Exposed to the World.

Isaiah 20

The Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, '"Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals." Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot. ­– Isaiah 20:2 NLT

How far would you go to remain obedient and submissive to God? Are there times when you balk at what the Lord is telling you to do because it either doesn't make sense or it seems a bit inconvenient? God's will for us is not always logical and He rarely, if ever, wants to know our opinion as to whether it is something we feel like doing. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to recognize that He has a very good reason for asking to do what He has commanded – or He never would have done so. Today's reading is short, but the impact is powerful. Here is Isaiah, God's prophet, who has been faithfully doing exactly what God has called him to do… tell the people of Israel of the coming judgment of God on themselves and the surrounding nations. Up to this point Isaiah has just had to use his voice and speak the words of God to the people of God. But now, God is going to ask him to do something that seems so illogical, even immoral. It just doesn't make sense. God tells Isaiah to remove all his clothing and walk around naked – for three years – as a visual illustration of what was going to happen to the nations of Egypt and Ethiopia.

Can you imagine the humiliation? Can you begin to comprehend the amount of ridicule and abuse Isaiah had to put up with? It was hard enough just being God's prophet. Now he was going to have to walk around stark naked for three years as a walking billboard shouting out the coming judgment of God on two pagan nations. But the amazing thing is that nowhere in this passage do you see Isaiah balk at the Lord's command. He doesn't argue, rationalize, or bargain with God. He simply does what he is told. No questions asked. No whining. No complaining. The point of this humiliating exercise was to teach the people of Israel and Judah a memorable lesson on putting your trust in something other than God. If you do, it will always leave you exposed, ashamed, and vulnerable. But the more striking message in this story for me is the steadfast and unfailing obedience of Isaiah. This amazing man did what the Lord asked him to do – immediately and obediently. He was God's vessel to do with as He wished. Isaiah fully believed that God was trustworthy and had a perfectly good reason behind His seemingly illogical request. Obedience to God will not always be logical or necessarily enjoyable. It may seem humiliating from a human perspective. It may appear that God is being unfair or harsh. It would have been easy for Isaiah to ask God to choose another way. He could have argued that to expose himself like that would have been inappropriate. But Isaiah both feared and trusted God. He revered God to much to argue with Him. He loved God too much to doubt Him. He trusted God too much to disobey Him. So for three years Isaiah walked around naked as a living lesson for the people of God. Would I have done that? Would I be willing to do something I saw as humiliating and hurtful to my pride in order to remain obedient to God? Would I "expose" myself to ridicule and laughter for the sake of God? Would I be willing to strip myself of all pretense and the last little vestiges of self-worth and self-sufficiency to do what God wants me to do? These are hard questions to consider. Could God have gotten His point across another way? More than likely. But I think God's request was as much for Isaiah as it was to illustrate a point to the people of Judah. Isaiah's job is far from over. He has much more to do and say. Was he going to be faithful to his calling? According to this story, probably so.

Father, this is a hard one. I hate the idea of being exposed and left naked emotionally, let alone physically. Vulnerability is difficult – especially for those of us who are men. Isaiah was already wearing burlap, not exactly the clothing of success and significance. And You asked him to lose that as well. The last little remnant of his pride and protection of his esteem had to be dropped – leaving him exposed to the world. He was Your man – Your spokesperson. Everyone knew he worked for You. Everyone knew he represented You. And He was faithful. He was obedient. He was trustworthy. May I be that kind of man. May I let go of my pride and my need for respect and simply obey You – no matter the cost.  Amen

Oh, What A Day That Will Be!

Isaiah 18-19

In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and a witness that the Lord of Heaven's Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the Lord for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them. The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the Lord and will give their sacrifices and offerings to hi. They will make a vow to the Lord and keep it. ­– Isaiah 19:19-22 NLT

Read the verses above slowly and carefully. Now think about the modern-day Egypt you know. Think about the recent turmoil, the riots, unrest and the deposition of their president. Recall all the stories from the Bible about Egypt and its treatment of the people of Israel. Their enslavement and abuse of God's people. Their attempt to recapture them at the Red Sea. The Egyptians and Israelites share a long and not-so-pleasant history together. There were times when Egypt was the place where Israel turned for help and protection. Jesus' own parents took him there after His birth to protect Him from Herod's attacks. Egypt was never a place where God was worshiped or even recognized. It was a pagan nation with a multitude of gods. Yet, here we read that a day is coming when God will punish Egypt, then they will turn to the Lord and worship Him.

Can you imagine what this prophecy sounded like to the people of Isaiah's day? How could they ever imagine Egypt and Assyria, two of their most powerful enemies, turning to God and worshiping Him alone? This prediction from the lips of Isaiah had to have sounded absurd and far-fetched. And it still sounds that way to us today. That a day could be coming when all the nations of the earth bow down and worship God and His Son Jesus Christ is hard to comprehend. It sounds ridiculous. Yet God says "in that day" He will not only chasten Egypt, He will redeem them. He will provide them with a Savior and will bring them into a right relationship with Him. In Isaiah's day, these nations represented alliances that Egypt made in an attempt to rescue themselves out of trouble. When threatened by an outside force, they would turn to another nation for help. So instead of trusting God, they would place their trust in a nation and its military might. But in these passages God seems to be reminding Israel that the nations should be coming to them for help. They should be turning to Israel's God for salvation. But because Israel failed to trust in God themselves, the nations failed to see Israel's God as powerful and worthy of worship. Israel's lack of faith in God failed to impress the nations. But the day is coming when that will all change. God will get the attention of the nations when His Son returns to mete out God's judgment. But He will not just rebuke them, He will restore them. God will bring peace to the earth. He will cause warring nations to put down their weapons and lift up their hands in mutual worship of Him. Israel and their former enemies will be co-worshipers of God. Egypt and Assyria, sworn enemies in Isaiah's day, will become one in their worship of God and His Son Jesus Christ. "For the Lord of Heaven's Armies will say, 'Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession" (Isaiah 19:25 NLT). What a day that will be! Unbelievable. Remarkable. Hard to imagine. But well worth waiting for.

Father, there is a great day coming when all things and all nations will be restored. There will be peace in the land. All men will share a common bond in their worship of You. Our enemies will be our brothers. Former foes will be joined by a common love for You. It is hard to imagine, but so exciting to think about. Help me to understand that those countries I view as enemies today will one day have their eyes opened and their hearts turned to You. There is a day coming when there will be no more enemies. There will be no more Al Queda, Iran, China, Cuba, Libya, or North Korea. There is a day coming when peace will reign, Christ will rule, and men will no longer have any reason to call each other enemies. Oh, what a day that will be! Amen

What's It Going To Take?

Isaiah 15-17

Then at last the people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. ­– Isaiah 17:7 NLT

We are a stubborn lot, we human beings. We will endure all kinds of pain and suffering in order to have things our own way. We can be, to use a biblical term, stiff-necked when it comes to our autonomy. Self-rule and self-sufficiency are the order of the day, just as they were in Isaiah's day. It's not hard to see the stubbornness of the people of God who Isaiah was addressing. The very punishments of God were designed to get their attention and draw them back to Him. But it's amazing just how much it took to get them to wake up and smell the coffee. It would take demoralizing defeat and deportation to a foreign land to finally get them to sit up and take notice – to recognize their sin and their need for salvation from the hands of God.

In these chapters Isaiah describes the devastation and destruction that is going to come on the Moabites and Syrians, but the northern kingdom of Israel as well. He tells them, "Israel's glory will grow dim; its robust body will waste away" (Isaiah 17:4 NLT). "Only a few of its people will be left" (Isaiah 17:6 NLT). But God's ultimate purpose was restorative, not just punitive. He wanted His people to turn back to Him. "Then at last the people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 17:7 NLT). They will finally stop turning to idols for help. They'll quit giving their devotion and placing their trust in something other than God. It will take devastation and desolation to get them to do this though. God will have to bring them to an end of themselves and prove to them their need for Him. It will not be until they realize that no one or nothing can save them that they finally turn to God for help and hope.

Isn't that just like mankind? We have to reach a point where we don't have another trick up our sleeve, when we don't have a solution to our problems or a way to get ourselves out of hot water that we finally turn to God. It may take an illness, a financial collapse, our spouse walking out on us, the death of a loved one, or the loss of our job before we finally stop relying on ourselves and start turning to God. Am I saying that God causes illness, makes our finances fail, or prompts our wife to walk out on us? No. But in His sovereign will, God can and does use these circumstances of life to get our attention. He allows the events of life – sometimes the results of our own sinful decisions or just the natural fallout of living in a fallen world – to get our attention and show us our need for Him. He is always calling us back to dependency on Him and non-self-sufficiency. He wants us to want Him. If it takes a failure to improve our faith – so be it. But what will it take for you? How long will you ignore God and live according to your own will? How long will you do things your way instead of His? How long will you devote your time, attention and resources to things other than Him before You realize that "you have turned from the God that can save you. You have forgotten the Rock who can hide you"? (Isaiah 7:10 NLT). God is calling? Are you listening? God is ready to save you and restore you? Are you ready?

Father, You are always out to restore Your people. You want us to rely on and trust in You. But we are stubborn. We are so prone to put our trust and hope in anything and everything but You. It seems that it takes some kind of collapse to get our attention. We have to fail before we realize just how much we need You. Our prayer lives tend to get stronger in times of need. Our spiritual vision improves during times of difficulty. Help us to learn to seek You without the aid of discipline. Help us to learn to turn to You without having to suffer first. Continue to soften our stubborn hearts and prune us of pride. Amen

He Has A Plan.

Isaiah 13-14

I have a plan for the whole earth, a hand of judgment upon all the nation. The Lord of Heaven's Armies has spoken – who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him? ­– Isaiah 14:26-27 NLT

There are times when things seem so out of control. A quick glance of the newspaper, a scan of the evening news, and you begin to sense that the world is coming off its hinges. Wars, genocide, riots, rebellions, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes, recessions, depressions, poverty…the list goes on and on. In the face of all this uncertainty and sin, it could be easy to feel like God has either lost control of thing or is distracted and disinterested in things here on earth. But Isaiah is a reminder that God is always in full control of things on this planet. He is deeply interested and heavily involved in all that is going on around us. From our perspective, things may look bleak, but God has a different view of things. He is not limited by time and space. He knows how the story ends.

In Isaiah's day, it would have been easy for the people of God to lose hope as they looked around them. The Babylonians, Assyrians, Philistines, and others were all jockeying for power and position, and little Israel was caught in the middle. Yet God was using these nations to accomplish His divine plan. He was even using them to bring judgment on Israel. He was using these armies to carry out His anger and accomplish His wrath (Isaiah 13:3, 5). While we may feel like the wicked and the evil get away with murder (sometimes literally), God is never out of control. He always judges justly and fairly. It may not happen in our lifetime or according to our desires, but God can and does deal with injustice. He did it in Isaiah's day and He will do it in the future. And in the midst of it all, He would continue to show mercy on those He had chosen. "But the Lord will have mercy on the descendants of Jacob. He will choose Israel as his special people once again" (Isaiah 14:1 NLT). God had used Babylon to discipline Israel. But the day came when He restored Israel to their land and punished Babylon for their sins. It was all part of His plan, and NOTHING or NO ONE can do anything to alter that plan. It cannot be delayed, derailed or destroyed. "The Lord of Heavens Armies has sworn this oath: 'It will all happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided" (Isaiah 14:24 NLT).

In the book of Isaiah we have a picture of God's plan lived out to perfection – in the past. But we also have a prediction of God's plan yet to happen – in the future. It is designed to give us hope and confidence. We can trust Him, because He has never failed to accomplish His will or implement His plan. There is much that has yet to happen. There are still promises God has yet to fulfill. But rest assured. He will do what He has planned. It will be just as He has decided.

Father, no matter what I see happening around me, keep me confident in the fact that You are in control and You are not done yet. You have a plan and You are working that plan. Everything You have promised will take place. Everything You have planned will come about just as You determined. At no point are You out of control or wringing Your hands in despair. I can rest in You. Amen

They Would Not Listen.

2 Kings 16-17

But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. ­– 2 Kings 17:14 NLT

The 17th chapter of 2 Kings contains a summary of all that had happened to the nation of Israel since the split of the kingdom after Solomon's reign. It covers the time all the way up to the defeat of the northern kingdom by Assyria and their deportation. And it sums up their circumstances quite succinctly. They refused to listen to God. They refused to obey God. They refused to believe God. They rejected His commands and despised all His warnings of coming judgment. Instead of worshiping God, they worshiped worthless idols – man-made creations that could do nothing for them. They were the chosen people of God who refused to believe in and trust God. So their fate was sealed. Their destiny was determined by their callous treatment of God.

How many lessons are there in these passages for us to learn? Or will we simply look at the people of Israel, shake our heads, and wonder how they could have turned their backs on God so easily? The truth is, we treat God with the same degree of disrespect and disbelief every day. We doubt His Word. We disobey His commands. We turn to other gods instead of Him. We place our trust in other things besides Him. We regularly show Him disrespect, stubbornly resisting His will because we think we know better. Like the Israelites, we can become cocky and complacent, resting on our relationship as His children, confident that we are safe because we are saved. We have our ticket stamped and our place in His kingdom secured, so we think we can make our obedience optional. We treat His grace, mercy and forgiveness flippantly, living lives of our own choosing, highly confident that He loves us and would never forsake us. And He does and He won't. But that does not mean God will not discipline us. He loves us too much to allow us to live in disobedience. He cares too much for us to allow us to live in disbelief and indifference to His revealed will. We are His representatives on this planet. We are His hands and feet. We are to be a living testimony of His power to the lost world around us. When we claim the name of Christ, but live in disobedience to God, we mock the very name of God and take the sacrifice of Christ's death lightly. Like Ahaz, we can make the worship of God all about us. Ahaz took the bronze altar from the Temple and began to use it for His own personal worship. He replaced God's will with his own. He made worship all about him and not about God. Worship became a tool to get what he wanted. It self-focused, rather than God-focused. And we run the same risk today. When we begin to care more about what we want than what God wants, we are headed for trouble. When we begin to listen to our own desires instead of God's commands, we are on shaky ground. When we doubt God but trust in ourselves, we can and should expect the discipline of God. He loves us, but He will not allow us to dishonor His name and disrespect His will. God will not be mocked. He is calling us to obey Him. Not so He will love us more, but out of love for all He has done for us. He is calling us to honor Him with our actions, not so He will be impressed with our obedience, but as proof of our belief in Him. Are you listening? Do you hear Him? Will you obey Him?

Father, sometimes we are hard of hearing. You are speaking to us through Your Word, but we refuse to listen. We hear, but we don't want to obey. We think our way is better. We think our will is more important than Yours. Open our ears and help us hear, but also give us the determination to obey You. You know best. You have our best interest at heart. May we trust You more and more.  Amen

Where Do You Turn In Times of Trouble?

2 Chronicles 28

Even during this time of trouble, King Ahaz continued to reject the Lord. ­– 2 Chronicles 28:22 NLT

When trouble comes, where do you turn? When difficulty shows up in your life, where do you look for answers? For Ahaz, the king of Judah, he looked anywhere and to anyone other than God. Even though most of his problems were directly related to his own rebellion against God, he just kept turning his attention elsewhere for a solution. It never seemed to cross his mind that the best solution might come in the form of repentance. He had led his people into all kinds of idolatry, including the worship of Baal, and had even practiced child sacrifice, offering up some of his own children on pagan altars in an attempt to appease the gods. As as result of his various sins, God brought punishment on Ahaz and the nation of Judah in the form of attacks by other nations. His own people were sent into exile. The northern kingdom attacked and took plunder and many of the people of Judah as slaves. But instead of turning to the Lord for help and asking for forgiveness, Ahaz turned to the king of Assyria. He makes a pact with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria to help him fight against Edom. But instead of providing aid, King Tiglath-pileser attacks Judah. He looted the temple, the royal palace and the homes of the wealthiest people. We are told that "The Lord was humbling Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, for he had encouraged his people to sin and had been utterly unfaithful to the Lord" (2 Chronicles 28:19 NLT).

So what did Ahaz do? He offered up sacrifices to the gods of Assyria. His logic was the if their gods had given the Assyrians victory over Judah, then they must be more powerful than the God of Judah. He even shut the doors of the Temple so no one could worship there. In other words, he made it impossible for the people of Judah to worship Yahweh at all. Instead, he set up pagan altars and shrines all over Jerusalem – the city of God. The result? He incurred the wrath of God. Rather than repent, he rebelled even further, causing God to punish he and the people to an even greater degree. How stubborn can you get? How stupid can one person be? But before I judge, I had better take a long look at my own life and examine how many times I have turned to something or someone else instead of the Lord when I have encountered trouble in my life. It is so easy to see Ahaz's sin, but overlook our own. Yet each of us is guilty of refusing God's discipline in our lives by trying to escape it by looking for solutions that don't include repentance and confession. We turn to the gods of this world for deliverance – money, banking, investments, hard work, self-help books, and an assorted escape mechanisms such as pleasure, entertainment, sex, drugs and alcohol. We sacrifice our kids on the altars of sports, the arts, and education. We sacrifice our marriages on the altars of success and achievement. Yet as we see throughout the stories of the kings of Judah and Israel, God is calling us to turn back to Him. He pleads with us to repent and return. He alone can provide solutions to our problems and forgiveness for our sins. He wants us to admit that we have sinned. He wants us to confess that we have rejected Him. He wants us to return to Him and accept His offer of forgiveness and love. So where will you turn today? Who will you look to when things go poorly? Will you look up? Will you turn to God? Difficulties and trials can either turn us to God or away from Him. They can wreak havoc on our faith or cause it to grow. They can drive us to the Lord or away from Him. They can and should reveal our weakness and our need for God. Use today's troubles to turn you back to God. He is ready, willing and able to help.

Father, forgive me for the many times I have turned to someone or something else instead of You. Instead of seeing trials as a tool in Your hands to turn me back to You, I tend to try and find a way out them. I turn to other things to solve my problems. I fail to see You in them and refuse to let them turn me back to You. Open my eyes so that the difficulties of life might be opportunities to see You more clearly. Amen

What Does God Want From You?

Micah 5-7

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. ­– Micah 6:8 NLT

It's really pretty simple. God's will for you and me is not some complex, hard to figure out, mysterious thing. It is not a riddle to solve or quest to pursue. It does not involve sacrifices, rituals, or religious observances to ascertain. God's will, what He wants from us is fairly basic. He states it right here in this message from the prophet Micah. And it consists of three things: To do what is right. To love mercy. And to walk humbly with Him.

Right in the middle of all the prophesies of coming judgment and future restoration, God delivers a message to His people stating His expectations or desires concerning their behavior. He has listed all their sins. He has warned of coming punishment. Then He tells them what He wants from them. And it is really fairly simple. First, He wants them to do what is right – to live together justly or righteously. What does that mean? Well, take a look at how they WERE living. God accuses them of dishonesty in their business dealings, of greed and avarice that caused them to cheat one another, of corruption and graft, extortion, violence, lying and a long list of other unjust behaviors. They were daily violating a good portion of the Ten Commandments. Do not lie, do not cheat, do not steal, do not covet, do not bear false witness, etc. God wanted them to do what is right in relationship with one another. He wanted them to live in harmony and peace, to treat one another with dignity and respect. But they were doing just the opposite.

Then God tells them He wants them to love mercy. That word "mercy" has to do with a certain kind of zeal or love shown to another person that shows up in kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. God wanted them to be zealous for mercy. They loved to receive it, but weren't so good at extending it. God wanted to see His people zealous for and excited about showing mercy to one another. But again, they were doing just the opposite. They were taking advantage of one another. They were abusing one another. There was no mercy being extended or shown.

Finally, God tells them that He wants them to walk humbly before Him. He wants them to live their daily lives with a sense of humility and lowliness. He wants them to eliminate their pride and replace it with an understanding of who they are in comparison to Him. They are nothing without Him. They are weak and He is strong. They are only His people because He chose to make them so. They bring no value to the table. There is nothing inherently special about them. So as they live their lives, they are to constantly remember that all they have is the result of God, not themselves. Their wealth, treasures, talents, and resources are all the result of a kind, generous, loving God. To walk humbly before Him is to live with a sense of dependence and awareness of your need. It is a life of submission to His will. But instead, they had become arrogant, boastful, prideful, self-sufficient and self-willed. They did what was right in their own eyes. They walked before God with a sense of self-confidence. They did the things they did to one another with a degree of pride and arrogance, as if God would not do anything about it.

God's desires for us are highly practical, not religious and ethereal. He wants us to treat one another fairly and justly. He wants us to love showing mercy to others – especially those in need, the helpless, hopeless, and oppressed. And He wants us to live our lives with a sense of humility – unimpressed with ourselves, our accomplishments, or our possessions. This is our calling. This is who God has called each of us as Christ-followers to be. This is how He desires for each of us to live our lives. Doing the right thing, extending mercy, and living with humility. What a difference our lives would make in this world if we did what God desired for us to do. And He has made it possible for us to pull it off because He has placed His Spirit within us. He has given us His Word to direct us. And He gave His Son as a living example of what that kind of life looks like. To live like Christ is to live out these three things as He did. Take a look at His life. Examine how He did what was right, showed mercy, and lived humbly. That is what He is calling us to do. It is practical, everyday stuff. But it is potentially life-changing and world-impacting.

Father, like the Israelites, many of us are too busy doing just the opposite of what You want. We have lost sight of the goal. We are ignoring Your will for our lives. Bring us back to the basics. Give us a desire to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly before You. Amen

K

But That's Not The Kind of God I Worship!

Micah 1-4

"Don't say such things," the people respond. "Don't prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!" ­– Micah 2:6 NLT

Too many today have a one-dimensional view of God. They want to see Him as loving and kind, gracious and forgiving. He is like the kindly old grandfather who excuses all the faults of his grandchildren and doles out gifts and words of exhortation. This perspective has caused many t0 reject the God of the Old Testament because He comes across as angry, violent, vindictive, judgmental, harsh, demanding, and somewhat bloodthirsty. They have a hard time reconciling the God pictured in the Old Testament with the kind, gracious and merciful God of the New Testament who sent His own Son to die on the cross as payment for the sins of all mankind. The Old Testament is full of prophesies of doom and gloom, while the New Testament is all about the Good News.

Yet in the book of Micah you find these two aspects of God's personality revealed side by side. You clearly see the God of judgment, warning His people of the punishment He is about to bring on them for their sin and rebellion. "Look! The Lord is coming! He leaves His throne in heaven and tramples the heights of the earth" (Micah 1:3 NLT). He was coming to judge and to punish. Why? "Because of the rebellion of Israel – yes, the sins of the whole nation" (Micah 1:5 NLT). Then Micah spends seven chapters listing out their various sins: Fraud (2:2), theft (2:8), greed (2:9), debauchery (2:11), oppression (3:3), hypocrisy (3:4), heresy (3:5), injustice (3:9), extortion and lying (6:12), and murder (7:2). Just to name a few!

And just like today, the people of God didn't want to hear what Micah had to say. At least not the negative part. "'Don't say such things,' the people respond. 'Don't prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!'" (Micah 2:6 NLT). They were God's chosen people. Their God loved them. He would never let anything like that happen to them. But Micah warns them, "Should you talk that way, O family of Israel? Will the Lord's Spirit have patience with such behavior?" (Micah 2:7 NLT). These people only wanted to hear good news. They wanted their prophets and preachers to give them messages that were easy on the ears and less convicting to their spirits. Micah sarcastically accuses them: "Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, 'I'll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!' That's just the kind of prophet you would like!" (Micah 2:11 NLT). In other words, they would love to be told that their sinful actions and attitudes were perfectly fine, that God was pleased with them, that they didn't need to change.

But God was not pleased. He was angry and had run out of patience. His holiness demanded that He mete out justice. He must do the right thing. He cannot leave sin unpunished. He cannot simply overlook it. So judgment was non-optional. But at the same time, Micah gives us a glimpse of the love and mercy of God at the very same time He is warning about the coming wrath and judgment of God. He reminds them of God's promise. "Someday, O Israel, I will gather you; I will gather the remnant who are left. I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture" (Micah 2:12 NLT). He tells them, "Your King will lead you; the Lord himself will guide you" (Micah 2:13b). God is both just and loving. He is holy and merciful. He is consistent in every way. Part of our problem is that we do not fully understand the nature of God. We gravitate to the more kind and loving version we find in the New Testament. But in doing so, we create a version of God that is incomplete and imperfect. Micah tries to show a comprehensive and complete image of God. Without His wrath, His love loses its power. Without His justice looming over us, demanding that right be done and sin be punished, His grace becomes cheap and disposable. We wrestle with some of the aspects of God's character because they seem harsh and contradictory. But Micah reminds us, "…they do not know the Lord's thoughts or understand his plan" (Micah 4:12 NLT). His punishment seems harsh and hard to understand. But if we only focus there we fail to understand that His punishment is coupled with mercy. He not only rebukes, He restores and redeems. He punishes, but then He prospers. He disciplines out of love. He rebukes because He has to. He redeems because He wants to. That is the kind of God I worship. He is not fickle, weak-willed, easy on sin, or harsh without a reason. God has a reason for everything He does – including bring punishment and blessing. Because He has a plan and a purpose behind it all.

Father, help us to grow in our understanding of you. Keep us from viewing You one-dimensionally and trying to paint a portrait of You that fits what we want from a god. May we grow to appreciate the fullness of Your character and understand more fully the richness of Your grace and mercy. Amen

The King Is In the House!

Isaiah 10-12

Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot – yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. ­– Isaiah 11:1-2 NLT

What a wonderful chapter. Right in the middle of all the warnings of coming judgment God provides a glimpse into the future. He tells the people of God what is going to happen to them because of their sin and rebellion. They will be cut down, but they will not be cut off. A remnant will survive and return and a ruler will rise up. From the stump that is left after Israel is cut down will come a Branch, a ruler, who will reign in righteousness. For once, the people of God will be led by a King who loves and obeys God completely. What we have described here is the reign of Christ in His millennial kingdom. This will take place after His second coming, when He returns to Jerusalem, defeats the enemies of God and sets up His throne in the city of God. This period will be one of peace and prosperity. Isaiah describes an idyllic setting where creation is restored to its original state with the animosity between animals removed and the fallen nature of the world corrected. The Messiah, Jesus Christ, will rule with wisdom and understanding. He will administer justice and treat the people fairly. Righteousness and truth will characterize His kingdom and His reign. Jerusalem and Israel will be the center of the world's attention. Jews scattered all over the world will return to live in the land. Gentiles will be drawn like moths to a flame. That day will be a great and glorious day, and it is as real as today is. It will take place because God has promised it. And in that day, men will sing praises to God for His incredible faithfulness and forgiveness. And because we can count on this day taking place, we can even praise God now. It is as good as done. "With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!" (Isaiah 12:3 NLT). So why shouldn't we praise Him now for what He is going to do? Why wouldn't we thank Him now for what He has promised is going to happen? It has not happened yet, but it will.

Father, I want to learn to praise You before the fact, not after. I want to learn to thank You even before I have the answer or have seen the solution. Because You are always faithful and Your answers are always right. Your promises always come true. I can always count on You. So when I read about what is to come, I can praise You now as if it has already taken place. Because I know it will.  Amen

A Great Light!

2 Chronicles 27; Isaiah 9

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. ­– Isaiah 9:2 NLT

They say that darkness is simply the absence of light. Darkness isn't actually a substance. It is the lack of something. As we read through the history of Israel and Judah we see that they have, for the most part, rejected God as their King and sovereign ruler. At one point they demanded that they be given a king like all the other nations. So God gave them Saul. He proved to be just what they were asking for – a king just like all the other nations had. He was a mighty warrior, but not a man who had a heart for the things of God. So he was replaced by David, who we are told was a man after God's own heart. But even David had flaws. He was not perfect. Yet God made a covenant with David that assured him one of his descendants would rule on the throne of Israel in Jerusalem forever. What follows is the topsy-turvy history of the kings. After the reign of Solomon, David's son, the nation of Israel splits in two – with Israel to the north and Judah to the south. A succession of kings follow that seem to get progressively worse. Occasionally there is a glimmer of light in the midst of the darkness, but for the most part, these are not good days for Abraham's descendants. God sends prophets with messages of judgment. He will not tolerate the sins of His people forever. His holiness demands that justice be done. Sin must be dealt with. The rebellion of His people must be quelled.

But right in the middle of all the doom and gloom we read an incredible message of hope. It reveals so much about our God. He is just and holy. He is righteous and intolerant of sin. But He is also long-suffering, patient, kind, and merciful. He is not surprised by the rebellion of His people. He is not shocked that they have turned from Him and are now serving other gods. He knew that would happen when He chose them as His own. And He also knew that if His people were going to be saved from complete annihilation, He would have to do it. They could not save themselves, because they were self-destructive. In the midst of their darkness, God was going to send a light – a great light. The people were in darkness because God had removed His presence from their midst. Their darkness was due to an absence of righteousness. It was a moral darkness. It was a blackness of the soul. And nothing the people could do would illuminate the darkness and provide light for them to see their way out. So God would provide the light for them. He would send His own Son – the light of the world (John 1:4-5). Isaiah chapter nine gives us a glimpse of God's redemptive plan for mankind – hundreds of years before it took place. Out of Galilee would come the hope of the world. He would "break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders" (Isaiah 9:4 NLT). Jesus Himself would offer the invitation, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light" (Matthew 11:18-20 NLT). Jesus came to a people who were weary from having tried to live in self-righteousness for generations. They were burdened down by religious rules and legalistic demands. They were worn out from having tried to measure up to what they believed to be God's expectations of them. They were religious about being religious, but they were lost in the darkness of their own sin. But a light would shine. God would invade the darkness with His own presence. He would punctuate His own silence with a message of hope from the lips of His own Son.

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders, And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!" (Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT)

Father, without the light provided by Your Son, I would still be living in darkness. It is only His presence in my life that allows me to see at all. He provides me with light to see my own sin and my constant need of His saving grace. Thank You for illuminating the darkness of my life with the light of Your Son. Amen

In That Day…

Amos 8-9

"But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel,' says the Lord. ­– Amos 9:8b NLT

Rebellion. Rejection. Restoration. Redemption. Remnant. These are the themes of the Old Testament. Over and over again we have seen the people of God reject the hand of God over their lives. They rebel against His authority. They replace Him with other gods. They respond to His blessing and provision with indifference and outright contempt. They disobey His Law. They refuse to observe His ordinances. The sin against His commands. They bring shame to His name, instead of glory. The very people who share His name, dishonor Him with their behavior. And so God is forced to punish their sins. He relents over and over again, forgiving them for their indiscretions, until the day finally comes when He can ignore their rebellion no longer. The book of Amos warns of His coming judgment. But it also reminds us of something else that is coming: That day! God tells the very people He is bringing His judgment upon, "In that day I will restore the fallen house of David" (Amos 9:11a NLT). God promises to bring judgment, but He also promises to never destroy the nation of Israel completely. He made a promise to David that a descendant of his would rule on his throne forever. In spite of exile, years of oppression at the hands of their enemies, genocide, famines, droughts, wars, military occupations, and divinely inspired punishments, Israel would survive. Why? Because God ordained it. He had a purpose behind it. From this rebellious, stubborn people would come the Messiah, the Savior of the world and the redeemer of all mankind.

Israel would be punished. But God was not done with them yet. He would send them into exile, but He would return them to the land He had given them. He would restore the Temple and reinstate the sacrificial system. Israel would be dwelling in the land of promise when Jesus was born. Though living under the rule of Rome, Israel would be enjoying a certain degree of autonomy. God preserved a remnant and returned them to the land. The line of David had been protected and preserved. And a son was born who would be the heir that God had promised so many generations before. Jesus, the son of David and the Son of God. He was the long-awaited Messiah – not a political or military ruler, but the one who would set up the spiritual Kingdom of God on earth. He would offer a way in which Jews and Gentiles might be restored to a right relationship with God. He would provide a final sacrifice that satisfied the just demands of God once and for all. And one day He is going to return to establish His Kingdom on earth forever. He will restore the fortunes of Israel. He will reign from Jerusalem over all the earth. "In that day…" God will finish what He began. He will complete what He started. He will restore what mankind and the enemy have worked so hard to destroy.

One day the trumpet will

Sound for His coming

One day the skies with His Glories will shine

Wonderful day My beloved One's bringing

Glorious Savior this Jesus is mine

Father, thank You for the promise of that day. You are not done. You have not finished. You will complete what You have begun because You are faithful. You will redeem and restore. You will make everything right. Thank You for that reminder today. Amen

How Do You Measure Up?

Amos 6-7

Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. ­– Amos 7:7 NLT

A plumb line is a simple construction tool that consists of a string with a weight on the end. It works off of gravity and is used to determine perpendicularity. A carpenter, bricklayer, or construction worker will take the plumb line and hand it next to a wall or other structure to see if it is straight or not. The plumb line establishes the standard for straightness. It becomes the measuring tool for rightness. And in our two chapters today, God Himself uses the image of the plumb line as a way to convey to the people of Israel that He is going to measure their spiritual straightness. God said to Amos, "I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins" (Amos 7:8b NLT). God has a standard. He has a non-negotiable measuring tool for determining rightness or rightness, and it is not up for debate. We don't get to decide if we are okay or not. We don't get to measure ourselves against some arbitrary standard that we establish. It is always the Lord's standard. God had established Israel to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, set apart for His use (Exodus 19:6), but they had failed to measure up. They were regularly violating the Ten Commandments.

1.  They were to worship no other gods, but the one true God

2.  They were not to make idols of those other gods

3.  They were not to misuse God's name

4.  They were to keep the Sabbath day holy by honoring and keeping it

5.  They were to honor their fathers and mothers

6.  They must not murder

7.  They must not commit adultery

8.  They must not steal

9.  They must not testify falsely about their neighbor

10. They must not covet

The people of God were guilty of breaking all these commandments. On top of that, they were abusing the poor, growing wealthy off the mistreatment of the needy, and ignoring justice in order to line their own pockets. They were greedy, self-righteous, covetous, idolatrous, lacking in compassion, materialistic, spiritually apathetic, and addicted to pleasure. God said, "I describe the arrogance of Israel!" (Amos 6:8b NLT). They had turned "justice into poison and the sweet fruit of righteousness into bitterness" (Amos 6:12b NLT).

Amos didn't exactly make a lot of friends with this message. That kind of sermon didn't resonate then any more than it would today. We don't like to be scolded. We hate being told that we don't measure up. Amos was told to go home to Judah and take his prophecies of doom and gloom with him. He was no longer wanted. If he didn't have anything good to say, he needed to leave. But Amos was speaking the word of God. He was telling the truth. It wasn't fun to hear, but it was what they needed to hear. Today, we have the written Word of God. It is the plumb line for our lives. It is full of the truth of God and it contains the message of God for His people. Sometimes what we read is condemning and convicting. Sometimes it is encouraging and comforting. But we cannot afford to pick and choose the message we want to hear. We can't use the Word of God to justify our sins or excuse our inaction. "For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are" (Hebrews 4:12 NLT). The Word of God is powerful, insightful, revealing, convicting, exposing and cleansing. It is the plumb line that measures our rightness. It is a rock-solid standard by which we can determine our spiritual straightness. It reveals to us Jesus, who is the gold standard of righteousness for all men. The fact is, I can no more measure up to the standard of Jesus than the people of Israel could keep the Law of God. But God has given me His Word and the indwelling presence of His Spirit to make it possible for me to become increasingly more like His Son. As I die to my own self-effort and learn to rely more on His power available to me through the Spirit within me, I can be transformed. I can be made straight. I can be brought increasingly more into line with His standard. But I first have to admit that I don't measure up. I miss the mark. I am crooked and in need of straightening. What about you?

Father, thank You for the plumb line of Your Word. Forgive me for the many times I have chosen to ignore what it reveals about me. I so want to believe that I am OK. I want to see myself as spiritually straight. So when Your Word reveals that I am not, I tend to want to reject it and go with my own standard of righteousness. But that's not how this works. You are a holy God and You have chosen us to be Your holy people, set apart for Your use and to live lives that bring You glory. Thank You for providing Your Word and the presence of Your Spirit to make it possible for me to line up more and more with Your righteous standard – Your Son. Amen

A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Amos 4-5

I hate all your show and pretense – the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. ­– Amos 5:21 NLT

The book of Amos is NOT politically correct. Anytime you start out a chapter addressing the wealthy women of the community as "fat cows" you have pretty much made a decision to offend any and all. These two chapters are intense. They contain a scathing indictment from the lips of God concerning the people of Israel – the northern kingdom. These people had turned from Him a long time ago, choosing instead to worship false gods. They still considered themselves Yahweh worshipers, but had simply added a few other gods to their religious menu. They were highly religious and because they seemed to enjoy a certain degree of affluence and material success, they thought they were being blessed by God Himself or one of the many other gods they worshiped. So God has to make it clear that it is not He who is blessing them. In fact, He is about to bring judgment on them unless they repent and return. God had already brought a number of punishments on them over the years, from drought and famine to crop failure, plague and wars. But they had refused to return to Him. They had grown fat and happy. They enjoyed their wealth and loved practicing their religious rituals.

But all the while they were failing to do what was right. Their greed and insatiable desire for more drove their behaviors. As a result, they oppressed the poor by charging them exhorbitant rent. They twisted justice and hated those who told the truth. They trampled the poor by taxing them relentlessly and mercilessly. All the while building fancy houses for themselves. So God warns them to "do what is good and run from evil" so that they might live (Amos 5:14). He told them to "hate evil and love what is good, turn your courts in to true halls of justice" (Amos 5:15). If they did, God would spare a remnant of them. He would show mercy. Otherwise, "the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope (Amos 5:20).

Come back to me and live!

God has no desire to destroy them. He wants them to return. He wants to bless them. But their stubbornness will not allow them to admit their sins and return to Him. They saw themselves as religious and right. Their own affluence was a testament to their righteousness. They were religious, keeping a long list of religious observances. But in God's eyes it was all show and pretense. Their offerings and sacrifices meant nothing to Him. Their hymns of praise were nothing but noise in His ears. Their worship was more about them than Him. It was all a matter of pride and pretense. It was all a show for others to see and admire. But what God wanted was something completely different. He tells them, "Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living" (Amos 5:24 NLT). God wanted to see true righteousness lived out in right behavior and the just treatment of the poor and needy. He wanted to see religion that resulted in right behavior and a godly lifestyle. He wanted to see compassion, mercy, justice, kindness, and a true appreciation for who He was and all that He had done for them. He wanted His people to understand and appreciate His compassion, mercy, justice, and kindness and share it with those around them – an endless river of righteous living. And He still wants to see the same thing today.

Father, may my life be an endless river of righteous living. I want live in such a way that I am a conduit of Your compassion, mercy, justice, and kindness to those around me. I want to extend to others what You have given to me. Give me eyes to see others as You do. Give me a love for the poor, needy, lost and helpless. May your church and the presence of Your people on this earth be like a mighty flood of justice washing over those in need. Amen

The Inevitability of Accountability.

Amos 1-3

"My people have forgotten how to do right," says the Lord. ­– Amos 3:10 NLT

Amos was just a lowly shepherd, an ordinary layman. He wasn't a priest or a prophet, or the son of a priest or a prophet. He was a common Hebrew laborer. But God chose him to deliver a message to the people of Israel regarding their sin and His coming punishment. One minute Amos was tending sheep, the next minute he is the spokesman for God accusing the people of God of spiritual complacency, abuse of the poor, and empty religion. His is a message of judgment – on the surrounding nations, but on Israel itself. God makes it clear that they were His chosen people. He had hand-picked them, not because of anything they had done. Not because they were special or deserved His recognition. God had set them apart as His own. He had privileged them with His presence and given them a position of prominence among all the other nations. And how had they treated His favor? With unfaithfulness. They had received His special revelation in the form of the Ten Commandments, then proceeded to disobey the very commands they had been given. He had graced them with His presence and provided them with the sacrificial system as means to maintain their own holiness and deal with their own sin. But they had abandoned it for the worship of other gods. They treated God as just another in a long line of gods. He was not special. He was not unique. He was just a means to an end – their end. They worshiped Him only as long as He delivered what they wanted.

In these opening chapters of Amos, the people of Israel hear a message they longed to hear. It starts out with God's plans for the nations surrounding them, including the southern kingdom of Judah. God is going to punish them all. This had to be music to the ears of the Israelites living in the northern kingdom of Israel. All of their enemies were going to be punished by God. Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Amon, Moab, and Judah. God said that they had all sinned again and again and He would not allow them to go unpunished. This is just what the Israelites wanted to hear. Then Amos drops the bombshell. He includes Israel in the list. He accuses them of the very same sins AND MORE. They were selling their own poor into slavery in order to make a profit. They lacked compassion on the poor and needy. They were guilty of gross immorality. They were taking advantage of the poor and needy. They were idolatrous. And they were unrepentant. In spite of the fact that they were God's chosen people.

"From among all the families on the earth, I have been intimate with you alone. That is why I must punish you for all your sins" (Amos 3:2 NLT). God had to hold them accountable. His justice demanded it. His holiness required it. He could not deal with the sins of the pagan nations and turn a blind eye to the sins of His own people. His people had forgotten how to do right. They had grown fat and happy, rich and prosperous, by ignoring the very laws God had given them. Somehow they thought they had become immune to the consequences of sin. They seemingly believed that their position as God's chosen people was going to protect them from reaping what they sowed. They were counting on God's justice delivering their enemies the punishment they deserved. But they were special. They were privileged. They could get away with murder – literally. Or so they thought. Not only had they forgotten how to do what was right, they had forgotten the holiness of God. They had become complacent about His righteousness, power, and passion for holiness. They feared men more than God. They desired wealth more than God. They sought after ease and comfort more than God. They loved themselves more than they loved God. Could the same thing be said of us today? As God's chosen people, are we just as guilty of spiritual complacency and apathy. Can we justify our sins and somehow think we can somehow escape the consequences of a lifestyle that is devoid of God? The warning from Amos is just as real today as it was then. God has not changed. He is just as holy now as He was then. His expectations have not changed. He has provided a means for us to deal with our sin. He has offered us a way to receive forgiveness. But God expects us to hate our sin and confess it regularly. He wants us to turn from sin back to Him. He wants us to obey. We are His special people, but He wants us to live like it. He has even provided us with the means to do so through the presence of His indwelling Holy Spirit. But have we forgotten how to do what is right?

Father, refresh my memory today. Help me remember how to do what is right, what You desire of me. Don't let me become complacent, cocky and self-assured just because I have a relationship with Your Son. I want to live like who I am in Christ. I want my lifestyle to reflect the life change You have made possible.  Amen

Who Will You Trust?

Isaiah 7-8

Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm. ­– Isaiah 7:9b NLT

Life is all about trust. Every day we are faced with opportunities to trust. We trust that our alarm will go off in the morning and wake us up for work or school. We trust that when we flip the switch on the wall, the lights will come on. We trust that the food we eat will provide us with nourishment, not make us sick. We trust that our cars will start, our drives to work will be safe, and our jobs will still be there. We spend our days trusting. We trust the chairs we sit in, the traffic lights that tell us to go or stop. We trust the cashier to give us the right change. We trust the government to do what is right. Okay, so maybe that one is a stretch. But we trust in a lot of things, including people. But why do we have such a hard time trusting God?

This section of the book of Isaiah is all about Judah's lack of trust in God. In the face of pending trouble, they are turning away from God and planning to place their trust elsewhere. King Ahaz of Judah is being threatened by King Pekah of Israel and King Resin of Syria. They are getting ready to attack Judah if King Ahaz does not make an alliance with them against Assyria. And this situation had the king and people of Judah scared. "So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm" (Isaiah 7:2 NLT). But God tells Isaiah to take his young son, Shear-jashub, whose name means, "a remnant shall return," and go to King Ahaz and tell him "to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn't need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers" (Isaiah 7:4 NLT). Isaiah is to tell Ahaz that this invasion will never happen. God is in control, not the kings of Syria and Israel. But God needs for Ahaz to stand firm in his faith. God wants Ahaz to trust in Him, not these two kings.

Immanuel – God with us

God gives Ahaz a sign. A young, unmarried woman would have a child and she would call his name Immanuel, which means "God is with us." From the time she became pregnant to the time this young child learned to speak, approximately three years, the two invading kings would be destroyed. This prophecy should have reminded Ahaz that God was indeed with him, as well as with Judah. But Ahaz had placed his trust elsewhere. He was already planning on making an alliance with Syria and Israel. So God would destroy these two nations and then call on the Assyrians to destroy Judah. But as Isaiah's young son's name reflects, God would preserve a remnant. And as the young woman's son's name illustrates, God would be with them. Why? Because of the promise He had made to David so many years before to keep his dynasty alive. Another king would come from David's line – the King of kings and the Lord of lords – Jesus. He would be the ultimate Immanuel – God with us.

But while God will ultimately save Judah, He will still bring judgment on them for their rejection of Him. He will use the Assyrians to punish them for their rebelliousness. Their refusal to trust God would have serious consequences. Isaiah has another son and calls his name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Not exactly a household name, but it means "swift to plunder and quick to spoil." God was about to deal with the sins of His people. "My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloh, but they have rejected it" (Isaiah 8:5 NLT). The gently flowing love of God was about to turn into an overwhelming, devatating flood. "The Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood … submerging your land from one end to the other" (Isaiah 8:7 NLT). Their unwillingness to trust God would lead to their destruction. The closing verses of chapter eight are a reminder to us all that God is the one in whom we should place our trust. He will keep us safe. He will watch over us. He will protect us. We should put our hope in Him. We are to seek Him for help, guidance, comfort and protection. So who are you going to trust today?

Father, help me trust You today. Replace my fear with faith. You have never given me a reason to doubt You, yet I do so every day of my life. I want to learn to turn to You and rest in You.  Amen

Great Expectations.

Isaiah 5-6

The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven's Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. ­– Isaiah 5:7 NLT

God had chosen the people of Israel as His own possession. He had hand-picked Abraham to be the father of the nation of Israel. God had blesses Abraham and his descendants. He had given him a land, blessed him with a child in his old age, and promised to give Abraham a multitude of descendants – too many too count. Years later, when Abraham's descendants found themselves living in the midst of a famine in the land of Promise, God led them to Egypt where He had arranged for their care through the unlikely intervention of Joseph – who had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and was now the second-highest ranking official in all the land of Egypt. While in Egypt, the people of Israel would prosper and multiply. Their expansion would cause the Egyptians to persecute and enslave them. So God provided a savior to lead them out of captivity and back to the land He had promised to Abraham. God miraculously provided their release from Egypt and met their needs all during their travels through the wilderness. He even gave them victory after victory over the inhabitants of the land once they arrived. Time after time, God had blessed the people of Israel. He had given them David as their king. He had graced them with His constant presence and protected them by His power. He had allowed Solomon to build a temple as His dwelling place on earth. God had provided a sacrificial system to deal with their sins and to assure their access to Him.

But as we have read in the stories of the kings of both Judah and Israel, the people continued to sin against God. They rejected His leadership. They proved unfaithful to Him time and time again. God had expectations of His people. He chose them for a reason. He had blessed them for a reason. So through the lips of Isaiah He laments, "What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?" (Isaiah 5:4 NLT). God uses the analogy of a vineyard because it was one the people of Israel would have readily understood and appreciated. Wine was a necessity in that day. Vineyards were vital to survival. So the idea of an unfruitful vine or a non-productive vineyard would have struck a chord with the people to whom Isaiah was speaking. God makes it clear that He is talking about Israel. "The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven's armies. The people of Judah are His pleasant garden" (Isaiah 5:7 NLT). God's chosen people were not producing the "fruit" He expected. Instead of justice (the righting of wrong), they oppressed (inflicted wrong). They replaced righteousness (right relationships) with violence (wrong relationships). They were guilty of greed, hedonism, willful sin, mocking God, pride, and corrupt values. It wasn't that they were fruitless. It was that they were producing the wrong kind of fruit – bitter grapes instead of sweet. Their fruit was worthless. And as a result, God was going to have to deal with them. Branches that produce worthless fruit are worthless themselves. They have no value to the vineyard owner. Listen to what Ezekiel says, "Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree? Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. Vine branches are useless both before and after being put into the fire! " (Ezekiel 15:2-5 NLT). Vine branches don't even make good firewood. They have one use and one use only – to produce fruit.

God had great expectations for Israel. But they failed to deliver. And in chapter six we get a contrast between the unrighteousness and worthlessness of Israel and the righteousness and worth of God. Isaiah is given a vision of God in which he is blown away by God's holiness and his own sinfulness. Before God can use Isaiah as His messenger, Isaiah must come to grips with His sinfulness and God's righteousness. What God is about to do to Israel is just and fair because God is righteous and holy. In the midst of Israel's unfaithfulness, God would reveal His own holiness and righteousness by doing what is just and righteous. He would carry out His moral commands. He would honor His holiness by dealing with His people's sinfulness. But as always, God would show mercy and grace by providing a hope for the future. These two chapters end with the promise "But as the terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed" (Isaiah 6:13b NLT). God would not completely abandon Israel. He would not destroy them all, but He would preserve a remnant, so that He could fulfill His promise to Abraham. From the seed of Abraham would come the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God would reveal His holiness, righteousness, mercy and grace – simultaneously. Just as the cross was a representation of God's wrath against sin and His love for men by providing a sin substitute, God's dealings with Israel would result in their ultimate preservation and the provision of the Messiah. God would fulfill His own expectations of the people of Israel by providing a means of salvation and a process by which holiness is achievable – through the death and resurrection of His own Son.

Father, like Isaiah, I am a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips. I am incapable of living up to Your holy expectations. Left to myself, I am a worthless vine producing worthless fruit. I am good for nothing. But because You provided Your Son as my sin substitute, I have hope and holiness. They have been provided by You, and I can't thank You enough.  Amen

Retribution and Restoration.

Isaiah 3-4

But in that day, the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel. All who remain in Zion will be a holy people … ­– Isaiah 4:2-3 NLT

Isaiah is all about the coming judgment of God upon the people of God for their sins against Him. They have refused to obey Him. They have given their affections and worship to other gods. They have become arrogant and prideful, placing their faith, hope and trust in themselves and other nations. In the final verse of chapter 2, Isaiah warns, "Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?" (Isaiah 2:22 NLT). In chapter three Isaiah tells the people that God is going to take away from them everything they depend on. Every bit of bread, every drop of water, all their heroes, soldiers, judges, prophets, fortune-tellers, elders, army officers, high officials, advisers, skilled craftsmen, and astrologers. In other words, they are going to learn the hard way just how much they really need God. All the things they have learned to lean on and prop them up will be removed. It will be a devastating time with no leaders, little provision, and no hope. But Isaiah is to "tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned" (Isaiah 3:10 NLT).

This is a prediction having to do with future events. Some of these will be fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. But most of it will come about during the Tribulation, that seven year period of time after the rapture of the church and the removal of all believers from the earth. During that time, Israel will become the target of the Antichrist, who will persecute the people of Israel like never before. The last three years of the Tribulation will be extremely difficult for those who are Jews. But God will raise up a relatively small group of Jews who will come to faith in Christ and become His witnesses during this dark period of time. There will be those who survive the Tribulation and remain faithful to God. God will punish Israel for its sins, but He will also restore Israel and preserve the nation from annihilation. God will remain faithful. So while the book of Isaiah is full of warnings and predictions of doom and devastation, it is also full of promises of restoration and reminders of God's faithfulness. "The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment" (Isaiah 4:4 NLT). God is good. He is faithful. He has a plan for preserving His people and protecting His name. He will restore. He will redeem.

Father, never let us lose hope. In the midst of all the difficulties of life, never let us lose sight of the fact that You have a plan that You are working and it is perfect. While we may abandon You, You never abandon us. You have not forgotten the people of Israel or their land. You will someday send Your Son to bring order and righteousness back to the earth. You will restore this world to the way You had intended it when You created it. You are far from done yet.  Amen

Enough Is Enough.

Isaiah 1-2

Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. ­– Isaiah 1:16 NLT

God is loving, patient, and kind. He is long-suffering. He extends mercy and grace. He is faithful and keeps His promises. But God is not a doormat to be walked on, taken for granted, and treated with disrespect. He is the God of the universe, the creator of all things. His patience has its limits. And Isaiah 1 and 2 give us a somewhat unsettling glimpse of God when He has had His patience tested one time too many. He never stops loving the people of Israel, but He does become fed up with their actions and attitudes, their unfaithfulness and hypocrisy. And He lets them know exactly what is going to happen unless they repent of their sins and turn back to Him. Isaiah has the not-so-fun responsibility of bringing a message of warning and judgment to the people of Judah regarding their rebellion and God's coming response to it.

God has had enough. He is loving, but He is not going to allow the people He has chosen as His own to continue to live in open rebellion and mock His name. He is sick of their religious rituals and observances. It is nothing less than hypocrisy. "What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?" he asks them (Isaiah 1:11 NLT). "I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams" (Isaiah 1:11b NLT). "Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts" (Isaiah 1:12 NLT). Unlike the northern kingdom of Israel, Judah was still worshiping at the Temple and keeping the religious observances God had established for them. They were making their sacrifices, giving their offerings, and observing all the appropriate feasts and festivals. But their hearts weren't in it. In fact, God tells them their hearts are sick. Their faith was worthless, impure and diluted. They were just as idolatrous as their northern neighbors. They were just as unfaithful. And so God sends Isaiah with a message that is partly a warning of judgment and a call to repentance. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. If you will only obey me…" (Isaiah 1:18-19 NLT).

God is calling them to return to Him. He warns them that if they don't, He will be forced to deal with their pride and arrogance. They have wealth, power, pride and idols in abundance. But God tells them, "Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled" (Isaiah 2:11 NLT). God will cause them to return to Him. He will not allow them to continue to live in open rebellion to Him. So He warns them of the consequences and pleads with them to repent and return. "Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?" (Isaiah 2:22 NLT). Trust in God. Turn back to God. Put your faith and hope in God. That same call could be issued to many of us today. We are going through the religious motions, serving God outwardly, but refusing to trust in Him inwardly. The message of Isaiah is timeless. May we listen to what the Lord has to say.

Father, help me hear what You are saying through Isaiah. Don't let me read this book just as some historical document, but as the living, breathing Word of God. Show me my own sins through the lives of the people of Judah. Call me to repentance. Reveal Yourself to me through this incredible book.  Amen

A Self-Made Man.

2 Chronicles 26

But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. ­– 2 Chronicles 26:16 NLT

King Uzziah was a successful king. Like Solomon before him, he seemed to have it all: power, prestige, possessions, and an ability to succeed at just about anything he put his mind to. He experienced great military victories. He oversaw significant construction projects. He had abundant flocks and herds, vineyards and farms. His standing army consisted of 307,500 elite troops. Civic improvement projects were everywhere in Judah, thanks to Uzziah. We are told that "his fame spread far and wide … and he became very powerful" (2 Chronicles 26:15b NLT). This guy had it all, including a reign that lasted five decades.

But Uzziah had one major problem: Pride. He failed to recognize and realize that his fame, power, and success were the direct result of God's intervention in his life. He took the throne at 16 and was mentored by Zechariah, "who taught him to fear God" (2 Chronicles 26:5 NLT). And it seems that Uzziah did fear and seek God. And as long as he did, God gave him success. We are told that "God helped him in his wars against the Philistines (2 Chronicles 26:7 NLT). His fame and power were from God, "…for the Lord gave him marvelous help" (2 Chronicles 26:15b NLT). He owed all his power, success, fame, and wealth to God. But rather than thank God and acknowledge His hand in his life, Uzziah sinned against Him. He became so convinced of his own significance and self-importance that he thought he was above God's law. He didn't have to live according to God's rules. As a result, he entered the temple of God and attempted to offer sacrifices on his own. This was clearly a violation of God's law and when the priests tried to stop him, he became angry. He threw a temper-tantrum right in the temple. As he held an incense burner in his hand, he raged at the priests for attempting to stop him from doing what HE wanted to do. It's funny that the burning of the incense was supposed to be an act of worship, a pleasing aroma to God, but here was Uzziah, throwing a fit in the temple – an action that was anything but pleasing to God. As a result of his actions, Uzziah is struck with leprosy. He is rushed out of the temple and is quarantined in a separate house for the rest of his life. He is no longer able to enter the temple of God. When he dies he is buried in a separate field, apart from the rest of the kings. His pride led to his destruction (Proverbs 16:18). His failure to show gratitude to God for His providential participation in his life resulted in Uzziah's prideful arrogance and ultimate fall. He bought the lie that he was a self-made man. He ended up worshiping self more than he worshiped God. He respected his own wishes more than he did those of God. His will was more important than God's. What a temptation for each of us. God is active in each of our lives. Any success we have is a direct result of His hand. Any joy we experience is from Him. All that we have comes from Him. Even the next breath we take. And when we fail to recognize His provision, we can begin to think that we are self-made and self-sustaining, leading to a love of self that is ultimately self-destructive. "As long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success" (2 Chronicles 26:5b NLT). Keep your eyes focused on God, not self. Seek Him. Serve Him. Obey Him. Thank Him. You are nothing without Him.

Father, how easy it is to believe the lie that I have made myself what I am. I can take credit for my own successes, then blame You for my failures. I want to think that I am something special, when in reality, I am nothing without You. Open my eyes to the reality of Your providential presence in my life each and every day.  Amen

The Unavoidability of Instability.

2 Kings 15

Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, assassinated him in public, and became the next king. ­– 2 Kings 15:10 NLT

When the worship of God takes a back seat, either in the life of an individual or a nation, instability becomes the norm. Without God as the firm foundation upon which to build a life or a nation, everything becomes subject to change without notice. Respect for authority, moral absolutes, love of man, and the fear of God become optional and any sense of continuity and cohesiveness vanishes. From the day that Jeroboam led Israel to separate themselves from Judah, the worship of God had taken a backseat. He had erected idols to replace God and places of worship to substitute for the Temple in Jerusalem. And every king after him followed in his footsteps of rebellion and the rejection of God. In this one chapter we see six different kings reign over Israel in a 42 and a half year time period. In comparison, Uzziah reigned 52 years in Judah. Israel was marked by instability and divisiveness. Of the six kings mentioned in this chapter, Zechariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, and Pekah all have their reigns ended by assassination. Each is characterized as having done evil in the Lord's sight, and each is killed by his successor. Their reigns were short and ended sadly, and were characterized by a lack of respect and reverence for God.

Interestingly, in Judah you have two kings who reigned during this same time period. One was Uzziah and the other was his son, Jotham. In contrast to the kings of Israel, both Uzziah and Jotham "did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight" (2 Kings 15:3, 34 NLT). While they were far from perfect or consistent in their faithfulness, they sought to serve God and make Him a high priority in their lives and kingdoms. As a result, their reigns were long and marked by a greater sense of peace and prosperity. Had they both fulfilled God's command to destroy all the shrines and high places dedicated to the worship of other gods, who knows how their reigns might have gone. But in spite of their inconsistency, they did try to lead their people to remain faithful to God, and as a result, their reigns were marked by a sense of stability.

When we refuse to honor God in our lives, instability is inevitable. We lose our sense of purpose and calling. We leave ourselves open to attack and distraction from the temptations of this world. Godlessness can be just as much a reality for the Christian as it is for the non-Christian. We can live our lives like practical atheists, even though we say we are worshipers of God. If we refuse to listen to Him, seek Him, worship Him, or give Him the honor and respect He deserves and demands, our lives will be marked by a sense of instability and fearfulness. Life will lack meaning and a sense of purpose. Our hard work will become fruitless, our best efforts, futile. Without God at the center of our lives, our lives will lack focus and stability.

Father, help me to keep my life focused on You. I want to keep You at the center of my life and at the heart of my worship. Forgive me for all the times I replace You with other things or other people. I long to establish my life on You – the solid rock.  Amen