Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

In my past work, I had to travel a great deal.  Traveling in flight is not as glamorous as it looks.  Those who travel for work by plane know that it is the same as riding a bus or taking the train. There will be unexpected delays, layovers, and stops in progress.  You are not in control of your schedule.  You are at the mercy of the airline industry along with the weather.  You hurry and wait.  There are times you might be actually sitting in your seat on the plane, ready to go, but can’t get off the ground because of “technical difficulties”.  There is nothing to do but wait.

God tells Isaiah that sometimes our prayers don’t get off the ground!  Wait, what?!  As soon as Isaiah has our attention by shouting this truth, we realize what God is saying and that He is right.  God is always right.  God sees our hearts, knows our minds, and sees the emptiness of our souls when we pray.  Sometimes we, too, have technical difficulties and our prayers have trouble getting off the ground.  Sometimes our prayers are totally grounded because of a heart condition that must be dealt with before “take-off.”

Isaiah 58, The Message

Your Prayers Won’t Get Off the Ground

^1-3 “Shout! A full-throated shout!
    Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what’s wrong with their lives,
    face my family Jacob with their sins!
They’re busy, busy, busy at worship,
    and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people—
    law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’
    and love having me on their side.
But they also complain,
    ‘Why do we fast and you don’t look our way?
    Why do we humble ourselves and you don’t even notice?’

^3-5     “Well, here’s why:

“The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit.
    You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
    You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
    won’t get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
    and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
    a fast day that I, God, would like?

^6-9 “This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    to break the chains of injustice,
    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
    free the oppressed,
    cancel debts.
What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
    sharing your food with the hungry,
    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
    being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
    and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
    The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
    You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

^9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices,
    quit blaming victims,
    quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
    and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
    your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
    I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
    firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
    a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
    rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
    restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
    make the community livable again.

^13-14 “If you watch your step on the Sabbath
    and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
    God’s holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’
    making money, running here and there—
Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!
    Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.”
    Yes! God says so!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God gives us the diagnosis:  Read, rinse and repeat.  Read His Word while prayerfully reflecting on the condition of our hearts.  Rinse off our ego, pride, arrogance, and greed by repenting of these sins in the Name of Jesus.  God offers spiritual therapy to get those sharing and serving muscles working again.  We repent of the sin of “showing off our humility” and He gives us steps to improve our “serve” in the world.  Repeat.  We pray again and do what God says.  God will answer with His Presence in our lives.  Spiritual health will return and thrive.  Our prayers will finally get off the ground. 

God gives us the steps to walk with specific guidance!

• Stop complaining.  (Ouch)
• Seek justice.
• Show mercy.  (Micah 6:8)
• Walk humbly with God without telling others how humble you are.
• Stop the gossip!  (Gossip kills the progress of our spiritual health.)
• Stop bickering and fighting among the believers!
• Fast incognito—only between you and God.
• Exploit and manipulate no one.

God says, “What I’m interested in seeing you do is:

• sharing your food with the hungry
• inviting the homeless poor into your homes
• putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad
• be available to your own families
  
  

“Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once.”

“Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!  Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all.”

Lord,

Thank you for waking us up this morning with a splash of cold water to our sluggish being, making us face our daily sins.  I repent of all this and more.  You know what I need most and you give it freely.  Thank you for being a God who wants to see us grow strong and healthy while we walk with you in humbled adoration.

In Jesus Name, Amen

**Jesus will come later as Light in the darkness and repeat and explain this same diagnosis.  See Matthew 5-7.  His disciples and apostles will also repeat God’s words.  (See Ephesians, Galatians, and Philippia

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see

What are we hanging onto to that blinds us from God’s amazing grace?  What is it that takes away our peace in good times and bad?  These are daily questions of reflection we must ask ourselves in order to move forward with God in the lead.  Peace is a gift from God that follows our “being still and knowing God,” repenting and letting go of all that is not God in our lives.

During the last days of Judah and Jerusalem, before the Babylonian army came, the land and the city were polluted with idols. King Hezekiah and King Josiah had led the people in destroying the idols and the high places, but as soon as an ungodly king took the throne, the people went right back to their old ways. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah told the people that God would punish them for breaking His law, but they persisted in the ways of the godless nations around them.

Friends, we all have idols that we hide or hang onto while we wonder why God is not helping us.  What is it that is standing between you and God?  That is your idol.

Isaiah 57, The Message

Never Tired of Trying New Religions

^1-2 Meanwhile, right-living people die
    and no one gives them a thought.
God-fearing people are carted off
    and no one even notices.
The right-living people are out of their misery,
    they’re finally at rest.
They lived well and with dignity
    and now they’re finally at peace.

* * *

^3-10 “But you, children of a witch, come here!
    Sons of a slut, daughters of a whore.
What business do you have taunting,
    sneering, and sticking out your tongue?
Do you have any idea what wretches you’ve turned out to be?
    A race of rebels, a generation of liars.
You satisfy your lust any place you find some shade
    and fornicate at whim.
You kill your children at any convenient spot—
    any cave or crevasse will do.
You take stones from the creek
    and set up your sex-and-religion shrines.
You’ve chosen your fate.
    Your worship will be your doom.
You’ve climbed a high mountain
    to practice your foul sex-and-death religion.

Behind closed doors
    you assemble your precious gods and goddesses.
Deserting me, you’ve gone all out, stripped down
    and made your bed your place of worship.
You’ve climbed into bed with the ‘sacred’ whores
    and loved every minute of it,
    adoring every curve of their naked bodies.
You anoint your king-god with ointments
    and lavish perfumes on yourselves.
You send scouts to search out the latest in religion,
    send them all the way to hell and back.
You wear yourselves out trying the new and the different,
    and never see what a waste it all is.
You’ve always found strength for the latest fad,
    never got tired of trying new religions.

^11-13 “Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense,
    leaving me high and dry,
    forgetting you ever knew me?
Because I don’t yell and make a scene,
    do you think I don’t exist?
I’ll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous’ attempts at religion,
    and expose the absurdity of it all.
Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods:
    A good wind will blow them away.
    They’re smoke, nothing but smoke.

“But anyone who runs to me for help
    will inherit the land,
    will end up owning my holy mountain!”

* * *

¹⁴ Someone says: “Build, build! Make a road!
    Clear the way, remove the rocks
    from the road my people will travel.”

^15-21 A Message from the high and towering God,
    who lives in Eternity,
    whose name is Holy:
“I live in the high and holy places,
    but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed,
And what I do is put new spirit in them,
    get them up and on their feet again.
For I’m not going to haul people into court endlessly,
    I’m not going to be angry forever.
Otherwise, people would lose heart.
    These souls I created would tire out and give up.
I was angry, good and angry, because of Israel’s sins.
    I struck him hard and turned away in anger,
    while he kept at his stubborn, willful ways.

When I looked again and saw what he was doing,
    I decided to heal him, lead him, and comfort him,
    creating a new language of praise for the mourners.
Peace to the far-off, peace to the near-at-hand,” says God—
    “and yes, I will heal them.
But the wicked are storm-battered seas
    that can’t quiet down.
    The waves stir up garbage and mud.
There’s no peace,” God says, “for the wicked.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Amazing Grace is playing in the background of this scary, but necessary warning from Isaiah who is speaking to all who have abandoned God while they seek self-satisfying, self-seeking religions that lead to death.   Does that happen today?  Absolutely! 

Anything that we trust other than the Lord becomes our god and therefore is an idol. It may be our training, experience, job, money, friends, or position. One of the best ways to find out whether we have idols in our lives is to ask ourselves, “Where do I instinctively turn when I face a decision or need to solve a problem?” Do we reach for the phone to call a friend? Do we assure ourselves that we can handle the situation ourselves? Or do we turn to God to seek His will and receive His help?

Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

Here is the key passage that explains the amazing grace of God: “When I looked again and saw what he was doing, I decided to heal him, lead him, and comfort him, creating a new language of praise for the mourners.”  That new language of praise is Jesus.

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole again. Thank you for your gift of peace that surpasses anything this world has to offer.  You are God, we are not.  There is no one like You.  So, I trust in you.  I believe in what you say.  Your grace to me will never be taken for granted.  Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen

There is no more secure feeling than to be accepted by who you think are the “insiders,” the ones “in the know,” God’s people who are kind and compassionate to you refusing to leave you outside to be slandered and mocked or picked apart by the world.  I am attracted to people who seem to know God well, know His character, and try to imitate Him in the way they relate to others.  Belonging is a human desire that was placed into our being by God Himself.

I am attracted to the Hope Jesus followers have of better days ahead for all of us.  They carry a joy that is unexplainable when hard times come to them.  They walk on solid ground and rarely waver from doing what is good, right and pleasing to God.  They are not perfect and are the first to admit it.  But they do not revel in their imperfections but praise God for His perfect forgiveness for all their sins. 

Yes, through all the ages and stages of my life, God sent me mentors who were like Him in many ways.  I praise God for the Hope they instilled in me.  I was taught to place all my hope on God, not on them.  My mentors were men and women who loved God well and treated me as the temporary outsider who wanted inside the love of God.  They accepted me, warts and all, so I would know that’s how God accepts me.  I was no longer out but in. 

These mentors taught me to bring in other outsiders and to the inside so they could see the Way of Truth who is Life.  The message?  No one is left out.  All who believe, repent of their sins, and call on the Name of Jesus are saved for Life.  Jesus, our Shepherd protects us from the wolves sent by the Enemy to devour our thinking and being.  Jesus, Son of God, saves us from death.  Jesus lives in us giving us His power to love like He loves and obey like He did to His Father while on earth.  Jesus—He is our Hope!

Isaiah 56, The Message

Messages of Hope for ALL who believe and follow

Salvation Is Just Around the Corner

56 ^1-3 God’s Message:

“Guard my common good:
    Do what’s right and do it in the right way,
For salvation is just around the corner,
    my setting-things-right is about to go into action.
How fortunate are you who enter into these things,
    you men and women who embrace them,
Who keep Sabbath and don’t defile it,
    who watch your step and don’t do anything evil!
Make sure no outsider who now follows God
    ever has occasion to say, ‘God put me in second-class.
    I don’t really belong.’
And make sure no physically mutilated person
    is ever made to think, ‘I’m damaged goods.
    I don’t really belong.’”

^4-5 For God says:

“To the mutilated who keep my Sabbaths
    and choose what delights me
    and keep a firm grip on my covenant,
I’ll provide them an honored place
    in my family and within my city,
    even more honored than that of sons and daughters.
I’ll confer permanent honors on them
    that will never be revoked.

^6-8 “And as for the outsiders who now follow me,
    working for me, loving my name,
    and wanting to be my servants—
All who keep Sabbath and don’t defile it,
    holding fast to my covenant—
I’ll bring them to my holy mountain
    and give them joy in my house of prayer.
They’ll be welcome to worship the same as the ‘insiders,’
    to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to my altar.
Oh yes, my house of worship
    will be known as a house of prayer for all people.”
The Decree of the Master, God himself,
    who gathers in the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather others also,
    gather them in with those already gathered.”

* * *

^9-12 A call to the savage beasts: Come on the run.
    Come, devour, beast barbarians!
For Israel’s watchmen are blind, the whole lot of them.
    They have no idea what’s going on.
They’re dogs without sense enough to bark,
    lazy dogs, dreaming in the sun—
But hungry dogs, they do know how to eat,
    voracious dogs, with never enough.
And these are Israel’s shepherds!
    They know nothing, understand nothing.
They all look after themselves,
    grabbing whatever’s not nailed down.
“Come,” they say, “let’s have a party.
    Let’s go out and get drunk!”
And tomorrow, more of the same:
    “Let’s live it up!”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Look for the wandering outsiders out in the cold and darkness and bring them into the warmth of God’s saving grace through believing Jesus, His Son.  Do this by pointing the Way to Truth that leads to Life. 

Be the person “in the know” but taking time each day to know God more and more.

Believe and be saved.

Love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls.  Love each other the way He loves us.

Lord,

Thank for your Word that reminds us of our Hope in you.  Help us to look for those who are looking in from the outside who need Hope, too, and welcome them in.

In Jesus Name, Amen

I am one to hold off in buying something we need or want until it goes on sale.  I am a clearance cruiser, coupon clipping connoisseur in the shopping world.  No matter what it is, I will only buy it if I think it is bargain that truly meets our needs now and in the future.  The same goes for whatever we buy, sell or trade.  Why?

Randy and I are driven by prayers to God for help us make wise choices.  We want to be great stewards of all He has given us to manage on this earth.   We are not “rich” in a millionaire’s way of thinking but we are extremely rich in God’s love and care, forgiveness and healing, along with His provisions and protection.  We are eternally grateful for all God has done, is doing and will do in our lives.  We have done nothing to deserve any of what God has to offer.  We know that full well.  So, to God be all the glory, honor and praise.  This is my testimony!  God, it’s all God!

I think of this as we read our next chapter of Isaiah who is telling God’s people about what to “buy and eat.”  “Buy without money!” What God has for us needs no money!  Drink the Living Water and eat the Bread of Life who is Jesus, our Savior and Lord!  From the penniless to the exceedingly rich by the world’s standards, it doesn’t matter, all are welcome to come to the Table.  Don’t be distracted by junk food along the way, hold your appetite, be filled with all that is God!  Seek HIM while He can be found and pray for His forgiveness.  God is “lavish” with forgiveness!  This is the best deal in town!  The best offer for all eternity!

I love the last verse of Isaiah 54.  I long to be evidence that God lived in me and worked through me.  Along with the mountains, hills, trees and flowers, my I be living and lasting evidence of God on this earth!

Isaiah 55, The Message

Buy Without Money

^1-5 “Hey there! All who are thirsty,
    come to the water!
Are you penniless?
    Come anyway—buy and eat!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.
    Buy without money—everything’s free!
Why do you spend your money on junk food,
    your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
    fill yourself with only the finest.

Pay attention, come close now,
    listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.
I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you,
    the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.
I set him up as a witness to the nations,
    made him a prince and leader of the nations,
And now I’m doing it to you:
    You’ll summon nations you’ve never heard of,
and nations who’ve never heard of you
    will come running to you
Because of me, your God,
    because The Holy of Israel has honored you.”

^6-7 Seek God while he’s here to be found,
    pray to him while he’s close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
    and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
    come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

^8-11 “I don’t think the way you think.
    The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
        God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
    so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
    and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
    and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
    producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
    not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
    they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

^12-13 “So you’ll go out in joy,
    you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.
The mountains and hills will lead the parade,
    bursting with song.
All the trees of the forest will join the procession,
    exuberant with applause.
No more thistles, but giant sequoias,
    no more thornbushes, but stately pines—
Monuments to me, to God,
    living and lasting evidence of God.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Who doesn’t want joy and peace in their lives in good times and even in the difficult, heartbreaking, challenging times of this short life on earth?  I want joy.  I want to live a joyful life.  I also want others to know the Source of that joy on my face—it is Jesus who not only forgives me but restores me, repairs the broken pieces, puts me back on my feet, transforming all the bad that happens to good to better outcomes in my life.  That’s where the joy comes from—in loving obedience to Someone who surpasses what my small mind can think or do.

“So you’ll go out in joy, you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.”

Lord,

You are God in all, over all and through all because you created all.  You also sent Jesus to bring us back to what is right, good, and pleasing to you.  You not only made things right between us, you gave us joy and peace.  What a gift that no money can buy!  I love you, Lord, with all my heart, mind, and soul.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

We were in a stage of life when our current home was becoming too small for our growing family of five. So, we began looking for a home that we could afford and that would meet our needs.  It was almost a year after looking, making offers, and being turned down, that we finally found what we thought was perfect for us.  It was a new construction in an area close to our jobs.  We would get to choose the color schemes of the inside.  We were approved and the offer made was accepted—until it wasn’t.  Overnight, another buyer made a better offer and took the home we had helped to design away from us!  Although heartbroken, God spoke to our hearts and told us that wasn’t the house for us.  He had better plans.

The next day our realtor told us that a houses around the corner was available and wanted us to see if this house would meet our needs.  As soon as we saw it from the curb, we knew this was God’s best for us!  We walked through the house that had a floor plan that fit us perfectly.  We knew this was home—God’s best for us for this time in our lives.  That’s how God works for us.  What we learned from this house dilemma was to always trust God to work it all out.  We were reminded to lean into His understanding, not ours, for He knows what lies ahead for us and He wants what is best for us—His children who believe in Him.

“This is what God’s servants can expect. I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best.” God’s Decree.

Isaiah 54, The Message

Spread Out! Think Big!

^1-6 “Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby.
    Fill the air with song, you who’ve never experienced childbirth!
You’re ending up with far more children
    than all those childbearing women.” God says so!
“Clear lots of ground for your tents!
    Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big!
Use plenty of rope,
    drive the tent pegs deep.
You’re going to need lots of elbow room
    for your growing family.
You’re going to take over whole nations;
    you’re going to resettle abandoned cities.
Don’t be afraid—you’re not going to be embarrassed.
    Don’t hold back—you’re not going to come up short.
You’ll forget all about the humiliations of your youth,
    and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory.

For your Maker is your bridegroom,
    his name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel,
    known as God of the whole earth.
You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief,
    and God welcomed you back,
Like a woman married young
    and then left,” says your God.

^7-8 Your Redeemer God says:

“I left you, but only for a moment.
    Now, with enormous compassion, I’m bringing you back.
In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you—
    but only for a moment.
It’s with lasting love
    that I’m tenderly caring for you.

^9-10 “This exile is just like the days of Noah for me:
    I promised then that the waters of Noah
    would never again flood the earth.
I’m promising now no more anger,
    no more dressing you down.
For even if the mountains walk away
    and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won’t walk away from you,
    my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.”
    The God who has compassion on you says so.

^11-17 “Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied:
    I’m about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise,
Lay your foundations with sapphires,
    construct your towers with rubies,
Your gates with jewels,
    and all your walls with precious stones.
All your children will have God for their teacher—
    what a mentor for your children!
You’ll be built solid, grounded in righteousness,
    far from any trouble—nothing to fear!
    far from terror—it won’t even come close!

If anyone attacks you,
    don’t for a moment suppose that I sent them,
And if any should attack,
    nothing will come of it.
I create the blacksmith
    who fires up his forge
    and makes a weapon designed to kill.
I also create the destroyer—
    but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged.
Any accuser who takes you to court
    will be dismissed as a liar.
This is what God’s servants can expect.
    I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best.”
        God’s Decree.

Lord,

You have spent my lifetime teaching me that you are always at work, the you perform miracles in our eyes that are simple tasks in your power.  Thank you for all you have done, are doing still and will do so we will know you more, while growing in our relationship with you.  Thank you for your patience, compassion, and relentless love for us.  Thank you for redeeming us by forgiving our sins, dear Jesus.  Thank you for always being with us.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Jesus, Son of God, came to earth to set things right and restore a right relationship between God and mankind.  Jesus work on the cross was God’s Plan to save us from the beginning.  God knew we would sin.  God cannot be where sin lives, so there had to be a Way to remove sins, once and for all, so that a relationship with God could be had.  God chose His Son. 

“The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.”

Because Jesus was part God, sent from God, He was the only perfect, without sin, sacrifice that could fulfill what needed to be done.  Jesus was the One and Only who could complete the task of saving the world.  Jesus was God’s Plan all along, Isaiah relates in advance of His coming.  Jesus took our sins, all the sins of everyone, and his shoulders took what we desired as punishment.  Jesus, who did no wrong, was the precious Lamb of God as the sacrifice for our sins. 

Do you really believe what God did and said through Jesus His Son really real?  This is a question we must deal with each day we wake up or we will quickly lose sight of real believing.  Staying in touch with the Father, as Jesus did, strengthens our belief and resolve.  Truly our behaviors will reflect the depth of our believing with each action. 

Do we walk humbly with our God because of this believing? 

Is God the first thought at waking to a new day?

Do we truly desire what God wants for us?

Answering these questions reveal the depth of our relationship with God.

Who believes? Isaiah asks all of us as he describes all the details of the One who will come centuries later to take away the sins of the world all because God so loved….

Isaiah 53, The Message

Who believes what we’ve heard and seen?
    Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this?

^2-6 The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
    a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
    nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
    a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.

One look at him and people turned away.
    We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
    our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

We thought he brought it on himself,
    that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
    that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!

He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
    Through his bruises we get healed.

We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
    We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
    on him, on him.

^7-9 He was beaten, he was tortured,
    but he didn’t say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
    and like a sheep being sheared,
    he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
    and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
    beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
    threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he’d never hurt a soul
    or said one word that wasn’t true.

¹⁰ Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
    to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
    so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
    And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.

^11-12 Out of that terrible travail of soul,
    he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
    will make many “righteous ones,”
    as he himself carries the burden of their sins.

Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly—
    the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
    because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
    he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

• Jesus is God’s Son.  Jesus came to earth to seek the lost and bring salvation to all, taking away all sins of the world then, now, and forever.  Jesus lived as a servant.  Jesus came to serve, show us how to serve—not be served.  See John 13 for how the full extent of God’s love is expressed in serving.

• Be like Jesus.  Believe in God and live daily in relationship to God, seeking His will above our own will.  God has us on his mind.  Do we have Him on our mind?  God has a plan for each of us that is His best plan for us.  See Philippians 2 for examples of how to live like Jesus.

• Only Jesus saves.  We are not Saviors. Our work is to point the way to THE SAVIOR and teach people how to find and follow Jesus.  See Matthew 28.

• Believe and be saved.  Call on the Name of Jesus and He will hear and respond to us.

Lord,

As I read this passage, I am reminded again of why I really believe in who you are and what you did for me—for us!  Scriptures written by the prophet, Isaiah fulfilled in you, dear Jesus!  There is not one detail left out.  You came to save us.  You saved me.  Yes, I believe and I will always point the way to others so they will know, believe, and follow you.  I love you, Lord, with all my heart, mind, and soul.  Help me to speak clearly.  Give me wisdom to tell what you did correctly.  To you be the glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Wait, what?  Feet.  Our feet.  Look down for a moment and look at your bare feet.  How beautiful are they?  My feet were growing in a deformed way causing my gait to become more painful each year.  I finally let an orthopedic surgeon correct both feet in two separate surgeries with months of healing between each surgery.  Today, I wouldn’t say my scared feet from surgery are physically beautiful, but they are fully functional!  I praise God for my corrected feet!  I can walk and do life on two feet without assistance.  To me, in this way, they are beautiful!

Speaking of feet…we now come to THE passage in Isaiah that is quoted often when we speak of what Jesus commanded all his disciples then and all His followers now to be and do on earth.    

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

Yes, how beautiful the feet of the messengers of Good News of salvation in Jesus who tell of His great love, mercy, and grace!  Given this definition of beautiful feet, just how beautiful are my feet?  Am I going and telling?  Are my feet anxious to tell the Good News of redemption for all sins? 

“Get up and pull on your boots”, shouts Isaiah, “brush off the dust and get to your feet”.  “Throw off your chains” of timidness and anxieties caused from being a captive of sin and brokenness.  God has come and He has healed you.  Your sins forgiven AND forgotten!  So, run on your beautiful redeemed feet and tell others they can be free, too!

Isaiah 52, The Message

God Is Leading You Out of Here

^1-2 Wake up, wake up! Pull on your boots, Zion!
    Dress up in your Sunday best, Jerusalem, holy city!
Those who want no part of God have been culled out.
    They won’t be coming along.
Brush off the dust and get to your feet, captive Jerusalem!
    Throw off your chains, captive daughter of Zion!

³ God says, “You were sold for nothing. You’re being bought back for nothing.”

^4-6 Again, the Master, God, says, “Early on, my people went to Egypt and lived, strangers in the land. At the other end, Assyria oppressed them. And now, what have I here?” God’s Decree. “My people are hauled off again for no reason at all. Tyrants on the warpath, whooping it up, and day after day, incessantly, my reputation blackened. Now it’s time that my people know who I am, what I’m made of—yes, that I have something to say. Here I am!”

^7-10 How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,
Breaking the news that all’s well,
    proclaiming good times, announcing salvation,
    telling Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Voices! Listen! Your scouts are shouting, thunderclap shouts,
    shouting in joyful unison.
They see with their own eyes
    God coming back to Zion.

Break into song! Boom it out, ruins of Jerusalem:
    “God has comforted his people!
    He’s redeemed Jerusalem!”
God has rolled up his sleeves.
    All the nations can see his holy, muscled arm.
Everyone, from one end of the earth to the other,
    sees him at work, doing his salvation work.

^11-12 Out of here! Out of here! Leave this place!
    Don’t look back. Don’t contaminate yourselves with plunder.
Just leave, but leave clean. Purify yourselves
    in the process of worship, carrying the holy vessels of God.
But you don’t have to be in a hurry.
    You’re not running from anybody!
God is leading you out of here,
    and the God of Israel is also your rear guard.

It Was Our Pains He Carried

^13-15 “Just watch my servant blossom!
    Exalted, tall, head and shoulders above the crowd!
But he didn’t begin that way.
    At first everyone was appalled.
He didn’t even look human—
    a ruined face, disfigured past recognition.
Nations all over the world will be in awe, taken aback,
    kings shocked into silence when they see him.
For what was unheard of they’ll see with their own eyes,
    what was unthinkable they’ll have right before them.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The defeat of Babylon by Cyrus was certainly good news to the Jews because it meant freedom for the captives. The good news we share today is that Jesus Christ can set the prisoners free (Rom. 10:15). For decades, the remnant had suffered in a foreign country, without an altar or a priesthood, but now they would return to their land, rebuild their temple, and restore their God-given ministry.

Jesus is our Deliverer, Savior, Redeemer and Lord to all who believe on his Name and believe in what He did for each one of us.  We repent.  Jesus forgives all our sins and remembers them no more.  Believe and be saved for eternity.

Isaiah added a final word of encouragement: “For the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard”. This reminds us of Israel’s exodus from Egypt when the Lord went before them and stood between them and the enemy. When God’s people obey God’s will, they can always count on God’s leading and protection.

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole to live for you, to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint on beautiful feet that is able to deliver Your Good News of salvation for all.  Thank you for this teaching this morning in the quiet of this hour with you.  Thank you for being with us always. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

“And on that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.” Praise the LORD in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth.” Isaiah 12:45

“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth’ the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.”  Psalm 95:1-5

In everything give Him thanks, give Him thanks
In everything give Him thanks
In the good times praise His Name
In the bad times do the same
In everything give the King of Kings all the thanks

(Ron Kenoly, “In Everything Give Thanks”)

Isaiah recalls the story of Abraham for God’s people to remind them to be strong and cling to God’s promise even when facing Babylonian captivity.  Abraham was alone in a strange land when the Lord pointed him to the abundance of stars in the sky, and said so shall your offspring be.  And so it was and is. Abraham believed God. When God lights the candle of faith, none can blow it out. God reminds his people in tribulation that he is faithful to his promise. The Christian may justly say, “I can trust him in my present condition, and I can trust him for the time to come.”

Because the Lord is God, and our God, we can rejoice in hard, challenging times. In verse 3, the Lord speaks of his people in the difficult times: “Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.”

One who is joyful can never be miserable, for joy enlarges the soul. When is one most joyful, but in a state of thankfulness? And what makes us so thankful as to consider the wonderful salvation God has given in Christ with the promise of eternal life, along with the glory that God is leading us step by step?  Even if we stumble, he lifts, prods, and pulls us along until we reach eternal glory!  For these thoughts alone, I am eternally grateful and full of praise for the One and Only who saved us and made us whole—in good times and bad.

Isaiah 51, The Message

Committed to Seeking God

^1-3 “Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living
    and committed to seeking God.
Ponder the rock from which you were cut,
    the quarry from which you were dug.
Yes, ponder Abraham, your father,
    and Sarah, who bore you.
Think of it! One solitary man when I called him,
    but once I blessed him, he multiplied.
Likewise I, God, will comfort Zion,
    comfort all her mounds of ruins.
I’ll transform her dead ground into Eden,
    her moonscape into the garden of God,
A place filled with exuberance and laughter,
    thankful voices and melodic songs.

^4-6 “Pay attention, my people.
    Listen to me, nations.
Revelation flows from me.
    My decisions light up the world.
My deliverance arrives on the run,
    my salvation right on time.
    I’ll bring justice to the peoples.
Even faraway islands will look to me
    and take hope in my saving power.
Look up at the skies,
    ponder the earth under your feet.
The skies will fade out like smoke,
    the earth will wear out like work pants,
    and the people will die off like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
    my setting-things-right will never be obsolete.

^7-8 “Listen now, you who know right from wrong,
    you who hold my teaching inside you:
Pay no attention to insults, and when mocked
    don’t let it get you down.
Those insults and mockeries are moth-eaten,
    from brains that are termite-ridden,
But my setting-things-right lasts,
    my salvation goes on and on and on.”

^9-11 Wake up, wake up, flex your muscles, God!
    Wake up as in the old days, in the long ago.
Didn’t you once make mincemeat of Rahab,
    dispatch the old chaos-dragon?
And didn’t you once dry up the sea,
    the powerful waters of the deep,
And then made the bottom of the ocean a road
    for the redeemed to walk across?
In the same way God’s ransomed will come back,
    come back to Zion cheering, shouting,
Joy eternal wreathing their heads,
    exuberant ecstasies transporting them—
    and not a sign of moans or groans.

What Are You Afraid of—or Who?

^12-16 “I, I’m the One comforting you.
    What are you afraid of—or who?
Some man or woman who’ll soon be dead?
    Some poor wretch destined for dust?
You’ve forgotten me, God, who made you,
    who unfurled the skies, who founded the earth.
And here you are, quaking like an aspen
    before the tantrums of a tyrant
    who thinks he can kick down the world.
But what will come of the tantrums?
    The victims will be released before you know it.
They’re not going to die.
    They’re not even going to go hungry.
For I am God, your very own God,
    who stirs up the sea and whips up the waves,
    named God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
I teach you how to talk, word by word,
    and personally watch over you,
Even while I’m unfurling the skies,
    setting earth on solid foundations,
    and greeting Zion: ‘Welcome, my people!’”

^17-20 So wake up! Rub the sleep from your eyes!
    Up on your feet, Jerusalem!
You’ve drunk the cup God handed you,
    the strong drink of his anger.
You drank it down to the last drop,
    staggered and collapsed, dead-drunk.
And nobody to help you home,
    no one among your friends or children
    to take you by the hand and put you in bed.
You’ve been hit with a double dose of trouble
    —does anyone care?
Assault and battery, hunger and death
    —will anyone comfort?
Your sons and daughters have passed out,
    strewn in the streets like stunned rabbits,
Sleeping off the strong drink of God’s anger,
    the rage of your God.

^21-23 Therefore listen, please,
    you with your splitting headaches,
You who are nursing the hangovers
    that didn’t come from drinking wine.
Your Master, your God, has something to say,
    your God has taken up his people’s case:
“Look, I’ve taken back the drink that sent you reeling.
    No more drinking from that jug of my anger!
I’ve passed it over to your abusers to drink, those who ordered you,
    ‘Down on the ground so we can walk all over you!’
And you had to do it. Flat on the ground,
    you were the dirt under their feet.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Nothing escapes the notice of God.  God is God, our God.  No one else is God.

And in those dark hours when there’s no one around
And Satan tries to tell you that God has let you down
In every dark hour the best thing I have found
Is to give God the thanks
For He has never, He has never failed me yet
So why should I start now to worry or fret

In everything, in everything I won’t ever forget to give God the thanks
In everything give Him thanks, give Him thanks.
In everything give Him thanks. we’ve got to give Him thanks

In the good times praise His Name
In the bad times, do the same
In everything give the King of Kings all the thanks

In my trials, and in my test
When I’ve tried and I know I’ve done my best
In everything I’ll give the King of Kings all the thanks!

In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen

I remember the day someone very important coming to the school where I taught that everyone knew and wanted to meet. All the students, in rapid fire, kept asking, “When is he coming?  What time is now?  Where will he be?  Can we talk to him?  Can we give him a hug?”  I taught first grade at the time to help you understand this form of questioning.  When he finally entered the room, you could hear the gasps in unison from all the students gathered in assembly.  He finally came, in person, and began to talk with them about going into space.  Yes, an astronaut came to our school!  He had been where “no man had gone before.”  We were excited.  He needed no introduction, but the principal said many words of praise before allowing this man we respected to speak.

Isaiah is excited to introduce THE SERVANT to the remnant.  It will be centuries before God’s People will see God’s Word made flesh, born of a virgin, grow as Son of Man and Son of God and move into the neighborhood of all humanity.  Isaiah is introducing God’s Son right now with God’s message about “The Servant.”  Prophecy and scripture are true, validated by fulfillment in every detail.  This is a case in point.

Jesus, God’ Son, came to earth to seek and to save the lost, turning hearts, minds, and souls back to God.  Jesus Christ, Messiah, Son of God, came with power, enough power to raise from death to life, but only used this power when His Father God told him to use it. Jesus’ teaching and behaviors were revolutionary for that time and place and were counter culture to the religion that God’s priests maliciously formed to gain power over their own people.  Instead, Jesus came to serve.  Jesus was the ultimate example of a servant to mankind.  “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve — and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

Paul will write of Jesus to the Philippians eloquently describing Jesus as The Servant along with what He did and how He served as He established the Kingdom of God. (See Philippians 2)

Isaiah must reintroduce who God is and then introduces His Son, “The Servant.”  How could the people say they were forgotten and forsaken, when the Lord is a compassionate Father, a courageous warrior, and a constant lover of their souls? He is faithful to His Word even when we are unfaithful (2 Tim. 2:11–13). He is faithful to discipline when we rebel (Heb. 12:1–11), but He is also faithful to forgive when we repent and confess (1 John 1:9). The Servant’s message to the Gentiles was one of hope and blessing. He would deal with His people so that they, in turn, could bring God’s blessing to the Gentiles.  Why?  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3;16

Isaiah 50, The Message

Who Out There Fears God?

^1-3 God says:

“Can you produce your mother’s divorce papers
    proving I got rid of her?
Can you produce a receipt
    proving I sold you?
Of course you can’t.
    It’s your sins that put you here,
    your wrongs that got you shipped out.
So why didn’t anyone come when I knocked?
    Why didn’t anyone answer when I called?
Do you think I’ve forgotten how to help?
    Am I so decrepit that I can’t deliver?
I’m as powerful as ever,
    and can reverse what I once did:
I can dry up the sea with a word,
    turn river water into desert sand,
And leave the fish stinking in the sun,
    stranded on dry land . . .
Turn all the lights out in the sky
    and pull down the curtain.”

* * *

^4-9 The Master, God, has given me
    a well-taught tongue,
So I know how to encourage tired people.
    He wakes me up in the morning,
Wakes me up, opens my ears
    to listen as one ready to take orders.
The Master, God, opened my ears,
    and I didn’t go back to sleep,
    didn’t pull the covers back over my head.
I followed orders,
    stood there and took it while they beat me,
    held steady while they pulled out my beard,
Didn’t dodge their insults,
    faced them as they spit in my face.
And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me,
    so I’m not disgraced.
Therefore I set my face like flint,
    confident that I’ll never regret this.
My champion is right here.
    Let’s take our stand together!
Who dares bring suit against me?
    Let him try!

Look! the Master, God, is right here.
    Who would dare call me guilty?
Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare
    socks and shirts, fodder for moths!

* * *

^10-11 Who out there fears God,
    actually listens to the voice of his servant?

For anyone out there who doesn’t know where you’re going,
    anyone groping in the dark,
Here’s what: Trust in God.
    Lean on your God!
But if all you’re after is making trouble,
    playing with fire,
Go ahead and see where it gets you.
    Set your fires, stir people up, blow on the flames,
But don’t expect me to just stand there and watch.
    I’ll hold your feet to those flames.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Fear God with respect and awe only for Him.  Know God.  To know God is to know real, unconditional, relentless love, love that cannot be removed from us.  This love of God, from God, drives away all other fears on earth.

This passage is also called “The Song of the Servant” and foretells details of Jesus will suffer but remain our Redeemer, fulfilling what God sent His Son to be and do.  The song emphasizes the Servant’s submission to the Lord God in every area of His life and service.  If we say we want to “be like Jesus”, then submission is the first act of obedience upon repentance of our sins.

Come before God and be with Him before doing anything.  The Servant’s mind was submitted to the Lord God so that he could learn His work and His will. Everything Jesus said and did was taught to Him by His Father, (See John gospel). He prayed to the Father for guidance and meditated on the Word. What God taught the Servant, the Servant shared with those who needed encouragement and help. The Servant sets a good example here for all who know the importance of a daily quiet time with the Lord.

“Not my will but your will be done.”  The Servant’s will was yielded to the Lord God. “I have listened” is the description of one that hears and obeys the voice of the master. The people to whom Isaiah ministered were neither willing nor obedient, but the Servant did the will of the Lord God. This was not easy, for it meant yielding His body to wicked men who mocked Him, whipped Him, spat on Him, and then nailed Him to a cross.

Hold fast to faith in God.  The Servant was falsely accused, but he knew that God would vindicate him and eventually put His enemies to shame. Keep in mind that when Jesus Christ was ministering here on earth, he had to live by faith even as we must today. He did not use His divine powers selfishly for himself but trusted God and depended on the power of the Spirit.

Lord,

I submit all I am to you again this morning as I pray, read, reflect, and listen.  I love you with all my heart, mind and soul.  May your will be done.  You set the agenda for today.  I yield to what you want.  I’m listening.  I’m yours.  I am your servant.

In Jesus Name, Amen

There is nothing more frightening than walking into a dark room with no light. The anxiety comes from not knowing what you will stub your toe on or what wall you will walk into and bump your head.  I have done both.  It’s a gift.  One night not so long ago, I got up in the night without turning on any lights so I wouldn’t wake up my tired husband. 

I thought I was doing him a favor by not turning on any lights in the room.  First, I yelped when my little toe found the corner of the dresser.  While recovering from that, I then preceded to walk right into the wall, missing the door opening completely.  With the yelp that followed stubbing my toe and the thud of hitting the wall with my head, I woke my sleeping husband despite all my efforts to be quiet. My response to his wondering was a muffled giggle with “Sorry, I’m just trying to navigate the darkness”.

I KNOW this room, but in the dark, I was off balance, confused, and disoriented.   I’ve done worse in an unfamiliar hotel room, so Randy has learned to leave a light on so we can find our way in the dark. 

God knows we need Light to navigate life with hope and assurance.

Isaiah 49, The Message

A Light for the Nations

49 ^1-3 Listen, far-flung islands,
    pay attention, faraway people:
God put me to work from the day I was born.
    The moment I entered the world he named me.
He gave me speech that would cut and penetrate.
    He kept his hand on me to protect me.
He made me his straight arrow
    and hid me in his quiver.
He said to me, “You’re my dear servant,
    Israel, through whom I’ll shine.”

⁴ But I said, “I’ve worked for nothing.
    I’ve nothing to show for a life of hard work.
Nevertheless, I’ll let God have the last word.
    I’ll let him pronounce his verdict.”

^5-6 “And now,” God says,
    this God who took me in hand
    from the moment of birth to be his servant,
To bring Jacob back home to him,
    to set a reunion for Israel—
What an honor for me in God’s eyes!
    That God should be my strength!
He says, “But that’s not a big enough job for my servant—
    just to recover the tribes of Jacob,
    merely to round up the strays of Israel.
I’m setting you up as a light for the nations
    so that my salvation becomes global!”

⁷ God, Redeemer of Israel, The Holy of Israel,
    says to the despised one, kicked around by the nations,
    slave labor to the ruling class:
“Kings will see, get to their feet—the princes, too—
    and then fall on their faces in homage
Because of God, who has faithfully kept his word,
    The Holy of Israel, who has chosen you.”

^8-12 God also says:

“When the time’s ripe, I answer you.
    When victory’s due, I help you.
I form you and use you
    to reconnect the people with me,
To put the land in order,
    to resettle families on the ruined properties.
I tell prisoners, ‘Come on out. You’re free!’
    and those huddled in fear, ‘It’s all right. It’s safe now.’
There’ll be foodstands along all the roads,
    picnics on all the hills—
Nobody hungry, nobody thirsty,
    shade from the sun, shelter from the wind,
For the Compassionate One guides them,
    takes them to the best springs.
I’ll make all my mountains into roads,
    turn them into a superhighway.
Look: These coming from far countries,
    and those, out of the north,
These streaming in from the west,
    and those from all the way down the Nile!”

¹³ Heavens, raise the roof! Earth, wake the dead!
    Mountains, send up cheers!
God has comforted his people.
    He has tenderly nursed his beaten-up, beaten-down people.

¹⁴ But Zion said, “I don’t get it. God has left me.
    My Master has forgotten I even exist.”

^15-18 “Can a mother forget the infant at her breast,
    walk away from the baby she bore?
But even if mothers forget,
    I’d never forget you—never.
Look, I’ve written your names on the backs of my hands.
    The walls you’re rebuilding are never out of my sight.
Your builders are faster than your wreckers.
    The demolition crews are gone for good.
Look up, look around, look well!
    See them all gathering, coming to you?
As sure as I am the living God”—God’s Decree—
    “you’re going to put them on like so much jewelry,
    you’re going to use them to dress up like a bride.

^19-21 “And your ruined land?
    Your devastated, decimated land?
Filled with more people than you know what to do with!
    And your barbarian enemies, a fading memory.
The children born in your exile will be saying,
    ‘It’s getting too crowded here. I need more room.’
And you’ll say to yourself,
    ‘Where on earth did these children come from?
I lost everything, had nothing, was exiled and penniless.
    So who reared these children?
    How did these children get here?’”

^22-23 The Master, God, says:

“Look! I signal to the nations,
    I raise my flag to summon the people.
Here they’ll come: women carrying your little boys in their arms,
    men carrying your little girls on their shoulders.
Kings will be your babysitters,
    princesses will be your nursemaids.
They’ll offer to do all your drudge work—
    scrub your floors, do your laundry.
You’ll know then that I am God.
    No one who hopes in me ever regrets it.”

^24-26 Can plunder be retrieved from a giant,
    prisoners of war gotten back from a tyrant?
But God says, “Even if a giant grips the plunder
    and a tyrant holds my people prisoner,
I’m the one who’s on your side,
    defending your cause, rescuing your children.
And your enemies, crazed and desperate, will turn on themselves,
    killing each other in a frenzy of self-destruction.
Then everyone will know that I, God,
    have saved you—I, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

In this passage of Isaiah, the “Servant” is Messiah. He addresses the nations that did not know Israel’s God. The Gentiles were “distant,” and only God’s Servant could bring them near (Eph. 2:11–22). Christ confirmed God’s promises to the Jews and also extended God’s grace to the Gentiles (Rom. 15:8–12).

In this message, God’s Servant explains His ministry as bringing light in the darkness and liberty to the captive with love and hope to the discouraged.  “I tell prisoners, ‘Come on out. You’re free!’ and those huddled in fear, ‘It’s all right. It’s safe now.’”

God has sent the Light to guide us, set us free and lead us back to His best for us.  “I am God. No one who hopes in me ever regrets it.”

Our response?

“Look up, look around, look well”and realize the depth of love God has for those who believe.  God is for us, not against us.  God sent Jesus, Light of the World, to pay for our sins so we can be set free from darkness to love Him back.  God comforts those who struggle, are hurt, bruised, and broken by the dark world.  God never, ever forgets us.  Our names are engraved on His Hand!  We are on His mind continually. 

Are you huddled in fear of the dark?  Come to Jesus where it is safe and secure. His love drives out fear! Live in the Light of His love with hope for living with Him forever!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

No more stumbling in the dark!

Lord,

Thank you for this message of encouragement and hope!  You are Truth, the Way, Life and Hope!  You are love, the only love that lasts for eternity.  Thank you for your Light that saved me from this dark world.  Thank you for healing my brokenness and setting me free to love.  Help me to love like you love me.

In Jesus Name, Amen