Category Archives: Character of God

Faith / Trusting God, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

You, O Lord, Are a Shield Around Me

David was a man after God’s own heart and a gifted musician.  There were several times in his life when David had to run from his enemies.  David’s turned his heart toward God when he was in trouble and fearing for his life. We should do likewise! Put your faith and trust in God.

Psalm 3

1 O Lord, I have so many enemies;
    so many are against me.
2 So many are saying,
    “God will never rescue him!” (Interlude)[a]

3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
    you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
4 I cried out to the Lord,
    and he answered me from his holy mountain. (Interlude)

5 I lay down and slept,
    yet I woke up in safety,
    for the Lord was watching over me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
    who surround me on every side.

7 Arise, O Lord!
    Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face!
    Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
8 Victory comes from you, O Lord.
    May you bless your people. (Interlude)

Some of us can identify very directly with fearing for our lives. Some even fear for our lives because of our faith in Jesus. Others have been fortunate never to face this level of fear. All of us encounter times of difficulty and stress. When we find ourselves in the midst of great storms, turn our hearts and minds toward God and seek His presence, wisdom, and protection.

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, Grace / Forgiveness, Idols / False Gods

Return to Me, for I Have Redeemed You

Isaiah covers 3 major themes in chapter 44: the blessings of Israel, the folly of idolatry, and forgiveness and redemption from God. All three of these are still entirely relevant today.

We as believers are grafted into Israel as part of God’s chosen people. Though we may not worship “false gods”, there are many temptations to put other things in a place of priority in our lives, where only God should be. Sometimes these come in the form of things like a job/career, an addiction, a hobby, or even our spouse or children. Anytime we put something else above God and we put our trust in that thing or person more than in God, that is effectively an idol. Lastly, we all sin and thus we all receive great benefit from God’s offer of forgiveness and redemption, which we receive through Yeshua.

Read on with that context in mind!

Isaiah 44

The Blessings of Israel

1“But now listen, O Jacob, My servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:

      2Thus says the LORD who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you,
‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant;
And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

      3‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;

      4And they will spring up among the grass
Like poplars by streams of water.’

      5“This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’S’;
And that one will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the LORD,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.

      6“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
‘I am the first and I am the last,
And there is no God besides Me.

      7‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
From the time that I established the ancient nation.
And let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place.

      8‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And you are My witnesses.
Is there any God besides Me,
Or is there any other Rock?
I know of none.’”

The Folly of Idolatry

      9Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. 10Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? 11Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.

      12The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. 14Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”

      18They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!” 20He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”


God Forgives and Redeems

21“Remember these things, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

      22“I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud
And your sins like a heavy mist.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

      23Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it;
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob
And in Israel He shows forth His glory.

      24Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,
“I, the LORD, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,

      25Causing the omens of boasters to fail,
Making fools out of diviners,
Causing wise men to draw back
And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

      26Confirming the word of His servant
And performing the purpose of His messengers.
It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’
And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’
And I will raise up her ruins again.

      27“It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’
And I will make your rivers dry.

      28“It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd!
And he will perform all My desire.’
And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”

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, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faithful, Idols / False Gods, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Not Fear, for I Have Redeemed You

Isaiah 43 contains several important themes that still resonate with us today if we take the time to listen and consider them.

  • Verses 1-7: God’s favor and goodwill are for His people. This should be a great comfort and encouragement. There is no need to fear.
  • Verses 8-13: God calls out those who believe in false gods or idols. He and He alone is God and savior.
  • Verses 14-21: The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is a reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.
  • Verses 22-28: God is troubled that His people turn away from Him and His offer of forgiveness of sins. They choose to overlook Him and go their own way. He pleads with the people that they would be justified through Him.

For more detailed thoughts expanding on these, consider Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary for Isaiah 43.

Isaiah 43

Israel Redeemed

1But now, this is what the LORD says, He who is your Creator, Jacob,

And He who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name; you are Mine!

2“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.

3“For I am the LORD your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I have given Egypt as your ransom,

Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

4“Since you are precious in My sight,

Since you are honored and I love you,

I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.

5“Do not fear, for I am with you;

I will bring your offspring from the east,

And gather you from the west.

6“I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring My sons from afar

And My daughters from the ends of the earth,

7Everyone who is called by My name,

And whom I have created for My glory,

Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Israel Is God’s Witness

8Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,

And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.

9All the nations have gathered together

So that the peoples may be assembled.

Who among them can declare this

And proclaim to us the former things?

Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified,

Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”

10“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe Me

And understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed,

And there will be none after Me.

11“I, only I, am the LORD,

And there is no savior besides Me.

12“It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,

And there was no strange god among you;

So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“And I am God.

13“Even from eternity I am He,

And there is no one who can rescue from My hand;

I act, and who can reverse it?”

Babylon to Be Destroyed

14This is what the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:

“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,

And will bring them all down as fugitives,

Even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoice.

15“I am the LORD, your Holy One,

The Creator of Israel, your King.” 16This is what the LORD says,

He who makes a way through the sea

And a path through the mighty waters,

17Who brings out the chariot and the horse,

The army and the mighty man

(They will lie down together and not rise again;

They have been extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):

18“Do not call to mind the former things,

Or consider things of the past.

19“Behold, I am going to do something new,

Now it will spring up;

Will you not be aware of it?

I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,

Rivers in the desert.

20“The animals of the field will glorify Me,

The jackals and the ostriches,

Because I have given waters in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert,

To give drink to My chosen people.

21“The people whom I formed for Myself

Will declare My praise.

The Shortcomings of Israel

22“Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob;

But you have become weary of Me, Israel.

23“You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,

Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with offerings,

Nor wearied you with incense.

24“You have not bought Me sweet cane with money,

Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;

Rather, you have burdened Me with your sins,

You have wearied Me with your wrongdoings.

25“I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake,

And I will not remember your sins.

26“Meet Me in court, let’s argue our case together;

State your cause, so that you may be proved right.

27“Your first forefather sinned,

And your spokesmen have rebelled against Me.

28“So I will profane the officials of the sanctuary,

And I will turn Jacob over to destruction and Israel to abuse. 

Do not overlook God’s favor toward us as believers and followers of Yeshua, our Messiah. Let us put our faith in God and God alone. There are no other gods, no one else in whom we should put our trust. We are called to redemption and justification through Yeshua. Let us not reject such a wonderful offer!

Take some time in prayer to reflect on this powerful message. What is God telling you today about what you need to do in your life? Are you putting your trust in Him and Him alone? Are you fearful when you can instead find His peace? Are you putting your focus on living according to His ways rather than your own?

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.

Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Prophecy, Prophecy, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Behold My Chosen One in Whom My Soul Delights

Isaiah 42 contains a significant prophecy about our Messiah, Yeshua. There are some themes to look for as you read. These themes still resonate with us today if we take the time to listen and consider them.

  • Verses 1-4: Prophecies about Yeshua’s first coming.
  • Verses 5-12: The work of redemption through Yeshua reconciles man back to God. It is an invitation to return to worshipping Him and being in the right relationship with Him.
  • Verses 13-17: God will lay low His enemies and graciously guide those who cannot find their own way (“the blind”).
  • Verses 18-25: Many hear the message and profess to follow God, but do not live it out. They do not live according to His law. They are not willing to walk in His ways.

For more detailed thoughts expanding on these, consider Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary for Isaiah 42.

Isaiah 42

1“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.

      2“He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.

      3“A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.

      4“He will not be disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

      5Thus says God the LORD,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,

      6“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,

      7To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.

      8“I am the LORD, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images.

      9“Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

      10Sing to the LORD a new song,
Sing His praise from the end of the earth!
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it.
You islands, and those who dwell on them.

      11Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices,
The settlements where Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud,
Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains.

      12Let them give glory to the LORD
And declare His praise in the coastlands.

      13The LORD will go forth like a warrior,
He will arouse His zeal like a man of war.
He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry.
He will prevail against His enemies.

The Blindness of the People

14“I have kept silent for a long time,
I have kept still and restrained Myself.
Now like a woman in labor I will groan,
I will both gasp and pant.

      15“I will lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will make the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.

      16“I will lead the blind by a way they do not know,
In paths they do not know I will guide them.
I will make darkness into light before them
And rugged places into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will not leave them undone.”

      17They will be turned back and be utterly put to shame,
Who trust in idols,
Who say to molten images,
“You are our gods.”

      18Hear, you deaf!
And look, you blind, that you may see.

      19Who is blind but My servant,
Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is so blind as he that is at peace with Me,
Or so blind as the servant of the LORD?

      20You have seen many things, but you do not observe them;
Your ears are open, but none hears.

      21The LORD was pleased for His righteousness’ sake
To make the law great and glorious.

      22But this is a people plundered and despoiled;
All of them are trapped in caves,
Or are hidden away in prisons;
They have become a prey with none to deliver them,
And a spoil, with none to say, “Give them back!”

      23Who among you will give ear to this?
Who will give heed and listen hereafter?

      24Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to plunderers?
Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned,
And in whose ways they were not willing to walk,
And whose law they did not obey?

      25So He poured out on him the heat of His anger
And the fierceness of battle;
And it set him aflame all around,
Yet he did not recognize it;
And it burned him, but he paid no attention.

This chapter has a lot of information to take in. Take time and reread it. Reflect on the themes summarized at the beginning of this article and how they apply to your life. Where are you in your relationship with God? We would not want to miss out on a right relationship with God for lack of walking out what we know (or should know) in our lives. Ask God to give you eyes to see and ears to hear.

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, Blessed, Comforter, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Strong in Our Weakness

God Will Strengthen Us and Help us

As we read through Isaiah 41, bring to mind that we, as followers of Yeshua, are grafted into God’s people, Israel (Romans 11). Accept the encouragement that Isaiah is declaring for Israel in this chapter as directly applicable to you in your life today as a believer and follower of Yeshua.

Isaiah 41

Israel Encouraged

1“Coastlands, listen to Me in silence,
And let the peoples gain new strength;
Let them come forward, then let them speak;
Let us come together for judgment.

      2“Who has aroused one from the east
Whom He calls in righteousness to His feet?
He delivers up nations before him
And subdues kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
As the wind-driven chaff with his bow.

      3“He pursues them, passing on in safety,
By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.

      4“Who has performed and accomplished it,
Calling forth the generations from the beginning?
‘I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.’”

      5The coastlands have seen and are afraid;
The ends of the earth tremble;
They have drawn near and have come.

      6Each one helps his neighbor
And says to his brother, “Be strong!”

      7So the craftsman encourages the smelter,
And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil,
Saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
And he fastens it with nails,
So that it will not totter.

      8“But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,

      9You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.

      10‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

      11“Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.

      12“You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.

      13“For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

      14“Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will help you,” declares the LORD, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

      15“Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;
You will thresh the mountains and pulverize them,
And will make the hills like chaff.

      16“You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,
And the storm will scatter them;
But you will rejoice in the LORD,
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

      17“The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none,
And their tongue is parched with thirst;
I, the LORD, will answer them Myself,
As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.

      18“I will open rivers on the bare heights
And springs in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water
And the dry land fountains of water.

      19“I will put the cedar in the wilderness,
The acacia and the myrtle and the olive tree;
I will place the juniper in the desert
Together with the box tree and the cypress,

      20That they may see and recognize,
And consider and gain insight as well,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

      21“Present your case,” the LORD says.
“Bring forward your strong arguments,”
The King of Jacob says.

      22Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place;
As for the former events, declare what they were,
That we may consider them and know their outcome.
Or announce to us what is coming;

      23Declare the things that are going to come afterward,
That we may know that you are gods;
Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.

      24Behold, you are of no account,
And your work amounts to nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.

      25“I have aroused one from the north, and he has come;
From the rising of the sun he will call on My name;
And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar,
Even as the potter treads clay.”

      26Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know?
Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?
Surely there was no one who declared,
Surely there was no one who proclaimed,
Surely there was no one who heard your words.

      27“Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’
And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’

      28“But when I look, there is no one,
And there is no counselor among them
Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

      29“Behold, all of them are false;
Their works are worthless,
Their molten images are wind and emptiness.

Reread verses 10-20 above. Take a few minutes in prayer to thank God that He will do that for each of us. Consider and praise Him for His greatness and kindness.

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, Creative, Eternal, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Reflect on the Greatness of Our God

As you read through this today, reflect on the greatness of our God. This is not a time for speed reading or hurrying. This is a time for slowly digesting the word and what it means in our lives.

Isaiah 40

The Greatness of God

1“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.

      2“Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
That her iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the LORD’S hand
Double for all her sins.”

      3A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

      4“Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

      5Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

      6A voice says, “Call out.”
Then he answered, “What shall I call out?”
All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

      7The grass withers, the flower fades,
When the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.

      8The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

      9Get yourself up on a high mountain,
O Zion, bearer of good news,
Lift up your voice mightily,
O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;
Lift it up, do not fear.
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”

      10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might,
With His arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His reward is with Him
And His recompense before Him.

      11Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

      12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the span,
And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?

      13Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD,
Or as His counselor has informed Him?

      14With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
And informed Him of the way of understanding?

      15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

      16Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,
Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

      17All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.

      18To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

      19As for the idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

      20He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To prepare an idol that will not totter.

      21Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

      22It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

      23He it is who reduces rulers to nothing,
Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

      24Scarcely have they been planted,
Scarcely have they been sown,
Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the storm carries them away like stubble.

      25“To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.

      26Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing.

      27Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?

      28Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.

      29He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.

      30Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,

      31Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Take a few more minutes and ask the Holy Spirit to really bring forth the rich message in this scripture. Meditate for a few minutes on the greatness of our God. What impact should this have on how you live your life?

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.

Compassionate, Faith / Trusting God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Miracles, Seeking God

The Lord Listens to the Prayers of the Righteous

We can be greatly encouraged that the Lord hears us and considers what we ask of Him. Whatever we are facing, we can bring it before the Lord and make our requests known to Him.

Hezekiah was facing significant challenges. The city was under siege in Isaiah 37 and God delivered it in victory upon the request of Hezekiah. However, God was even more gracious to Hezekiah. In Isaiah 38, Hezekiah got a report that he would die. This report was not from a doctor, but from God through Isaiah! Hezekiah pleaded with God and God granted him 15 more years to live!

How awesome that our God desires to draw near to us in a real relationship with us. He is not some distant ruler who sends out decrees upon what will happen. He is a loving father and master. He cares for us! He listens and considers what we ask!

Isaiah 38

Hezekiah Healed

      1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” 2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

      4Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, 5“Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6“I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’

      7“This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken: 8“Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.

      9A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

      10I said, “In the middle of my life
I am to enter the gates of Sheol;
I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.”

      11I said, “I will not see the LORD,
The LORD in the land of the living;
I will look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world.

      12“Like a shepherd’s tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me;
As a weaver I rolled up my life.
He cuts me off from the loom;
From day until night You make an end of me.

      13“I composed my soul until morning.
Like a lion—so He breaks all my bones,
From day until night You make an end of me.

      14“Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter;
I moan like a dove;
My eyes look wistfully to the heights;
O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security.

      15“What shall I say?
For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it;
I will wander about all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.

      16“O Lord, by these things men live,
And in all these is the life of my spirit;
O restore me to health and let me live!

      17“Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness;
It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

      18“For Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You;
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

      19“It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;
A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.

      20“The LORD will surely save me;
So we will play my songs on stringed instruments
All the days of our life at the house of the LORD.”

      21Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” 22Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?”

Thank you, Lord, for your grace, mercy, and love toward us! You and you alone are God. You are the master of the universe. There are none like you.  Thank you for listening to us!

Take a few minutes and prayerfully reflect on the fact that the creator of the universe wants you to draw near to Him and to be in a close relationship with Him. He does not simply have one-way communication with us, like a distant ruler. He speaks and listens to us. He considers what we ask of Him. How awesome is that!

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.

 

Compassionate, Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Thankfulness

The LORD Is Our Abundant Helper

The LORD is our abundant helper. What a gracious God to be such a helper to those who seek Him. He does not expect us to achieve what we are called to do or to serve Him all in our own power. He loves us and helps us. He makes a way for us through His goodness.

Psalm 146

The LORD an Abundant Helper.

1Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!

      2I will praise the LORD while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

      3Do not trust in princes,
In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.

      4His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.

      5How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

      6Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps faith forever;

      7Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free.

      8The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous;

      9The LORD protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

      10The LORD will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!

Take a few minutes to praise God for who He is and what He has already done in your life. Pray through this psalm focusing on each line and what it reveals to us about our God. Let it soak in. Do not rush it.

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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, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Persecution / Glorifying God, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Strong in Our Weakness, Wickedness / Evil

Keep God’s Commandments AND Hold to the Testimony of Christ

Revelation 12 lays out some key fundamentals in the spiritual warfare between Satan and YHWH’s people in some attention-grabbing visualizations. Notice you will find no labels of “Jewish” or “Christian”. These labels are not always meaningful as many call themselves by these names but do not follow YHWH or do not hold to the testimony of Yeshua. In verse 17 we see that the key is not what label someone claims, but if you actually “keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”.

It seems obvious that the Jewish people do not hold to the testimony of Yeshua. However, it may only be slightly less obvious that most who identify as “Christian”, holding to the testimony of Christ, do not keep the whole of the commandments of YHWH. Common Christian teaching holds to some commandments and dismisses many others. It is not simply about “the 10 commandments”. There is so much more to be learned and followed in studying the foundational books of the Bible, the Torah (written by Moses), and the writings of the prophets. For many, they do well to genuinely focus on starting to really live out the 10 commandments in their lives. This is a good place to begin.

I encourage Jewish people to seek Messiah in Yeshua. I encourage Christians to seek to study the Bible and challenge to deepen our understanding of the Hebrew roots of our faith and the fullness of the wonderful things in the law of YHWH.  (Focused Ministries – Understanding the Hebrew Roots of Christianity)

Revelation 12

The Woman, Israel

     1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

The Red Dragon, Satan

     3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

The Male Child, Christ

     5And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

The Angel, Michael

     7And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12“For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

      13And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help open my eyes to both the testimony of Yeshua and obedience to all Your commandments. Help me fully embrace You and Your ways and not only do so in part as so many do. I want to do more than just claim Your name and go to church. I want to live my life for You. I know I fall short, but please help me. 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.

 

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Holy / Set Apart, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Self Control, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Rejecting God Has Serious Consequences

We can not simply claim to follow Christ and continue in sin, in direct rebellion against Him. Those who genuinely turn their lives to Christ will show it through their actions and attitudes. We will not be perfect. Certainly not. However, we will strive to turn away from sin rather than embrace and accept it. Our Father could not be more clear… those who continue in sin and rebellion against the Father will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

      9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Take caution not to rationalize your sin. The world would have you believe that everyone will inherit the kingdom of God, regardless of sin and rebellion against the Father. God’s word could not be more clear. There are serious consequences for those who choose to remain in sin rather than repent and submit to Jesus as Lord.

Be encouraged. Our sins can be forgiven through Jesus. God has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus.

Take a few minutes right now. Pray for God to help you overcome sin and rebellion against God through the Holy Spirit and submit to Him in obedience. Give thanks for Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for our sins to be forgiven.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus), 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.