All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God

Come Openly and Honestly to the LORD in Times of Trouble

We do not need “special” or “long” prayers in order to cry out to YHWH when we are experiencing trouble. Simply cry out for help and submit yourself to him in an open and honest way. Of course, let us also remember to submit to him and maintain a close relationship with him when times are good as well. We should not ignore him and then come to him only when we are in trouble.

Psalm 142

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

     1I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD;
I make supplication with my voice to the LORD.

      2I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him.

      3When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have hidden a trap for me.

      4Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
There is no escape for me;
No one cares for my soul.

      5I cried out to You, O LORD;
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.

      6“Give heed to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are too strong for me.

      7“Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will deal bountifully with me.”

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Hope, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Judgment on the Earth but the Remnant Still Rejoices

Many are concerned with a great variety of difficulties on the earth, such as pollution. They see in the carnal only, the physical. They do not see the spiritual. God shows us in Isaiah 24 that the earth is polluted by its inhabitants, not because they used too much plastic, but because they broke the covenant with God. The people have transgressed laws and violated statutes. People have turned what is good into evil and evil into good in their minds. It is this that defiles the earth. It is for this that the earth will be judged and those on it.

Be encouraged, though, as there will be a joyous remnant remaining. God will make a new heaven and a new earth. God will reign among His people again!

Isaiah 24

Judgment on the Earth

      1Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants. 2And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor. 3The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken this word. 4The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away. 5The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.

      7The new wine mourns,
The vine decays,
All the merry-hearted sigh.

      8The gaiety of tambourines ceases,
The noise of revelers stops,
The gaiety of the harp ceases.

      9They do not drink wine with song;
Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

      10The city of chaos is broken down;
Every house is shut up so that none may enter.

      11There is an outcry in the streets concerning the wine;
All joy turns to gloom.
The gaiety of the earth is banished.

      12Desolation is left in the city
And the gate is battered to ruins.

      13For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples,
As the shaking of an olive tree,
As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.

      14They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the LORD.

      15Therefore glorify the LORD in the east,
The name of the LORD, the God of Israel,
In the coastlands of the sea.

      16From the ends of the earth we hear songs, “Glory to the Righteous One,”
But I say, “Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas for me!
The treacherous deal treacherously,
And the treacherous deal very treacherously.”

      17Terror and pit and snare
Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth.

      18Then it will be that he who flees the report of disaster will fall into the pit,
And he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare;
For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake.

      19The earth is broken asunder,
The earth is split through,
The earth is shaken violently.

      20The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard
And it totters like a shack,
For its transgression is heavy upon it,
And it will fall, never to rise again.

      21So it will happen in that day,
That the LORD will punish the host of heaven on high,
And the kings of the earth on earth.

      22They will be gathered together
Like prisoners in the dungeon,
And will be confined in prison;
And after many days they will be punished.

      23Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed,
For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
And His glory will be before His elders.

As believers, we can be encouraged that there is a remnant that survives and thrives with joy, even in hardship. Trust in God. Put your faith in Him. Rejoice and give thanks at all times.

I invite you to pray with me.

Father, thank You for protecting Your remnant and keeping us joyful! Thank You for the hope and faith that you will renew the earth and reign over us! Praise God who is worthy of all honor and glory. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Merciful, Pride

Don’t Put the Things of Man Above the Things of God

Tyre in many ways symbolized the pride of man lifted up above God. It was a grand center of trade and worldly wealth. The LORD brought humility to Tyre through its destruction.  The LORD does not like pride and does not like man glorifying himself and his accomplishments over that of God.

This applies to our lives still today, if we take heed. Do not take pride in our own accomplishments or the things of man. Instead, keep God first in our hearts.

Isaiah 23

The Fall of Tyre

1The oracle concerning Tyre.
Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
For Tyre is destroyed, without house or harbor;
It is reported to them from the land of Cyprus.

2Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland,
You merchants of Sidon;
Your messengers crossed the sea

3And were on many waters.
The grain of the Nile, the harvest of the River was her revenue;
And she was the market of nations.

4Be ashamed, O Sidon;
For the sea speaks, the stronghold of the sea, saying,
“I have neither travailed nor given birth,
I have neither brought up young men nor reared virgins.”

5When the report reaches Egypt,
They will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.

6Pass over to Tarshish;
Wail, O inhabitants of the coastland.

7Is this your jubilant city,
Whose origin is from antiquity,
Whose feet used to carry her to colonize distant places?

8Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?

9The LORD of hosts has planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty,
To despise all the honored of the earth.

10Overflow your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish,
There is no more restraint.

11He has stretched His hand out over the sea,
He has made the kingdoms tremble;
The LORD has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strongholds.

12He has said, “You shall exult no more, O crushed virgin daughter of Sidon.
Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest.”

13Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people which was not; Assyria appointed it for desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin.

14Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
For your stronghold is destroyed.

15Now in that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

16Take your harp, walk about the city,
O forgotten harlot;
Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs,
That you may be remembered.

17It will come about at the end of seventy years that the LORD will visit Tyre. Then she will go back to her harlot’s wages and will play the harlot with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. 18Her gain and her harlot’s wages will be set apart to the LORD; it will not be stored up or hoarded, but her gain will become sufficient food and choice attire for those who dwell in the presence of the LORD.

Today, we can still learn the lesson of Tyre. Avoid sinful pride, putting the accomplishments of man or our own accomplishments in a place of honor in our hearts above God. We can also see that after 70 years, God had mercy on Tyre. Sadly, they quickly went back to their old ways. If we have sinned and received God’s mercy, let us not go back to our sinful ways. Instead, let us repent and be transformed to honor God and live His way. We can harvest great benefits from the mercy of God, but we must change our ways!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me not to be prideful. Help me to be humble. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Let me not put my own achievements of those of man above Your place as first in my heart! I pray these things in Yeshua’s name. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Prophecy, Prophecy, Through Prophets

When Preparing for Battle, Focus on God In Addition to Carnal Preparations

Preparing for battle, Judah made many carnal preparations. They provided water in the city. They repaired the walls. God had brought them to this hardship to lead them to regret and repentance. Instead, they celebrated and feasted, “because tomorrow we may die”. They made physical preparations. They did not turn to the LORD, repent, and ask Him to forgive and protect them.

When we face our battles, literal or otherwise, let’s do all these preparations, but first and foremost let us seek God and call upon Him for His protection.  Unless the LORD is with us, we labor in vain.

Isaiah 22

The Valley of Vision

      1The oracle concerning the valley of vision.
What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?

      2You who were full of noise,
You boisterous town, you exultant city;
Your slain were not slain with the sword,
Nor did they die in battle.

      3All your rulers have fled together,
And have been captured without the bow;
All of you who were found were taken captive together,
Though they had fled far away.

      4Therefore I say, “Turn your eyes away from me,
Let me weep bitterly,
Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

      5For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation and confusion
In the valley of vision,
A breaking down of walls
And a crying to the mountain.

      6Elam took up the quiver
With the chariots, infantry and horsemen;
And Kir uncovered the shield.

      7Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.

      8And He removed the defense of Judah.
In that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest,

      9And you saw that the breaches
In the wall of the city of David were many;
And you collected the waters of the lower pool.

      10Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem
And tore down houses to fortify the wall.

      11And you made a reservoir between the two walls
For the waters of the old pool.
But you did not depend on Him who made it,
Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.

      12Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing,
To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.

      13Instead, there is gaiety and gladness,
Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”

      14But the LORD of hosts revealed Himself to me,
“Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you
Until you die,” says the Lord GOD of hosts.

      15Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts,
“Come, go to this steward,
To Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household,

      16‘What right do you have here,
And whom do you have here,
That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here,
You who hew a tomb on the height,
You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock?

      17‘Behold, the LORD is about to hurl you headlong, O man.
And He is about to grasp you firmly

      18And roll you tightly like a ball,
To be cast into a vast country;
There you will die
And there your splendid chariots will be,
You shame of your master’s house.’

      19“I will depose you from your office,
And I will pull you down from your station.

      20“Then it will come about in that day,
That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

      21And I will clothe him with your tunic
And tie your sash securely about him.
I will entrust him with your authority,
And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

      22“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,
When he opens no one will shut,
When he shuts no one will open.

      23“I will drive him like a peg in a firm place,
And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.

24“So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. 25“In that day,” declares the LORD of hosts, “the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.”

It is encouraging to see that even as the LORD plans rebuke and punishment intended to draw the people back to Him, He is also planning who and how He will bring about restoration! What the LORD opens, no one will shut. What the LORD shuts, no one will open.

What hardships and challenges are you facing in your life? Are you turning to God wholeheartedly or are you trying to handle it all on your own?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for disciplining us to bring us back to the right relationship with You. Thank You for preparing a way to restore us to You! Your plans are perfect. Your ways are right. We put our full trust in You, even during hardship. I pray this in the name of Yeshua, our savior. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Prophecy, Prophecy, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Through Prophets

God Is Stronger than Any Enemy You Face

As we continue to read Isaiah, we see the same theme continuing in chapters 20-21. God can humble even the mightiest of those who stand against His people.  In Isaiah’s time, it was nation-states. That may still be the case for some of us, depending on our home country. Many nations persecute followers of Yeshua aggressively or simply fail to protect them. In nations like the USA, many, including government and businesses have a tendency to persecute Christians. It may not be a threat to your life, but rather it may be an attack on your business.

Regardless of whoever may oppose you, be encouraged that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! God is mighty and unmatched. He is sovereign and can humble anyone at the time of His choosing.

Isaiah 20

Prophecy about Egypt and Ethiopia

      1In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it, 2at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet.” And he did so, going naked and barefoot. 3And the LORD said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, 4so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. 5“Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast. 6“So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?’”

Isaiah 21

God Commands That Babylon Be Taken

      1The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.
As windstorms in the Negev sweep on,
It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.

      2A harsh vision has been shown to me;
The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys.
Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media;
I have made an end of all the groaning she has caused.

      3For this reason my loins are full of anguish;
Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor.
I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.

      4My mind reels, horror overwhelms me;
The twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling.

      5They set the table, they spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;
“Rise up, captains, oil the shields,”

6For thus the Lord says to me,
“Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees.

      7“When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
A train of donkeys, a train of camels,
Let him pay close attention, very close attention.”

8Then the lookout called,
“O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower,
And I am stationed every night at my guard post.

      9“Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.”
And one said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
And all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground.”

      10O my threshed people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor!
What I have heard from the LORD of hosts,
The God of Israel, I make known to you.

Oracles about Edom and Arabia

      11The oracle concerning Edom.
One keeps calling to me from Seir,
“Watchman, how far gone is the night?
Watchman, how far gone is the night?”

      12The watchman says,
“Morning comes but also night.
If you would inquire, inquire;
Come back again.”

      13The oracle about Arabia.
In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night,
O caravans of Dedanites.

      14Bring water for the thirsty,
O inhabitants of the land of Tema,
Meet the fugitive with bread.

      15For they have fled from the swords,
From the drawn sword, and from the bent bow
And from the press of battle.

      16For thus the Lord said to me, “In a year, as a hired man would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will terminate; 17and the remainder of the number of bowmen, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the LORD God of Israel has spoken.”

Regardless of what or who you face. Be encouraged and put your hope and faith in God! He is a loving Father. He does not make mistakes. We can often grow stronger through trials.

Romans 8:28

28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, You are worthy of all praise! There is none like you! Help us to put our trust in You and You alone. Thank You that we are invited to be in a relationship with You through Yeshua. Thank You for Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness toward us. Thank You for being our shield and or refuge! In Yeshua’s name, I pray. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Discipline / Guidance From God, Faithful, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Prophecy, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God

The LORD Has Power to Destroy and Restore

The LORD has the power to destroy or restore. His power and authority are absolute and unrivaled. If you are facing difficult enemies or situations, be encouraged. If you line up your life with God through Yeshua, You will do well. He is an ever-present helper.  He will not leave us or forsake us!

However, if you are not pursuing God, take warning. Those who do not have an intimate relationship with Him may not find His help and further may find some correction coming their way.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!

Isaiah 19

Message to Egypt

      1The oracle concerning Egypt.
Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt;
The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence,
And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

      2“So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians;
And they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor,
City against city and kingdom against kingdom.

      3“Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them;
And I will confound their strategy,
So that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead
And to mediums and spiritists.

      4“Moreover, I will deliver the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel master,
And a mighty king will rule over them,” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

      5The waters from the sea will dry up,
And the river will be parched and dry.

      6The canals will emit a stench,
The streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up;
The reeds and rushes will rot away.

      7The bulrushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile
And all the sown fields by the Nile
Will become dry, be driven away, and be no more.

      8And the fishermen will lament,
And all those who cast a line into the Nile will mourn,
And those who spread nets on the waters will pine away.

      9Moreover, the manufacturers of linen made from combed flax
And the weavers of white cloth will be utterly dejected.

      10And the pillars of Egypt will be crushed;
All the hired laborers will be grieved in soul.

      11The princes of Zoan are mere fools;
The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become stupid.
How can you men say to Pharaoh,
“I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?

      12Well then, where are your wise men?
Please let them tell you,
And let them understand what the LORD of hosts
Has purposed against Egypt.

      13The princes of Zoan have acted foolishly,
The princes of Memphis are deluded;
Those who are the cornerstone of her tribes
Have led Egypt astray.

      14The LORD has mixed within her a spirit of distortion;
They have led Egypt astray in all that it does,
As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

      15There will be no work for Egypt
Which its head or tail, its palm branch or bulrush, may do.

      16In that day the Egyptians will become like women, and they will tremble and be in dread because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He is going to wave over them. 17The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt; everyone to whom it is mentioned will be in dread of it, because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts which He is purposing against them.

      18In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction.

      19In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near its border. 20It will become a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them. 21Thus the LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. 22The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them.

      23In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

      24In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

As we close, take time to consider your relationship with God. Are you receiving hope from an intimate relationship that keeps growing closer to Him? Do you feel distant from Him, as if you are not making Him a priority in your life? Do you see the growth in your relationship with Him or is it stagnant?  Ask God to give you insight.

Commit to seeking the LORD more consistently and passionately in your life and then make a plan to do so. Start today!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for encouraging us and warning us in Your word. Help us not to rationalize our behaviors and attitudes, but truly challenge them so that we can continue to change and draw nearer to You. Thank You for helping us when we are struggling or overwhelmed! You are an ever-present hope for those who believe.  I pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Father / Yahweh, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Prophecy, Prophecy, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Though God May Seem Distant, He Simply Waits for His Timing

Sometimes God may seem disengaged from our trials and challenges for a time. However, in His timing, He will come against the enemies of His people. He does so in a way that brings honor and glory to His name.

Take heart and be encouraged if you are in a situation where it feels like God is distant. He has not changed. He is still sovereign. You need only focus on your relationship with God and trust in Him. He will come in His timing.

Isaiah 18

Message to Ethiopia

1Alas, oh land of whirring wings
Which lies beyond the rivers of Cush,

      2Which sends envoys by the sea,
Even in papyrus vessels on the surface of the waters.
Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth,
To a people feared far and wide,
A powerful and oppressive nation
Whose land the rivers divide.

      3All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth,
As soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, you will see it,
And as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it.

4For thus the LORD has told me,
“I will look from My dwelling place quietly
Like dazzling heat in the sunshine,
Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

      5For before the harvest, as soon as the bud blossoms
And the flower becomes a ripening grape,
Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives
And remove and cut away the spreading branches.

      6They will be left together for mountain birds of prey,
And for the beasts of the earth;
And the birds of prey will spend the summer feeding on them,
And all the beasts of the earth will spend harvest time on them.

      7At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the LORD of hosts
From a people tall and smooth,
Even from a people feared far and wide,
A powerful and oppressive nation,
Whose land the rivers divide—
To the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, even Mount Zion.

God is always in control. God is always aware of our challenges and cares for us. In some cases, He is using tough situations to grow or shape us or draw us back near to Him. Trust in Him and focus on Him in any trials!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your word. Thank You for the assurance that You will never leave nor forsake us. Thank You that we can trust in You even in difficult times! Thank You that You rescue us in Your timing to accomplish Your purposes, for we know that You love us. I pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Hope, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Peace / Rest, Prophecy, Prophecy, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Have You Ever Felt Overwhelmed?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the challenges and perhaps enemies you feel are coming before you? I suspect Judah felt that way when Israel and Syria were aligned against them. However, Isaiah 17 reminds us that God is all-powerful. He is able to bring down your enemies before you and remove what obstacles you are facing. Put your faith in the LORD. Follow His ways. Be encouraged.

I think the Matthew Henry Concise commentary includes some good background on Isaiah 17 for those interested. I want to highlight a few sentences in particular to share.

“Happy are those who remember God as their salvation, and rely on his power and grace. The trouble of the believers, and the prosperity of their enemies, will be equally short; while the joy of the former, and the destruction of those that hate and spoil them, shall last for ever.”

Isaiah 17

Prophecy about Damascus

      1The oracle concerning Damascus.
“Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city
And will become a fallen ruin.

      2“The cities of Aroer are forsaken;
They will be for flocks to lie down in,
And there will be no one to frighten them.

      3“The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,
And sovereignty from Damascus
And the remnant of Aram;
They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,”
Declares the LORD of hosts.

      4Now in that day the glory of Jacob will fade,
And the fatness of his flesh will become lean.

      5It will be even like the reaper gathering the standing grain,
As his arm harvests the ears,
Or it will be like one gleaning ears of grain
In the valley of Rephaim.

      6Yet gleanings will be left in it like the shaking of an olive tree,
Two or three olives on the topmost bough,
Four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree,
Declares the LORD, the God of Israel.

      7In that day man will have regard for his Maker
And his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.

      8He will not have regard for the altars, the work of his hands,
Nor will he look to that which his fingers have made,
Even the Asherim and incense stands.

      9In that day their strong cities will be like forsaken places in the forest,
Or like branches which they abandoned before the sons of Israel;
And the land will be a desolation.

      10For you have forgotten the God of your salvation
And have not remembered the rock of your refuge.
Therefore you plant delightful plants
And set them with vine slips of a strange god.

      11In the day that you plant it you carefully fence it in,
And in the morning you bring your seed to blossom;
But the harvest will be a heap
In a day of sickliness and incurable pain.

      12Alas, the uproar of many peoples
Who roar like the roaring of the seas,
And the rumbling of nations
Who rush on like the rumbling of mighty waters!

      13The nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters,
But He will rebuke them and they will flee far away,
And be chased like chaff in the mountains before the wind,
Or like whirling dust before a gale.

      14At evening time, behold, there is terror!
Before morning they are no more.
Such will be the portion of those who plunder us
And the lot of those who pillage us.

I want to close by coming back to the point highlighted above from the Matthew Henry Concise commentary.

“Happy are those who remember God as their salvation, and rely on his power and grace. The trouble of the believers, and the prosperity of their enemies, will be equally short; while the joy of the former, and the destruction of those that hate and spoil them, shall last for ever.”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to remember You are my salvation. Help me to rely on Your power and grace. The trouble of believers and the prosperity of our enemies will be equally short. Our joy as believers will last forever as we draw nearer to You.  Help us to find peace by casting our anxiety and worries upon You for You care for us. I pray this in the name of Yeshua, Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets

Focus on Your Relationship with God

We should keep our eyes on God and our relationship with Him. Further, how we relate to others is also a good indication of our relationship with God.  Do not let our attention wander to get distracted by those who may appear to be prospering even though they are far from God.  Truly our focus needs to remain on how we relate to God and as a reflection of that, how we relate to others.

God may allow His and your enemies to prosper for a time, but ultimately all will face their judgment and be held accountable. The history recorded in Isaiah reveals that God allowed Israel’s enemies to prosper and have victory for a while as part of His discipline for Israel. However, He also shows us that He is ultimately in control. He held them accountable for their actions.

Isaiah 15

Judgment on Moab

      1The oracle concerning Moab.
Surely in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined;
Surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.

      2They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, even to the high places to weep.
Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba;
Everyone’s head is bald and every beard is cut off.

      3In their streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth;
On their housetops and in their squares
Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears.

      4Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out,
Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz;
Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;
His soul trembles within him.

      5My heart cries out for Moab;
His fugitives are as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah,
For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping;
Surely on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their ruin.

      6For the waters of Nimrim are desolate.
Surely the grass is withered, the tender grass died out,
There is no green thing.

      7Therefore the abundance which they have acquired and stored up
They carry off over the brook of Arabim.

      8For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab,
Its wail goes as far as Eglaim and its wailing even to Beer-elim.

      9For the waters of Dimon are full of blood;
Surely I will bring added woes upon Dimon,
A lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon the remnant of the land.

Isaiah 16 

Prophecy of Moab’s Devastation

1Send the tribute lamb to the ruler of the land,
From Sela by way of the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.

      2Then, like fleeing birds or scattered nestlings,
The daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the Arnon.

      3“Give us advice, make a decision;
Cast your shadow like night at high noon;
Hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive.

      4“Let the outcasts of Moab stay with you;
Be a hiding place to them from the destroyer.”
For the extortioner has come to an end, destruction has ceased,
Oppressors have completely disappeared from the land.

      5A throne will even be established in lovingkindness,
And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David;
Moreover, he will seek justice
And be prompt in righteousness.

      6We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride;
Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury;
His idle boasts are false.

      7Therefore Moab will wail; everyone of Moab will wail.
You will moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth
As those who are utterly stricken.

      8For the fields of Heshbon have withered, the vines of Sibmah as well;
The lords of the nations have trampled down its choice clusters
Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered to the deserts;
Its tendrils spread themselves out and passed over the sea.

      9Therefore I will weep bitterly for Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah;
I will drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh;
For the shouting over your summer fruits and your harvest has fallen away.

      10Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field;
In the vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting,
No treader treads out wine in the presses,
For I have made the shouting to cease.

      11Therefore my heart intones like a harp for Moab
And my inward feelings for Kir-hareseth.

      12So it will come about when Moab presents himself,
When he wearies himself upon his high place
And comes to his sanctuary to pray,
That he will not prevail.

      13This is the word which the LORD spoke earlier concerning Moab. 14But now the LORD speaks, saying, “Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent.”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please teach me Your ways that I would know You and not rely on the often deceptive teachings of men. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for loving me enough to discipline me in order to help keep me on the right path in my relationship with You. I will stay focused on You and not be distracted when others prosper that are far from You. I put my full trust in You through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. My sins are forgiven through His stripes. Thank You for always providing a way back to a close relationship with You. Thank You for Your grace, mercy, and lovingkindness. In the name of Yeshua, I pray. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Holy / Set Apart, Interceding for Others, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Learning To Pray Effectively, Satan, Seeking God, Spiritual Warfare

Yeshua’s Prayer for His Disciples… Important Insight on How to Pray

I found Yeshua’s prayer in John 17 for His disciples very moving. I encourage each of us to read it and apply the key points He highlights to our own prayer life for ourselves, our loved ones, and other followers of Christ.

Yeshua came to the Father in prayer for His disciples as He prepared to leave. We can learn much by reviewing and considering His words.

John 17:13-21

The Disciples in the World

     13“But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.16“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19“For their sakes, I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

      20“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

  • Yeshua wanted His disciples to have His joy made full in themselves
  • He gave us the instructions of YHWH to make our joy full. We can rightly conclude He intended for us to obey them, not just be aware of them.
  • Those who follow Yeshua, like Yeshua, are not “of the world”. The world will hate and reject us, usually more so as we stand and live more boldly for Christ. This does not mean every person will hate us, but one need only look around at newspapers for national and world events to see that followers of Christ are persecuted in varying degrees depending on where they are in the world. (I do not mean people who claim Christ and live like the world… the devil and the world love these folks.)
  • We need the Father’s help to protect us from Satan. Yes, he is a real adversary.
  • Sanctify means to be set apart as holy. Yeshua asks YHWH to make us holy through truth, or the word. Again, we can reasonably conclude He intends for us to live according to the word rather than the same way the world lives.
  • Here, Yeshua specifically calls out that He is praying not just for this specific group of men, but for all who believe in Him.
  • His desire is for us as His followers to be united. We can see this is not the case throughout the world. This can seem difficult at times because we are not called to accept false teaching, but we are called to unity. Many disagree on the true application of scripture creating division. We should allow room for debate where scripture permits, but some teachings are heretical and dangerous and need to be rejected. (e.g. The teaching that everyone who claims Yeshua in name pleases the Lord and goes to heaven even if they are without repentance and do not change their lives to match His instruction.)

I encourage you to pray and reflect on these verses as well as incorporate them into your own prayer life. Ask the Father to enlighten you on their full meaning and application for your life. Pray this prayer for your children or loved ones as well as other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.