"False Prophets Preaching Comfort" May 31 Readings: Jeremiah 13-17

Today's Reading - Jeremiah 13-17

Background

Jeremiah's greatest battles were not with the sinful people of Judah but with complacent people who had been lulled by false prophets into an assurance that God would never judge them. In today's reading, he targets these false prophets.

Devotional - False Prophets Preaching Comfort

In the Garden, Satan challenged the Word of God and claimed that God was not speaking the truth. God had said that on the day that they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die. "You shall not die," the Serpent countered. God won't really judge you. Your sin will not have consequences. 

He has been telling the same lie ever since. "A God of love wouldn't judge people." "God made you just like you are - he won't be angry is you just do what makes you happy." We hear it all the time. It has become a mantra of progressive evangelicalism today - deemphasizing sin and denying that God will judge sin. 

Jeremiah observed the same thing among the false prophets of Judah in the days before the destruction of the Temple, in Jeremiah 14:13-14. 

Oh no, Lord God! The prophets are telling them, ‘You won’t see sword or suffer famine. I will certainly give you true peace in this place.’”But the Lord said to me, “These prophets are prophesying a lie in My name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds.

To curry favor with their hearers, the false prophets denied the coming judgment of God. They created their own fantasy version of God that had no basis in the true revelation of God. It is the most common critique that the true prophets give of the false prophets in the Old Testament era. While God was warning his people of the consequences of their sin and calling them to repent, the false prophets were comforting God's people that all would be well no matter how they lived. 

No proclaimer of God's truth enjoys preaching judgment and condemnation, but if one is loyal to the word of God, it is unavoidable. God is holy and sin is an offense against his nature. It must be punished - the wages of sin is death. Every sin we commit carries with it the eternal death penalty that God promised in the Garden. 

Is God mean? Angry? Spiteful? No! But his holiness is undeniable. and it is this foundation upon which God's love is most clearly seen. Jesus died to pay the price that we owed God. Without a proper understanding of God's wrath the crucifixion of Christ loses meaning. God demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son to pay the price his holiness demanded for our sins. 

False prophets ignore this. They preach an empty salvation without judgment or repentance. They preach God's love without providing the background of God's holy wrath as the Bible does. They excuse sin. They affirm our natural condition without calling us to repent of our sins. 

False prophets have not changed much since the first one seduced the first humans. Still they proclaim a message of love without standards, of salvation without repentance, of a grace that ignores sin instead of overcoming it, of the absence of wrath and judgment instead of the substitutionary atonement of Christ. 

Father, my sin is real. I thank you that Jesus did not ignore my sin, but he defeated it. 

Think and Pray

Do you read and study the Bible for its full truth or do you simply take that which you want to hear?

"Seduced" May 30 Readings: Jeremiah 7-12

Today's Reading - Jeremiah 7-12

Background

Jeremiah began his prophecies during the reign of Josiah and continued even after the fall of Jerusalem. He suffered many hardships and great resistance but God continued to give him greater and more difficult messages to preach. He is called the weeping prophet because he preached judgment with sadness.

Devotional - Seduced

These early chapters of Jeremiah's prophecy reveal a series of key, repeated themes - messages that God gave to the prophet. We will examine four of them. The people of God have been seduced by the ways of sin and by the lies of the false prophets.

The first three are clearly delineated in Jeremiah 9:13-14.

The Lord said, “It is because they abandoned my instruction, which I set before them, and did not obey my voice or walk according to it. Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts and followed the Baals as their fathers taught them.”

The people have done three unimaginable things here.

1) They abandoned the teaching and instruction of the Lord and refused to obey him.

They had the Ten Suggestions and viewed God's Word as optional to life. They chose not to walk according to the ways of the Lord.

2) Instead, they followed their own stubborn hearts. 

"Do what your heart tells you to do." "If it comes from inside you, it can't be wrong." We hear messages like that on a daily basis. But God's Word makes it clear that these are lies from hell. In Proverbs 3 we are told that a wise man "does NOT lean on his own understanding." Here, relying on your own heart is a significant step in the path of walking away from God.

3) They followed after Baals. 

Idolatry. It was the first thing commanded against in the Commandments and it seemed to be the thing that angered God the most. He was compassionate with those who failed, but those who abandoned him to follow after false gods, those who committed spiritual adultery, were dealt with in harsh terms.

Of course, today we no longer do anything as uncouth as build our own idols. But do not be deceived, we have them nonetheless. Americans are as idolatrous as any nation has ever been. Money. Power. Popularity. Pleasure. Self. We put so many things ahead of God.

4) They listened to false teachers who told them God didn't care. 

Look back at Jeremiah 8:11.

They have treated the brokenness
of my dear people superficially,
claiming, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.

Behind every errant saint there is a false prophet telling him that God doesn't care about his sin. God loves you just the way you are (absolutely true). His love is not based on your merit or righteousness (Amen! Hallelujah). You are accepted in Christ (Glory be!)  So it's not that big of a deal whether you walk in righteousness, live holy lives, resist sin or seek God with a whole heart (Lie straight from the pit of hell!).  

Throughout the Old Testament, the false prophets preached "Peace, peace" when there is no peace. God required repentance and a return to him. The prophets said the people were a-okay with God whether they repented or not. They lied. 

Father, I thank you that I am secure in Christ. But help me to obey your word not follow my own understanding. Tear down the idols of my heart and help me to listen to your truth not the liars' lies. 

Think and Pray

Do you see the similarities between the false prophets and much of modern American religion?
Do you live obediently and faithfully or are you following in the footsteps of Judah?

"Presumptious Folly" May 29 Readings: Jeremiah 1-6

Today's Reading - Jeremiah 1-6

Background

Jeremiah was a reluctant prophet, but faithful. In today’s readings we are introduced to the man.

Devotional - Presumptious Folly

"I can't believe you did that."

I've heard that phrase more than once, especially in my earlier years when I tended to do crazy things for attention and fun. In Jeremiah 3, he expresses his utter amazement at the foolish behavior of his chosen people.

Israel was in sin. Deep sin. Abiding sin. Idolatrous sin. Year after year they drifted farther from God, became more like the nations around them and less pleasing to the God who had redeemed them from the Egyptians, given them the land and blessed them richly. They ignored his laws and embraced the idols he had warned them against. He sent his prophets to warn them to change their ways. Some of them they just ignored. Others they silenced in various forms.

And Jeremiah, speaking for God, was absolutely amazed at their brazen sin. They were sure that God was on their side, that their status as the chosen people meant that no matter how they lived, God would protect them and bless them. In verses 4 and 5, their view is expressed.

Have you not just now called to me,

    ‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—

will he be angry forever,

    will he be indignant to the end? 

We are God's favorites, they thought. He's not going to really judge us, like the prophets have warned.  He's our buddy and no matter how we live, he will take up for us.

But God just reiterated his word, in verse 14. "Return." Time and again he called them to repent of their sin and return to loyalty to him. Repent. Return. Renew your passion and fidelity to the God of Israel.

But, as verse 5 says,

Behold, you have spoken,

    but you have done all the evil that you could.”

They spoke of God as their friend and assumed he would never be angry at them, but they continued to live in sin without any regard to what pleased God.

Sometimes, we forget the grace of God and think that God loves us because of how great we are and saved us because of our good works. But the Bible makes it clear that no one is righteous and that none of us is worthy of God's love and forgiveness. We must never forget the grace of God.

But it is equally evil to forget the holiness of God and to assume that because we are saved by grace we can live any way we please. Like Israel, we will love the blessing of God's intimacy and his favor over our lives when we embrace sin and flaunt God's will. We are created by God's grace to live for his pleasure. The pleasure of God ought to be the highest passion of any believer.

I am thankful, Lord, for your grace that saves me and sustains me. But may I never use that grace as an excuse to live in sin. May I learn from the failures of Israel to live daily for the pleasure of the one who bought me by his grace. 

Think and Pray

Do you deal seriously and faithfully with your sin as you walk in grace.

"The Day of the Lord" May 28 Readings: Zephaniah 1-3

Today's Reading - Zephaniah 1-3

Background

Zephaniah prophesied in the days of Josiah, the great king who was the great-grandson of Hezekiah, who led Israel back to God after his father Amon's brief but evil reign. He is described as the son of Cushi, which could mean "Cushite" - Ethiopian - and could indicate that he was a Black Jew. It could also just be a personal name. Zephaniah's great-grandfather was Hezekiah, but it is unclear whether that is the king or just someone else of that name.

Zephaniah focuses on the "day of the Lord" - that moment in the future when the judgment of God comes on the enemies of God and things are set as they should be. This book focuses primarily on the judgment falling on the nations.

Devotional - The Day of the Lord

When you watch the news you might get the wrong idea. Bad people do bad things; people get hurt and things never seem to change. Things get worse and worse and nothing we do seems to make much of a difference. We hear the crowing of the doubters, deniers, and skeptics telling us that church is failing and Christianity is on its last leg in America.

What they forget is the "day of the Lord" predicted in Zechariah and in many other places. The "day" of the Lord is not a single day but is the moment in history in which God steps in and sets things right. On the day of the Lord God judges sinners and restores the righteous and protects his people. It is the day that God rises up and shows just how powerful and awesome he is.

It may look like evil is winning, but the day of the Lord is coming when evil will be judged. It may look like the righteous have no hope, but the day of the Lord is coming. His arm is not short and his power has not waned. He is awesome and glorious and will not be denied.

Anyone who ignores the power of God makes a huge mistake. We never understand the sovereign purposes of God but we know that no matter what it looks like in this world, our God is in control, he is working things according to his plan, and one day it will be HIS day.

Father, I thank you that I do not have to be afraid of the workings of evil men. You are in control and I can trust in you. 

Think and Pray

Do you have full faith in the future glory of God, or do you allow the workings of evil in this world to cause you fear and doubt?
Trust in the Lord!

"It Is Never Too Late" May 27 Readings: 2 Kings 20-21, 2 Chronicles 33-35

Today's Reading - 2 Kings 20-21, 2 Chronicles 33-35

Background

Manasseh was the king that broke the camel's back. He was so evil, even participating in child sacrifice, that God stopped warning Judah of its possible impending doom and said that it was coming. Even good king Josiah was not able to turn back the clock.

Devotional - It is Never Too Late

There is an interesting dynamic in the progression of these kings. The great king Hezekiah fell into sin late in life and his son Manasseh was born and became the worst of the kings of Judah. Other than David, Hezekiah would likely have been classed as the best of kings of Judah but his late-life sin caused him to raise a hellion.

It is possible for any of us, in the later years of our lives, to undo the good we have done throughout our years. I have known men who were faithful servants of God but in their senior years, their pride and their sin negated much of their reputation and the effect of their ministry. If you had told Hezekiah that he was going to sin and raise an idolatrous son, he would have said, no way. But he did.

Each of us must be constantly on guard against the effects of the sinful flesh.

But there is an interesting ending to the story of Manasseh. He repented of his sin according to 2 Chronicles 33:10-17. He became a man of God. It seems likely that when we arrive in heaven we will find wicked Manasseh there singing the praises of the God who forgave him.

Unfortunately, even though sin can be immediately and completely forgiven, often there are consequences that are not as quickly forgotten. The people of God continued in sin and his son Amon continued in the sinful path he had set, leading the nation further into sin.

The Scripture doesn't tell us for sure, but it seems right to add two plus two and come up with four. Amon only reigned 2 years as king and his son, young Josiah took over for him. Josiah was only 8 when he took the throne and he became a king to rival Hezekiah, and possibly even David. He sought God, even as a youth.

Why? Could it have been the influence of his grandfather Manasseh in his later years when he became a man of God? Josiah was six when Manasseh died but perhaps he saw the man that grandpa Manasseh had become. Maybe Manasseh was able to influence him. Only heaven will answer this question for sure, but the timing fits.

Never give up. Even if you made mistakes. Even if your children have turned away, keep serving the Lord. God (it seems) used the most wicked king in Judah's history to influence little Josiah. God never gives up and neither should you.

Thank you Lord that you are a God of the impossible, one who never gives up. Help us to persevere in serving you. 

Think and Pray

Are you walking carefully, to make sure that you do not fall into sin?
Are you walking faithfully, never giving up, believing in the God who can do miracles?

"God Wins!" May 26 Readings: Isaiah 60-66

Today's Reading - Isaiah 60-66

Background

Isaiah ends in a note of glory and victory, as the millennial reign of Christ is examined and ultimate victory of God is exalted.

Devotional - God Wins

History is a tragic story. God created this world as a paradise. It was filled with beauty, natural wonders we cannot even imagine. It was a place of true joy and pleasure, meant for a man and woman to enjoy each other and to raise a family in peace. And best of all, God was there. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. That was the world as God intended.

But we came along and messed everything up. The first human pair rejected the God who made them and who placed them in a beautiful world. They chose the path of darkness instead of light, of destruction rather than glory.

We rejected God, but he did not reject us. He could have destroyed this world or he perhaps just turned us over to our own devices, to suffer the consequences of our sin. But that is not what God did. He went to work to reverse the curse of sin and to restore the beauty of his creation.

That is what the millennium is, when Christ rules this world bodily for a thousand years. It is described in Isaiah 65.

“For behold, I create new heavens

    and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

    or come into mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever

    in that which I create;

for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,

    and her people to be a gladness." Isaiah 65:17-18

After he comes again in glory, Jesus will renew this world. The times of sin and suffering will be forgotten as God creates a new world for his people to enjoy. 

As sin's curse is done away with, long life returns.

No more shall there be in it

    an infant who lives but a few days,

    or an old man who does not fill out his days,

for the young man shall die a hundred years old,

    and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 65:20

Labor will no longer be cursed as it was after the fall, but life will be blessed by God in every way. 

They shall not labor in vain

    or bear children for calamity,

for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,

    and their descendants with them. 65:23

Nature will be restored. Natural disasters and dangers will be done away with. 

The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;

    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,  65:25

Herbivorous lions? Things will be very different. Wolves and lambs feeding together, safely!

The most important and wonderful aspect of this millennial reign is that God's nearness and intimacy will be restored. The wall of separation between God and man erected by our sin will have been torn down. 

Before they call I will answer;

    while they are yet speaking I will hear. 65:24

The millennium is God's victory in world history. His original design, his glorious intent for this world, for nature, for humanity will be restored. We may have messed up the world that God created, but his power is so great he can recreate it. What we break, he fixes. That is how amazing our God is. 

Our God is greater than our sin. In the grand scheme of world history,

God wins.

Father, I rejoice that no matter how bad things get today, I can be confident in your ultimate victory over sin - mine and this world's. 

Think and Pray

Think through the hardships and struggles in your life and remember that Jesus wins! The victory of evil is an illusion and God will prevail in all things.

"An Old Testament Gospel" May 25 Readings: Isaiah 54-59

Today's Reading -  Isaiah 54-59

Background

The entire prophecy of Isaiah is filled with messianic prophecies, verses that are familiar because they are applied to our Lord and Savior in the New Testament. Isaiah 7's "Immanuel" prophecy. Isaiah 9 and the names of Jesus. Dozens of others.

But the pinnacle, perhaps, is reached in chapters 52 and 53, which gives a remarkable prophecy of the death of Christ by crucifixion. Chapters 55-56, our readings for today, continue this theme by emphasizing, in a prophetic way, some of the elements of the gospel.

Devotional - An Old Testament Gospel 

While the full glory of salvation by grace through in Jesus Christ is not revealed until the New Testament, and its full-orbed glory awaits the treatments of Paul in Romans, Galatians, Ephesians and other such passages, there are foundational passages in the Old Testament that lay a firm foundation on which the New Testament doctrine is built. Of course, yesterday's reading of the "Suffering Servant" is as plain as it gets, but as we read chapter 55 and 56 with the lens of the New Testament gospel, we can see a great and precious cornerstone for the gospel.

Isaiah 55:1 speaks to the principle of grace.

“Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!”

The root of the gospel is the recognition of sin. Jesus said that it was the poor in spirit who would be blessed. To experience the goodness of God, we must recognize our sin, our absolute inability to provide our own spiritual sustenance. We must recognize our thirst and hunger for God and come to him for what only he can give. 

This is a beautiful picture of grace. We buy what we need to survive, but we buy it "without cost." That which we need for righteousness and eternal life is ours in Christ - and it doesn't cost us a thing. Why? Because "Jesus paid it all!"

Verses 6 and 7 are an OT invitation. 

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Throughout the New Testament, sinners are admonished to do two things - repent and believe. Here, sinful Israel is called on to seek God with all their hearts and to abandon their sin in repentance. Whether for sinners coming to faith in Christ or for believers who are seeking greater intimacy, repentance is a necessary part of the process of seeking God. 

The proverb says that there is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in death. It seems to us that we should earn the favor of God, that our good works should contribute to things. We have all sorts of human assumptions about the way of the world that we make. But Isaiah 55:8-9 (one of my favorite passages) says, 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God is smarter than we are and has designed a system of salvation and sanctification based on his logic, not ours. My destiny is not based on my good works (or sins) as I naturally think it should be, but only on the grace of God, who does for me what I cannot do for myself. 

There is one more part of this passage we need to remember, extending to tomorrow's reading. Isaiah 56:10, which reveals the heart of God. 

“This is because my Temple will be called 

    a house for prayer for people from all nations.”

God's work in us always has an international focus. He saves us because of his love for us, but also because of his love for the entire world. The temple was supposed to be a house of prayer, but not just for me and mine - for the NATIONS! God has his eyes on the world. And our lives, redeemed and sanctified by the grace of God are called to reflect God's heart for the whole world. 

Father, I thank you that I am saved by your grace and made holy in it. May I live by your wisdom and let my life be a beacon to the world. 

Think and Pray

Have you received Christ as the Savior and Lord of your life?
If you have, give thanks for all that Christ has done for you.

"Our Suffering Servant" May 24 Readings: Isaiah 49-53

Today's Reading - Isaiah 49-53

Background

This passage introduces us to the obedient, suffering servant, who in our New Testament-exposed eyes is clearly Jesus Christ.

Devotional - Our Suffering Servant

In Isaiah 52-53 we have one of the great passages of the Old Testament, a prophetic tour of the Cross of Christ. It is hard to imagine that a passage written hundreds of years before Christ was born could so accurately describe the sufferings of Jesus as he bore our sins so that by his stripes our sins could be healed.

Yet he himself bore our sicknesses,
and he carried our pains;
but we in turn regarded him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
 But he was pierced because of our rebellion,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on him,
and we are healed by his wounds.
 We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished him
for the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6

I committed the sin, he took the punishment. 

He was wounded, I was healed. 

I went astray, he brought me to the Father in peace. 

It is the most amazing story of grace, love, mercy and restoration ever, and it was promised to Israel and to us hundreds of years before the events took place. Look at some of the prophecies about the redemptive suffering of Christ.

• 52:13-14 - Jesus will be raised and lifted up to be scorned, his appearance so marred that he barely looks human. 
• 52:15 - "kings will shut their mouths because of him." This Jesus, who was abused and neglected, will one day reign victoriously. 
• 53:3 - he was despised and rejected my men - a man of sorrows. 
• 53:4 - he bore our sins and was struck down by God because of them. 
• 53:5-6 - he would die in the place of sinners. We go astray but God places on him our sin and he is punished for them. 
• 53:7 - he would endure all of this without answering back, without opening his mouth. 
• 53:8-9 - Though he was without sin, he was given a "grave with the wicked." 

Summed up - an innocent servant, he would die horribly for the sins of others, making atonement to bring them into a right relationship with God.

Thank you God that you punished your Son for my sins - the just for the unjust. I can never repay you but I can only thank you. 

Think and Pray

Meditate on 52:13-53:12 and think about Christ's death for you.

"Pride before a Fall" May 23 Readings: 2 Kings 18:9-19:37, Psalm 46, 80, 135

Today's Reading - 2 Kings 18:9-19:37, Psalm 46, 80, 135

Background

We have actually read through the life of Hezekiah three times now - In 2 Chronicles, in Isaiah, and here in 2 Kings. We focus again today on his pride and downfall, from a slightly different perspective.

There is a reason to focus on this man's life. He was such a good king that he led Judah to return to God. He was an agent of genuine revival. But he was also the agent of Israel's destruction. The last 15 years of his life, the years he lived because of the blessing of God, were also years in which his pride led him astray.

His son Manasseh was 12 years old when Hezekiah died. You do the math. He was born and raised during Hezekiah's time of sin. So, he turned away from God and embraced idolatry with a passion. Manasseh was such a wicked king that God stopped warning Judah that destruction was coming and pronounced it. "The end is near!"

So, Hezekiah was an agent of God's revival when he was humble before heaven and he became the channel by which God's judgment flowed as well, because of his son Manasseh. What a tragic life.

Devotional "Pride before a Fall" 

Up to the point when Isaiah appeared before him and announced that he would be dying, Hezekiah was on track to rival David as Judah's greatest king. He had rid Jerusalem of the remnants of his father's idolatry and had seen God bring great victories for the people.

Now Isaiah brought him the sad news that it was time to put his affairs in order because his illness was going to result in death. (2 Kings 20:1) Hezekiah poured his heart out to the Lord and God gave Isaiah a message. Hezekiah would receive 15 more years of life. He even received a miraculous sign confirming this.

It was a moment of joy for the king, when God heard his prayer and spared his life. It was also a turning point for him as he grew arrogant and self-glorying. He began to think he was something exceptional for whom God had done this mighty act, forgetting the grace and mercy of God.

It all came to a head when emissaries from Babylon came to see him and he let his pride get the best of him. He gave them the palace tour and displayed his own wealth for all to see.

Now, the God who preserved him was angry at him. Nothing offends God more than our human pride, when we take credit for that which God has done for us. We are products of the grace of God and should glory in the Cross of Christ. But that excludes boasting in ourselves or believing that we have merited the blessings of God.

Hezekiah ruined his chances to be among the greatest of kings when he let pride and arrogance choke out the glory of God in his life.

May we never let that happen to us.

Father, I am what you have made me. You have blessed me and changed me in so many ways. But whatever I am is your gift. Help me to remember that all I am is through Christ. 

Think and Pray

Do you let pride and self-glory get in the way of the work of God in you?

"God over All" May 22 Readings: Isaiah 45-48

Today's Reading -  Isaiah 45-48

Background

This passage is a watershed in our theology. It is the reason that many do not believe that Isaiah wrote the latter chapters of the book. Isaiah wrote in the 8th Century BC, before the fall of Israel in 722 BC. But here we see the name of Cyrus, the Persian king who decreed, sometime after 538 BC, the return of Israel to Jerusalem.

If you believe in a God who can give an 8th-century prophet accurate predictions of the name of the Persian king who would grant the people the right to leave their captivity and return to the Promised Land, then this passage provides no real problems. If you do not believe in the supernatural nature of Scripture, then you must believe that someone other than Isaiah wrote this after the work of Cyrus and pretended it was the great prophet's words.

Devotional - God over All 

It is a remarkable assertion in the prophecy of Isaiah. Ancient religions all had their gods who were cosmic champions, fighting in the spiritual realm on their behalf. When Egypt faced Assyria in mortal battle, the gods of Egypt also came against the gods of Assyria. The army that won on earth was the army whose gods were the greatest in the heavenlies.

But Isaiah made a stunning assertion. Persia was now the ruler of the world and Israel was a vassal, a devastated nation enslaved and humiliated in Babylonian Captivity. But in his prophecy, Isaiah did not bow to the sovereignty of the gods of Babylon or Persia. Isaiah asserted that the God of Israel was governing the actions of the most powerful man in the world. He didn't have some kind of cosmology in which the gods of other nations were fighting Yahweh for supremacy. No, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the One, True God of all the earth.

Isaiah 45:1 says,

The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
and disarm kings,
to open doors before him,
and even city gates will not be shut.

God runs this world - not false gods, not demonic forces, and not powerful men. We may not understand his works and often we may be baffled by what God is doing. But this world is operating according to the plans and purposes of the God of Israel, the one who sent Jesus, his only Son, as our Savior and Lord.

This is an astounding assertion of God's sovereign authority and it is as true for the details of your life as it is for the affairs of great nations. God is working in the circumstances of your life to accomplish his purposes in you and through you in this world.

Father, I acknowledge your sovereign authority and power at work in this world Forgive me for my fear and self-reliance. May I depend on you in all things. 

Think and Pray

Consider circumstances of your life that have you fearful or stressed.
Remember that God is in control and regardless of what it seems, he is at work to accomplish his purposes in you and through you.

"Grace Greater than Our Sin" May 21 Readings: Isaiah 40-44

Today's Reading - Isaiah 40-44

Background

Isaiah  40 begins the second major second of the book. The theme changes so dramatically that many scholars assume that there are two different authors. The first 39 chapters deal with judgment for Israel's sin and now God asserts his intention to restore Israel and comfort.

Devotional - Grace Greater than Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,yonder on Calvary's mount out-poured,there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Grace, grace, God's grace,grace that will pardon and cleanse within;grace, grace, God's grace,grace that is greater than all our sin.

I recently re-read a book called Exodus, by Leon Uris, in which he describes the founding of the modern nation of Israel. In one section, one of the modern Israelis explains that God chose them because as his people because he knew they would be faithful through all the years. That is almost the opposite of what the scripture says about God's work in Israel. God chose Israel, as he chooses us, to demonstrate his grace and mercy to those who are unfaithful and sinful. 

Israel turned from God and was in rebellion more than it was in obedience. They were so idolatrous and headstrong that God would actually bring the nation down in a heap - both the northern kingdom in 722 BC and Judah in 586 BC. The Old Testament teaches us that God's grace is greater than our sin. 

Isaiah 40:1 begins with God declaring, "Comfort, comfort  my people." Even though God was going to judge them for their sin he would also bring comfort. Even God's discipline was for the purpose of his eventual restoration of the people - to show them mercy and build them up. 

We are not saved because we are special or wonderful, but because God loves us. And once we are saved, God's grace is greater than our sin. I fail and so do you. We slip and fall but the Solid Rock we stand on is firm. Even when we fail, God is at work to restore and renew us, and his grace is always greater than our sin. 

Thank you, Father, for being greater than my sin, for being relentless in love and mercy. 

Think and Pray

Take time today to thank God for his faithful love that does not just tolerate our sin, but overcomes it.

"Perilous Pride" May 20 Readings: Isaiah 37-39, Psalm 76

Today's Reading - Isaiah 37-39, Psalm 76

Background

Yesterday we spoke of the downfall of Hezekiah and today we read it (again - as recorded in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles) and see how pride destroyed this once-great king.

As we close chapter 39 we finish the first and longest section of the book in which the judgment of God is pronounced. Now, starting in verse 40, we read of the comfort God will bring on his people when he restores them. The difference in tone is so stark that less conservative scholars believe that there are two (and sometimes three) separate books of Isaiah.

Devotional - Perilous Pride

If I hadn't done the same thing so often myself, I would consider Hezekiah quite the moron!

In Isaiah 38, God grants this righteous king of Judah one of the great blessings any man has ever had. Told that he is about to die, he begs God for more time and God hears his prayers. God told him, in verse 6, that he would receive fifteen extra years of life.

Hezekiah was truly grateful and gave praise to God for the good things he had done. It was his intent to live out those fifteen years serving God as he had and praising God every day for the blessing he'd been given.

The Lord is ready to save me;
we will play stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
at the house of the Lord.  Isaiah 38:20

But something changed - the "something" that lurks in every one of us and is so prone to rising to the surface in me. Hezekiah became lifted up in pride. It seems so silly, but it is so common. Somehow, Hezekiah took pride in the gracious work of God in him, as if he deserved it, as if it happened because of how wonderful he was.

Again, I'd scorn Hezekiah if I hadn't done it myself. I come to the pulpit telling God that I just want to glorify him and communicate his truth. I admit that I am an unworthy vessel, a sinful spokesman for the kingdom. I stand before God's people and my prayers are answered. My mind is clear and my mouth is filled God's truth. As I sit down I think, "Wow, I was good today." How often do we tend to take credit for the great and gracious work of God in us? God does it but I act as if it was done by my own hand.

Hezekiah's pride got him in trouble. When envoys from Babylon came to call, he showed them through "his" kingdom, showing off all of his treasures. His pride not only brought a rebuke from Isaiah but led to great harm to the people. Some years later that same nation would remember the great treasures inside Jerusalem and would lay seige to the city, sack it, plunder it, and utterly destroy it.

Remind you of a verse in Proverbs? "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." Maybe Solomon was prophesying to his descendant Hezekiah.

You and I would certainly do well to heed that warning. You've heard the ditty, "God is good all the time." Properly understood, that is true. But we need to remember that the goodness of God is based on his mercy and grace, not on our merit. Our pride can only inhibit and hinder the work of God, and bring the devastation of sin into our lives.

Father, remind me daily that your goodness is not based on my goodness, but on your grace. Protect me from the pride that hinders your blessing and devastates my life!

Think and Pray

Do you follow the world's advice to put yourself first and think highly of yourself, or do you listen to God's call to humble yourself in the eyes of God?

"Misplaced Confidence" May 19 Readings: Isaiah 33-36

Today's Reading - Isaiah 33-36

Background

Today's reading, Isaiah 36-37, is a story covered both in 2 Kings 18-19 and in 2 Chronicles 32. It is a turning point moment in the life of Judah. Because of Hezekiah's self-confident sin, his son Manasseh became a wicked king who led Judah to its final destruction.

Devotional - Misplaced Confidence 

"God himself couldn't sink the Titanic." 

The story has been passed down since that fateful moment in April of 1912 when the Titanic hit an iceberg, began to fill with water and within hours was at the bottom of the Atlantic ocean. Someone, in typical human hubris, was supposed to have spoken those overconfident words as the Titanic launched on it's only voyage. It may or may not be a true story but it is completely in line with the workings of human self-confidence.

Too often, we leave God out of our calculations. We place our confidence in our own abilities, our advancements and technology, and we forget that this world operates on the dictates and according to the purposes of a sovereign God.

There is a prime example of this in Isaiah 36-37. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, was threatening God's people and he sent his representative, known as the Rabshakeh, to deliver his challenge. This man brimmed with confidence - and well he should have. No reasonable person would have bet on Judah against Assyria. It was a mismatch of epic proportions. Hezekiah simply did not have the army to match up with Sennacherib and his forces.

The royal spokesman said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: The great king, the king of Assyria, says this: What are you relying on? 5 You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. Who are you now relying on that you have rebelled against me? 6 Look, you are relying on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who grabs it and leans on it. This is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him. 7 Suppose you say to me, ‘We rely on the Lord our God.’ Isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You are to worship at this altar’? 36:4-7

They could not trust in their allies, whom Assyria was crushing in battle. Egypt would be no help against the Assyrians. That much was true. But then he picked a fight he couldn't win. He ridiculed Hezekiah's faith in God. That is where the Rabshakeh made his fatal mistake. 

Never underestimate God and never leave him out of your calculations. 

We know "the rest of the story." God miraculously delivered Hezekiah and brought the king of Assyria down. The Rabshakeh's confidence was as misplaced as that of the person who supposedly pronounced the Titanic unsinkable, even by the hand of God. Every human calculation said that Judah could not defeat Assyria, but life isn't only about human calculations. There is a God in heaven and he acts in the affairs of man. He leads, guides, provides, and protects his people and anyone who assumes the inactivity of God is making a huge mistake.

The one who trusts in God can have true confidence. Oh, things might not always work out the way we want, but the God who loves us and runs this world will strengthen us by his mighty hand. He is a God his people can trust. 

Thank you, Lord, that you are faithful and good. Our enemies cannot do anything to stop your work in me, and in your people. Help me to always trust in you!

Think and Pray

Is your full faith in God's power?

"A Faithful, Frustrated Father" May 18 Readings: Isaiah 28-32

Today's Reading - Isaiah 28-32

Background

The oracles of Isaiah scan the globe and announce God's judgement all around. But now God is turning to the sins of his own people, primarily of the soon-to-be destroyed Israel and the idolatrous Judah.

Devotional

If God had demonstrated anything to Israel throughout the years, it was that he always had a plan and could be counted on when things got rough.

When the Hebrews were in bondage in Egypt, God had a plan. It was an odd one. He sent a felonious fugitive, one who had been on the lam for 40 years as a shepherd in Midian, armed with nothing but a staff. It seemed like a foolish plan but it worked.

When the next generation of Hebrews was beside the raging waters of the Jordan at flood stage, God had a plan. Again, it was unusual, calling for four men to hoist the ark on their backs and step into the river. But his plan was good again. As soon as the men stepped into the river, the flood waters were dammed and the people went through on dry ground. God's plan worked.

Not long thereafter, Israel was confronted with a problem - the walled city of Jericho in the Jordan Valley. Wouldn't you know it, God had a plan. It was not the kind of plan a military genius might recommend, of course. God told Israel to march around the city once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day and voila, the walls came a-tumbling down. God's plan worked.

God always had a plan. He sent Gideon out with 300 men against a vast Midianite army. He sent David against Goliath with a slingshot. It didn't much matter who the enemy was, God had always had a plan and his plans always worked.

As Isaiah gave his prophecies, a new threat was descending from the north - Assyria. Evidently, whatever repentance God brought to their capital of Nineveh was now history and this mighty army was bent on conquest. The people of Israel - the northern kingdom comprised of ten tribes - would be overwhelmed and scattered into the four corners of the world. Next on the list was Judah.

What do you think Judah did at this point? Of course, with a millennium of God's faithfulness to the Hebrews to bank on, they turned to God, called out for his help and cast themselves upon his mercy. Right? Uh...well...no.

They looked to the south for help against the enemy from the north. God's people sought out the Egyptians and pleaded with them for protection.

And that frustrated God. Look at Isaiah 30:1-2 and try to feel the anthropomorphic emotion God is expressing here.

Woe to the rebellious children!

This is the Lord’s declaration.

They carry out a plan, but not mine;

they make an alliance,

but against my will,

piling sin on top of sin.

Without asking my advice

they set out to go down to Egypt

in order to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection

and take refuge in Egypt’s shadow.

Why would his people, to whom he had been so good, seek an alliance with Egypt, without his permission? Why would they make their own plans instead of God's? None of their plans had ever really worked out, but all of God's plans had borne fruit. Why would they go to Egypt for help when they could go to God? 

He made it very clear, in verse 3, that this appeal to Pharaoh would accomplish nothing. 

But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame,
and refuge in Egypt’s shadow your humiliation.

What a shame it was that God's people turned to Pharaoh who could not or would not provide a lasting solution when the God of heaven was not only capable of leading his people but will to deliver them, as long as they repented and returned to him. 

I wonder if it frustrates God today when we do the same? He is not only able but also willing to lead us in his ways, when we walk under the Lordship of Christ. He will set our feet on solid paths, guide us in the narrow ways, protect us from all enemies and lead us to glory. And yet, so often, we seek the help and wisdom of others instead of God's, we rely on human wisdom instead of the divine, we seek refuge in what this world can offer instead of the power and plan of God. 

It was foolish in the days of Isaiah, and it is still foolish today.

Just how good does God have to be before we trust in him? 

Father, forgive me for when I have relied on man instead of on you, when I have listened to human wisdom instead of divine revelation, and have failed to trust in you. You have always been good, even when I have been a fool. 

Think and Pray

Do you trust your Heavenly Father or do you look to human solutions when he has already provided a way?

"A God Who Judges" May 17 Readings: Hosea 8-14

Today's Reading - Hosea 8-14

Background

Hosea is largely written against the Israelite Tribe of Ephraim. Today's readings contains a series of oracles - prophetic words - against Israel/Ephraim, ending in a word of hope. Hosea's prophecy is the first to compare marriage to the human relationship with God.

Devotional - A God Who Judges 

"It isn't my fault."
"It was just bad luck."
"They did it first."
"I'm only human."

We are so often people of excuses, rationalizations, and justifications. We push the blame off on others and we deny our culpability for sin. Evidently, this was a problem with Israel (and Judah) as well. They had been told that God would bless them if they were obedient but that their sin would bring the judgment of devastating consequences. Yet, when Israel began to suffer for their wickedness and idolatry - in exact measure as Leviticus and Deuteronomy had predicted - they were dumbfounded that their sin could possibly be the cause of their problems. They were the chosen people, special to God. Surely he wouldn't let this happen.

But in Hosea 10:13-14, God makes his purposes plain.

You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice;you have eaten the fruit of lies.Because you have trusted in your own wayand in your large number of soldiers,the roar of battle will rise against your people,and all your fortifications will be demolishedin a day of war.

They were reaping what they were sowing and the horror coming their way was laid at their own feet.

There are many reasons that we suffer. Sometimes we suffer for the sins of others. Sometimes it is just the fruit of life in a fallen world. Sometimes God is doing something we don't understand to accomplish his purpose and sometimes he is testing us. But if we look at the word of God and at our lives and realize that what is happening is tied to our choices and our actions, it does little good to attempt to deny responsibility. Better to repent and seek God - he is always gracious and just, a God willing to forgive and to restore.

Father, help me to better understand what you are doing in my life and what your actions mean. 

Think and Pray

Look at the suffering and hardship going on in your life.
What might God be doing in that?
What could be the possible reasons for these?

"I Am Gomer" May 16 Readings: Hosea 1-7

Today's Reading - Hosea 1-7

Background

Many prophets were asked to do strange things to illustrate the message of God. Hosea' entire life became a message of grace. He married then reclaimed a sinful woman to illustrate the infidelity of God's people.

Devotional

The prophets did some weird things to demonstrate the anger of God against sin and the love of God for his people. One wore ill-fitting undergarments to show how irritating Israel's sin was. But Hosea's story is perhaps the most graphic of all.

God commanded him to marry a woman who would illustrate Israel's sin (Hosea 1:2). When she strayed back into her life of sin, God sent Hosea to reclaim her and bring her home. This story is a verbal painting of the love of God - nothing sweet, syrupy or sentimental, but a gritty love, the kind that sticks around through the good times and the bad and changes lives.

Israel was a rebellious and spiritually adulterous nation, one that had left fidelity to the One True God and was chasing after the gods of the Canaanites. But God's grace was greater even than their infidelity. He told Hosea to illustrate that faithful love. The Old Testament is a record of two things - the constant infidelity of Israel and the even greater faithfulness of God whose love never fails.

Sin is never a minor thing, but God's love overcomes that. As he did with Israel, which sinned and failed repeatedly, God renews and restores us when we sin. He seeks and he saves. We are Gomer, wayward people who tend to drift into sin and away from God. We mimic the wayward wife, but the faithful God of Israel continues to overcome our sins today. By the powerful blood of Christ, he cleanses every stain and brings us back to the place of renewal, of purity, and full fellowship with God.

Father, I thank you that your blood washes away every stain, and that when I fail, you are there to restore me and renew me. You are a good God - better than this Gomer deserves. 

Think and Pray

"Microwave Revival" May 15 Readings: 2 Kings 18:1-8, 2 Chronicles 29-31, Psalm 48

Today's Reading - 2 Kings 18:1-8, 2 Chronicles 29-31, Psalm 48

Background

The life of Hezekiah is inspiational and tragic. He was a turning point in Judah's life, leading them in a great revival, but his late-life spiritual failure also sealed their demise. He raised a son named Manasseh who became the most evil of all Judah's rulers - so wicked God determined judgment would fall.

Devotional - Microwave Revival

Hezekiah was one of the best kings of Judah, one of only two who were compared favorably with David himself (later, Josiah will be the second). Almost as soon as he ascended to the throne, and having seen the devastation that sin brought to the northern kingdom of Israel, he decided to lead Israel back to fidelity to God.

He started by cleansing the temple and taking all the idolatrous mess that defiled the temple into the Kidron Valley to be burned. He reinstituted proper worship in Jerusalem and reorganized the priests and Levites to reassume their proper roles. Everything had to be done in accord with the commands of God.

It's a pretty familiar pattern for revival. It begins with repentance by God's people and a willingness to put away anything which draws our attention and affection away from God. We must return to worship him as we ought. Fortunately for us, the sacrifice for our sins was made once and for all by Jesus Christ, but we must renew of love and devotion to him.

But there is another element to true revival that escapes American Christianity. Somewhere along the line, someone convinced us that a worship service should only be one hour long. All the prayers, singing, giving, sharing and preaching of God's Word must fit neatly into a 60 minute package. There's no way we can do what we really need to to become all God wants us to be in a 60 minute worship service once a week.

Look at 2 Chronicles 30. Hezekiah called all of Israel together to celebrate the Passover, the remembrance of God's great saving act on Israel's behalf. It was supposed to be celebrated every year, but Israel had ignored it for decades, perhaps centuries. So, they gathered and celebrated Passover for 7 full days. Seven full days of worship before God. When's the last time anyone did that?

But here is the kicker, at the end of those 7 days, guess what they did? Verse 23 tells us.

The whole congregation decided to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy.

After 7 days of thanksgiving, they decided to devote seven days more to God. Fourteen days. Verse 26 tells us the result of all of that.

There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this was known since the days of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.

Judah drew near to God and for the first time since the days of Solomon and the result was joy, what we might call a revival. Judah returned to God. And, according to verse 27, God heard the prayers. 

Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.

God responded to his people's genuine, heartfelt worship. He heard their prayers and restored their land.

No, maybe we do not need to spend 14 straight days in the presence of the Lord to find personal revival, but it takes time. We cannot fit God into the corner of our busy lives and hope for good things. Anything that produces spiritual fruit takes time. It takes time to grow in Christ, to build godly character, to draw near to God. 

You cannot microwave spiritual renewal. The process of revival is a slow bake. If you try to rush it to fit into your busy schedule, the work of God in us suffers.

Father, thank you that through Jesus we can draw near to you. May I take the time necessary to do that every day.  

Think and Pray

Do you seek to rush through spiritual development?
Do you take the time necessary to grow and become all God wants you to become?

"Our Sovereign God" May 14 Readings: Isaiah 23-27

Today's Reading - Isaiah 23-27

Background

These readings are cosmic - big issues - God's glorious judgment and his amazing power for his people.

Devotional - Our Sovereign God

God is mighty and powerful, sovereign over the world - but not everyone experiences that sovereignty in the same way. In Isaiah 23 and 24 we read God's judgment falls on Tyre and then on the entire world. He strips bare the earth and makes it desolate in Isaiah 24:1. Those who ignore his warnings against sin will one day meet the horrible power of God's wrath.

And that pretty much describes everyone these days, doesn't it? We have created a world in which God doesn't judge sin and the worst of sins is to say that he does. You live as you please - "you do you." No one should judge you or question your choices and dare to say that any choice you make is okay.

But the Bible says that we live one life then give account to God. When the time is right he will judge the living and the dead. They say that the only two things you can't avoid are death and taxes. There is one thing much more certain than either of those - the eventual judgment of God over this earth. The sovereign God judges.

But in chapter 25, that same God uses his mighty power to save. According to verse 1, he accomplishes wonders according to plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. He saves his people by fighting mighty battles against their foes.

“Look, this is our God;we have waited for him, and he has saved us.This is the Lord; we have waited for him.Let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:9

Our sovereign God judges sin and saves his people. This world marches on like mankind is in charge but there is a God to whom we answer and we can either fight him to our loss or serve him to his glory and our gain.

Think and Pray

Do you live in obedience to the God of heaven - for his glory?
When the world seems to be flying apart remember that God is in control.