Category Archives: Loving / Kind

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Comforter, Compassionate, Healer, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness

He Will Turn Mourning Into Gladness

What good news to hear that the Lord binds up the brokenhearted, proclaims liberty to captives, provides comfort to those who mourn, and more. Read through Isaiah 61 and be encouraged if you are following Him. He is more than able to handle any situation in which you are involved.

Isaiah 61

Exaltation of the Afflicted

    1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;

      2To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

      3To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

      4Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.

      5Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,
And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

      6But you will be called the priests of the LORD;
You will be spoken of as ministers of our God.
You will eat the wealth of nations,
And in their riches you will boast.

      7Instead of your shame you will have a double portion,
And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land,
Everlasting joy will be theirs.

      8For I, the LORD, love justice,
I hate robbery in the burnt offering;
And I will faithfully give them their recompense
And make an everlasting covenant with them.

      9Then their offspring will be known among the nations,
And their descendants in the midst of the peoples.
All who see them will recognize them
Because they are the offspring whom the LORD has blessed.

      10I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

      11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations.

Give thanks to God for the blessings He provides and honor Him for who He is, creator of all and father. He cares for us who pursue Him.

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, Compassionate, Faithful, Grace / Forgiveness, Humility, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

He Is Ready to Show Grace, if You Are Ready to Repent

Grace is giving someone what they do not deserve. God tells us repeatedly in the Bible that He wants to show us grace, but will wait on us to turn toward Him in genuine repentance.

Isaiah 30 is an impactful scripture about God’s grace following the sin of His people.  I encourage you to click the link and read all of it for full context. The first seven verses reveal how the people of Judah turned away from God and made a treaty with Egypt for protection instead of trusting God. Verses 8-11 reveal how the people have rejected God’s messengers who bring His instruction.  Verses 12-17 tell how futile and worthless is the path the people chose instead of following God’s instructions. It will not serve them well.  And in the center of this outright rebellion toward God, God still offers grace when the people repent starting in verse 18. But they must turn to Him.

Isaiah 30:18-26

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.

Anyone who expects God to be gracious while still openly rejecting and rebelling against Him will be disappointed. God is willing to extend grace, but we must turn toward Him with genuine repentance.  God is waiting for us to come to Him and His grace is truly wonderful.

Take time in prayer right now and accept and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. Come humbly toward Him with repentance and receive His love and compassion.

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, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Merciful

God Offers Us Mercy, and at No Cost to Us

God offers us mercy at no cost to us. We simply need to accept it and come submit to Him as our Lord. This free offer of mercy from the Lord comes through the person of Jesus (Yeshua, in Hebrew). He is enough for all. When we partake of Jesus, we will never be thirsty again (John 4:10-14). We find life, an everlasting covenant, forgiveness, peace, and joy. Truly, what good reason could anyone have for rejecting such an offer?

Isaiah 55

The Free Offer of Mercy

1“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.

      2“Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance.

      3“Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

      4“Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
A leader and commander for the peoples.

      5“Behold, you will call a nation you do not know,
And a nation which knows you not will run to you,
Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”

      6Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.

      7Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

      8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

      9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

      10“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

      11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

      12“For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

      13“Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up,
And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up,
And it will be a memorial to the LORD,
For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”

I am so very grateful that God does not wait for us to deserve or earn His mercy and goodness. He generously offers it to us. Jesus paid the price.

Take time to thank God in prayer. Ask Him to show you any areas in which you still need to fully submit to God and His ways. Let go of any areas in your life where you are doing things your way instead of His way.

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, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Prophecy, Through Prophets

Yeshua Suffered for Our Sins; Let Us Be Grateful!

As you read the prophecy about our Messiah, Yeshua, in Isaiah 53, Do not rush through it. Let each verse sink in and experience the fullness of meaning therein. It was for our sins that He suffered. Personalize it. He suffered so we could be reconciled to the Father. We did not deserve it or earn it!

Isaiah 53

The Suffering Servant

1Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

      2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

      3He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

      4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.

      5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

      6All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

      7He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.

      8By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

      9His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

      10But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

      11As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.

      12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

Take a few minutes right now in prayer and give God thanks for making a way for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be reconciled to Him based solely on His grace and mercy. It is totally undeserved on our parts!

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, Humility, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Thankfulness

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is an important activity for us as followers of Christ. We should take the opportunity to approach it with respect and self-control. Our attitude should be focused on Christ and that He died for us, shedding His blood and breaking His body. So, too, we can celebrate that He rose from the dead and lives still today.

1 Corinthians 11:23-34

The Lord’s Supper

     23For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

      27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

      33So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

Let not the Lord’s Supper be just another meal we try to fill up on or just a ritual we do while thinking of what we will do “after church”. Prepare yourself and focus on the grace of  YHWH who sent His son to die in order to pay the penalty for our sin… yours and mine. Think of the love and compassion of Christ to willingly do so in obedience to the Father. Those of us who truly love Him should have humble hearts thanking Him for giving us a path to forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father though we don’t deserve it (grace),  and for not giving us the punishment we do deserve (mercy).

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.

Faith / Trusting God, Loving / Kind, Lying / Deceiving, Murder, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Seeking God, Wickedness / Evil

God, Listen to My Cry for Help

David wrote many of the Psalms when he was in times of personal adversity. As a man after God’s own heart, he consistently turned to God during suffering.

In Psalm 5, David demonstrates trust in God, reflects on God’s character, recognizes God’s love for him and his unworthiness to come before a holy God, and ends with a call to be joyful and praise God. When David prayed, he expected to hear from God.

Psalm 5

1 O Lord, hear me as I pray;
    pay attention to my groaning.
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
    for I pray to no one but you.
3 Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

4 O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
    you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
5 Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
    for you hate all who do evil.
6 You will destroy those who tell lies.
    The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
    I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
    or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

9 My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
    Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with flattery.[a]
10 O God, declare them guilty.
    Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
    for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
    that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12 For you bless the godly, O Lord;
    you surround them with your shield of love.

As with many scriptures, there is much wisdom packed into these precious verses. I admire the relationship David had with God.

We can challenge ourselves to do the following when we have times of suffering:

  • Rely on God. Ask Him for protection and help.
  • Expect God to answer our prayers.
  • Reflect on the character of our holy God.
  • Remember God’s love for us.
  •  Sing joyfully and praise Him even in adversity.

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, Grace / Forgiveness, Idols / False Gods, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Disciplines His People to Call Them Back to Relationship with Him

God does not want to share His glory with false gods or anything that substitutes for a false god. One simple example of a substitute would be someone putting their trust in money and giving glory to their wealth as providing for them, protecting them, etc. instead of recognizing God’s hand of blessing in their life.

If we put our trust and faith in something other than God, then as His children, He will discipline us to help us come back to a relationship with Him and remove our faith in the “idol”. In Isaiah 48 we read about how God brought about captivity in Babylon for His people and then after the right time, set them free again.

His goal is to remain in a proper relationship with His people and maintain His name, or reputation. If I were to oversimplify it for a moment, it is not unlike when we punish our children to correct certain behavior. Maybe for us, it is sending them to their room or providing other consequences.  For God, we see it on a larger scale and with His people as a whole.

The best approach is to submit to God and God alone. Do not be stubborn and resist Him, putting our trust in anything else.

Isaiah 48

Israel’s Obstinacy

1“Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came forth from the loins of Judah,
Who swear by the name of the LORD
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in righteousness.

      2“For they call themselves after the holy city
And lean on the God of Israel;
The LORD of hosts is His name.

      3“I declared the former things long ago
And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

      4“Because I know that you are obstinate,
And your neck is an iron sinew
And your forehead bronze,

      5Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My idol has done them,
And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.’

      6“You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you new things from this time,
Even hidden things which you have not known.

      7“They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

      8“You have not heard, you have not known.
Even from long ago your ear has not been open,
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a rebel from birth.

      9“For the sake of My name I delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.

      10“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

      11“For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And My glory I will not give to another.


Deliverance Promised

12“Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called;
I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

      13“Surely My hand founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I call to them, they stand together.

      14“Assemble, all of you, and listen!
Who among them has declared these things?
The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

      15“I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

      16“Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the first I have not spoken in secret,
From the time it took place, I was there.
And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

      17Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go.

      18“If only you had paid attention to My commandments!
Then your well-being would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

      19“Your descendants would have been like the sand,
And your offspring like its grains;
Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”

      20Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this,
Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

      21They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and the water gushed forth.

      22“There is no peace for the wicked,” says the LORD.

Take a few minutes in prayer. Quietly ask God to show you any areas of your life  where you are putting your trust in something other than Him. Ask Him to help you surrender these parts of your life to Him fully. Give Him thanks that He cares for you.

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, Controlling Thoughts, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Self Control, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Focus on God, Not Others Around You

The LORD puts a priority on the blessing and discipline of those whom He loves as his children. He handed His people over to Babylon for a time so that they would repent and come back to Him. It likely seemed confusing for many of His people at that time. Babylon was not righteous. They were not serving God any more than Israel was. Why would God let Babylon succeed over His chosen people?

Take heart. As we see in Isaiah 47, God deals with those like Babylon in His good timing.  They flourished for a time and then were brought low. We must focus on our own walk with God and our obedience to Him rather than watching all the unrighteous and wondering why some of them appear to be having an easier time in life than ourselves. Be grateful that the LORD loves you enough to bless you and also to discipline you.

Isaiah 47

Lament for Babylon

1“Come down and sit in the dust,
O virgin daughter of Babylon;
Sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no longer be called tender and delicate.

      2“Take the millstones and grind meal.
Remove your veil, strip off the skirt,
Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

      3“Your nakedness will be uncovered,
Your shame also will be exposed;
I will take vengeance and will not spare a man.”

      4Our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.

      5“Sit silently, and go into darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans,
For you will no longer be called
The queen of kingdoms.

      6“I was angry with My people,
I profaned My heritage
And gave them into your hand.
You did not show mercy to them,
On the aged you made your yoke very heavy.

      7“Yet you said, ‘I will be a queen forever.’
These things you did not consider
Nor remember the outcome of them.

      8“Now, then, hear this, you sensual one,
Who dwells securely,
Who says in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one besides me.
I will not sit as a widow,
Nor know loss of children.’

      9“But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day:
Loss of children and widowhood.
They will come on you in full measure
In spite of your many sorceries,
In spite of the great power of your spells.

      10“You felt secure in your wickedness and said,
‘No one sees me,’
Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you;
For you have said in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one besides me.’

      11“But evil will come on you
Which you will not know how to charm away;
And disaster will fall on you
For which you cannot atone;
And destruction about which you do not know
Will come on you suddenly.

      12“Stand fast now in your spells
And in your many sorceries
With which you have labored from your youth;
Perhaps you will be able to profit,
Perhaps you may cause trembling.

      13“You are wearied with your many counsels;
Let now the astrologers,
Those who prophesy by the stars,
Those who predict by the new moons,
Stand up and save you from what will come upon you.

      14“Behold, they have become like stubble,
Fire burns them;
They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame;
There will be no coal to warm by
Nor a fire to sit before!

      15“So have those become to you with whom you have labored,
Who have trafficked with you from your youth;
Each has wandered in his own way;
There is none to save you.

Take a few minutes. Ask God to show you any areas where you feel jealousy or frustration based on the success of others around you that are far from God. Let go of those thoughts. Release that into the LORD’s hands. Trust in Him to handle that. Ask Him to help you focus on yourself and how you are living for God.

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.