Listening to the Word

Isaiah 63,64; Psalms 107; John 2  \ “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him…No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold on you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.” Isaiah 64:4, 7 The testimony of men and women throughout the Bible and throughout history is that God reveals himself to seekers, not casual inquirers. When we wait on God, we give evidence of our faith in him. When we pursue God, or “strive to lay hold” of God, we testify that he is worth any sacrifice. When God hides his face from us, it’s not a game of ‘hide and seek.’ God is either grieved with our sin, which should move us to repentance; or, he has taken a step back to draw out our faith in actively pursuing his presence. We were created for a relationship with the Lord. This is not just for vocational clergy or retired people with lots of time. The Lord invites a...

Isaiah 60-62; John 1   “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will; but born of God.” John 1:12, 13 When salvation becomes primarily about our choice to receive Jesus into our lives, we have created our own ‘test tube’ babies. We are not born again solely through our own choice, “nor of human decision;” we are born of God. It is God himself who must fill us with his Spirit to give us his life. Without the evidence of the Spirit’s presence within us we are not yet born of God. How many struggle with the question of whether they are truly born again of God? Sharing Scripture verses and convincing arguments are no substitute for a personal encounter with God. The Father welcomes seekers who are willing to die to their life of self and fully surrender their lives to his indwelling presence. We must both receive him and believe on his name. T...

Isaiah 57-59; Psalms 103; 2 Peter 3 “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5 Renewal of joy for life begins with freedom, healing, and forgiveness in our inmost being. Only God can accomplish that for us. Money can’t buy inner peace and freedom. Power can’t influence whether our destiny is the “pit” of destruction or the crown of life. Like the constant molting of an eagle’s feathers, our life can be renewed. Not renewed through the accumulation of things or a new love-interest but renewed through the inner contentment of being at peace with God our Creator and Sustainer. The Lord knows our desires as well as what we need to enjoy life in abundance. Trusting G...

Isaiah 53-56; 2 Peter 2 “’Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,’ says the Lord. ‘Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.’” Isaiah 54:1, 2 The pain of barrenness can turn a person inwardly with their questions. However, that is not the picture or outcome in Isaiah’s vision. Instead of fear and despair, Isaiah saw a barren woman in song, shouting for joy with the certain hope of a large family. In expectation and faith, God calls the barren person to expand their tent to hold many more family members. Many of us in the bride of Christ have never led someone to Christ, and our local churches are in decline. We could see ourselves as spiritually barren. Will we receive God’s promise of spiritual reproduction? Will we prepare ourselves to birth many ...

Isaiah 50-52; Psalms 92; 2 Peter 1   “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’” Psalm 92:12-15 This Psalm of Moses gives us keys to aging well. The key to flourishing in old age, like a stately palm tree or cedar, is to be planted in the presence of God, living each day enjoying the presence and person of God. It is the Holy Spirit within us who keeps us fruit-bearing, fresh, and green in old age. Those who age well don’t blame God for the tests and trials they face in life. Instead, they grow deeper roots through the tests. They rely on their Rock for security, strength, and living water. Does this describe us? Moses lived to 120 years of age. His most productive season was after age eighty. Let us age we...

Isaiah 46-49; 1 Peter 5 Isaiah 46-49; 1 Peter 5 “…Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword…he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver….’It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you many bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:1, 2, 6 The refining, shaping, and molding work of God in our lives is not meant just for our own sanctification. We are being forged like weapons or instruments in his hand to both live and carry his Word to the nations. God’s mission has always been the salvation of the nations. Israel’s role was to carry this message of salvation, and now those who give themselves into the hand of the Lord have the same privilege. We are not our own. We were bought with a price. We have a mission and it’s not to live for ours...

Isaiah 43-45; 1 Peter 4 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin…But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:1, 13 Peter’s simple encouragement is that suffering as a Christ-follower is normal. Expecting this suffering can arm us against fear, doubt, and a crisis of faith when we face it. Jesus Christ our leader suffered as he lived for the will of the Father and so should we. Knowing that we are paying a price for choosing to live for God and not ourselves should fill us with deep joy that only the Holy Spirit can give. We value what we pay a lot for.   Can “cheap grace” fill us with gratitude and joy? Jesus promised us suffering and he promised that our future glory with him would far outweigh any cost we have paid. If we are not suffering in some way for knowing and following Jesus in his ...

Isaiah 40-42; 1 Peter 3   “And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” 1 Peter 3:21, 22 Baptism symbolizes our death to sin and our resurrected new life through Christ. In baptism we pledge to maintain a good conscience toward God as we listen to and obey God’s Word and Spirit. In baptism we declare that Christ’s resurrection-life and power are now given to us through the Holy Spirit. We, too, are seated with Christ in heavenly places, above angels, authorities, and spiritual powers. We do not have to fear the attacks of Satan or the temptations of the world as long as we remain in Christ. Baptism is much more than a pledge to join a church. In baptism, we pledge our lives to Christ. We are now his. We represent Christ an...

2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38,39; Psalms 75; 1 Peter 2   “But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” Isaiah 38:15-17 There are few things that get our attention more than life-threatening illness. King Hezekiah had the clarity to know only God could heal him. As he cried out to the Lord in the bitter anguish of knowing his life was about to end, Hezekiah found new depths of God’s love and mercy toward him. That intense fiery trial was a lesson in humility and Hezekiah realized it was for his benefit not his destruction. Wealth, power, and success in life can become significant distractions to walking humbly with God and others. ...

Isaiah 36,37; Psalms 76; 1 Peter 1   “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6, 7 In the context of intense persecution under Nero’s rule, Peter answered the question of why trials, tests, and persecution afflict the lives of Christians. God allows tests to prove the genuine-ness of our faith in him and to bring glory to him through how we respond. While we value gold, God values faith. Just as gold is refined, so God uses the testing of fiery trials to purge the impurities of self, sin, and pride from our lives. When we choose what is eternal over what is temporal, our faith is strengthened. What tests is the Lord using in this season of our lives to refine our faith and bring him glory throug...

2 Kings 18,19; 2 Chronicles 32; James 5   “After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib King of Assyria came and invaded Judah…He succeeded in everything he undertook. But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.” 2 Chronicles 32:1, 30, 31 After years of faithfully serving the Lord and experiencing success in our lives, we might be tempted to believe our success came from our own efforts and that we deserve some of the blessings we have received. King Hezekiah was invaded by Assyria despite faithfully serving God. His humble, desperate cry to the Lord and his testimony of deliverance became another opportunity to bring glory to God. However, when envoys from Babylon came to flatter him and hear his stories, Hezekiah’s pride became his undoing. He showed his visitors all his treasures. We all receive tests from the Lord to kn...

2 Chronicles 29-31; James 4   “Nevertheless, some men from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had order, following the word of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 30:11, 12 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 Some leaders from the northern tribes of Israel humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem, the rival city to Samaria. In traveling to Jerusalem, they acknowledged that God’s word and ways were right. In Jerusalem they experienced the hand of God on his people, giving them unity of mind. We might want both the hand of God on our lives and unity with other leaders; but, unless we are willing to humble ourselves, we might not experience what we are praying for. When we humble ourselves before the Lord and repent of pride, stubbornness, and rebellion, we receive the grace of God, and we find the hand of G...

2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalms 46; James 3 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh and salt water flow from the same spring?” James 3:9-11 Why is our speech so important to God? What we say reveals our heart. Just as fresh and salt water cannot flow from the same spring, so blessing and cursing cannot come from a pure heart of wisdom. If we curse others, our heart is not yet surrendered to God and filled with his love. In the same way we evaluate the quality of the water we drink, we should be listening for what the words we hear reveal about the heart. When words are salty, the heart is not pure, and our claims to spiritual maturity are disingenuous. Will we reflect on our speech over the past week and invite the Holy Spirit to reveal our heart? The Lord invites us to give him our heart, repent for attitudes which a...

Isaiah 32-35; James 2 “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; way to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped…” Isaiah 35:3-5 The writer of Hebrews points to Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith. He is the healer, deliverer, and judge. In our weakness, fear, spiritual blindness, and deafness, it is Jesus who hears and saves. The dry, desert places of our lives can experience living water so that beauty and joy replace parched, hard ground. The Lord is saying to us today, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.’ We can be freed of the strongholds of sin as we humble ourselves before God and repent. We, too, can experience renewal, new life, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit so that our lives look like a well-watered garden of beauty and fruitfulness. Jesus is the...

Isaiah 29-31; James 1 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised those who love him.” James 1:12 It’s hard to wait on the Lord in the midst of a test. We want to move on to the next season, rather than wait on the Lord for our deliverance. Like Israel, we, too, can be tempted to make an alliance with ‘Egypt’ to deliver us from the invading ‘Assyrians.’ Waiting on the Lord, trusting in his justice and compassion is not natural when the test lengthens and we become impatient. Yet, it is in this very situation that God develops within us perseverance to hold on to his presence, promises, and Word, and to stand firm. For those who have “stood the test” God promises a crown of life. Abundant life now and for all eternity doesn’t come in the...

  Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13   “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5, 6 The antidote for a love of money is a greater love for the Lord. As the Lord becomes our first love, he fills us with contentment and an awareness that we belong to him. Fear drives many to earn or acquire more and more money, thinking that in money they will find security, identity, and purpose. However, money is a mirage which cannot deliver on any of those elusive requirements for a satisfied life, full of joy. No matter what our context or challenges are today, if we belong to the Lord, he is our helper. Will we share our hearts with him and repent for trusting in money as our security? “Lord Jesus, I trust you for my future and my security. You have my life in your hands, for your...

Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12   “The defenses of Judah are stripped away. And you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest; You saw that the City of David had many breaches in its defenses; you stored up water in the Lower Pool…but you did not look to the One who made it or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.” Isaiah 22:8, 9, 11 Hezekiah’s tunnel can be viewed today (and walked through) as the watercourse built to deliver the city of David from Assyrian siege. This engineering marvel is beyond the understanding of engineers today. However, Isaiah rebuked the leaders of Jerusalem for looking to their fortifications and engineering skills rather than to the Lord.   When God allows significant disasters in our day, do we trust in our engineers, scientists, and wealth to deliver us, or do we humble ourselves before the One? Do we view God as someone to be worshipped on Sunday but not as the Lord of heaven and earth? Will we trust in the Lord’s plan or ...

Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11   “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 One of the clearest evidences that we have faith in our lives is found as we earnestly seek God. We seek God without evidence that our prayers are being answered. We earnestly seek God, not casually inquire of him. The rewards for earnestly seeking God are found in the awareness of the Holy Spirit’s intercession through us. We find the joy of the Lord in sharing his prayer-burdens with us, not just in his receiving our prayer-burdens. The rewards for being a friend of God are eternal. Friends of God seek his face because they value the relationship and time together, not just his answers to their prayers. “Lord Jesus, you are my first love and I will seek you, for your glory.”

Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10   “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God…It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26, 27, 31 The warning against deliberate sin by those who know the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit is clear. If we think that our ministry impact, or family heritage, or donations give us a pass with God to continue in willful sin, we are deceived. The Lord cannot bless rebellion, sin, or pride of any kind. It is healthy to live with the fear of the Lord - a fear that keeps us from sinning and focuses us on a life of worship and loving surrender to the Lord. While it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, those same hands were pierced with nails on a cross out of sacrificial love for us. God’s hands are stretched out to us today ...

Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9   “’Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.’” Isaiah 12:2, 3 “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Hebrews 9:14 Salvation is found in a Person, not a formula, set of rituals, or religious observances. Jesus Christ became the sacrifice for our sin, and it is his blood which cleanses our conscience so that we may serve the living God. Those who have experienced this salvation and new life in Christ have joy and a song in their hearts. They are free on the inside from the chains of sin. They know the strength of the Lord’s presence within. They live with faith and trust in the Lord rather than with fear. Many church attenders and religious peop...

Isaiah 8-10; Hebrews 8   “The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: ‘Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy…he is the one you are to dread.’” Isaiah 8:11-13 Fear is a powerful force when it grips the minds of a society. Fear causes irrational behavior through sudden changes that can paralyze decision-making. Conspiracy theories grow in this kind of environment. People seek to cast blame and find control over their narrative. God’s word through Isaiah in a time of national crisis was ‘don’t fear the invading forces of the Assyrians, rather, fear the Lord Almighty!’   What would his word to us be today? In times of crisis, those who know God humble themselves before him and seek his face. We grow through our dependence on the Lord, not on conspiracy. “Lord Jesus, I fix my eyes on y...

Micah 5-7; Hebrews 7   “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?...Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:6-8 It’s in our human nature to bargain with God. e.g. ‘If I do this, then I expect you to do that. If I sacrifice to you or for you, then I expect your protection, good health, and a hand on my children.’ When we become aware of our sin, we might still think bargaining with God is our best approach. If I really sacrifice a lot (e.g. my firstborn), then he should forgive me. But God’s requirements of us go deeper. He is asking for the surrender of our will and the offer of our whole lives to him. God is asking for actions that are just and merciful toward others, as we ...

Micah 1-4; Hebrews 6   “Many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares…Every man will sit under his own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.” Micah 4:2-4 God’s kingdom-purposes go beyond the personal salvation of individuals. God is also interested in the transformation of nations. In the last days, nations will be drawn to learn of God’s ways, and most importantly, how to find peace and reconciliation with each other. God’s peace will so transform the nations that peoples will ‘”sit under their own vine and…fig trees, and no one will make them afraid”… Instead of trusting in their weapon...

Hosea 13,14; Psalms 100,102; Hebrews 5   “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations…But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.” Psalm 100:5; 102:27, 28 God’s faithfulness to families over many generations is an amazing testimony of his love to the world. Even when we are unfaithful, God’s faithfulness continues through all generations. For those who know God and his character, we can claim this promise: that the children of those who serve the Lord will live in God’s presence and our descendants will be established before him. We trust in God’s faithfulness to his covenants with us. No matter what happens, God is good and his love endures forever. As we speak these words over our families, let us remind them of the generations of faith that have gone on before us. “Lord God, you have been faithful to my ...

Hosea 10-12; Psalms 73; Hebrews 4 “Ephraim boasts, ‘I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.’” Hosea 12:8 “Who have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25, 26 Wealth easily deceives us. We always know others with more wealth than ourselves. Somehow, our wealth is never enough to make us secure about our future or to give us joy. Wealth blinds us to our sin and our need for God. Compared to the rest of the world, all westerners are wealthy. When we interact with our brothers and sisters globally, our wealth gives us favour and can blind us to our pride and spiritual poverty. Yet the psalmist reminds us that eternity changes the equation. In heaven it is God not wealth that matters. When our health fails and we can’t enjoy our wealth, we are reminded that only our relationship with God will last f...