned this long ago.
12 At that time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse. 13 But instead, you dance and play; you slaughter cattle and kill sheep. You feast on meat and drink wine. You say, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 14 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has revealed this to me: “Till the day you die, you will never be forgiven for this sin.” That is the judgment of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Quick Notes/Quick Questions
How many times can something be said before it sinks in? Supposedly four to seven times. Once again, we ask God to come and get us out of situations that we put ourselves. On top of that, we got into those situation by directly disobeying what we were called to by God. Can this be any clearer? Why is it that we still ask God for help when we purposely disobey him? I wish I had an answer for that.
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, help me. I got myself into this situation, but I am unable to get myself out. I'm sorry for choosing my way over your way. I don't deserve it, but can you please help me? Amen.

January 20, Wednesday Devotion

January 20, Wednesday Devotion
Isaiah 21:1-17
1 This message came to me concerning Babylon—the desert by the sea:
Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev. 2 I see a terrifying vision: I see the betrayer betraying, the destroyer destroying. Go ahead, you Elamites and Medes, attack and lay siege. I will make an end to all the groaning Babylon caused. 3 My stomach aches and burns with pain. Sharp pangs of anguish are upon me, like those of a woman in labor. I grow faint when I hear what God is planning; I am too afraid to look. 4 My mind reels and my heart races. I longed for evening to come, but now I am terrified of the dark. 5 Look! They are preparing a great feast. They are spreading rugs for people to sit on. Everyone is eating and drinking. But quick! Grab your shields and prepare for battle. You are being attacked!
6 Meanwhile, the Lord said to me, “Put a watchman on the city wall. Let him shout out what he sees. 7 He should look for chariots drawn by pairs of horses, and for riders on donkeys and camels. Let the watchman be fully alert.” 8 Then the watchman called out, “Day after day I have stood on the watchtower, my lord. Night after night I have remained at my post. 9 Now at last—look! Here comes a man in a chariot with a pair of horses!” Then the watchman said, “Babylon is fallen, fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!” 10 O my people, threshed and winnowed, I have told you everything the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said, everything the God of Israel has told me. 11 This message came to me concerning Edom:
Someone from Edom keeps calling to me, “Watchman, how much longer until morning? When will the night be over?” 12 The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but night will soon return. If you wish to ask again, then come back and ask.”
13 This message came to me concerning Arabia:
O caravans from Dedan, hide in the deserts of Arabia. 14 O people of Tema, bring water to these thirsty people, food to these weary refugees. 15 They have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and the terrors of battle. 16 The Lord said to me, “Within a year, counting each day, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. 17 Only a few of its courageous archers will survive. I, the Lord, the God of Israel, have spoken!”
Quick Notes/Questions
Did you know that what we expect will happen is shown in our posture? If we think there are good times ahead, we will make time to gather with friends and party. But if we expect trouble or have uncertainty, we may be like the watchman who watches through the night. Expectation is something that comes up again and again in the scriptures. Generally, the people expect for something to happen, but if anything happens, it rarely happens the way they expect it to. The expectation of the Messiah would be a great example. Jesus did not fit the expectations of the people. This makes me wonder what I expect of God... How about you? What kind of expectations do you have of God?
Quick Prayer
Lord, my vision is shortsighted. May I see through your eyes and expect that you continue to be who you have always been and are now. Amen.

January 19, Tuesday Devotion

January 19, Tuesday Devotion
Isaiah 20:1-6
1 In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander in chief to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod, 2 the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.
3 Then the Lord said, “My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign—a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia. 4 For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt. 5 Then the Philistines will be thrown into panic, for they counted on the power of Ethiopia and boasted of their allies in Egypt! 6 They will say, ‘If this can happen to Egypt, what chance do we have? We were counting on Egypt to protect us from the king of Assyria.’”
Quick Notes/Questions
"If this can happen to ______, what chance do we have?" It is amazing how much we pattern our lives on what happens to other people. How often do we rely on the protectors of our world: parents, police, military, etc; instead of God? Some will say that we are relying on God by relying on our protectors, but honestly, if we were getting robbed who are we calling for first? 911 or God? If God is seen as our last line of hope, then we might have some other issues. But we can feel assured in the fact that God will take us even when we look to him last.
Quick Prayer
God, help form me into seeking you first in all of my life. Amen.

January 18, Monday Devotion (Martin Luther King Day)

January 18, Monday Devotion (Martin Luther King Day)
Isaiah 19:1-25
1 This message came to me concerning Egypt: Look! The Lord is advancing against Egypt, riding on a swift cloud. The idols of Egypt tremble. The hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.
2 “I will make Egyptian fight against Egyptian—brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, province against province. 3 The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will confuse their plans. They will plead with their idols for wisdom and call on spirits, mediums, and those who consult the spirits of the dead. 4 I will hand Egypt over to a hard, cruel master. A fierce king will rule them,” says the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
5 The waters of the Nile will fail to rise and flood the fields. The riverbed will be parched and dry. 6 The canals of the Nile will dry up, and the streams of Egypt will stink with rotting reeds and rushes. 7 All the greenery along the riverbank and all the crops along the river will dry up and blow away. 8 The fishermen will lament for lack of work. Those who cast hooks into the Nile will groan, and those who use nets will lose heart. 9 There will be no flax for the harvesters, no thread for the weavers. 10 They will be in despair, and all the workers will be sick at heart. 11 What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors? 12 Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh? Let them tell you what God plans, what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is going to do to Egypt. 13 The officials of Zoan are fools, and the officials of Memphis are deluded. The leaders of the people have led Egypt astray. 14 The Lord has sent a spirit of foolishness on them, so all their suggestions are wrong. They cause Egypt to stagger like a drunk in his vomit. 15 There is nothing Egypt can do. All are helpless—the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.
16 In that day the Egyptians will be as weak as women. They will cower in fear beneath the upraised fist of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 17 Just to speak the name of Israel will terrorize them, for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has laid out his plans against them. 18 In that day five of Egypt’s cities will follow the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. They will even begin to speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan. One of these cities will be Heliopolis, the City of the Sun. 19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the Lord for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them. 21 The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the Lord and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the Lord and will keep it. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them. 23 In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God. 24 And Israel will be their ally. The three will be together, and Israel will be a blessing to them. 25 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!”
Quick Notes/Questions
Today marks a particularly special day. The fact that few of us celebrate it is a sad commentary on the way we choose activities. A man with much to lose, stood up the powers and principalities of the deep South and was so successful that they killed him. Martin Luther King Day is a celebration that even when we see the powers that be, whether they are Egypt, the Deep South, Assyria, or our own local communities that justice can happen. Justice is a concept that comes up more often than most through the pages of scripture. The passage above talks about how justice has been and will be meted to Egypt and how salvation will come to them through Israel. Who has been the justice maker in your life? (And don't answer Jesus). Who have you been the justice maker for?
Quick Prayer
Oh, God, thank you for the example of Rev. Dr. King. He stood up for justice because he believed in you. May my belief help me stand for justice, too. Amen.

January 14, Thursday Devotion

January 14, Thursday Devotion
Isaiah 18:1-7
1 Listen, Ethiopia—land of fluttering sails that lies at the headwaters of the Nile, 2 that sends ambassadors in swift boats down the river. Go, swift messengers! Take a message to a tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction, and whose land is divided by rivers. 3 All you people of the world, everyone who lives on the earth—when I raise my battle flag on the mountain, look! When I blow the ram’s horn, listen! 4 For the Lord has told me this:
“I will watch quietly from my dwelling place—as quietly as the heat rises on a summer day, or as the morning dew forms during the harvest.”
5 Even before you begin your attack, while your plans are ripening like grapes, the Lord will cut off your new growth with pruning shears. He will snip off and discard your spreading branches. 6 Your mighty army will be left dead in the fields for the mountain vultures and wild animals. The vultures will tear at the corpses all summer. The wild animals will gnaw at the bones all winter.
7 At that time the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will receive gifts from this land divided by rivers, from this tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction. They will bring the gifts to Jerusalem, where the Lord of Heaven’s Armies dwells.
Quick Notes/Questions
Ripple effect is the term used when describing "a situation like the ever expanding ripples across water when an object is dropped into it" which is "an effect from an initial state can be followed outwards incrementally." To overly simplify it, everything that we do affects the world in bigger ways than we actually imagine. Near the end of every football season, several coaches are hired, fired or choose to quit. Because this happens often, it should not make a very big impact, yet we see this year that the college and professional football world have been turned upside down with the movement of coaches. What does this have to do with Isaiah 18? The world is being turned upside down by a ripple effect in the fact that the king of Israel would rather be victorious by joining with the other nations than relying on the Lord. Is it fair that all of the world is paying for the mistakes of one man? What are some of the consequences of when you do not rely on God? What are some ways that you can rely on God more?
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, I have to be honest in stating that I do not know all of the different ripple effects that I am a part. There are so many things that take my attention that I do not rely on you enough. Let me live in your grace that I may come to rely on you more and more. Amen.

January 13, Wednesday Devotion

January 13, Wednesday Devotion
Isaiah 17:7-14
7 Then at last the people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 8 They will no longer look to their idols for help or worship what their own hands have made. They will never again bow down to their Asherah poles or worship at the pagan shrines they have built. 9 Their largest cities will be like a deserted forest, like the land the Hivites and Amorites abandoned when the Israelites came here so long ago. It will be utterly desolate. 10 Why? Because you have turned from the God who can save you. You have forgotten the Rock who can hide you. So you may plant the finest grapevines and import the most expensive seedlings. 11 They may sprout on the day you set them out; yes, they may blossom on the very morning you plant them, but you will never pick any grapes from them. Your only harvest will be a load of grief and unrelieved pain.
12 Listen! The armies of many nations roar like the roaring of the sea. Hear the thunder of the mighty forces as they rush forward like thundering waves. 13 But though they thunder like breakers on a beach, God will silence them, and they will run away. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind, like a tumbleweed whirling before a storm. 14 In the evening Israel waits in terror, but by dawn its enemies are dead. This is the just reward of those who plunder us, a fitting end for those who destroy us.
Quick Notes/Questions
Maybe it is just me, but when I read passages like this I sometimes feel guilty that I do not live well enough to please our God. This passage can be a little confusing because it sounds like the people have turned to God yet we hear of how it could have been had they not turned away from God. I look at this oracle as a kind of these are the consequences of your possible choices. If you do this, the outcome will be this. If you do this instead, the outcome will be different. What do you think? Do you think that everything has already been decided and we just play our part? Or do you think we really do have choice and therefore the future is still being made as we make our choices?
Quick Prayer
Lord, help me to make the kinds of decisions that will glorify you and your bring your Kingdom about here in this world. Amen.

January 12, Tuesday Devotion

January 12, Tuesday Devotion
Isaiah 17:1-6
1 This message came to me concerning Damascus: “Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins. 2 The towns of Aroer will be deserted. Flocks will graze in the streets and lie down undisturbed, no one to chase them away. 3 The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory,” declares the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
4 “In that day Israel’s glory will grow dim; its robust body will waste away. 5 The whole land will look like a grainfield after the harvesters have gathered the grain. It will be desolate, like the fields in the valley of Rephaim after the harvest. 6 Only a few of its people will be left, like stray olives left on a tree after the harvest. Only two or three remain in the highest branches, four or five scattered here and there on the limbs,” declares the Lord, the God of Israel.
Quick Notes/Questions
In America, Damascus would be what we call a ghost town. It is no longer relevant; nobody lives there. It is but a former shell of itself. If we are not careful, do you think our relationship with Christ can have the same thing happen? How many people do you know claim Christ as savior yet loot at best like Damascus? Are you keeping your relationship with Christ fresh or are you leaving it out there to be a heap of ruins?
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, There was once a fire that burned inside me to serve you to the ends of the world. Now I rarely have time to even acknowledge your presence in my life. Give me the strength and belief to rekindle the fire. Amen.

January 11, Monday Devotion

January 11, Monday Devotion
Isaiah 15:1-16:14
1 This message came to me concerning Moab: In one night the town of Ar will be leveled, and the city of Kir will be destroyed. 2 Your people will go to their temple in Dibon to mourn. They will go to their sacred shrines to weep. They will wail for the fate of Nebo and Medeba, shaving their heads in sorrow and cutting off their beards. 3 They will wear burlap as they wander the streets. From every home and public square will come the sound of wailing. 4 The people of Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out; their voices will be heard as far away as Jahaz! The bravest warriors of Moab will cry out in utter terror. They will be helpless with fear.
5 My heart weeps for Moab. Its people flee to Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. Weeping, they climb the road to Luhith. Their cries of distress can be heard all along the road to Horonaim. 6 Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up! The grassy banks are scorched. The tender plants are gone; nothing green remains. 7 The people grab their possessions and carry them across the Ravine of Willows. 8 A cry of distress echoes through the land of Moab from one end to the other—from Eglaim to Beer-elim. 9 The stream near Dibon runs red with blood, but I am still not finished with Dibon! Lions will hunt down the survivors—both those who try to escape and those who remain behind.
16:1 Send lambs from Sela as tribute to the ruler of the land. Send them through the desert to the mountain of beautiful Zion. 2 The women of Moab are left like homeless birds at the shallow crossings of the Arnon River. 3 “Help us,” they cry. “Defend us against our enemies. Protect us from their relentless attack. Do not betray us now that we have escaped. 4 Let our refugees stay among you. Hide them from our enemies until the terror is past.”
When oppression and destruction have ended and enemy raiders have disappeared, 5 then God will establish one of David’s descendants as king. He will rule with mercy and truth. He will always do what is just and be eager to do what is right.
6 We have heard about proud Moab—about its pride and arrogance and rage. But all that boasting has disappeared. 7 The entire land of Moab weeps. Yes, everyone in Moab mourns for the cakes of raisins from Kir-hareseth. They are all gone now. 8 The farms of Heshbon are abandoned; the vineyards at Sibmah are deserted. The rulers of the nations have broken down Moab—that beautiful grapevine. Its tendrils spread north as far as the town of Jazer and trailed eastward into the wilderness. Its shoots reached so far west that they crossed over the Dead Sea.
9 So now I weep for Jazer and the vineyards of Sibmah; my tears will flow for Heshbon and Elealeh.
There are no more shouts of joy over your summer fruits and harvest. 10 Gone now is the gladness, gone the joy of harvest. There will be no singing in the vineyards, no more happy shouts, no treading of grapes in the winepresses. I have ended all their harvest joys. 11 My heart’s cry for Moab is like a lament on a harp. I am filled with anguish for Kir-hareseth. 12 The people of Moab will worship at their pagan shrines, but it will do them no good. They will cry to the gods in their temples, but no one will be able to save them. 13 The Lord has already said these things about Moab in the past. 14 But now the Lord says, “Within three years, counting each day, the glory of Moab will be ended. From its great population, only a few of its people will be left alive.”
Quick Notes/Questions
Moab is probably not too different of a town than most of us are used to. On the outside, things probably looked as if they were working fine and orderly, but on the inside it was chaos. Everyone kept their own rules and rarely did that involve serving God or even each other. I wonder sometimes how much effort we make to look fine and orderly on our outside while there is chaos inside. Do you ever feel that other people see a different you than who you really are? I do. Lots of times. There is a pressure to fit in, and rarely does it allow us to do the things we should do.
Quick Prayer
Um... God... I'm kind of embarrassed to be praying this to you right now. I know everyone thinks that I'm a good Christian and do good things but honestly, I feel all alone. Could you feel me with your love and grace that I might be whole? I would appreciae it. Amen.