I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 57-59.

    Today’s passage is loaded. I am not sure how much of it I am going to go over. However, I need to start with the opening message. Isaiah talks about why good people sometimes die young. His explanation is really quite simple. Good people die young because God is protecting them from an evil time to come. This does not mean that all good people die young. It also does not mean that all people who die young are good. Finally, it does not mean that those who do not die young will face an evil time to come. It may be that the evil time to come was specific to that good person.

    Now to move on to the portions of this that really moved me today (I need to work on different ways to say that a passage influenced my understanding of my faith). God punishes people for doing wrong in order to teach them to do right. If and when people repent of their sins and turn to Him God clears their path so that they may easily come to Him. If we humbly recognize our sin and failure, when we turn to God the obstacles that prevented us from reaching Him will vanish as if they had never been. No matter how great our sin has been, God is willing and able to heal us. He will welcome us back and give us peace. If we mourn our sins, if we genuinely regret them, God will comfort and forgive us.

    However, it is not enough to go through the motions of repentance and humility. Praying, fasting, and self-denial will do us no good if we continue to take advantage of those weaker than ourselves and fail to help those less fortunate. God wants us to share our food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, and help those in trouble. Then there is an important point made. God calls on us to stop pointing our fingers at others and talking about the sins of others. Our focus should be on becoming better people ourselves, on overcoming the sins we still struggle with rather than talking about the sins of “that person over there.” That does not mean that we do not confront those we love about their sins, their self-destructive behavior. However, it does mean that we need to be careful not to use others sins as a means of directing attention away from our own failings.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 52-56.

    Yesterday I wrote that I thought the suffering servant references in the passage could be applied to those who serve God today as well as applying them to Jesus. I still think that is true. The same cannot be said for the suffering servant described in today’s passage. The suffering servant whom Isaiah describes in today’s passage is Jesus, the Messiah. I am forever grateful for the suffering to which He submitted. And I am shamed by the way I have failed to acknowledge Him at times in my life (“turned my back on Him”). I am shamed by the things I have done which required Him to suffer as He did.

    Now I come to chapter 55, which is God’s call to us, and our call to those around us.

Is anyone thirsty?
Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

If we come to God and listen to what He says we will find life. God is calling us to seek Him now, not next week, not tomorrow. Drop what your doing and seek Him. Let us change our wicked ways at once and turn to God. “Seek the Lord while you can find Him.” That phrase contains the implication that our time is limited. But I want to point out that not only is our time limited, but so is that of those around us. If we do not call them to turn to God NOW, it may be too late.

    I thought that what I wrote above was going to be the thread I followed as I wrote about the rest of this passage. But then I came to chapter 55 verse 8 (I prefer the NIV here because its phrasing more clearly expresses what I am feeling about this passage today):

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.

How true this is! When we look at the wicked in this world, our tendency is to hate them and desire them to experience the full weight of God’s judgment. But God tells us to give them the same message which He gave us: “Come, all you who are thirsty.” Let us not be afraid to speak God’s word, to teach God’s word, and to preach God’s word. He has sent His word out and it WILL accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. It has the power to transform the evil in this world. Even the vilest of offender will be transformed by hearing God’s word. Let us take every opportunity we are given to spread that word.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 48-51.

    Today’s verses contain references to God’s suffering servant. These are Messianic prophecies which discussed the coming of Jesus. However, elements of them apply to all of those whom God has called. God called us before our birth. He planned our tasks while we were still in our mother’s womb. It may seem that our work is useless, but God will honor us for serving the purpose for which He placed us on this earth. Each and every one of us has been called to show His light to the Gentiles and bring His salvation to those we meet. At just the right time, when the enemy thinks that he has won, God will employ us to demonstrate His victory. We may face mockery and humiliation, torture and beatings, but if we stand fast in our faith the pain will soon pass and those who mock us will instead be shamed. Yes, let us remain faithful in the face of mockery and torment because God will be our comforter and He will put His words in our mouths. Are we willing to accept just a small piece of the suffering which Jesus endured?

    I was going to stop, having written what I wrote above. But then I skimmed back over the passage one more time and this caught my eye:

Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys his servant?
If you are walking in darkness,
without a ray of light,
trust in the Lord
and rely on your God.
But watch out, you who live in your own light
and warm yourselves by your own fires.
This is the reward you will receive from me:
You will soon fall down in great torment.

There may be other ways to interpret this passage, but this is what it meant to me as I read it. If we fear the Lord and obey His Servant (Jesus), even as we cannot see our path or what is around us, let us trust in God and rely on Him. However, those who think they have it all figured out and are sure of their own ability to reason it out had better watch out because our minds are not up to the task of understanding God’s plan.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 43-47.

    Today’s passage spends quite a bit of time telling us how foolish it is to worship idols. I have some friends who worship idols in the sense this passage is talking about. Some of them worship the Norse gods and some worship the older Germanic gods which the Norse gods were derived from. Those whom I have heard speak about it know that these gods are not real in the way we think of God as real, but then they do not think that God is real either. As best I understand what they believe, they believe that their gods are social constructs which have power commensurate with how much they believe in them and to a degree commensurate with how many people believe in them. My feeling is that their belief is an attempt to gain control over the world around them. After all, their gods only have power in as much as they give them that power, so their gods are dependent upon them, and their fellow believers. Isaiah tells us that it is foolish to worship a god (or gods) which has no power that we did not give it. If we have the power to do the things which we call upon the gods to do, why do we need the gods? However, God has power which did not come from me, or anyone else. God has demonstrated His power to those willing to see.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 39-42.

    Today’s passage is quite powerful. Our God is coming with great power. His path will be straight and level. All obstacles will be cleared out of His way. Mountains will be leveled and valleys will be filled in. There is nothing and no one we can compare to God. The entire earth is less than a grain of sand to God. Everyone grows tired, even young men in the prime of their life. But God gives strength to the powerless and energy to the weary. Those who put their trust in God and wait for His time will always have the strength and energy to do God’s will. I have always loved the image this passage provides. There is a great song based on the King James version which contains a line which says, “Teach me Lord to wait down on my knees.” I am striving to spend more of my time in prayer, waiting for the Lord to tell me what to do. However, later in this passage Isaiah reminds us that waiting is not enough. Once God has told us what He wants us to do, He expects us to act:

You see and recognize what is right
but refuse to act on it.
You hear with your ears,
but you don’t really listen.

I pray that when God speaks I will listen and that when I recognize what is right, I act upon it.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 32-35.

    The prophet warns those who are complacent and do not care about the actions of the wicked. It is wrong to be complacent about the evil we see around us. God wants us to beat our breasts in sorrow, to call out the actions of the wicked who deprive the hungry of food. In the face of wickedness, let us plan to do what is generous and stand firm in our generosity. A time of hardship and suffering is coming (or perhaps is already started). It will end when God pours out His Spirit over the land. In the meantime, let us humble ourselves in prayer and stand firm in generosity to those whose suffering is greater than our own. God’s judgment is coming like a devouring fire, such that no one can stand against it. Except that the prophet tells us that there will be those who can thrive on the day of God’s judgment. Those who are honest and fair have nothing to fear when God brings His judgment against the evildoers of this world.

    The prophet goes on to tell us about the day when God will turn certain lands over to wild animals. Over the last several months I have noticed that there are multiple places in the Bible where it speaks of God making a place for wild animals to live. As I have read these passages I have come to believe that our stewardship of this earth extends to doing what is in our power to care for our natural surroundings. Here the prophet tells us that not one of “these” animals will be missing. While he gives a list of animals, I do not believe that he intended his list to be comprehensive. God will hold mankind to account for the animals which have gone extinct due to our actions. Some of those animals went extinct because they had served their purpose and God intended for them to be gone from the earth. However, many others are now extinct because of mankind’s greed and lack of foresight. I want to be clear, I am not calling for government action. I am calling for each and every one of us to behave responsibly and think about the consequences of our actions.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 29-31.

    The prophet tells us that people will insist that the instructions God has given us in the Bible are too hard to understand. Those with an extensive biblical education will claim that the writer’s true meaning is a mystery. Those without a biblical education will claim they cannot understand the writer’s meaning because they lack that education. These are people who claim to belong to God, but rather than read the Bible to see what God has to say, they make up rules which please themselves. We see such people in the Church today. There are those who read the Bible and say that it does not mean what it clearly states. There are those who do not read the Bible because it is “too hard to understand,” when what they really mean is that it tells them to act differently than the way they wish.

    Despite all of the voices who tell us that it is too hard to understand what God really wants from us, that we need them to interpret His will for us, the prophet tells us that God Himself will speak to us and tell us the path to follow. If we go to Him and ask for His help, He will show us love and compassion. We will hear His voice speaking in our ears telling us which way to go, and not just in generalities. If we willingly listen, God will tell us each and every turn we should make. Even in adversity and suffering God will be there teaching us how to follow His law.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 26-28.

    The beginning of today’s passage is one of hope for those who trust and obey God. He will trample the proud and arrogant, but will smooth out the path in front of the righteous. The wicked will keep doing wrong even when all others do what is right. They pay no attention to God’s threats of destruction, but He will defend His people. God’s people are those who seek Him and accept His discipline. They will be granted peace.

    What Isaiah wrote in chapter 28 reminds me of the leaders of today. First comes the complaint of being treated like children. They claim to be grownups ready for grownup truths. All the while wallowing in the results of sins of the most basic sort. I see so many today who echo the leaders of this passage. They believe that they have made a bargain with death and that their fortress of lies and deception will protect them from the coming destruction. God responds by telling them that He will start over again from the basics. He lays out the foundation and tells them to build upon the Cornerstone He has given us if they want to build something which will last. Lies and deception are like sand. Anything built on them will be washed away in the coming storms. However, if we build on the Foundation which God has given us, measuring out with justice and aligning with righteousness, what we have built will stand the test of time.

    Then at the end of the passage Isaiah reminds us that God knows what He is doing. Yes, He is going to bring judgment and discipline upon us, but He knows what we can bear. Just as a farmer very carefully calibrates the tools and force he uses to thresh grain, so too will God carefully calibrate the discipline He uses to turn us back to Him. He will not send against us more than we can bear.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 22-25.

    I am having trouble putting into words what the beginning of this passage means to me. The prophet is warning those whose first response in times of trouble is to prepare their defenses and gather their resources. They prepare to take their stand, believing that if only they make the proper preparations they can deal with whatever comes their way. They do not turn to God and call on Him for aid. Rather than mourn for the sins which brought them to this place and express remorse, they say “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” Every time I hear that phrase used I wonder if the person using it realizes that it originates from this passage telling us that is the wrong response? Isaiah even follows that up with a specific example of someone who was more caught up in their “legacy” than in doing the job from which that legacy would come. The message here is that if we spend our time building our legacy rather than doing the job which God has given us, God will throw us down and give someone else the opportunity.

    I am not sure what the message is here from the prophecy against Tyre, but I will tell you what I read from it. Earlier the prophet had spoken of the fall of military powers. Here he tells us that economic power will not stand against God’s judgment either. Neither strength nor wealth will protect us when God brings judgment against our sins. Those who oppress the poor, either with their military might or their economic power, will face God’s judgment. There is more to this than just God’ vengeance against those who do not obey His laws. There is a message which the environmentalists will love. One result of disobeying God’s command is that the entire earth suffers. However those who survive God’s judgment will praise Him. These things do not happen by accident and God has planned them long in advance. If we trust in God He will save us.