Sun.’s Devo - Hope for the Remnant

Read: Isaiah 8:1-9:21; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Psalm 55:1-23; Proverbs 23:4-5 The Lord told Isaiah to make a sign with the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz on it. Then he slept with his wife and she got pregnant with a son who would be called Maher-shalal-hash-baz. This was the sign that he promised the king. Maher-shalal-hash-baz means “swift to the plunder and pick to carry away.” This would be the fate of Israel. Before this son was old enough to say ‘papa’ or Mama’ the king of Assyria would carry away the plunder of Samaria. Isaiah and his wife lived in Judah. Judah, like Israel had rejected the Lord. While they rejoiced over the word about the take down of Israel, the Assyrians would be marching to destroy them. To the remnant, God said not to be in fear. God was bringing his army against Israel and Judah but the remnant would be saved. God would fight for them. God would one day send the rock, Jesus Christ to crush Satan’s power. Their job was to preserve the teachings of the Lord until he comes. God spoke of the day when Galilee would be filled with glory. That would be the place Jesus walks. He would be the great light in a land of deep darkness. Isaiah describes Jesus as a wonderful counselor, a prince of peace who will rule fairly and bring justice for all eternity. One day, Israel would be rebuilt. During their day, Israel would be destroyed by Syrians and the Philistines. In one day both houses, Israel and Judah would be destroyed. Neither would stand up for the other even though they are brothers. In the end, Israel will be saved in a day. In Corinthians, Paul is tempted to boast about the revelations he has received from God to compare with the revelations these false apostles were bragging about. But Paul will not join in their game of competition. He refers to a “thorn in the flesh” that kept him humble. I have heard many people try to guess what Paul’s thorn is but I think it is best that we don’t know. Everyone has their weakness that keeps them humble that is custom to them. Paul’s was his own. Thank God for thorns in our flesh that remind us that in our weakness, God can be very strong. Lord, we trust in your good plan for our lives and the future of our nation. Help us to be the remnant that shines in the darkness. Help us to look ahead to the promises of hope and revival in our future and not lose our hope by what our eyes see. The best is yet to come.

Sat.’s Devo - Isaiah’s Vision

Read: Isaiah 6:1-7:25; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 23:1-3 King Uzziah was a good king for most of his life. He honored God and during his 52 years of reigning over Judah, Judah enjoyed prosperity much like in the days of Solomon. At the end of his life he allowed pride to corrupt his heart and he arrogantly entered into the Temple to offer incense. The priests had to drive him out, but not before his body became racked with leprosy. When he died, he was buried in a lone grave located apart from the tombs of the kings. The day he died, Isaiah had a vision of the Lord on his throne surrounded by angels that cried out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their cries shook the foundation of the Temple and the entire building was filled with the glory of the Lord like smoke. Isaiah was overwhelmed with the guilt of his sin. An angel took a coal from God’s altar and touched it to Isaiah’s lips and told him his guilt was removed and his sins forgiven. God asked for a messenger and Isaiah volunteered. God told Isaiah to go and tell the people that God was going to close their eyes and ears and harden their hearts so that they could not perceive his words. This would continue till they had all gone into exile except for a few who would be God’s holy seed he would use to repopulate the land. God didn’t speak again until Uzziah’s grandson became king. Rezin was king of Syria and Pekah was king of Israel. They conspired together to attack Judah. Ahaz was the king of Judah at the time and God told Isaiah to take his son, Sher-jashub and meet with Ahaz. His son’s name means “a remnant shall return”. Isiah was to tell Ahaz that he didn’t need to fear the kings of Syria and Israel because their invasion would never happen. God told Ahaz to ask for a sign that God had said this. He refused, saying he didn’t want to test the Lord. God was mad and told him if he wouldn’t come up with a confirmation he would give his own sign. A young woman would have a child whose name would be Immanuel. By the time the child was old enough to choose between good and bad, the land of these two kings would be deserted. We know that he was speaking in the distance of Jesus but he was also speaking of his time. Isaiah’s young wife had a child and this was fulfilled through him in Isaiah’s life-time. The king of Assyria and the king of Egypt would be the ones who would take Judah into exile. The land would be turned into thorns and briers with only enough substance to keep the remnant alive. In Corinthians Paul described what the false apostles were doing. They were taking advantage of them and controlling them with guilt to get their money. The people were allowing these men to use and control them and rejecting the love and truth that Paul was offering. Paul gave them his testimony of the suffering he had faced in his life to show them the way of the cross was quite different than what these false prophets were teaching. Lord, may we not lose sight of the prize. It is not on this earth but waiting for us in eternity. May our lives reflect that promise.

Fri.’s Devo - God’s Judgment

Read: Isaiah 3:1-5:30; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15; Psalm 53:1-6; Proverbs 22:28-29 When God shakes the earth, no one wants to be in charge because no one has solutions. Everyone blames and oppresses one another and there is no respect for elders or honorable people. No one is ashamed of their sins or takes responsibility to understand that they brought this upon themselves. God has Isaiah interject hope for the godly. He tells them that everything will go well for them. They will enjoy a reward instead of judgment. The leaders will mislead the ungodly and send them down a destructive path. God will sit on his throne of judgement and declare judgment on the earth. He will judge the elders and the rulers first because they were the ones in charge. Israel had become prideful and prosperous but they had forgotten their God. They will lose everything and sit in shame and humiliation. Men will be so scarce there won’t be enough to go around. But, the godly who depend upon the Lord and never gave in to idols or sin will be written down. God will wash them of the filth of the nation and sin. God will be their refuge and their covering. Israel was the Lord’s vineyard. He gave her a land in Canaan and built a Temple for her to worship in. Then he waited for a harvest of her grapes but instead her grapes were bitter because of her wanton heart. What will the Lord do? He will cut down that vineyard and let the animals trample it. Where grapes were suppose to grow, he will let bribers and thorns grow. He will not water it. This is what happened to Judah and Israel. God sent the people into exile except for a few who were left to care for the land. The land grew thorns and briers and waited until the 70 years of judgment were over. The people were taken to Egypt, Babylon and thoughout the earth where they were humbled and expected to repent. Some repented and others just took their sins with them and continued them in a foreign land. In Corinthians, Paul addressed the apostasy of the ‘super apostles’ who had sprung up in their church. They did great miracles and spoke elegant words but they deceived the people and preached a different Jesus than the real Jesus Christ. They lured the people from the truth so Paul was trying to steer them back around to the truth. His goal was to present them as a “pure bride” to Christ. Paul wondered if he did wrong by using the contributions of other churches to come to them without cost and freely preach to them. Maybe if he had charged they would have realized he had something of worth to teach them. Paul described these deceptive false prophets as angels of light, like Satan. They looked like righteousness but they were deceiving everyone instead. They were really wolves in sheep’s clothing. Lord, help us to have great discernment in the days to come. Help us to keep our eyes on you and on things of heaven, not of this earth. May our nation seek righteousness and truth. May we endure till the end and not get weary in well doing.

Fri.’s Devo - God of the Nations

Read: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26; Colossians 3:1-17: Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 24:27 Other nations tried to read the stars and were terrified by what they thought the stars were saying. God told Israel not to follow their practices. Other nations made gods from pieces of wood. They decorated them with gems and metal but they were nothing but scarecrows. God told them not to be afraid of their gods. But, there is no one like God who is great and full of power. He is the king of all the nations and they should fear him and not their gods. None of the nations can stand up to God when he gets angry. God told Jeremiah to tell all the people who trusted in their homemade idols about the God who created the earth. He controls the thunder and the rain. He sends the lightning and releases the wind. The idol makers are frauds and the people who buy them are fools. It was time for the people to pack their bags because the siege against Jerusalem was about to happen and they would be taken into exile. The towns of Judah were about to be destroyed and become desolate. Jeremiah plead with the Lord for mercy for them and revenge on their enemies. God sent Jeremiah to remind the people of the covenant they made with him and the consequences it says would happen if they broke it. They would be cursed. They had chosen to worship other gods so they would be shamed. God told Jeremiah to not weep or pray for them anymore because He would not listen. The people wanted to make sacrifices to God but also to enjoy their sins and idolatry. There were many who plotted to kill Jeremiah but God wouldn’t let it happen. These men would die instead. In Colossians, Paul instructed the wives to submit to their husbands as it is fit in the Lord. I take that to mean that as long as the husband fits into God’s standard, the wife is to submit. It doesn’t mean that if the husband is sinning that the wife is to submit to that. The husband is to love his wife and not treat her harshly. Children are to please the Lord by obeying their parents. Fathers are not to aggravate their children because they will become discouraged. Workers are to honor their bosses as if they were working for the Lord. Bosses are to be just and fair to their employers as they represent the Lord. Through Christ, we have the power to live wisely and have the right response for every situation. Like Paul, we are surrounded by other Christians who are there to help us in this life. We should be thankful for them. God made us to need the whole Body in our walk. Lord, help us to see the big picture of your kingdom and how we fit into it.

Thurs.’s Devo - God of the Nations

Read: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26; Colossians 3:1-17: Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 24:27 Other nations tried to read the stars and were terrified by what they thought the stars were saying. God told Israel not to follow their practices. Other nations made gods from pieces of wood. They decorated them with gems and metal but they were nothing but scarecrows. God told them not to be afraid of their gods. But, there is no one like God who is great and full of power. He is the king of all the nations and they should fear him and not their gods. None of the nations can stand up to God when he gets angry. God told Jeremiah to tell all the people who trusted in their homemade idols about the God who created the earth. He controls the thunder and the rain. He sends the lightning and releases the wind. The idol makers are frauds and the people who buy them are fools. It was time for the people to pack their bags because the siege against Jerusalem was about to happen and they would be taken into exile. The towns of Judah were about to be destroyed and become desolate. Jeremiah plead with the Lord for mercy for them and revenge on their enemies. God sent Jeremiah to remind the people of the covenant they made with him and the consequences it says would happen if they broke it. They would be cursed. They had chosen to worship other gods so they would be shamed. God told Jeremiah to not weep or pray for them anymore because He would not listen. The people wanted to make sacrifices to God but also to enjoy their sins and idolatry. There were many who plotted to kill Jeremiah but God wouldn’t let it happen. These men would die instead. In Colossians, Paul instructed the wives to submit to their husbands as it is fit in the Lord. I take that to mean that as long as the husband fits into God’s standard, the wife is to submit. It doesn’t mean that if the husband is sinning that the wife is to submit to that. The husband is to love his wife and not treat her harshly. Children are to please the Lord by obeying their parents. Fathers are not to aggravate their children because they will become discouraged. Workers are to honor their bosses as if they were working for the Lord. Bosses are to be just and fair to their employers as they represent the Lord. Through Christ, we have the power to live wisely and have the right response for every situation. Like Paul, we are surrounded by other Christians who are there to help us in this life. We should be thankful for them. God made us to need the whole Body in our walk. Lord, help us to see the big picture of your kingdom and how we fit into it.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Lord Shall Save -

Read: Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 22:26-27 Isaiah received prophecies throughout the reign of four of Judah’s kings. He spoke of the judgments of the Lord on the people and the world, and yet His mercy to the elect. He spoke them to God’s rebellious children in Judah and Jerusalem. They had forgotten their father and their maker and become sinful, guilty and evil. Their lifestyles invited judgment and punishment. Isaiah means “the Lord shall save” which is God’s promise throughout his Word. Because of their rebellion, their land had been ravaged and destroyed by foreigners. God spoke to the leaders of Judah and told them that he was sick of their sacrifices and rituals. They had hard hearts. They had killed innocent victims, perverted justice and spurned righteousness. They had refused to defend the cause of the orphan or fight for the rights of the widows. So, God was going to take revenge on them and remove all of their impurities. He was going to replace their judges with good judges and give them wise counselors like they used to have. The rebels and sinners were going to be completely destroyed and righteous people would take their roles. In the last day, the Temple of the Lord would be exalted above all other institutions. The Lord would be taught throughout the earth and He would mediate between nation and and settle disputes. People would use their weapons of war as instruments of harvest The Lord was rejecting his people because they worshiped the idols of the east and made alliances with pagans. Judah was rich with gold and silver, armies and weapons, and also idols they had made with their own hands. They would now be humbled under God’s hand and their pride and arrogance be brought down. The Lord was bringing his day of reckoning. The proud would be brought down and they would abandon their gold and silver to hide in the rocks to escape God’s wrath. God was about to arise and shake the earth. This sounds like what the earth is experiencing right now. In Corinthians, Paul warns the ones in the church who think he is acting from selfish motives. He reminds them that they don’t fight with natural weapons but with God’s weapons used to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and false arguments. These weapons destroy obstacles that keep people in pride and rebellion. Paul recognizes his authority comes from the Lord and doesn’t change. He will be the same in person as he is in his letters. His boast comes in what the Lord has done through them. Their mission was to spread the Gospel as far as they could.

Wed’s Devo - The Mature Bride

Read: Song of Songs 5:1-8:14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 22:24-25 In our song, the bride’s prayer is answered but the bride is not ready. She had given up and gone to sleep. That was such the way of Israel and the church. We need God desperately and cry out to him to save us. When He doesn’t respond quickly we lose heart and give up too soon - right before the answer comes. Israel had cried out for a Messiah and when he came, they didn’t accept him because he didn’t look like what they were expecting. They had gotten used to their lives and were not hungry or awake enough to see. In our song, when the bride does wake up, she looks everywhere for her lover but to no avail. When she describes him with such tenderness and love, he responds with the way he sees her. He describes her beauty to the world who is watching her with admiration. In the next scene, the bride and the groom are walking together and those watching are wondering how they can grow into that woman. She explains that she was not always this way. She gave herself to the king willingly and he changed her. It is the story of the young virgin growing up into the Bride of Christ over the ages. She began as a child of Abraham and because the bride of Christ. Paul was the great fund-raiser for the Church. He taught the people to be a family by caring for one another and sacrificing and sharing what they had to help a fellow brother in the Lord. He taught that giving was a seed that went into God’s ground and produced a harvest to bless many more. Giving was the key to providing for the ones who needed it and the giver. It was your seed that would bring forth a harvest in your own life and many others. Lord, help us to be faithful to give and bless our faith family and the world. Thank you that you gave your life for your family and for the world. Help us to continue to grow into a mature bride.