Thoughts From The Book Of Isaiah

Thoughts from the book of Isaiah- 26

At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers-the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty. (Isaiah 18:7) (NIV)

After God's intervention and the death of Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, who threatened King Hezekiah and the people of Judah with destruction, this is what happened.......

Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah......(2 Chronicles 32:23) (NIV)
Most probably, as a token of respect, the people of Cush and Egypt, were the ones who did this.

But come to think of it, what gift can man give God?; does he not already have everything?
Yet, as a token of respect and honor and gratitude, we too, as believers, can give to the Lord .
God loves a cheerful giver.
One of the best things that we can give back to God for all that he has done for us is what the Psalmist mentions in Psalm 116....

What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:12-13) (NIV)
Be a witness for Christ, dear brother, dear sister........
 
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Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-27

So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them. (Isaiah 19:21) (NIV)

God can change hearts and that's for sure. When the Lord makes himself known, they (Egypt)will acknowledge and they will worship is what Isaiah prophesied......How wonderful are his ways.
Sometimes he afflicts and then he heals, so that the arrogant may know that he is sovereign.

The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them. (Isaiah 19:22) (NIV)

If the Lord wills, anyone, however hard hearted he/she may be, can be transformed in to a new person. All things are possible with God. He is El Shaddai; God Almighty. Praise be to his holy name.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-28

In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it - at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, "Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet." And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared - to Egypt's shame. (Isaiah 20:1-4)


The obedience of Isaiah is worth noticing here for he did as the Lord said, not caring what people would comment about him. No sackcloth, no sandals.....stripped and barefoot.......

The Lord loves his children who are obedient to him. The Bible speaks at length regarding God asking his people to be obedient.

Regarding Jesus' obedience to the father in heaven, Paul the Apostle writes,

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:8)

And the exhortation to believers from Peter the Apostle is....

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (1 Peter 1:14)

Do we really love the Lord? "But Of Course", many believers would say. But our love for the Lord can be tested by our obedience, for the Bible says,
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (2 John 1:6)
 
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Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-29

And the lookout shouted, “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post. (Isaiah 21:8) (NIV)

The job of a watchman can be tiring. Looking...watching.....observing......warning......but someone's got to do the job.

Looking at this matter in the present day context with regards to believers, many shrink back from their calling to be "watchmen for God and his kingdom".
They are so preoccupied with their own selves that they neglect the whole matter.

Unlike these, Paul the Apostle wrote of Timothy who was true to his calling.....

For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. (Philippians 2:21-22) (NIV)

Blessed are they who look out for the interests of Jesus Christ and serve him faithfully as "Watchmen".
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-30

“In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. (Isaiah 22:20-21) (NIV)

When God calls for service, he empowers; for we cannot do anything significant without his power. Whatever we achieve for his kingdom, without his guidance and empowering pales in comparison with what we reap when labouring with him as the leader.
All authority in heaven and on earth is with Jesus and he empowers them who are called for labouring for his kingdom with the Holy Spirit of God.
Reading Paul's testimony in the following verses gives us an idea of how he relied on God's power to fulfill the work that he was entrusted with.

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. (Romans 15:18-19) (NIV)
Let's seek the Lord and his strength while we labour for him and his kingdom.

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. (2 Thessalonians 1:11) (NIV)
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-31

The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendor and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. (Isaiah 23:9)(NIV)

Those who are proud, God will humble, sooner or later and more so those who rebel and challenge him. Tyre, Babylon, Assyria and many other nations were humbled by him.

In Psalm 2, the Psalmist sings,
Psalm 2:1-5 NIV
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath.....

Isaiah the prophet says,
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. (Isaiah 40:15)
Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. (Isaiah 40:17)

Nations are just as dust on the scales and like a drop in a bucket.....and man himself......what is he?
In the Psalms, we repeatedly read......
.........Each man's life is but a breath.(Psalm 39:5)
.........each man is but a breath. (Psalm 39:11)
Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. (Psalm 62:9)
Man is like a breath....... (Psalm 144:4)

Isn't it wonderful that God is mindful of this "but a breath" being.
So why do men boast, if they are "but a breath?"

Boasting and bragging is not for a believer. James writes in his epistle....
As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:16)

But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." (2 Corinthians 10:17)
May God grant us more grace.
 
"Those who are proud, God will humble, sooner or later and more so those who rebel and challenge him. Tyre, Babylon, Assyria and many other nations were humbled by him."

That is the truth! Amen.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-32

Isaiah 24:14-15 NIV
They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the Lord’s majesty. Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.


"They", here are the remnant that survives God's righteous judgement on the wicked and rebellious.
The Lord is merciful and righteous, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Knowing this we must give glory to him for all that we have or achieve.
Before the Israelites entered the promised land of Canaan, God told them....
Deuteronomy 8:10, 17-18 NIV
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. [17] You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” [18] But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Let us humble ourselves before this Almighty God and sing his praises, for it is from him that we have our being and our blessings.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-32

Isaiah 24:14-15 NIV
They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the Lord’s majesty. Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.


"They", here are the remnant that survives God's righteous judgement on the wicked and rebellious.
The Lord is merciful and righteous, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Knowing this we must give glory to him for all that we have or achieve.
Before the Israelites entered the promised land of Canaan, God told them....
Deuteronomy 8:10, 17-18 NIV
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. [17] You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” [18] But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Let us humble ourselves before this Almighty God and sing his praises, for it is from him that we have our being and our blessings.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-32

Isaiah 24:14-15 NIV
They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the Lord’s majesty. Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.


"They", here are the remnant that survives God's righteous judgement on the wicked and rebellious.
The Lord is merciful and righteous, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Knowing this we must give glory to him for all that we have or achieve.
Before the Israelites entered the promised land of Canaan, God told them....
Deuteronomy 8:10, 17-18 NIV
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. [17] You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” [18] But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Let us humble ourselves before this Almighty God and sing his praises, for it is from him that we have our being and our blessings.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-33

Isaiah 25:1 NIV
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.


1) Lord, you are my God...Acknowledgement,
2) I will exalt you and praise your name....Decision,
3) In perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things.......Reason

God is perfect in faithfulness. He fulfills what he decides. He is Almighty and we too like the Psalmist can acknowledge that our God is perfect in faithfulness.
The Israelites who set out of Egypt and reached Canaan could look back and acknowledge God's faithfulness for 40 years that they journeyed through the wilderness. He was their guide, provider, protector and deliverer.
And the good news is that God has not changed.
He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He guides, provides, protects and delivers his people even now.
You are blessed if you can acknowledge this Almighty God like the prophet does here and say..... "Lord, you are my God" and praise and glorify him each day.
 
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Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-34

Isaiah 25:4 NIV
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall....


Have you made the Lord Jesus your refuge? There's no greater blessing than that and the benefits are not only for the here and now i.e. life on earth, but when your time on earth is over, you can live with God eternally.

When in distress, we can cry out to the Lord and we can be assured that he will hear and answer.
King David, God's chosen, to lead his people, often found himself in distressing situations, but when he cried out to the Lord, the Lord delivered him.
He testifies....

Psalm 34:4, 6 NIV
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

The Lord is near to all who call on him in truth. Make Jesus your refuge, if you have still not done so. He's the only one who can give you eternal life. Not only that, he will be your refuge, all through your life, here on earth. On the other hand, if he has been your refuge for long, be assured that he will stay faithful always.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-35

Isaiah 25:7-8 NIV
On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.


What a time it will be when all the above prophesies are fulfilled. Christ, of course, has swallowed up death forever and those who believe in his atonement for sins and live for him will beat death eventually. Their fleshly bodies may perish, but their spirit and soul will live forever with their Savior and Lord in eternity.

John, the Apostle, writes in the book of Revelation........

Revelation 21:3-4 NIV
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

The old order of things will pass away sometime in the near future. Are you prepared for the new? Blessed are you if you are; if you are not, this is the time for things to change in your life. Jesus is waiting for you.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-36

Isaiah 25:9 NIV
In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”


Those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ will find salvation and eternal joy. He is the Savior of all who come to him with a contrite heart and submit their lives in to his hands.
Regarding "trusting in the Lord", we read in the book of Proverbs....
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5, 6)
Many lean on their own understanding and do not acknowledge him, even though he repeatedly makes known to them the salvation available through him.God wants to make our paths straight, so that we may live with him in eternity; but for that, we must trust in him with all our hearts and acknowledge him in all our ways.

We read in Psalm 125......
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:1, 2)
God is a shield and refuge for those who trust in him; he gives them salvation and eternal joy. Blessed are they who trust in him wholeheartedly.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-37

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)


In this world full of turmoil, perfect peace is a rarity and only achievable to those whose minds are steadfast and trusting in God. Those who do not trust in God are often crushed by the harsh realities of life and some take their own lives. But God loves them who trust in him and believe in the sin atoning sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ. He lives with them and his Holy Spirit encourages them despite failures, imperfections and tragedies.
The Bible says,
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:5)
What an amazing thing! God pours out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, gives peace to them who trust in him.
As he told his disciples once,
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
Perfect peace does not mean a trouble free life; it means peace during the troubles of life.
Perfect peace is yours, if the Prince of Peace is your Savior.
 
Thoughts from the book of Isaiah-38

Trust in the Lord forever,for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:4)

Very prominent in this verse is the word "Lord". It's used thrice, emphasizing the importance of him, who, we must learn to trust. He is "the rock eternal"; unshakable, yet moved with compassion often.
Many a time, we lean on our our own understanding and fall in to traps, but the Bible exhorts us in this manner...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

Joshua, the son of Nun, led the Israelite's through the wilderness after the death of Moses. He won a great victory at Jericho when he followed God's plans. God specifically told him how he could defeat his enemies there and when he did as God said, God gave him a great victory.

David, the Psalmist sang......
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:5, 6)
Does your righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of your cause like the noonday sun?
God loves them who commit their ways to him and trust in him. The Lord, the Lord himself, the rock eternal, will always guide such and they will rejoice in the victories he gives them.
 
One of my favorite verses in Isaiah. Only the redeemed can walk on this highway called the way of holiness. Jesus said he was the way (Highway) truth, and the life. Come boldly to the throne of grace by this highway.

Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isa 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
 
One of my favorite verses in Isaiah. Only the redeemed can walk on this highway called the way of holiness. Jesus said he was the way (Highway) truth, and the life. Come boldly to the throne of grace by this highway.

Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isa 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Well said CCW95A.................God Bless.
 
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