Isaiah – Be Still…

Isaiah 26:3-4 – Trusting God

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the Lord always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.”(Isaiah 26:3-4)

Perfect peace sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? We can know that peace when we trust in God. Shalom, shalom is what they say on “The Chosen” television series as a greeting to each other. In one episode, they explained it to a non-Jew as signifying perfect peace. What a beautiful way to greet someone, don’t you think?

Context: The section of Isaiah 26 that sings praise to the LORD. “In that day” everyone will sing praise to the LORD. What a beautiful picture that is for us to imagine the whole world recognizing God for the Mighty One he is. These verses are plucked out of the magnificent imagery that Isaiah uses to paint the picture of when we who trust God will finally know perfect peace. Continue reading “Isaiah 26:3-4 – Trusting God”

Isaiah 55:8-9 – Is God Hard to Understand?

“‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Why do we try to understand what God is thinking? This memory verse clearly sets the record straight and reminds us that God’s thoughts are beyond our comprehension. Yet, we still want to put words in God’s mouth or assume he thinks a certain way in a given situation. Perhaps we should just sit back and marvel at God’s ways instead.

Context: The prophet Isaiah is speaking here in Chapter 55 about salvation. Interesting to read such things in the Old Testament when we usually associated salvation with what Jesus did on the cross. This chapter is full of great wisdom giving us clues of how to act and respond to God. There are probably a dozen or more memory verses we could pluck from this chapter. You can take a look here. Continue reading “Isaiah 55:8-9 – Is God Hard to Understand?”

Isaiah 25:1 – Get Your Praise On!

“O Lord, I will honor and praise your name,
for you are my God.
You do such wonderful things!
You planned them long ago,
and now you have accomplished them.”
(Isaiah 25:1)

Are you one of those people who praise God only when you’re in church surrounded by other believers? Or are you someone who always has a praise song on their lips? Chances are, realistically speaking, you find yourself somewhere in between, aspiring to be more worshipful in your waking moments. Life gets in the way, doesn’t it? Sometimes the heaviness of a life situation makes it hard to feel grateful to the point you overflow with praise.

Context: For Isaiah, as a prophet of the LORD, he struggled with his own demons of distraction as he took on the abuse of his audience. He was being used by God, but the people weren’t listening. However, this verse opens a chapter full of hope, giving God the glory for being true to his word. Isaiah calls out both judgment and salvation, so depending on your relationship with God, these verses make you celebrate because of the hope or cower because of fear of doom. Continue reading “Isaiah 25:1 – Get Your Praise On!”

Isaiah 9:6-7 – What A Child!

Read Isaiah 9:6-7

Let that first line sink in just a bit. Who was this child born for? Isaiah said, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.” Jesus came for us! To those hearing Isaiah’s words then and now, we can be sure the babe in the manger is for us. Isaiah may not have known who would ultimately fulfill this word from God, but we do.

Our Christmas preparations are nearing an end, and soon we’ll embark on the season of Christmas. Who is this child in the manger to you? Is Jesus a promise of hope and redemption? Isaiah exclaims his identity as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Jesus is all of that and so much more. Continue reading “Isaiah 9:6-7 – What A Child!”

Isaiah 52:7-10 – Break Into Song!

Read Isaiah 52:7-10

What a prophecy clearly pointing to Jesus’ first coming while at the same time speaking to an earlier audience, those returning to Jerusalem after years in exile, apart from God. What a time to celebrate that reunion was!

There are a lot of joyful people in this psalm, many of whom are breaking into song because their joy just can’t be still. What was the source of such delight? Our God reigns and comforts us all at the same time. The victory belongs to the LORD, let’s make some music and worship! Continue reading “Isaiah 52:7-10 – Break Into Song!”