Maranatha Grace Church

The book of Isaiah has more references about the Messiah [Christ] than any other book of the Old Testament.

About the book of Isaiah we read in Unger's Bible Handbook:

Every glory of our Lord and every aspect of His life on the earth are set forth in this great evangelical prophecy: His deity, eternity, preexistence, creatorship, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, incomparableness (40:12-18; 51:13); His incarnation (9:6; 7:14; cf. Mt 1:23); His lowliness and youth in Nazareth (7:15; 9:1-2; 11:1; 53:2); His appearance as the Servant of the Lord, anointed as such (11:2), and chosen and delighted in a such (42:1); His mild manner (42;2); His tender ministering kindness (42:3; Mt 12:18-20); His obedience (50:5); His sufferings, etc.. .

As we read the book we need to keep in mind that this book is considered the gospel of the OT. As we progress through the book we will get a greater appreciation of the work of salvation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on our behalf.

Happy readings!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 1 Isaiah 1, 2 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

² And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

³ And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

⁴ And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:1-4)

Isaiah 2:4 “swords into plowshares” imagery is one the deepest desires of humanity. The United Nation has a famous sculpture dedicated to that idea. Can the nations of the world beat their swords into plowshares? No, they can’t, they might try again and again, but because of man sinful nature, the specter of war will always be part of the human condition. But one day is coming soon when the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, will come back to establish and everlasting peace on earth.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 2 Isaiah 3, 4  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹³ The Lord has taken his place to contend;
 he stands to judge peoples.
¹⁴ The Lord will enter into judgment
 with the elders and princes of his people:
“It is you who have devoured^[f] the vineyard,
 the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
¹⁵ What do you mean by crushing my people,
 by grinding the face of the poor?”
declares the Lord God of hosts. (Isaiah 3:13-15)

The Lord God has a special concern for the poor amongst us. The rich and the powerful may not know or understand that truth. That’s why there is a need for preachers who will stand in the capacity of prophets, just like Isaiah did, to remind society that God has a special heart for the poor and the powerless. The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people if they devour and crush his people.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 3 Isaiah 5, 6 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
 the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:1-3)

The Bible reveals God as omnipresent, meaning that God is everywhere at every moment (Psalms 139). Then why should we go to church Sundays after Sundays for worship services. God is where I am, God is where you are right now, God is in Haiti, God is on the moon, He is everywhere. However, there is a big difference between God’s omnipresence with us and God meeting with us in a special way for worship, revealing his presence to us in a special way.

Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)”.  God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush in a special way. He revealed himself to the Israelites on Mount Sinai in a special way. Every time we see someone encountering God in that special way, their reaction has always been to worship him. So the special way is always an invitation to worship. We go to our church services to worship God in a special way.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 4 Isaiah 7, 8 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

 ¹⁰ Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

¹³ Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[c] a sign: The virgin^[d] will conceive and give birth to a son, and^[e] will call him Immanuel.^{[f] 15} He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶ for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. (Isaiah 7:10-16)

The Lord told King Ahaz to ask him for a sign, but the King replied “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test (v.12).” Was the king right to refuse to ask for a sign, hiding himself instead under the guise of obedience to the Law ( Deuteronomy 6:16)?  The king was wrong as the Prophet Isaiah told him, “Will you try the patience of my God also?” He was disobedient, he rejected a direct command from the Lord.

Do we act any better than King Ahaz? The Lord Jesus told his disciples, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (john 14:13-14). ““Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). Do we ask, seek, and knock the way that we should?

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 5 Isaiah 9, 10 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁶ For to us a child is born,
 to us a son is given,
 and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
 Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
 Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
 there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
 and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
 with justice and righteousness
 from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
 will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jesus is all we need. He is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He loves us so much that he gave his life for our salvation.  ^“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 6 Isaiah 9, 10 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
 from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
 the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
 the Spirit of counsel and of might,
 the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1-3)

The Holy Spirit produces the fear of the Lord in the heart of the believer. It is surprising that the Lord Jesus would delight in the fear of the Lord during his mission on earth (v. 3). Isn’t true that perfect love banishes fear (1 John 4:18)? Yes, indeed. But there is a proper fear and an improper fear. Only a foolish or an ill-advised person would treat a live electric wire nonchalantly. Christians need to show proper care and respect in the presence of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 7 Isaiah 13, 14 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹² How you have fallen from heaven,
 morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
 you who once laid low the nations!
¹³ You said in your heart,
 “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
 above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
 on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.^[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
 I will make myself like the Most High.”
¹⁵ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
 to the depths of the pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15)

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). We have all met people who really love talking about themselves. “I, I, over and over again”. At times we may be guilty of doing the same thing without noticing it. Otherwise, why is it so difficult for us to have great listening skills? Simply, because people love talking about themselves.

Nevertheless, we must be very careful that our heart doesn’t betray us. The king of this world said five “I will” that sealed his doom. He was brought low to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit (v. 15).  Pride brought the morning star down (v.1); humility brought exaltation to the Lord Jesus (see Hebrews 12:2)

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 8 Isaiah 15, 16 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

The oppressor will come to an end,
 and destruction will cease;
 the aggressor will vanish from the land.
⁵ In love a throne will be established;
 in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
 one from the house^[a] of David—
one who in judging seeks justice
 and speeds the cause of righteousness. (Isaiah 16:4-5)

In the middle of the gloom of chapters 15, 16 God gave to the people a ray of light in the person of a king “who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness judge” (v. 5). The people who heard this prophecy certainly had great hope. But in the end they were very disappointed, they were expecting a military king who would overthrow their oppressors, but they got Jesus the Son of God who taught them to live in humility.

He told his disciples, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles”( Matthew 5:41). What king would ask his follwoers to do such a thing? We all need to remember that the kingdom of Jesus is established in love, not in conquest. We read in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 9 Isaiah 17, 18 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

You have forgotten God your Savior;
 you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
 and plant imported vines,
¹¹ though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
 and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest will be as nothing
 in the day of disease and incurable pain. (Isaiah 17:10-11)

It is the saddest accusation that can be brought against a nation, a family, or an individual, “You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.” This is ingratitude of the worst kind, and a total madness. That is the tragedy of people who start well with the Lord, but finish terribly because of self-idolatry.

The Bible contains the story of many such people. And it is also the story of countless of our Haitian brothers and sisters who were clinging to the Lord their Savior back home, but once they come to the U.S., they seem not to need God anymore. Let us pray that we do not fall into such temptation.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 10 Isaiah 19, 20 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools;
 the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
 “I am one of the wise men,
 a disciple of the ancient kings”?

¹² Where are your wise men now?
 Let them show you and make known
what the Lord Almighty
 has planned against Egypt.  (Isaiah 7:10-16)

No one knows the future except God.  He has given us a road map and a GPS for our earthly journey, we would be wise to let our lives be guided by them. God’s map is the Bible. It contains the instruction for human life on this planet earth.

God also has plans, let his plan for you be “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.(Jeremiah 29:11).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 11 Isaiah 21, 22 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹¹ A prophecy against Dumah^[b]:

Someone calls to me from Seir,
 “Watchman, what is left of the night?
 Watchman, what is left of the night?”
¹² The watchman replies,
 “Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
 and come back yet again.” (Isaiah 21:11-12)

Being a watchman is one of the biggest responsibilities in an army because the lives of so many depend on the watchman being watchful or not. And watchman has to watch day and night. While we were praying this morning at the church we sang “Sentinelle Vigilante” with gusto.

1
1- Sentinelle vigilante
Qu'en est-il donc de la nuit?
Dis à l'âme somnolente
Que déjà le matin luit!

Refrain
La nuit passe,
Le matin du grand jour luit!
Sentinelle, sois au poste
Jour et nuit.

3- Point de repos, de relâche,
Rachetés de l'Éternel.
Travaillez à votre tâche,
Car Jésus revient du ciel!

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 11 Isaiah 23, 24 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁷ At the end of seventy years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. ¹⁸ Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes. (Isaiah 23:17-18)

According to a Tax Justice Network report, “between $21 trillion and $32 trillion in wealth is unreported and shielded from taxation from various governments.” We can see the result of hiding wealth in the gross inequality and poverty that still exist in the world.

God is not against wealth. We see that the Lord will allow Tyre to return to doing business with the nations of the earth. But what God will not allow is for Tyre (representing the wealthy) to hoard her profit and earnings. They must be made available so that the children of God could enjoy good things in life, abundant food and fine clothes. (v. 18)

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 13 Isaiah 25, 26 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

You will keep in perfect peace
 those whose minds are steadfast,
 because they trust in you.
⁴ Trust in the Lord forever,
 for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:3-4)

Those two verses are worth memorizing. The word of God is an open secret. The secret of peace is in trusting the Lord.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 14 Isaiah 27, 28 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁹ Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. ¹⁰ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

¹¹ For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. ¹² To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.  (Isaiah 28:9-12)

There is a close relationship between Isaiah 28:11-12 and Acts 2:1-4, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

Yet they would not listen (v. 12). But we are invited to “the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing (v. 12).”

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 15 Isaiah 29, 30 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

²² Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;
 no longer will their faces grow pale.
²³ When they see among them their children,
 the work of my hands,
they will keep my name holy;
 they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,
 and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
²⁴ Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;
 those who complain will accept instruction.” (Isaiah 29:22-24)

At the beginning of every school year we pray for the children of our church, and we continue to do so throughout the year. We pray for them because we want them to have the grace of God’s blessings in their lives.  We pray for them because we know that if they do well in their studies they will bring much joy to their parents who in turn will glorify the name of the Lord.

God is willing to do something through our children so that we may get a better revelation of him.  In verse 23, we read that what he is about to do is so amazing that it will cause us to stand in awe of him. We need to pray for a revival in the lives of the youth of our churches because the work of the Lord in their lives will irresistibly draw their parents to the Lord.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 16 Isaiah 31, 32 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
 who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
 and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
 or seek help from the Lord. (Isaiah 31:1)

David wrote in Psalms 62, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” A lot of people rely on their wealth, their education, their job, and their networks of friends for their sense of security. But everyone who has the wisdom of the Lord knows that those things cannot give real security. True security is found only in the Lord who gives us eternal life.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 17 Isaiah 33, 34 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁵ The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
 he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.
⁶ He will be the sure foundation for your times,
 a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
 the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.^[a] (Isaiah 33:5-6)

It is impossible to grow spiritually by feeding on a diet of daily devotionals. Whole chapters of the Bible need to be read daily so the voice of the Lord can be heard clearly. I have read and reread the two chapters of the Challenge. A few verses here, a few verses there won’t do justice to the breadth and depth of the instruction found in those two chapters. The word of God must be read and enjoyed.

The things that the Lord considers as treasure is different from what the world considers as treasure. “A sure foundation for our lives, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge,” that is what the Lord calls a treasure. And the key to this treasure is given to us: “The fear of the Lord” (v. 6).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 18 Isaiah 35, 36 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

Strengthen the feeble hands,
 steady the knees that give way;
⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
 “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
 he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
 he will come to save you.” ⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
 and the ears of the deaf unstopped. (Isaiah 35:5-6)

The prophecy of Isaiah 35 was fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus. In Luke 7:22, Jesus replied to the messengers from John the Baptist, ““Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”

But the prophecy is still being fulfilled in the ministry of the followers of Jesus. He gave them a mandate to continue the works that he began, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:18).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 19 Isaiah 37, 38 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: ¹⁶ “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁷ Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

¹⁸ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. ¹⁹ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. ²⁰ Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.”  (Isaiah 35:5-6)

When we are afraid our only rational reaction should be to turn the matter to God. It may not be logical to do so, but it is very practical to do so since the Lord has the perfect solution to every problem that may come our way. God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and he loves us.

Hezekiah needed a miracle, he turned to the Lord, and he received his miracle. His focus was on God’s glory alone, “Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God. (v. 17)” 

Is there a report that tries to bring fear into your life? Bring it to the Lord. You will get your miracle.  

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 20 Isaiah 39, 40 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
 or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
 or weighed the mountains on the scales
 and the hills in a balance?
¹³ Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord,
 or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
¹⁴ Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
 and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
 or showed him the path of understanding?  (Isaiah 40:12-14)

Isaiah 40 is a mini course of “Theology 101” on God’s attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. And, in spite of his position, God reaches out to mankind in love and compassion.  “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young (v. 11).”

We must remember that “we are God’s people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalms 100:3). The chapter ends with beautiful promises for those who feel discouraged. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (v. 29, 31).”

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 21 Isaiah 41, 42 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
 do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
 I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

¹¹ “All who rage against you
 will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
 will be as nothing and perish. (Isaiah 41:10-11)

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 22 Isaiah 43, 44 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

But now, this is what the Lord says—
 he who created you, Jacob,
 he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
 I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
 I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
 they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
 you will not be burned;
 the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:1-2)

We all wish that the Lord would avoid us the waters, the rivers and the fire. But, we have to go through them. Why? We don't know, only the Lord knows. However, one thing we know for sure is that when we pass through the waters and the rivers, when we walk through the fire, the Lord will be with us to guard us and to protect us.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 23 Isaiah 45, 46 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
 to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
 and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
 so that gates will not be shut: (Isaiah 45:1)

In Isaiah 44:28 Isaiah prophesied, “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’ In Isiah 45:13, the prophet continues, I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty.”

The Jews were in captivity in Babylon for seventy years. After Cyrus, king of Persia, came to power he decreed that the Jewish can return home to rebuild their temple (2 Chronicles 36:22,23 and Ezra 1:1-4,7,8; 3:7; 4:3). The king was named by Isaiah before he was born. The prophecy was some one hundred fifty years before Cyrus came to the throne. Amazing! God knows the past, the present, and the future. He cares for us, his people.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 24 Isaiah 47, 48 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁷ This is what the Lord says—
 your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
 who teaches you what is best for you,
 who directs you in the way you should go.
¹⁸ If only you had paid attention to my commands,
 your peace would have been like a river,
 your well-being like the waves of the sea.
¹⁹ Your descendants would have been like the sand,
 your children like its numberless grains;
their name would never be blotted out
 nor destroyed from before me.” (Isaiah 48:17-19)

In Luke 19:41 Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people would not listen to him. There is a frustration in a giver without a receiver, there is a frustration in a teacher without a student. God is willing to teach us what is best for us, he is willing to direct us in the way that we should go.  Why don't we let him, since obedience to God’s commands is for our own benefits. he Lord declares, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (Psalms 32:8).

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 25 Isaiah 49, 50 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁴ But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
 the Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
 and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
 I will not forget you!
¹⁶ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
 your walls are ever before me. (Isaiah 48:17-19)

We can be tempted with the thought that we are forgotten by God. But God’s answer to our doubt is that he will never forget us, he simply cannot. “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? However, since a mother is human, there are extreme cases, such as mental illness that could push a mother to forget her baby, but the Lord’s promise is that he will never forget.

The Lord gives us proofs of his unfailing love and compassion for his children, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. (v. 16)

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 26 Isaiah 51, 52 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁷ How beautiful on the mountains
 are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
 who bring good tidings,
 who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
 “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)

^“And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:15)” I have heard people complaining that there are too many churches in their towns. Can there be such a thing as too many churches?  The Lord Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 2:10).”

Luke 2:10 is not a suggestion, but a recommendation for every believer to pray for more workers, more preachers, more evangelists, more Sunday School teachers, more musicians, more missionaries, etc.… I would say that we need more churches, not less, to proclaim the good news of the Gospel.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 27 Isaiah 53, 54 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
 and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
 stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
 he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
 and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
 each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
 the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Revelation 13:8 talks of the “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Hundreds of years before the crucifixion of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (v. 5). Why is this mixture of past, present, future?

The reality is that every promise of God is a “fait accompli.” The way God sees time is completely different from the way we see time. That’s why when the Word of God says that by his wounds we are healed, we better believe it and accpet it. Past condition, present condition, future condition doesn’t matter. God’s promise will come to pass.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 28 Isaiah 55, 56 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
 come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
 without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
 so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
 It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
 and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

“He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction” (Psalms 107:20).  For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

The Written word of the Bible is the powerful Spoken word of God. Read and listen to it.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 29 Isaiah 57, 58 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
 and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
 and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
 and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
 and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
 and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
 and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 57:6-8)

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 29 Isaiah 59, 60 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

²⁰ “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord.

 ²¹ “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 57:6-8)

Every Christian should live with the continuous awareness that the Holy Spirit is in him. Without the certainty of the presence of the Holy Spirit we cannot live the victorious life that Christ has called us to live. We are called to live like overcomers just as the world of God declares, “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We don't have to fear anything of this world, the Holy Spirit in us is greater.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of Isaiah Challenge – Day 32 Isaiah 63, 64 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁸ But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
 we are the clay, and you are our potter;
 we are all the work of your hand.
⁹ Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
 and remember not iniquity forever.
 Behold, please look, we are all your people. (Isaiah 64:8:9)

In the “Our Father” prayer, Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. They were not to pray to a strange, inaccessible god, but to the one true God who is our Father in heaven. Jesus said, "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). Unless we recognize that the truth Jesus shared with his disciples about their relationship to God – Father / Children - is also for us, we will not be able to pray with the confidence and certainty that our prayers need to have. The truth is that God is our Father in heaven, we are the clay, and he is the potter (see v. 8)

May the Lord richly bless you!