Tues.’s Devo - Isaiah’s Prophesies Begin

Read: Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 22:26-27

Isaiah prophesied during the most critical time in Israel and Judah’s history. They had both experienced 50 years of natural prosperity, but spiritual decline. Jeroboam had led Israel to worship pagan gods while Judah had began in faith but had fallen into private idolatry while maintaining the outward show of piety. The wealthy oppressed the poor, women neglected their families in search of pleasure, and the priests and prophets became drunk and pleasers of man. 

In the world, Rome was founded and the Greeks were having their first Olympic games. Assyria was looking at conquering the south and the west and Asia was looking beyond their borders. Isaiah was a student of world affairs and could see what was happening. Then, Assyria took Samaria, the capital of Israel. 

Isaiah was sent to declare how displeased God was with the sin of his people and the nations. He called God’s people back to God. He began with calling out the sins of Judah. They had forgotten their creator and God. They were like an open sore that had not been cared for. 

Their cities had been burned, their borders had been breached, and they were overcome with strangers. (Sounds like America.) Isaiah says that unless God had left them a remnant they would be like Sodom and Gomorrah. 

God had grown tired of their fake worship and mixture of pagan with the holy. They went through the motions of worship, but their hearts were far from him. He begs them to turn back to the Lord an put away their sins and seek to do good to one another and to him. 

He tells them that God can forgive their sins and purify them if they return to the Lord. 

Because they had become such a sinful place with unrighteous leaders, God would take out the ones who judged wrongly and replace them with righteous judges. He will clean up their city and Jerusalem will one day be called the city of righteousness, justice and faithfulness. 

In the last days, which we are in, the Lord will be exalted and many will come to worship him and want to walk in his ways. God will judge the nations with his word. They will take their weapons of war and use them as instruments of harvest. War will be a thing of the past. 

The Day of the Lord will be an awesome day when they will turn from the desire to be like the pagan nations of the east and be humbled under the glory of God. In that day all the proud will be humbled. Everything man had esteemed as precious will pass away and every knee will bow before the terror of the Lord and his majesty. People will throw away their idols and stop worshiping man. 

Paul is experiencing his own war with man’s opinion. He was being accused of walking in the flesh. He said he did walk in the flesh because he was flesh and blood, but he did not fight according to his flesh. Paul wrote that his weapons and our weapons are not fleshly but spiritual and they destroy strongholds of the enemy.  They destroy every argument and opinion that is against who God is. Paul explains that he takes every thought he has and puts it under Christ’s authority and is ready to punish his own disobedience. 

He claims that the authority Christ gave him as their leader was to build them up, and not destroy them. He was accused of being hard and strong in his letters, but weak in presence. He told them that he was the same in the flesh as in his letters. He had brought them the gospel and his only hope is that they grow in their faith and that they spread the gospel he had give them. 

Lord, may we not glory in our flesh but use our weapons you have given us to fight and destroy the strongholds of the enemy. We trust in what you are doing in the earth and know that you are our stronghold. 

Mon.’s Devo - The Pursuit of Love

Read: Song of Solomon 5:1-8:14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 22:24-25

Chapter 5 begins with Christ’s invitation to come and fellowship with him. He is more than willing to give us all he has.

In the second verse, the response of the bride is to fall asleep. She is awakened by a sound of Jesus knocking on the door of her heart, but by the time she gets herself all cleaned up to answer, he is gone. Jesus doesn’t call us in our righteous state, he calls us as sinners and we are to respond to him in that state. He cleanse us up after we answer the door.

She looks for him everywhere. Think of all the places we have looked for love and acceptance only to be disappointed. She prays but doesn’t get an answer. She goes to the ones who are supposed to be able to help her - the watchmen on the wall and they only hurt her more. This is a great picture of people who have gone to the church for help, only to be hurt more. 

When she is asked to describe her beloved, she gives a beautiful description of Jesus. It makes others want him also. He returns the complement to her and expresses his love for her. 

When Jesus describes her in Chapter 7, she has become a mature woman of God ready to become his bride. She comes out of the wilderness completely leaning on Jesus, her Christ. 

Solomon describes us all as immature babies in the beginning but God does what we need him to do to grow its into  the mature bride who is ready for the bridegroom. 

In Corinthians, Paul brags on the church of Corinth telling them that their willingness to give early on has been an inspirations to the other churches. Paul is sending some men ahead of him to make sure they still feel the same way about giving their gift to the church in Jerusalem and make sure that they are not just giving to get something in return. 

Paul urges them to give cheerfully, not reluctantly or because they feel they are being coerced. He points out that those who give abundantly will reap abundantly. Their giving heart will reap a harvest of righteousness. Supplying others needs causes the ones they help to be thankful to God. God gets the glory and praise. 

Lord, may we be good stewards of all you have given us. May we be cheerful givers. Thank you that you pursue us with your passionate love and grace. Thank you that you can be found when we seek you with all our hearts.

Sun.’s Devo - The Song of Solomon

Read: Song of Solomon 1:1-4:16; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; Proverbs 22:22-23

Song of Songs or Song of Solomon is a beautiful love story. To Christians it is an allegory of Christ’s love for us his bride and our love for him as our bridegroom. To the Jew, it is an allegory of God’s love for his chosen people. 

It begins as the woman describes the favor of his pardon as kisses from his mouth. His name is like anointing oil being poured out on us. She speaks of the great fellowship she has with the Lord since she has brought him into her heart. In verse 5 she speaks of her darkness and sin she is subjected to in the world and wants to dwell in her Savior’s house instead. 

The Savior tells her to follow him and he would array her in his beauty with his ornaments of glory. She can smell the aroma of his presence. She keeps declaring her weaknesses and he keeps turning them to beauty. 

In 2:3-17 the woman describes what Jesus is to her. He is the lover of her soul, her present help in times of need, her comfort and her joy. He hides her in the cleft of the rock and she is his beloved. 

Chapter three gives us a picture of the dark night of the soul - the times in our lives when we go through difficult times and feel alone. It is the time of deep searching for God and his presence. But, God has promised that all who seek the Lord will find him and she is met with his whole army and then the king himself. God never leaves us or forsakes us. 

In Chapter 4, Jesus comforts his bride, commends her of her beauty, and expresses his great love for her. He compares her to a garden full of beauty and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

In Corinthians, Paul writes that Titus has volunteered to come visit them. He has a deep love for the body of Christ. He is coming to Corinth and is bringing someone they are well acquainted with who most likely is Luke. He will make sure their contribution to the church in Jerusalem gets to them safely. Paul prays that they live up to his great expectations and are generous with their gift and accept Titus and Luke with love. 

Lord, you are the lover of our soul, mind and heart. May we seek after you above all else. May we find you and your Spirit as we seek for you with all our hearts. Thank you that you do not hide your face from us but freely accept us with love and forgiveness. 

Sat.’s Devo - The End of Solomon’s Sermon

Read: Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 22:20-21

Solomon warns that there is no way to cover for a fool or camouflage evil. It doesn’t matter if the person is a king or a fool his nature will expose him and show if he is a fool or wise. Solomon had observed many poor men with more wisdom than some foolish and evil kings. A man’s mouth is what exposes what is in his soul. 

The nation is blessed when it has a king with discretion and wisdom and is cursed when its leader is a drunken fool. He warns the people of not ever cursing the king even in their heart because he might find out and then it would not go well for that person.

Solomon advises his people to be generous with their wealth because a person will reap what he sows. He warns man against living in such fear that he doesn’t take risks and hoards all he has. It is better to always be sowing so you have many possibilities of reaping in various places. 

Solomon encourages us to remember God while we are young and not wait till our bodies are wasting away before we decide to serve the Lord. 

Solomon wrote many other proverbs and sayings to teach the people how to live and teach them about life and encourage them to have peace and joy. He reminds us that everything we do is known and judged by God. He concludes to fear God and keep his commandments so all will go well in the end.

In Corinthians, Paul commends the churches of Macedonia because in the midst of their hard times, they gave to the fund for the suffering church in Jerusalem. He reminded them of Jesus love and grace. He gave us heaven to come to earth and be poor so that we might have the abundance of God’s grace. 

Paul encourages the church in Corinth to give of their wealth to this fund also. He reminds them of the saying, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” He was referring to the children of Israel who gathered manna every morning and had just what they needed. Though the church in Corinth had abundance, they may one day be the ones who need help.

Lord, may we remember that we are just stewards of your money. May we give as we are led to give and not hold back. You are our source of supply. 

Fri.’s Devo - Walking Wisely

 Read: Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18; 2 Corinthians 7:8-16; Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 22:17-19

Solomon talks about the things that are worth more than money. A good reputation can’t be bought; it must be earned by having integrity. It is not the day of birth that is most important but the day of your death because then you have lived your life and hopefully done something to be worthy of praise. 

Going to a funeral, makes you contemplate your life as you celebrate the life of another. It makes you be more serious about living better. Being able to take criticism is wise. Being patient and forgiving is better than being proud and quick to anger.

Solomon tells us to protect our wisdom. It is like an inheritance that we need to regard with care. We are to be joyful both when we prosper, and in the day of adversity. Everyone will face death in the end but if you are wise, you will live longer than the fool.

Wisdom gives a person strength and power. 

Solomon warns men against women whose heart is evil. A man who fears the Lord can escape being caught by her, but sinners will fall into her lair. He is speaking from experience. 

Wisdom can be seen in the countenance of a person. No one knows how long they have to live on the earth, or if they will be delivered in times of calamity. No one but God knows how long the evil will live and prosper. 

It is wisdom to live righteously, then there is no fear of getting caught for doing wrong.  It is wisdom to enjoy life and the things God has given us. Whatever we do, we are to do it to the best of our ability. Solomon warns us that there is no wisdom in the place of the dead. None of us know when we are going to die. Death happens to the righteous and the evil. 

Solomon gives us a story about a poor man who saved his town with his wisdom and then was forgotten. He concludes with, “Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.”

It doesn’t matter if we are rewarded here on earth for what we do, it matters in eternity. All is recorded in God’s book and we will all stand before him one day and be held responsible for how we lived our lives on earth.

In Corinthians, Paul says he doesn’t regret having to rebuke them in his last letter, if it caused them to change and repent. Godly grief brings repentance which leads to salvation and life. The grief of the world leads to death. For the people in the church in Corinth, their grief lead to earnest repentance. 

Their repentance cause Paul to have comfort, and the way they received Titus refreshed his spirit. Titus came back boasting to Paul of their spiritual growth and obedience to do the right thing. It renewed Paul’s confidence in them.

The way Paul loves and cares for his churches is the same way the Lord loves and cares for us. He only wants our good and when he has to rebuke us and discipline us, it gives him great joy to see us repent and get back on the right track.

Lord, thank you for your care for us and your discipline. May we walk in wisdom and see things through your eyes of wisdom. May we consider our days and live them righteously and wisely.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Fear of the Lord

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 22:16

Solomon continues his sermon on wisdom. He has married hundreds of wives from different cultures and seen the worship of gods who required human sacrifices and all sorts of cruelty. He has seen the cry of the oppressed who had no one to comfort them. He has seen those who worked to keep up with the Jones’s. He has discovered that it is better to have peace in your life than striving to prove something to others and trying to get rich.

He states that it is better to have at least one faithful friend and two is even better. It is better to be poor and teachable than rich and stubborn. 

Solomon warns that when you go to worship the Lord, it is better to watch and listen than to offer sacrifices to some god. Consider how you worship the Lord and what you say and fear the Lord. But, if you promise the Lord something, you need to commit to carry out the promise. 

Solomon ponders if God is so concerned about the words that come out of our mouth, why does he allow people to be in control who pervert justice and oppress the poor? 

He knows by experience that if you love money, it will not bring you any happiness. He has witnessed rich people making bad investments and losing everything. The man who sleeps well at night is the man who has worked hard that day. The truth is that we can not take any of our money with us when we die.

Solomon sees that the truly joyful man is the person who is thankful for what he has and enjoys his lot in life. It is a tragedy to see a wealthy person not be able to enjoy his life. It would be better if this man was not born. A man who is never satisfied is worse off than a poor man who knows how to conduct himself with others. 

Solomon concludes that we cannot argue with God over our destiny. 

In Corinthians, Paul tells us not to be yoked with unbelievers because righteousness can not agree with lawlessness and light cannot fellowship with darkness. Since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we have nothing in common with wickedness. 

God has chosen us to be his temple and to walk with us. He tells us to get out of the world and set ourselves apart. When we fear God, we become holy. 

Paul tells them to make room in their hearts for him and his workers because they are enduring much hardship to come to Corinth. 

All of the scripture we read today in Ecclesiastes, Corinthians and Psalms talk about the fear of the Lord and the advantages to fearing God. 

Lord, may we fear you in all we do. May we reverence your name and your creation. May all we do honor you and bring glory to your kingdom.  

Wed.’s Devo - Solomon's Ecclesiastes

Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 22:15

Ecclesiastes means “one who addresses an assembly” or “teacher.” It was believed to have been written in the last years of Solomon’s life, since he describes all he has accomplished. It is his summation of life after observing it and living it to the fullest. His quest has been to find out the meaning of life and to find wisdom. He begins by saying that life is all vanity and ends his last chapter with repeating that statement. 

Solomon begins with all he has observed in his years of living. He concludes that there is nothing new under the sun and what is in the past is not remembered by the next generation.  Wisdom was what God gave Solomon at the beginning of his reign and it has caused him sorrow as he has observed life around him though the lens of wisdom. 

Solomon tested his wisdom by filling his life with pleasure. He found that it was useless. He tried drinking to cheer himself up and it didn’t work either. Then he tried building things and filling his surroundings with beauty, music and women. He became the richest man on earth and when he looked at all his striving he saw he had gained nothing eternal. 

He blamed his depression on the fact that he was so wise. He did conclude that being wise was better than being foolish and there was more to gain in light than in darkness. 

Solomon saw that all meet the same fate whether wise or foolish. They will all die and won’t know what will happen to all they accomplished. What will the next generation do with what he has done. 

He concluded that instead of being depressed it was better to find joy in life. There is a time for everything God created on this earth and in a lifetime. All will experience the same trials and emotions. 

Yet, God has put in eternity in every man’s heart. Everyone knows there is a hereafter, whether they admit it or not. So, everyone should take pleasure in their work and enjoy their life. All will one day stand before God and be judged for the way they lived the life God gave them. It is vanity to worry about what happens when one dies. 

In Corinthians, Paul talks about vanity also. He says it is vain to not receive the grace of God that he is offering. This grace is salvation. Paul’s life was not full of all the luxuries that Solomon’s was. Paul’s life was full of afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonment, riots, labor, sleepless nights, and hunger. But what kept him though all that was the kindness of the Holy Spirit and the life and power of God. His weapon was righteousness. He was greatly punished in his life but rejoiced because he had everything money can’t buy. 

Lord, as we consider our lives may we see them through your lens. May we build so the next generation can thrive. May we live our lives with eternity in mind.