March 1, Monday Devotion
Isaiah 38:1-9
1 About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’” 2 When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly. 4 Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord: 5 “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, 6 and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city. 7 “‘And this is the sign from the Lord to prove that he will do as he promised: 8 I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!’” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.
Quick Notes/Questions
I wish I could tell you that anytime that you weep bitterly and pray that God will bring you rescue. Maybe he does, but we don't have any prophets to confirm it for us. When you read this passage, what is going on in your mind and heart? What kinds of feelings and emotions are getting stirred? Do you feel hope or dread?
Quick Prayer
Lord, I pray that I can be faithful and serve you like Hezekiah and please you. May my prayers be just and may you answer them. Amen.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
February 26, Friday Devotion
February 26, Friday Devotion
Isaiah 37:30-38
30 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Here is the proof that what I say is true: “This year you will eat only what grows up by itself, and next year you will eat what springs up from that. But in the third year you will plant crops and harvest them; you will tend vineyards and eat their fruit. 31 And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil and grow up and flourish. 32 For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
33 “And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: “‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls. 34 The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city,’ says the Lord. 35 ‘For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.’”
36 That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. 37 Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. 38 One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.
Quick Notes/Questions
It is easy to dismiss Hezekiah's story when we see all of the sides involved. But through his eyes, I have a feeling there is desperation. His peoples lives are at stake and everything looks to be crumbling apart. Yet it is in this moment that his salvation comes. It is in this time that the Lord lives up to his name. Do you ever feel the crushing blows of desperation? If yes, do you believe that God will save you?
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, you have rescued me more than I know, but as I travel this road of desperation, rescue me again! Amen.
Isaiah 37:30-38
30 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Here is the proof that what I say is true: “This year you will eat only what grows up by itself, and next year you will eat what springs up from that. But in the third year you will plant crops and harvest them; you will tend vineyards and eat their fruit. 31 And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil and grow up and flourish. 32 For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
33 “And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: “‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls. 34 The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city,’ says the Lord. 35 ‘For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.’”
36 That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. 37 Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. 38 One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.
Quick Notes/Questions
It is easy to dismiss Hezekiah's story when we see all of the sides involved. But through his eyes, I have a feeling there is desperation. His peoples lives are at stake and everything looks to be crumbling apart. Yet it is in this moment that his salvation comes. It is in this time that the Lord lives up to his name. Do you ever feel the crushing blows of desperation? If yes, do you believe that God will save you?
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, you have rescued me more than I know, but as I travel this road of desperation, rescue me again! Amen.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
February 25, Thursday Devotion
February 25, Thursday Devotion
Isaiah 37:21-29
21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria, 22 the Lord has spoken this word against him:
“The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee. 23 “Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel! 24 By your messengers you have defied the Lord. You have said, ‘With my many chariots I have conquered the highest mountains—yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypress trees. I have reached its farthest heights and explored its deepest forests. 25 I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot, I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!’
26 “But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble. 27 That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall. 28 “But I know you well—where you stay and when you come and go. I know the way you have raged against me. 29 And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came.”
Quick Notes/Questions
This is a troublesome passage. We say that God is good, but we see in this passage that God has allowed the destruction of lands and genocide of peoples. How can a good God not only allow for bad things to happen but actually enable our enemies to do such atrocities? I have my answers, but this is one of these things we need to struggle with. How do you deal with a good God allowing and sometimes enabling bad things to happen?
Quick Prayer
Lord, I don't understand a lot, but I trust that you are sovereign. Amen.
Isaiah 37:21-29
21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria, 22 the Lord has spoken this word against him:
“The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee. 23 “Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel! 24 By your messengers you have defied the Lord. You have said, ‘With my many chariots I have conquered the highest mountains—yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypress trees. I have reached its farthest heights and explored its deepest forests. 25 I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot, I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!’
26 “But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble. 27 That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall. 28 “But I know you well—where you stay and when you come and go. I know the way you have raged against me. 29 And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came.”
Quick Notes/Questions
This is a troublesome passage. We say that God is good, but we see in this passage that God has allowed the destruction of lands and genocide of peoples. How can a good God not only allow for bad things to happen but actually enable our enemies to do such atrocities? I have my answers, but this is one of these things we need to struggle with. How do you deal with a good God allowing and sometimes enabling bad things to happen?
Quick Prayer
Lord, I don't understand a lot, but I trust that you are sovereign. Amen.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
February 24, Wednesday Devotion
February 24, Wednesday Devotion
Isaiah 37:8-20
8 Meanwhile, the Assyrian chief of staff left Jerusalem and went to consult the king of Assyria, who had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah. 9 Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message:
10 “This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don’t let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. 11 You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different? 12 Have the gods of other nations rescued them—such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? My predecessors destroyed them all! 13 What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”
14 After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: 16 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. 17 Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.
18 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 19 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”
Quick Notes/Questions
Some historical perspective. Assyria was a nasty nation. Perhaps they were the most ruthless conquerers the world has ever known. Jerusalem had to feel some semblence of pride that they were even worthy to be considered future slaves by Assyria. Most people were just plain decimated and afterward the land was destroyed where crops could not grow for years. It is tremendous how much faith Hezekiah had in the Lord. How many of us would be willing to put the lives of so many people on the line by waiting on God?
Quick Prayer
Lord, continue to form me to be a great follower of you. Develop me to help bring about your kingdom. Amen.
--
Grace & Peace,
Mike W. McVey
Pastor
Greensburg Church of the Nazarene
Isaiah 37:8-20
8 Meanwhile, the Assyrian chief of staff left Jerusalem and went to consult the king of Assyria, who had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah. 9 Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message:
10 “This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don’t let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. 11 You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different? 12 Have the gods of other nations rescued them—such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? My predecessors destroyed them all! 13 What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”
14 After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: 16 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. 17 Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.
18 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 19 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”
Quick Notes/Questions
Some historical perspective. Assyria was a nasty nation. Perhaps they were the most ruthless conquerers the world has ever known. Jerusalem had to feel some semblence of pride that they were even worthy to be considered future slaves by Assyria. Most people were just plain decimated and afterward the land was destroyed where crops could not grow for years. It is tremendous how much faith Hezekiah had in the Lord. How many of us would be willing to put the lives of so many people on the line by waiting on God?
Quick Prayer
Lord, continue to form me to be a great follower of you. Develop me to help bring about your kingdom. Amen.
--
Grace & Peace,
Mike W. McVey
Pastor
Greensburg Church of the Nazarene
February 23, Tuesday Devotion
February 23, Tuesday Devotion
Isaiah 37:1-7
1 When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 3 They told him, “This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby. 4 But perhaps the Lord your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!”
5 After King Hezekiah’s officials delivered the king’s message to Isaiah, 6 the prophet replied, “Say to your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. 7 Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.’”
Quick Notes/Questions
Sometimes we come into situations where doing what God wants comes in conflict with what those of the world wants. Hezekiah turns to Isaiah who is speaker for God in this situation. Who do you turn to when you wrestle with issues such as these? Or maybe the question is, "Do you turn to someone when you wrestle with these issues?" If not, realize we need others to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Quick Prayer
Lord, help me find those around me who can help me on this journey. May I also be able to provide them help. Amen.
Isaiah 37:1-7
1 When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 3 They told him, “This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby. 4 But perhaps the Lord your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!”
5 After King Hezekiah’s officials delivered the king’s message to Isaiah, 6 the prophet replied, “Say to your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. 7 Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.’”
Quick Notes/Questions
Sometimes we come into situations where doing what God wants comes in conflict with what those of the world wants. Hezekiah turns to Isaiah who is speaker for God in this situation. Who do you turn to when you wrestle with issues such as these? Or maybe the question is, "Do you turn to someone when you wrestle with these issues?" If not, realize we need others to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Quick Prayer
Lord, help me find those around me who can help me on this journey. May I also be able to provide them help. Amen.
Monday, February 22, 2010
February 22, Monday Devotion
February 22, Monday Devotion
Isaiah 36:1-22
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. 2 Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. 3 These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.
4 Then the Assyrian king’s chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? 5 Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? 6 On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable! 7 “But perhaps you will say to me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God!’ But isn’t he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn’t Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem? 8 “I’ll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! 9 With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Egypt’s chariots and charioteers? 10 What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord’s direction? The Lord himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’” 11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, “Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don’t speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear.”
12 But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.” 13 Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, “Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! 14 This is what the king says: Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you. 15 Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!’
16 “Don’t listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me—open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. 17 Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards. 18 “Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? 19 What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? 20 What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?”
21 But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, “Do not answer him.” 22 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.
Quick Notes/Questions
Did you know we are more likely to fall to peer pressure if we feel like we look bad to our friends? The Assyrians are trying to do this very thing with Hezekiah's royal staff. They purposefully do not heed the requests and try to make show with what they consider the lesser choice. I wish I could say to the younger ones reading this that bullies and peer pressure disappear when you become adults, but the reality is that it is often worse. Trusting God is much harder when you feel abandoned and alone. At the same time, when we feel abandoned and alone, God seems to work more than we could ever imagine.
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, I need your strength when I am weak. Give me guidance when I am lost. Let me love as you. Amen.
Isaiah 36:1-22
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. 2 Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. 3 These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.
4 Then the Assyrian king’s chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? 5 Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? 6 On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable! 7 “But perhaps you will say to me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God!’ But isn’t he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn’t Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem? 8 “I’ll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! 9 With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Egypt’s chariots and charioteers? 10 What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord’s direction? The Lord himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’” 11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, “Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don’t speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear.”
12 But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.” 13 Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, “Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! 14 This is what the king says: Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you. 15 Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!’
16 “Don’t listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me—open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. 17 Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards. 18 “Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? 19 What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? 20 What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?”
21 But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, “Do not answer him.” 22 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.
Quick Notes/Questions
Did you know we are more likely to fall to peer pressure if we feel like we look bad to our friends? The Assyrians are trying to do this very thing with Hezekiah's royal staff. They purposefully do not heed the requests and try to make show with what they consider the lesser choice. I wish I could say to the younger ones reading this that bullies and peer pressure disappear when you become adults, but the reality is that it is often worse. Trusting God is much harder when you feel abandoned and alone. At the same time, when we feel abandoned and alone, God seems to work more than we could ever imagine.
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, I need your strength when I am weak. Give me guidance when I am lost. Let me love as you. Amen.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
February 19, Friday Devotion
February 19, Friday Devotion
Isaiah 35:1-10
1 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. 2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God. 3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. 7 The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.
8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. 9 Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. 10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
Quick Notes/Questions
You do realize that God is in the saving business, right? But not only does he want to save our souls, he also wants to save all of creation! When God comes, the results are the blind seeing, the deaf hearing and the mute singing! It is so much more than just getting to heaven... it is all of creation working together in harmony!
Quick Prayer
O Lord, you truly are the savior of the world! May my eyes see your beauty, my voice sing your praises, and my ears listen to your instruction. Amen.
Isaiah 35:1-10
1 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. 2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God. 3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. 7 The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.
8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. 9 Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. 10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
Quick Notes/Questions
You do realize that God is in the saving business, right? But not only does he want to save our souls, he also wants to save all of creation! When God comes, the results are the blind seeing, the deaf hearing and the mute singing! It is so much more than just getting to heaven... it is all of creation working together in harmony!
Quick Prayer
O Lord, you truly are the savior of the world! May my eyes see your beauty, my voice sing your praises, and my ears listen to your instruction. Amen.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Thursday Devotion, February 18
Thursday Devotion, February 18
Isaiah 34:1-17
1 Come here and listen, O nations of the earth. Let the world and everything in it hear my words. 2 For the Lord is enraged against the nations. His fury is against all their armies. He will completely destroy them, dooming them to slaughter. 3 Their dead will be left unburied, and the stench of rotting bodies will fill the land. The mountains will flow with their blood. 4 The heavens above will melt away and disappear like a rolled-up scroll. The stars will fall from the sky like withered leaves from a grapevine, or shriveled figs from a fig tree. 5 And when my sword has finished its work in the heavens, it will fall upon Edom, the nation I have marked for destruction. 6 The sword of the Lord is drenched with blood and covered with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of rams prepared for sacrifice. Yes, the Lord will offer a sacrifice in the city of Bozrah. He will make a mighty slaughter in Edom. 7 Even men as strong as wild oxen will die—the young men alongside the veterans. The land will be soaked with blood and the soil enriched with fat.
8 For it is the day of the Lord’s revenge, the year when Edom will be paid back for all it did to Israel. 9 The streams of Edom will be filled with burning pitch, and the ground will be covered with fire. 10 This judgment on Edom will never end; the smoke of its burning will rise forever. The land will lie deserted from generation to generation. No one will live there anymore. 11 It will be haunted by the desert owl and the screech owl, will come there to rest. the great owl and the raven. For God will measure that land carefully; he will measure it for chaos and destruction. 12 It will be called the Land of Nothing, and all its nobles will soon be gone. 13 Thorns will overrun its palaces; nettles and thistles will grow in its forts. The ruins will become a haunt for jackals and a home for owls. 14 Desert animals will mingle there with hyenas, their howls filling the night. Wild goats will bleat at one another among the ruins, and night creatures 15 There the owl will make her nest and lay her eggs. She will hatch her young and cover them with her wings. And the buzzards will come, each one with its mate.
16 Search the book of the Lord, and see what he will do. Not one of these birds and animals will be missing, and none will lack a mate, for the Lord has promised this. His Spirit will make it all come true. 17 He has surveyed and divided the land and deeded it over to those creatures. They will possess it forever, from generation to generation.
Quick Notes/Questions
I really do not think that revenge is ever a good thing. It may indeed be necessary to make things right, but only if God is the one bringing the revenge. Who do you know can inflict punishment on someone fairly to the extent it is necessary and not even a drop more? Let me finish with this: Justice is important, but we are to trust God as Judge.
Quick Prayer
Abba Father, I want people to suffer when they wrong me or those close to me. Take this spirit of revenge away from me. May I trust in you to handle these situations. Amen.
Isaiah 34:1-17
1 Come here and listen, O nations of the earth. Let the world and everything in it hear my words. 2 For the Lord is enraged against the nations. His fury is against all their armies. He will completely destroy them, dooming them to slaughter. 3 Their dead will be left unburied, and the stench of rotting bodies will fill the land. The mountains will flow with their blood. 4 The heavens above will melt away and disappear like a rolled-up scroll. The stars will fall from the sky like withered leaves from a grapevine, or shriveled figs from a fig tree. 5 And when my sword has finished its work in the heavens, it will fall upon Edom, the nation I have marked for destruction. 6 The sword of the Lord is drenched with blood and covered with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of rams prepared for sacrifice. Yes, the Lord will offer a sacrifice in the city of Bozrah. He will make a mighty slaughter in Edom. 7 Even men as strong as wild oxen will die—the young men alongside the veterans. The land will be soaked with blood and the soil enriched with fat.
8 For it is the day of the Lord’s revenge, the year when Edom will be paid back for all it did to Israel. 9 The streams of Edom will be filled with burning pitch, and the ground will be covered with fire. 10 This judgment on Edom will never end; the smoke of its burning will rise forever. The land will lie deserted from generation to generation. No one will live there anymore. 11 It will be haunted by the desert owl and the screech owl, will come there to rest. the great owl and the raven. For God will measure that land carefully; he will measure it for chaos and destruction. 12 It will be called the Land of Nothing, and all its nobles will soon be gone. 13 Thorns will overrun its palaces; nettles and thistles will grow in its forts. The ruins will become a haunt for jackals and a home for owls. 14 Desert animals will mingle there with hyenas, their howls filling the night. Wild goats will bleat at one another among the ruins, and night creatures 15 There the owl will make her nest and lay her eggs. She will hatch her young and cover them with her wings. And the buzzards will come, each one with its mate.
16 Search the book of the Lord, and see what he will do. Not one of these birds and animals will be missing, and none will lack a mate, for the Lord has promised this. His Spirit will make it all come true. 17 He has surveyed and divided the land and deeded it over to those creatures. They will possess it forever, from generation to generation.
Quick Notes/Questions
I really do not think that revenge is ever a good thing. It may indeed be necessary to make things right, but only if God is the one bringing the revenge. Who do you know can inflict punishment on someone fairly to the extent it is necessary and not even a drop more? Let me finish with this: Justice is important, but we are to trust God as Judge.
Quick Prayer
Abba Father, I want people to suffer when they wrong me or those close to me. Take this spirit of revenge away from me. May I trust in you to handle these situations. Amen.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wednesday Devotion, February 17
Wednesday Devotion, February 17
Isaiah 33:14-24
14 The sinners in Jerusalem shake with fear. Terror seizes the godless. “Who can live with this devouring fire?” they cry. “Who can survive this all-consuming fire?” 15 Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—16 these are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance.
17 Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance. 18 You will think back to this time of terror, asking, “Where are the Assyrian officers who counted our towers? Where are the bookkeepers who recorded the plunder taken from our fallen city?” 19 You will no longer see these fierce, violent people with their strange, unknown language. 20 Instead, you will see Zion as a place of holy festivals. You will see Jerusalem, a city quiet and secure. It will be like a tent whose ropes are taut and whose stakes are firmly fixed. 21 The Lord will be our Mighty One. He will be like a wide river of protection that no enemy can cross, that no enemy ship can sail upon. 22 For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. 23 The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God. Even the lame will take their share! 24 The people of Israel will no longer say, “We are sick and helpless,” for the Lord will forgive their sins.
Quick Notes/Questions
One of the cool things about the Lord overcoming oppressors is that, "even the lame will" get a share of the loot. There is truly a place for everyone, even those who are usually considered a detriment to society. Where else does everyone have a place at the table?
Quick Prayer
Lord thank you for including everyone in your plan. Amen.
Isaiah 33:14-24
14 The sinners in Jerusalem shake with fear. Terror seizes the godless. “Who can live with this devouring fire?” they cry. “Who can survive this all-consuming fire?” 15 Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—16 these are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance.
17 Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance. 18 You will think back to this time of terror, asking, “Where are the Assyrian officers who counted our towers? Where are the bookkeepers who recorded the plunder taken from our fallen city?” 19 You will no longer see these fierce, violent people with their strange, unknown language. 20 Instead, you will see Zion as a place of holy festivals. You will see Jerusalem, a city quiet and secure. It will be like a tent whose ropes are taut and whose stakes are firmly fixed. 21 The Lord will be our Mighty One. He will be like a wide river of protection that no enemy can cross, that no enemy ship can sail upon. 22 For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. 23 The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God. Even the lame will take their share! 24 The people of Israel will no longer say, “We are sick and helpless,” for the Lord will forgive their sins.
Quick Notes/Questions
One of the cool things about the Lord overcoming oppressors is that, "even the lame will" get a share of the loot. There is truly a place for everyone, even those who are usually considered a detriment to society. Where else does everyone have a place at the table?
Quick Prayer
Lord thank you for including everyone in your plan. Amen.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Tuesday Devotion, February 16
Tuesday Devotion, February 16
Isaiah 33:1-13
1 What sorrow awaits you Assyrians, who have destroyed others but have never been destroyed yourselves. You betray others, but you have never been betrayed. When you are done destroying, you will be destroyed. When you are done betraying, you will be betrayed. 2 But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble. 3 The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee! 4 Just as caterpillars and locusts strip the fields and vines, so the fallen army of Assyria will be stripped! 5 Though the Lord is very great and lives in heaven, he will make Jerusalem his home of justice and righteousness. 6 In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.
7 But now your brave warriors weep in public. Your ambassadors of peace cry in bitter disappointment. 8 Your roads are deserted; no one travels them anymore. The Assyrians have broken their peace treaty and care nothing for the promises they made before witnesses. They have no respect for anyone. 9 The land of Israel wilts in mourning. Lebanon withers with shame. The plain of Sharon is now a wilderness. Bashan and Carmel have been plundered. 10 But the Lord says: “Now I will stand up. Now I will show my power and might. 11 You Assyrians produce nothing but dry grass and stubble. Your own breath will turn to fire and consume you. 12 Your people will be burned up completely, like thornbushes cut down and tossed in a fire. 13 Listen to what I have done, you nations far away! And you that are near, acknowledge my might!”
Quick Notes/Questions
I wonder how oppressed people feel when they are freed from oppression. The Bible, at least in my readings, seems to consistently show the oppressed gloat at the oppressors misfortune... except for Jesus. When those who bully you fall, how do you feel? What do you do? Justice is rarely pretty for those who had been unjust. Maybe, we can pray for our bullies and enemies. Maybe we can pray that they can receive the full blessing of God and be agents of peace and justice.
Quick Prayer
Lord God, please set the oppressed free, but also the oppressors... for they need your love too. May we all become your agents of grace. Amen.
Isaiah 33:1-13
1 What sorrow awaits you Assyrians, who have destroyed others but have never been destroyed yourselves. You betray others, but you have never been betrayed. When you are done destroying, you will be destroyed. When you are done betraying, you will be betrayed. 2 But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble. 3 The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee! 4 Just as caterpillars and locusts strip the fields and vines, so the fallen army of Assyria will be stripped! 5 Though the Lord is very great and lives in heaven, he will make Jerusalem his home of justice and righteousness. 6 In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.
7 But now your brave warriors weep in public. Your ambassadors of peace cry in bitter disappointment. 8 Your roads are deserted; no one travels them anymore. The Assyrians have broken their peace treaty and care nothing for the promises they made before witnesses. They have no respect for anyone. 9 The land of Israel wilts in mourning. Lebanon withers with shame. The plain of Sharon is now a wilderness. Bashan and Carmel have been plundered. 10 But the Lord says: “Now I will stand up. Now I will show my power and might. 11 You Assyrians produce nothing but dry grass and stubble. Your own breath will turn to fire and consume you. 12 Your people will be burned up completely, like thornbushes cut down and tossed in a fire. 13 Listen to what I have done, you nations far away! And you that are near, acknowledge my might!”
Quick Notes/Questions
I wonder how oppressed people feel when they are freed from oppression. The Bible, at least in my readings, seems to consistently show the oppressed gloat at the oppressors misfortune... except for Jesus. When those who bully you fall, how do you feel? What do you do? Justice is rarely pretty for those who had been unjust. Maybe, we can pray for our bullies and enemies. Maybe we can pray that they can receive the full blessing of God and be agents of peace and justice.
Quick Prayer
Lord God, please set the oppressed free, but also the oppressors... for they need your love too. May we all become your agents of grace. Amen.
Bringing Justice to Our World
Hello all,
The scripture passage for today's devotion really got to me. Justice is very important. We are to be people of justice == those who help make things right. One of the things I struggle with is the balance of what I have and what others do not. A guy I went to college with works with INTRSCT, which teams up underprivileged children in Chicago with young adults, like my friend, who want to serve.
I feel that Devotions With Mike are mostly a good thing, but I often wonder how much of a positive impact it has. Here is an opportunity to move forward and make a positive impact for someone else.
Charles' goal is to raise $800 for INTRSCT. At the time of this email, $75 has been raised. I would like to offer the opportunity for everyone to help him reach his goal of a suggested donation of $10 or $25, though any donation would be helpful. https://www.firstgiving.com/process/EGGDonate/Default.asp is the link and all major credit cards are accepted. If you are under 18, please ask for your parent or guardian's permission.
Whether it is with INTRSCT or some other compassionate ministry, find a way to help make the world right. That is justice. That is what we as Christians are called to be.
Grace & Peace,
Mike
The scripture passage for today's devotion really got to me. Justice is very important. We are to be people of justice == those who help make things right. One of the things I struggle with is the balance of what I have and what others do not. A guy I went to college with works with INTRSCT, which teams up underprivileged children in Chicago with young adults, like my friend, who want to serve.
I feel that Devotions With Mike are mostly a good thing, but I often wonder how much of a positive impact it has. Here is an opportunity to move forward and make a positive impact for someone else.
Charles' goal is to raise $800 for INTRSCT. At the time of this email, $75 has been raised. I would like to offer the opportunity for everyone to help him reach his goal of a suggested donation of $10 or $25, though any donation would be helpful. https://www.firstgiving.com/
Whether it is with INTRSCT or some other compassionate ministry, find a way to help make the world right. That is justice. That is what we as Christians are called to be.
Grace & Peace,
Mike
Monday Devotion, February 15
Monday Devotion, February 15
Isaiah 32:1-20
1 Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. 2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.
3 Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. 4 Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. 5 In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected. 6 For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty. 7 The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just. 8 But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
9 Listen, you women who lie around in ease. Listen to me, you who are so smug. 10 In a short time—just a little more than a year—you careless ones will suddenly begin to care. For your fruit crops will fail, and the harvest will never take place. 11 Tremble, you women of ease; throw off your complacency. Strip off your pretty clothes, and put on burlap to show your grief. 12 Beat your breasts in sorrow for your bountiful farms and your fruitful grapevines. 13 For your land will be overgrown with thorns and briers. Your joyful homes and happy towns will be gone. 14 The palace and the city will be deserted, and busy towns will be empty. Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze in the empty forts and watchtowers 15 until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.
16 Justice will rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field. 17 And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. 19 Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, 20 the Lord will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely.
Quick Notes/Questions
Verses 16-20 really speak to me. It is my dream, my hope that one day this will pass. What are your dreams? Your hopes?
Quick Prayer
Lord, may your justice come and make everything right. Amen.
Isaiah 32:1-20
1 Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. 2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.
3 Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. 4 Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. 5 In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected. 6 For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty. 7 The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just. 8 But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
9 Listen, you women who lie around in ease. Listen to me, you who are so smug. 10 In a short time—just a little more than a year—you careless ones will suddenly begin to care. For your fruit crops will fail, and the harvest will never take place. 11 Tremble, you women of ease; throw off your complacency. Strip off your pretty clothes, and put on burlap to show your grief. 12 Beat your breasts in sorrow for your bountiful farms and your fruitful grapevines. 13 For your land will be overgrown with thorns and briers. Your joyful homes and happy towns will be gone. 14 The palace and the city will be deserted, and busy towns will be empty. Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze in the empty forts and watchtowers 15 until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.
16 Justice will rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field. 17 And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. 19 Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, 20 the Lord will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely.
Quick Notes/Questions
Verses 16-20 really speak to me. It is my dream, my hope that one day this will pass. What are your dreams? Your hopes?
Quick Prayer
Lord, may your justice come and make everything right. Amen.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Friday Devotion, February 12
Friday Devotion, February 12
Isaiah 31:1-9
1 What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 2 In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked and against their helpers. 3 For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the Lord raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together.
4 But this is what the Lord has told me: “When a strong young lion stands growling over a sheep it has killed, it is not frightened by the shouts and noise of a whole crowd of shepherds. In the same way, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will come down and fight on Mount Zion. 5 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will hover over Jerusalem and protect it like a bird protecting its nest. He will defend and save the city; he will pass over it and rescue it.”
6 Though you are such wicked rebels, my people, come and return to the Lord. 7 I know the glorious day will come when each of you will throw away the gold idols and silver images your sinful hands have made.
8 “The Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by the swords of men. The sword of God will strike them, and they will panic and flee. The strong young Assyrians will be taken away as captives. 9 Even the strongest will quake with terror, and princes will flee when they see your battle flags,” says the Lord, whose fire burns in Zion, whose flame blazes from Jerusalem.
Quick Notes/Questions
You know, I get a bit tired of restating that we tend to put our trust in things other than God. But the reality is, like the Israelites, even when we know better, we still put our trust in things that are not God. Is this discouraging? Absolutely. But it is a bit funny that even when we rebel that God still offers a chance to be made right. What kind of God do we serve? What kind of picture do you get in your head when you hear these things?
Quick Prayer
Gracious Jesus, there are so many times that I feel like I can't get back on the right path. When I want to do good, I end up doing not good. Continue to transform my heart and my life into your image. Amen.
Isaiah 31:1-9
1 What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 2 In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked and against their helpers. 3 For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the Lord raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together.
4 But this is what the Lord has told me: “When a strong young lion stands growling over a sheep it has killed, it is not frightened by the shouts and noise of a whole crowd of shepherds. In the same way, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will come down and fight on Mount Zion. 5 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will hover over Jerusalem and protect it like a bird protecting its nest. He will defend and save the city; he will pass over it and rescue it.”
6 Though you are such wicked rebels, my people, come and return to the Lord. 7 I know the glorious day will come when each of you will throw away the gold idols and silver images your sinful hands have made.
8 “The Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by the swords of men. The sword of God will strike them, and they will panic and flee. The strong young Assyrians will be taken away as captives. 9 Even the strongest will quake with terror, and princes will flee when they see your battle flags,” says the Lord, whose fire burns in Zion, whose flame blazes from Jerusalem.
Quick Notes/Questions
You know, I get a bit tired of restating that we tend to put our trust in things other than God. But the reality is, like the Israelites, even when we know better, we still put our trust in things that are not God. Is this discouraging? Absolutely. But it is a bit funny that even when we rebel that God still offers a chance to be made right. What kind of God do we serve? What kind of picture do you get in your head when you hear these things?
Quick Prayer
Gracious Jesus, there are so many times that I feel like I can't get back on the right path. When I want to do good, I end up doing not good. Continue to transform my heart and my life into your image. Amen.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
February 11, Thursday Devotion
February 11, Thursday Devotion
Isaiah 30:18-33
18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. 19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. 20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. 22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”
23 Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. 24 The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. 25 In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them. 27 Look! The Lord is coming from far away, burning with anger, surrounded by thick, rising smoke. His lips are filled with fury; his words consume like fire. 28 His hot breath pours out like a flood up to the neck of his enemies. He will sift out the proud nations for destruction. He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin.
29 But the people of God will sing a song of joy, like the songs at the holy festivals. You will be filled with joy, as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord—to the Rock of Israel. 30 And the Lord will make his majestic voice heard. He will display the strength of his mighty arm. It will descend with devouring flames, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones. 31 At the Lord’s command, the Assyrians will be shattered. He will strike them down with his royal scepter. 32 And as the Lord strikes them with his rod of punishment, his people will celebrate with tambourines and harps. Lifting his mighty arm, he will fight the Assyrians. 33 Topheth—the place of burning—has long been ready for the Assyrian king; the pyre is piled high with wood. The breath of the Lord, like fire from a volcano, will set it ablaze.
Quick Notes/Questions
I wonder how many of us ask for help when we need it as opposed to when we do not need it? I think of my 3 year old daughter. Several times she gets herself in situations where she needs help, but she refuses to ask. Other times, when she is perfectly fine, she will ask for help. How much different are we when it comes to God?
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, I am not even sure if I need your help right now. But if I do, will you provide it for me? Praise and glory be unto you. Amen.
Isaiah 30:18-33
18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. 19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. 20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. 22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”
23 Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. 24 The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. 25 In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them. 27 Look! The Lord is coming from far away, burning with anger, surrounded by thick, rising smoke. His lips are filled with fury; his words consume like fire. 28 His hot breath pours out like a flood up to the neck of his enemies. He will sift out the proud nations for destruction. He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin.
29 But the people of God will sing a song of joy, like the songs at the holy festivals. You will be filled with joy, as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord—to the Rock of Israel. 30 And the Lord will make his majestic voice heard. He will display the strength of his mighty arm. It will descend with devouring flames, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones. 31 At the Lord’s command, the Assyrians will be shattered. He will strike them down with his royal scepter. 32 And as the Lord strikes them with his rod of punishment, his people will celebrate with tambourines and harps. Lifting his mighty arm, he will fight the Assyrians. 33 Topheth—the place of burning—has long been ready for the Assyrian king; the pyre is piled high with wood. The breath of the Lord, like fire from a volcano, will set it ablaze.
Quick Notes/Questions
I wonder how many of us ask for help when we need it as opposed to when we do not need it? I think of my 3 year old daughter. Several times she gets herself in situations where she needs help, but she refuses to ask. Other times, when she is perfectly fine, she will ask for help. How much different are we when it comes to God?
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, I am not even sure if I need your help right now. But if I do, will you provide it for me? Praise and glory be unto you. Amen.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
February 10, Wednesday Devotion
February 10, Wednesday Devotion
Isaiah 30:15-17
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. 16 You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! 17 One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”
Quick Notes/Questions
Many of us grasp for fleeting things. We move because the grass is greener. Yet reality rarely matches our desire for what we do not have. How many people get what they want by either stepping on others or missing out on life? What thing(s) do you desire more than anything else? To obtain that object or goal, is the sacrifice worth it? Would God agree? Our salvation comes from God and God alone, but we continue to pursue instead of rest.
Quick Prayer
Lord, I need you now. My world is crashing down. I need your shoulder to cry on at night. Please be there and tell me everything will be all right. Amen. (Adapted from Chock Davis)
Isaiah 30:15-17
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. 16 You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! 17 One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”
Quick Notes/Questions
Many of us grasp for fleeting things. We move because the grass is greener. Yet reality rarely matches our desire for what we do not have. How many people get what they want by either stepping on others or missing out on life? What thing(s) do you desire more than anything else? To obtain that object or goal, is the sacrifice worth it? Would God agree? Our salvation comes from God and God alone, but we continue to pursue instead of rest.
Quick Prayer
Lord, I need you now. My world is crashing down. I need your shoulder to cry on at night. Please be there and tell me everything will be all right. Amen. (Adapted from Chock Davis)
Monday, February 8, 2010
February 9, Tuesday Devotion
February 9, Tuesday Devotion
Isaiah 30:8-14
8 Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness 9 that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions. 10 They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. 11 Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’”
12 This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, 13 calamity will come upon you suddenly—like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down. 14 You will be smashed like a piece of pottery—shattered so completely that there won’t be a piece big enough to carry coals from a fireplace or a little water from the well.”
Quick Notes/Questions
How often do we want to hear the truth? It is interesting to me how much time and energy we spend trying to not offend others but in doing so, the truth never comes out. How often do you want to hear the truth? Knowing that it might be painful, does that make a difference? Why or why not?
Quick Prayer
Lord, sometimes I do not want to hear the truth because I am afraid it will cripple me. But your scriptures say that the truth will set me free. Help me to love truth. Amen.
Isaiah 30:8-14
8 Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness 9 that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions. 10 They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. 11 Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’”
12 This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, 13 calamity will come upon you suddenly—like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down. 14 You will be smashed like a piece of pottery—shattered so completely that there won’t be a piece big enough to carry coals from a fireplace or a little water from the well.”
Quick Notes/Questions
How often do we want to hear the truth? It is interesting to me how much time and energy we spend trying to not offend others but in doing so, the truth never comes out. How often do you want to hear the truth? Knowing that it might be painful, does that make a difference? Why or why not?
Quick Prayer
Lord, sometimes I do not want to hear the truth because I am afraid it will cripple me. But your scriptures say that the truth will set me free. Help me to love truth. Amen.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
February 8, Monday Devotion
February 8, Monday Devotion
Isaiah 30:1-7
1 “What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. 2 For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. 3 But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced. 4 For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes, 5 all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you.”
6 This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev:
The caravan moves slowly across the terrible desert to Egypt—donkeys weighed down with riches and camels loaded with treasure—all to pay for Egypt’s protection. They travel through the wilderness, a place of lionesses and lions, a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live. All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return. 7 Egypt’s promises are worthless! Therefore, I call her Rahab—the Harmless Dragon.
Quick Notes/Questions
I will confess something. More times than I really want to admit, I put my faith in things other than God. I choose certain activities over others not because I sense God's direction but because it "makes sense" "in the real world." It is easier to find security in our military in police force sometimes than it is with God. Trusting God with my finances is pretty difficult. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor... I am not quite there yet, do not know if I ever will be. Sometimes I look to sports teams like the Saints or Steelers for my hope through hard times than through the revelation of God made flesh. Other times, I seek intimacy with my wife rather than Jesus. So how much of your life is lived in faith to God? Do you think his grace is bigger? Why or why not?
Quick Prayer
Almighty God, I don't always know how to trust you over the people and things of this world. Help me. Guide me. Shape me. Amen.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
February 5, Friday Devotion
Hey everyone, I hope this message finds you doing well. I am trying to do some housekeeping... er, devotion-keeping and it would be helpful if I had some input. If you would be willing to respond via email to mike.w.mcvey@gmail.com, it would help me do a better job with these devotions.
Do you like the current format of devotions for Monday through Friday?
Would you prefer for devotions on Saturday and Sunday, a combined Sat/Sun devotion, or is Monday-Friday satisfactory?
How often do you read one of the devotions: ( ) Once a week; ( ) Twice a week; ( ) 3-4 times a week; ( ) Everyday there is a devotion
How many people do you send the devotion to?
If I could change some things about the devotions, I would: ________________________________________
I read my devotion: ( ) Via email on a computer; ( ) Via email on a phone; ( ) Through the Devotions with Mike blog
Thanks again everyone! May Christ be able to accomplish great things through you.
Mike W. McVey
February 5, Friday Devotion
Isaiah 29:13-24
13 And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. 14 Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”
15 What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their evil deeds in the dark! “The Lord can’t see us,” they say. “He doesn’t know what’s going on!” 16 How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”?
17 Soon—and it will not be very long—the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. 18 In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness. 19 The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20 The scoffer will be gone, the arrogant will disappear, and those who plot evil will be killed. 21 Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear. A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice and who tell lies to destroy the innocent.
22 That is why the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the people of Israel, “My people will no longer be ashamed or turn pale with fear. 23 For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them, they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Israel. They will stand in awe of the God of Jacob. 24 Then the wayward will gain understanding, and complainers will accept instruction.
Quick Notes/Questions
It appear that the ones who get the most gruff from God seem to be the the ones who are the closest to Him. Honestly, who are you harder on: the ones who are close friends and family or complete strangers? My guess is the former. At the same time, we seem to disappoint those closest to us and those closest to us seem to disappoint us the most. This does not mean we will understand everything or have no rights to complain. But does it surprise you that that God is harder on believers rather than non-believers? Why or why not?
Quick Prayer
O God, you continue to lift me up no matter how low I go. O that I may mature in your spirit and be made perfect by your grace. Amen.
Do you like the current format of devotions for Monday through Friday?
Would you prefer for devotions on Saturday and Sunday, a combined Sat/Sun devotion, or is Monday-Friday satisfactory?
How often do you read one of the devotions: ( ) Once a week; ( ) Twice a week; ( ) 3-4 times a week; ( ) Everyday there is a devotion
How many people do you send the devotion to?
If I could change some things about the devotions, I would: ________________________________________
I read my devotion: ( ) Via email on a computer; ( ) Via email on a phone; ( ) Through the Devotions with Mike blog
Thanks again everyone! May Christ be able to accomplish great things through you.
Mike W. McVey
February 5, Friday Devotion
Isaiah 29:13-24
13 And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. 14 Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”
15 What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their evil deeds in the dark! “The Lord can’t see us,” they say. “He doesn’t know what’s going on!” 16 How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”?
17 Soon—and it will not be very long—the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. 18 In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness. 19 The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20 The scoffer will be gone, the arrogant will disappear, and those who plot evil will be killed. 21 Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear. A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice and who tell lies to destroy the innocent.
22 That is why the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the people of Israel, “My people will no longer be ashamed or turn pale with fear. 23 For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them, they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Israel. They will stand in awe of the God of Jacob. 24 Then the wayward will gain understanding, and complainers will accept instruction.
Quick Notes/Questions
It appear that the ones who get the most gruff from God seem to be the the ones who are the closest to Him. Honestly, who are you harder on: the ones who are close friends and family or complete strangers? My guess is the former. At the same time, we seem to disappoint those closest to us and those closest to us seem to disappoint us the most. This does not mean we will understand everything or have no rights to complain. But does it surprise you that that God is harder on believers rather than non-believers? Why or why not?
Quick Prayer
O God, you continue to lift me up no matter how low I go. O that I may mature in your spirit and be made perfect by your grace. Amen.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
February 4, Thursday Devotion
February 4, Thursday Devotion
Isaiah 29:1-12
1 “What sorrow awaits Ariel, the City of David. Year after year you celebrate your feasts. 2 Yet I will bring disaster upon you, and there will be much weeping and sorrow. For Jerusalem will become what her name Ariel means—an altar covered with blood. 3 I will be your enemy, surrounding Jerusalem and attacking its walls. I will build siege towers and destroy it. 4 Then deep from the earth you will speak; from low in the dust your words will come. Your voice will whisper from the ground like a ghost conjured up from the grave.
5 “But suddenly, your ruthless enemies will be crushed like the finest of dust. Your many attackers will be driven away like chaff before the wind. Suddenly, in an instant, 6 I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will act for you with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire. 7 All the nations fighting against Jerusalem will vanish like a dream! Those who are attacking her walls will vanish like a vision in the night. 8 A hungry person dreams of eating but wakes up still hungry. A thirsty person dreams of drinking but is still faint from thirst when morning comes. So it will be with your enemies, with those who attack Mount Zion.”
9 Are you amazed and incredulous? Don’t you believe it? Then go ahead and be blind. You are stupid, but not from wine! You stagger, but not from liquor! 10 For the Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries.
11 All the future events in this vision are like a sealed book to them. When you give it to those who can read, they will say, “We can’t read it because it is sealed.” 12 When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, “We don’t know how to read.”
Quick Notes/Questions
You might not want to believe it, but there is a precedent from the Bible to be called stupid. It is when God is moving and we are oblivious to it. It would be similar to inheriting lots of money but never claiming it. What is God doing around you?
Quick Prayer
Open my eyes, Lord. I want to see the miracles you are doing all around me as well as be a part of those miracles. Amen.
Isaiah 29:1-12
1 “What sorrow awaits Ariel, the City of David. Year after year you celebrate your feasts. 2 Yet I will bring disaster upon you, and there will be much weeping and sorrow. For Jerusalem will become what her name Ariel means—an altar covered with blood. 3 I will be your enemy, surrounding Jerusalem and attacking its walls. I will build siege towers and destroy it. 4 Then deep from the earth you will speak; from low in the dust your words will come. Your voice will whisper from the ground like a ghost conjured up from the grave.
5 “But suddenly, your ruthless enemies will be crushed like the finest of dust. Your many attackers will be driven away like chaff before the wind. Suddenly, in an instant, 6 I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will act for you with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire. 7 All the nations fighting against Jerusalem will vanish like a dream! Those who are attacking her walls will vanish like a vision in the night. 8 A hungry person dreams of eating but wakes up still hungry. A thirsty person dreams of drinking but is still faint from thirst when morning comes. So it will be with your enemies, with those who attack Mount Zion.”
9 Are you amazed and incredulous? Don’t you believe it? Then go ahead and be blind. You are stupid, but not from wine! You stagger, but not from liquor! 10 For the Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries.
11 All the future events in this vision are like a sealed book to them. When you give it to those who can read, they will say, “We can’t read it because it is sealed.” 12 When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, “We don’t know how to read.”
Quick Notes/Questions
You might not want to believe it, but there is a precedent from the Bible to be called stupid. It is when God is moving and we are oblivious to it. It would be similar to inheriting lots of money but never claiming it. What is God doing around you?
Quick Prayer
Open my eyes, Lord. I want to see the miracles you are doing all around me as well as be a part of those miracles. Amen.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
February 3, Wednesday Devotion
February 3, Wednesday Devotion
Isaiah 28:11-29
11 So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language! 12 God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen. 13 So the Lord will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured.
14 Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem. 15 You boast, “We have struck a bargain to cheat death and have made a deal to dodge the grave. The coming destruction can never touch us, for we have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception.”
16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. 17 I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away. 18 I will cancel the bargain you made to cheat death, and I will overturn your deal to dodge the grave. When the terrible enemy sweeps through, you will be trampled into the ground. 19 Again and again that flood will come, morning after morning, day and night, until you are carried away.”
This message will bring terror to your people. 20 The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you. 21 The Lord will come as he did against the Philistines at Mount Perazim and against the Amorites at Gibeon. He will come to do a strange thing; he will come to do an unusual deed: 22 For the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land. So scoff no more, or your punishment will be even greater.
23 Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention. 24 Does a farmer always plow and never sow? Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting? 25 Does he not finally plant his seeds—black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat—each in its proper way, and each in its proper place? 26 The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding. 27 A heavy sledge is never used to thresh black cumin; rather, it is beaten with a light stick. A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin; instead, it is beaten lightly with a flail. 28 Grain for bread is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it. He threshes it under the wheels of a cart, but he doesn’t pulverize it. 29 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom.
Quick Notes/Questions
If you were raised like me, you were taught the importance of giving. We are to constantly give of ourselves to make things work. Yet how many of us have been taught how to receive? Probably few of us. Giving well is easier learned than receiving well, but both are required to interact in this world. Most of us take rather than receive. This is sad but also not surprising. Taking sees only the immediate value of an item whereas receiving sees not only the value of the item, but the value of why it is being exchanged and gives value to the one who gives. Are you a taker or a receiver? Think about it. Pray about it. Confess it. Change.
Quick Prayer
Lord, too often I am a taker. I take and consume what is around me rather than appreciate what has been given. Teach me to receive, even if it is something as small as receiving you every day. Amen.
Isaiah 28:11-29
11 So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language! 12 God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen. 13 So the Lord will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured.
14 Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem. 15 You boast, “We have struck a bargain to cheat death and have made a deal to dodge the grave. The coming destruction can never touch us, for we have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception.”
16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. 17 I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away. 18 I will cancel the bargain you made to cheat death, and I will overturn your deal to dodge the grave. When the terrible enemy sweeps through, you will be trampled into the ground. 19 Again and again that flood will come, morning after morning, day and night, until you are carried away.”
This message will bring terror to your people. 20 The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you. 21 The Lord will come as he did against the Philistines at Mount Perazim and against the Amorites at Gibeon. He will come to do a strange thing; he will come to do an unusual deed: 22 For the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land. So scoff no more, or your punishment will be even greater.
23 Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention. 24 Does a farmer always plow and never sow? Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting? 25 Does he not finally plant his seeds—black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat—each in its proper way, and each in its proper place? 26 The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding. 27 A heavy sledge is never used to thresh black cumin; rather, it is beaten with a light stick. A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin; instead, it is beaten lightly with a flail. 28 Grain for bread is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it. He threshes it under the wheels of a cart, but he doesn’t pulverize it. 29 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom.
Quick Notes/Questions
If you were raised like me, you were taught the importance of giving. We are to constantly give of ourselves to make things work. Yet how many of us have been taught how to receive? Probably few of us. Giving well is easier learned than receiving well, but both are required to interact in this world. Most of us take rather than receive. This is sad but also not surprising. Taking sees only the immediate value of an item whereas receiving sees not only the value of the item, but the value of why it is being exchanged and gives value to the one who gives. Are you a taker or a receiver? Think about it. Pray about it. Confess it. Change.
Quick Prayer
Lord, too often I am a taker. I take and consume what is around me rather than appreciate what has been given. Teach me to receive, even if it is something as small as receiving you every day. Amen.
Monday, February 1, 2010
February 2, Tuesday Devotion
February 2, Tuesday Devotion
Isaiah 28:1-10
1 What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria—the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine. 2 For the Lord will send a mighty army against it. Like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain, they will burst upon it like a surging flood and smash it to the ground. 3 The proud city of Samaria—the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel—will be trampled beneath its enemies’ feet. 4 It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. Whoever sees it will snatch it up, as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten.
5 Then at last the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will himself be Israel’s glorious crown. He will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people. 6 He will give a longing for justice to their judges. He will give great courage to their warriors who stand at the gates.
7 Now, however, Israel is led by drunks who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol. The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol and lose themselves in wine. They reel when they see visions and stagger as they render decisions. 8 Their tables are covered with vomit; filth is everywhere. 9 “Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask. “Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned? 10 He tells us everything over and over—one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!”
Quick Notes/Questions
What do you find the most staggering about the stories in the Bible? Does this thing that amazes you affect you in real life? I am staggered how few seemed to understand that Jesus was the Christ that the people of Israel had been praying for. I mean, if you and I saw God incarnate, in the flesh, we would surely recognize him. Right? Or would we? Is it possible that we have God in the flesh moments and did not realize it? Verses 7-9 of today's passage are bothersome to me, and really, they should be to you as well.
Quick Prayer
Lord, let my eyes have your corrective vision that I may see how you are working around me and participate in your kingdom. Amen.
Isaiah 28:1-10
1 What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria—the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine. 2 For the Lord will send a mighty army against it. Like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain, they will burst upon it like a surging flood and smash it to the ground. 3 The proud city of Samaria—the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel—will be trampled beneath its enemies’ feet. 4 It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. Whoever sees it will snatch it up, as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten.
5 Then at last the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will himself be Israel’s glorious crown. He will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people. 6 He will give a longing for justice to their judges. He will give great courage to their warriors who stand at the gates.
7 Now, however, Israel is led by drunks who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol. The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol and lose themselves in wine. They reel when they see visions and stagger as they render decisions. 8 Their tables are covered with vomit; filth is everywhere. 9 “Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask. “Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned? 10 He tells us everything over and over—one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!”
Quick Notes/Questions
What do you find the most staggering about the stories in the Bible? Does this thing that amazes you affect you in real life? I am staggered how few seemed to understand that Jesus was the Christ that the people of Israel had been praying for. I mean, if you and I saw God incarnate, in the flesh, we would surely recognize him. Right? Or would we? Is it possible that we have God in the flesh moments and did not realize it? Verses 7-9 of today's passage are bothersome to me, and really, they should be to you as well.
Quick Prayer
Lord, let my eyes have your corrective vision that I may see how you are working around me and participate in your kingdom. Amen.
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