My Chosen One in Whom My Soul Delights [Is. 41-42]

Friday, November 20,2009

Isaiah 42:¹"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
         My chosen one in whom My soul delights
         I have put My Spirit upon Him;
         He will bring forth justice to the nations.
    ²"He will not cry out or raise His voice,
         Nor make His voice heard in the street.
    ³"A bruised reed He will not break
         And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
         He will faithfully bring forth justice.
    ⁴"He will not be disheartened or crushed
         Until He has established justice in the earth;
         And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law." ⁵Thus says God the LORD,
         Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
         Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
         Who gives breath to the people on it
         And spirit to those who walk in it,
    ⁶"I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
         I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
         And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
         As a light to the nations,
    ⁷To open blind eyes,
         To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
         And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
    ⁸"I am the LORD, that is My name;
         I will not give My glory to another,
         Nor My praise to graven images.

This prophesy is about Jesus and about Jesus' followers (you and I). Jesus is God's Servant in whom He strengthened, His Chosen One who delighted Him. These words are true of us because He is forming us to the image of His Son. Listen to what He says, " I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, s a light to the nations." Let these words settle in our hearts today. The God "Who created the heavens and stretched them out" is delighted in Christ and is delighted in us. He has called us to righteousness. "I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You."

We praise You Father for putting Your Spirit on Christ and on us. We praise You that You have chosen Jesus to be Your Servant and that You have made us in the image of Your Son. We are Your servants and we acknowledge that You alone strengthen us to be Your servant. All praise and glory belong to YOU!

Verna McCrillis, 11/20/2009

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Here Is Your God! [Isaiah 39-40]

Thursday, November 19, 2009

^{Isaiah 40: 9}Get yourself up on a high mountain,
         O Zion, bearer of good news,
         Lift up your voice mightily,
         O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;
         Lift it up, do not fear
         Say to the cities of Judah,
         "Here is your God!"
    ¹⁰Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might,
         With His arm ruling for Him
         Behold, His reward is with Him
         And His recompense before Him.
    ¹¹Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
         In His arm He will gather the lambs
         And carry them in His bosom;
         He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
    ¹²Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
         And marked off the heavens by the span,
         And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
         And weighed the mountains in a balance
         And the hills in a pair of scales?
    ¹³Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD,
         Or as His counselor has informed Him?
    ¹⁴With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
         And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
         And informed Him of the way of understanding?
²⁵"To whom then will you liken Me
         That I would be his equal?" says the Holy One.
    ²⁶Lift up your eyes on high
         And see who has created these stars,
         The One who leads forth their host by number,
         He calls them all by name;
         Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
         Not one of them is missing.
    ²⁷Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
         "My way is hidden from the LORD,
         And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"?
    ²⁸Do you not know? Have you not heard?
         The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth
         Does not become weary or tired
         His understanding is inscrutable.
    ²⁹He gives strength to the weary,
         And to him who lacks might He increases power.
    ³⁰Though youths grow weary and tired,
         And vigorous young men stumble badly,
    ³¹Yet those who wait for the LORD
         Will gain new strength;
         They will mount up with wings like eagles,
         They will run and not get tired,
         They will walk and not become weary.

Can you tell that this is one of my favorite passages? I didn't want to leave any of the verses out - so go to Daily Reading and read the whole chapter! I still remember the first time this passage had a huge impact on my life. I was a wide-eyed college Freshman at Multnomah School of the Bible and the professor was Dr. David Needham. I was particularly taken with the thought that God knew every star by name and that because of the strength of His power not one was missing. He gave us the assignment to sit out under the stars pondering God for 20 minutes.   It was an amazing new awareness of how big and strong God is.

The chapter ends telling us that He wants to give us His strength. All we need to do is wait for the Lord.

Lord, we praise You that You come to us with might. And yet, "Like a shepherd He will tend His flock" and You gather the lambs in Your arms and carry them in Your bosom. You "gently lead the nursing ewes." We don't understand such strength and such tenderness at the same time. Thank You that You carry us with eagles' wings with Your strength and Your gentleness.

Verna McCrillis, 11/19/2009

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Hezekiah's Prayer [Is 37-38]

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Isaiah 37

15Hezekiah prayed to the LORD saying, 16"O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth You have made heaven and earth. 17"Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. 18"Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands,19and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone So they have destroyed them. 20"Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God."

Isaiah 36-39 give an account of King Hezekiah's reign and some key events that happened during that time. For the most part, Hezekiah was God's man. Hezekiah's prayer in Isaiah 37 is one of several really good examples in the Bible of how to handle a tough situation well. First, he praised God and focused his mind on the only One who could help him. Then, he acknowledged the impossible situation before God and followed it with his request and more praise.

Learning to praise God in prayer first makes all the difference in dealing with the turmoil that comes with stresses. When you acknowledge God for who He says He is, you begin to allow God to bring you peace in the midst of your circumstance. Surrender your situation and leave it in His capable hands and experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Your circumstances may or may not appear any better, but you can live in His peace through whatever is going on. And He will direct, empower and comfort you all along the way as you keep looking to Him.

God in Isaiah 37:15-20

Lord
Lord of hosts
God of Israel
Enthroned above the cherubim
God, alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth
Maker of heaven and earth
The God who hears
The Living God
Deliverer

Beth Warlick, 11/18/2009

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God's Highway of Holiness [Is 35-36]

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Isaiah 35

    8A highway will be there, a roadway,
         And it will be called the Highway of Holiness
         The unclean will not travel on it,
         But it will be for him who walks that way,
         And fools will not wander on it.
    9No lion will be there,
         Nor will any vicious beast go up on it;
         These will not be found there
         But the redeemed will walk there,
    10And the ransomed of the LORD will return
         And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
         With everlasting joy upon their heads
         They will find gladness and joy,
         And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. My prayer today is that you will take time to meditate on what God is saying to you through this description of the Highway of Holiness. What difference does it make to you that you know there will be such a place for you to walk someday?

We praise You, God, because You have designed a new life for us with a new world to go with it. You are the Redeemer, Provider, Protector. Cause us to keep our eyes fixed on You and make us ready to walk on the Highway of Holiness.

Beth Warlick, 11/17/2009

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God Is Your Stability [Is. 33-34]

Monday, November 16, 2009

5The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high;
         He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
    6And He will be the stability of your times,
         A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
         The fear of the LORD is his treasure.

Times are unstable and people are afraid. Weather wreaks havoc, people cause terror, family members discover they have a terminal disease, our soldiers die or come home with horrible wounds, millions of kids with autism are entering adulthood with no support system to speak of, leaders of nations threaten the world and if that isn't enough, our nation's unemployment is still rising! And God tells us through His Word over and over again that we are not to be afraid! What is He thinking?!!!! Doesn't He see what is going on?

Yes, He does see what is going on. In fact, He told us clearly throughout the Word that these sorts of things would not only happen, but get worse. These are the birth pains that will ultimately bring in God's kingdom. I never got to experience those ever increasing pains that lead up to the birth of a child as I had four C-sections. Therefore, I just have to imagine what it might be like. However, I did go through the classes that teach you how to do labor well. We were taught to look at our focal point, to breathe through the pains and to remember that each increasing contraction (not allowed to call them pain), brings us closer to the joy of the birth of that precious baby.

I suppose we could use some kingdom birthing classes that prepare us for the increasing worldwide disasters that God says are coming our way. In those classes, God would be our focal point. We would be taught to breathe out the wrong thinking and breathe in the truth (grace exchange). Finally, we would discover that these things are to be welcomed as the kingdom of God is getting closer!

In these times, according to Isaiah 33, we have stability. He is and will be the stability of our times. I pray that we all will commit these verses to memory so that when things are feeling chaotic, the Holy Spirit can bring these words to our minds. Then, we can breathe out our fear of the earthly stuff and breathe in the fear of the Lord who is our treasure.

We praise You, God, that you are exalted, dwell on high, You are bringing justice and righteousness, You are the source of our wealth, salvation and knowledge and You, alone, are the stability we need. Cause us to fear You alone and enable us to keep You as our focal point each day. We can't, but You can.

Beth Warlick, 11/15/2009

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The Spirit Has Been Poured Out [Is 31-32]

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Isaiah 31

15Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
         And the wilderness becomes a fertile field,
         And the fertile field is considered as a forest.
    16Then justice will dwell in the wilderness
         And righteousness will abide in the fertile field.
    17And the work of righteousness will be peace,
         And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.
    18Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation,
         And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places;

There will be a future when our physical surroundings will match this description in Isaiah 31. However, in the meantime, this can describe the spiritual life of a believer. The Spirit has already been poured out on us at Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus rose and went into heaven. Every one of us who has confessed Christ since then has had that Spirit sealed in us giving us access to supernatural power through grace. That power gives us all we need for life and godliness according to 2 Peter 1. We can have an inner life right now that is like a fertile field where there is justice, righteousness, peace. That Spirit can enable you to be of service in righteousness, quietness and confidence in these tumultuous days. You can have a peaceful spiritual habitation, with security and rest. God's heart is that we take advantage of all He has to offer to us through His Spirit in this life.

We praise You, God, for Your Spirit that has been poured out on us and now resides in us. Cause us to live a life of inner peace as we take You our worries, fears, pain and problems and exchange them for Your power to overcome and to live in security and peace. Cause us to trust You and Jesus and Your Holy Spirit to work in us and in our lives.

Beth Warlick, 11/14/2009

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This Is the Way [Is. 29-30]

Friday, November 13, 2009

18Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,
         And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you
         For the LORD is a God of justice;
         How blessed are all those who long for Him.
19O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.
20Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher.
21Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

We praise You because you long to be gracious to us, You wait to have compassion on us, You are a God of justice, You hear our cries and answer, You discipline us so You can teach us, You reveal Yourself to us and show us the way to walk. Cause us to long for you and be blessed.

Beth Warlick, 11/13/2009

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God, A Wise Gardener [Isaiah 27-28]

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Isaiah 27: ²In that day,
         "A vineyard of wine, sing of it!
    ³"I, the LORD, am its keeper;
         I water it every moment
         So that no one will damage it,
         I guard it night and day.
    ⁴"I have no wrath.
         Should someone give Me briars and thorns in battle,
         Then I would step on them, I would burn them completely.
    ⁵"Or let him rely on My protection,
         Let him make peace with Me,
         Let him make peace with Me."
    ⁶In the days to come Jacob will take root,
         Israel will blossom and sprout,
         And they will fill the whole world with fruit.
Isaiah 28:
²⁶For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
    ²⁷For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
         Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin;
         But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club.
    ²⁸Grain for bread is crushed,
         Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever.
         Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it,
         He does not thresh it longer.
    ²⁹This also comes from the LORD of hosts,
         Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

God gives a great word picture of Him being a gardener, a tender and wise gardener and His people are His garden. "I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it every moment so that no one will damage it, I guard it night and day." Sometimes a gardener has to take drastic measures for the plants to produce fruit. It always seems counter productive to me when I have to cut and prune my roses or raspberry plants. Yet afterwards I realize that it was fruitful and the right thing to do.

In chapter 28 God again talks about plants. I find the message in this passage very sweet. He know how to properly prepare each grain and spice so that it can be used correctly and He is wants to share that wisdom with us. "For his God instructs and teaches him properly." If you are using grain for bread, it has to be crushed but not forever because the wheels of a threshing cart would damage it. On the other hand, dill is beaten out with a rod.

He ends with "This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great." He wants to share the secrets of His wisdom with me. His counsel is wonderful. Do you get the sense that there is nothing to small (how to prepare cummin) for Him to care about?   His wisdom is great and it includes little things like what to do with a child on a rainy day. He is just waiting for us to ask!

We praise You for being a patient and wise gardener. Thank You that You want to share your great wisdom and wonderful counsel with us.

Verna McCrillis, 11/12/2009

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What Joy We Will Experience [Isaiah 23-24]

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

^{Isaiah 24}

¹³For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples,
         As the shaking of an olive tree,
         As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.
    ¹⁴They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
         They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the LORD.
    ¹⁵Therefore glorify the LORD in the east,
         The name of the LORD, the God of Israel,
         In the coastlands of the sea.
    ¹⁶From the ends of the earth we hear songs, "Glory to the Righteous One,"

²¹So it will happen in that day,
         That the LORD will punish the host of heaven on high,
         And the kings of the earth on earth.
    ²²They will be gathered together
         Like prisoners in the dungeon,
         And will be confined in prison;
         And after many days they will be punished.
    ²³Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed,
         For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
         And His glory will be before His elders.

The glory of God will be so bright that it will put the sun and moon to shame. What a thought to ponder today. When finally sin is absent from this world "the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem," and we will see His full glory. We will see Him exactly as He is, with nothing clouding the picture. We will see His justice and His love and how it works together. We will see His sovereignty and His appreciation for our free will and how they are both true of His character. All our questions about His character will be completely answered. What we have had glimpses of on earth will be in full array.

The more I get to know Him in His word, the more I want to know Him more fully. That will happen and when it does I will raise my voice and "shout for joy." In that day, "from the ends of the earth we hear songs, 'Glory to the Righteous One.'"

We praise You God, the Righteous One, that You will reign. We praise You that we will know You fully in that day and that Your glory will be before us. You are majestic.

Verna McCrillis, 11/10/2009

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Depending on the One Who Planned It [Isaiah 22]

Monday, November 9, 2009

    ⁹And you saw that the breaches
         In the wall of the city of David were many;
         And you collected the waters of the lower pool.
    ¹⁰Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem
         And tore down houses to fortify the wall.
    ¹¹And you made a reservoir between the two walls
         For the waters of the old pool.
         But you did not depend on Him who made it,
         Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.
    ¹²Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing,
         To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.
    ¹³Instead, there is gaiety and gladness,
         Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,
         Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
         "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die."
    ¹⁴But the LORD of hosts revealed Himself to me,
         "Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you
         Until you die," says the Lord GOD of hosts.

This message was to God's people in Jerusalem, God's dear people. Do you sense the sadness that God had as He warned them again that He was going to carry out His plan? The Lord GOD of hosts called them "to weeping, to wailing, to shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth." But instead of repenting, they said, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die." Self-sufficiency and self-protection leads to forgetting God. Do I even consider what God planned long ago?

This morning I have been pondering how I, too, go through many motions to protect myself. I take the things that God created and look to those things to meet my needs instead of depending on God who created them.

I also look for a thousand ways to keep from looking at what God is showing me that could cause me to weep. Resigning, saying "Oh well, this is the way it is going to be, so I may as well just go on with life," is one of those thousand ways. It is my version of imitation godly behavior, which I think calls Christians to put on a happy face even when tragic things are happening around them. This also causes me to forget God and depend on myself. But the truth is, God may be calling me today to weep and repent about the ways I have forgotten Him. He is always drawing me to look to Him, to depend on Him. Sometimes He cuts off the things I am depending on and when He does it is a call to repentance (a change of mind that brings us in agreement with God). I don't want to miss that call by reverting to my way to "gaiety and gladness." I want to be willing to weep.

We praise You, Lord God of Hosts for calling us to repentance. Thank You for the reminder that You alone are the source of our strength and protection. We praise You for planning things long ago.

Verna McCrillis, 11/9/2009

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