Isaiah 22

But 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. Isaiah 22:14

Did you know that the average American has eight credit cards? What in the world are we thinking?! People want what they can't afford, so they use these magical cards at the store and suddenly the merchandise is theirs. But when the bills come, and come, and come for months and even years on that credit card, the purchase becomes a lot less important. Many people have decided to stop using their credit cards on a regular basis, and that's a great idea. But, they still have to pay the bill. That doesn't just go away because they now have made the right choice.

I wanted to write on this verse because I thought there could be a question about God's forgiveness in this circumstance. He says they will not be forgiven until they die, but don't miss that they will be forgiven. The word "forgiven" here doesn't easily translate into English from the Hebrew. It literally means "separated from us." My feeling is that the people are forgiven, and that God is referring to the consequences of their actions. Judah may feel that God has forgotten them, but some sins have consequences that go beyond the forgiveness of God. They are bills that still have to be paid. I think it's similar to the generation of Israel that passed away in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. I think just like then, these consequences were going to remain as a reminder to the younger ones who were watching. Have you asked forgiveness for something, but you're still feeling the effects of your bad choice? That doesn't mean that you haven't been forgiven, but God is allowing the consequences for some reason. You need to talk to Him about what that is and what He wants you to learn from this situation.

Isaiah 21

For they have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow and from the press of battle. Isaiah 21:15

I love my wife like you wouldn't believe, and there is one little thing about her that drives her crazy and makes me laugh: her ability to forget what she was doing. I don't mean she has Alzheimer's, but she sometimes will start so many tasks that she forgets the first one as she has moved onto the fifth one. I can't tell you how many times she has brewed tea, and then let it go bad because she forgot to finish making it. She has started using a task list that seems to be helping, but that just depresses me. I'm gonna miss the laughs!

So many nations have fallen at the hands of the Lord. And as we see this prophecy on Arabia, I notice that the men of Arabia fled from drawn sword and bent bows. It means they were ready, but they left the battle unfought. Was it because they realized there was no hope in the battle?Due to the way they are written of, it's my belief that this was their reputation. When the "press of battle" came and victory wasn't so certain, they didn't fight harder, but they gave up. They left things undone and unfinished. What about your life? What have you left undone? A commitment to pray and draw closer to God daily? Have you ignored His call to give your life to missions? Have you started the stand against a sin in your life, only to decide that you won't give it up? Unfinished tasks leave us with regret, especially when they are tasks that God has clearly asked us to take on. Today, evaluate what you have left undone and what you need to do to complete His call for your life.

Isaiah 20

at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet." And he did so, going naked and barefoot. Isaiah 20:2

I'm often amazed at the examples that people are willing to make of themselves for the benefit of others. I saw a man give a painful testimony of how his addiction to drugs cost him the life of his son when this father accidentally ran over his son while strung out on cocaine. People are taken from jails into high schools and speak of the high price of drinking and driving, communicating not only the punishment of the legal system, but also of your own conscience.

Being an example is not an easy thing, and Isaiah had done nothing wrong, yet God used him to be a humiliating example to others. God was communicating that Egypt and Cush would be completely humiliated reduced to even losing their clothing in their defeat to the Assyrians. Did Isaiah literally go naked? I'm not sure. God specifically says that the buttocks of these peoples will be uncovered, but I'm not sure that Isaiah would have been asked to sin to prove a point. Being reduced to just your undergarment, usually a long, thin cloth garment that went under the tunic, was considered close to nakedness, so perhaps it made the point. So what is the point for us? Are you willing to be used as an example to others? Admitting my past issues ranging from lying to shoplifting haven't been easy, but my hope is that people will see that Jesus saved me from real sins, and not just "sins". People hear the message of forgiveness and ask, "Yeah, but will God forgive me for this?" I think our lack of transparency as Christians has caused those who don't know our Savior to wonder if He would really accept them in the first place. He will and has a desire for them, but He may require us to be an example of what we once were in comparison to who we are today. Are you willing to be that example, or would you rather hide behind a veil of forgiveness and fail to show the miracle that came when Jesus forgave you personally for your personal sins?

Isaiah 19

The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them. Isaiah 19:22

I was thinking about how the atmosphere of church has changed over the past generations. I can see in our church today those who came from a generation of sitting in silence and those who have come and want to be more expressive as they worship. Both groups of people care about their relationships with the Lord, but their methods are different. It doesn't mean that both groups aren't able to worship the Lord in their own way, but because they look different from each other, sometimes they are confused for being absolutely separate.

How many times have I heard that the argument that someone doesn't read the Bible because the God of the Old Testament is not the same as the God of the New Testament? People who say that, usually have never read the OT and are just taking the opinion of someone else as their own. This passage is great evidence to me that we serve a God who does not change, though His methods are different as a result of Jesus' arrival and the accessibility to the Word of God. God makes it clear that He is going to bring calamity on Egypt, and that He knows this will cause them for a time to turn to false Gods. His ultimate purpose is that they would return to Him, and it says in verse 22 that while He is striking He is healing. God will do what is necessary to get our attention. If we are being particularly oblivious to Him, that may require stronger actions than when we are living a closer life to Him. How do you think God is trying to get your attention today? Is it through Holy Spirit reminders that you've been choosing to ignore? Is it through your children who may be sharing simple reminders to you of the things you should be doing? Is it a fellow Christian or your spouse encouraging you to make a change? Do not bristle up against someone telling you the truth about yourself. Always pray and ask God if what you're being told about yourself is true, and be humble enough to accept it if it's so.

Isaiah 18

All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, as soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it. Isaiah 18:3

When we were living in Columbia, Missouri, we were able to easily drive by the University of Missouri's football stadium anytime we wanted. About the time my son turned six, he was a football fanatic. We finally went to a spring scrimmage that year, and Tyler knew where we were going. As we drove towards the stadium I could see him peering out his window, and noticing as the crowds of people grew. Finally, he could see the stadium and asked if we could too? He had been waiting and as soon as he got that glimpse, he wanted everyone to see it.

We've all had those times of anticipation, but how often do we anticipate an prepare ourselves for the presence of God? What if we were as excited about seeing our church on the horizon as we are a football stadium? Some scholars believe this chapter is a prophecy about Ethiopia, but that is not absolutely certain. What is certain is that when God sets up a banner, you will see it. There will be no craning of the neck or time of looking. God's banner is a declaration of His power and authority in any situation. Not only will He raise a banner, but he blows the trumpet in order that we will look. We must realize that at every moment, and not just when we recognize it, God is in complete control. Why would He raise a banner and blow a trumpet? To get our attention. I know as a Christian, how easy it is to have your attention fall onto your spouse, children, and job. It's unfortunate, but sometimes God has to pull out all the stops in order to get the attention of His people. Are you ignoring God's attempts to get your attention? Difficult circumstances, like losing a job, are tough to deal with, but sometimes they are the only way that God can get us to put Him first. I know those times in my life set me straight. So are you looking for God's banner, which will stand forever, or trying to raise your own which will simply grow tattered and fall?

Isaiah 17

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the rock of your refuge. Therefore you plant delightful plants and set them with vine slips of a strange god. Isaiah 17:10

In 1956, the United States Congress passed an act to make "In God We Trust" our national motto. Since then, it has been put on money and within the halls of Congress itself. As the new U.S. Capital Vistors Center was being completed, many noticed that the re-creation of the congressional chamber omitted "In God We Trust" from it's location in the original chamber. And one wall mistakenly said that "E Pluribus Unum" is our national motto. This has all been corrected now that the exhibit is opening, but I wonder if it really makes any difference.

God made it clear why Damascus was facing destruction; they had forgotten God. He was the God of their salvation and their refuge, and yet somehow they had forgotten Him and put their trust in idols. As Americans we may try to claim "In God We Trust" as some magical motto that proves we love God, but it does no such thing. Empty words carried on quarters don't indicate the real motives and intentions of our nation. And it's been clear that our country trusts just about anyone other than God. Even Chrisitans desire a "godly" president, only to be disappointed by his priorities. We have to remember that God is in charge, and as long as our nation continues to ignore the real decision-maker, our nation has no guarantee of tomorrow. Salvation is so great, because it proves so much about God. That He's a promise keeper and lover of people. But, remember what He said He was to Damascus. He was the God of their salvation and of their refuge. We don't just run to God to be saved, but we run to Him anytime that we find ourselves running. God is more than just someone to handle your sins, but instead to handle your entire life. Give Him the opportunity. Prove that it is in God you trust.

Isaiah 16

Send the tribute lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela by way of the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. Isaiah 16:1

Recipes used to scare me to death. I enjoyed my mom's cooking for many years, and then traded it for my wife's. I was always amazed how someone could throw together ingredients and get these amazing dishes. Then I finally tried cooking from a recipe myself, and found that it wasn't as hard as I had made it out to be. Rachel and Martha always make it look so simple, and I began to realize that it really is. Sometimes we just assume something is too hard, and we give up on it before we've really even started.

I can't believe all the complicated answers I've received from people when I ask them about heaven. People begin fumbling for some sort of checklist that might please God, and I try to communicate that salvation is a lot easier than that. Perhaps we want something different, but it's as simple as trusting in Jesus Christ. Moab was a nation that had suffered from an ego problem for a long time. Now as they find themselves on the verge of destruction, they seek help from Judah. And what does Moab send? A tribute lamb. Basically it would have been a small, unblemished lamb that would symbolize an offering, and the humble fashion in with Moab was approaching them. They didn't march their army in and show off. They humbled themselves. That's the gospel. We humble ourselves. We don't think for a moment that we deserve the salvation that we have been blessed with. We present ourselves humbly, seeking that whatever gift or talent we are being praised for, we direct the praise towards God. It's like the recipes. They're not complicated, once you actually take time to read them. God's Word clearly communicates the gospel to us. Let us remember our part in it: simply accepting a great gift from a great God for those who humble themselves to receive it.

Isaiah 15

They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, even to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; everyone's head is bald and every beard is cut off. Isaiah 15:2

Hideyoshi was the ruler of Japan in the late 16th century. He eventually commissioned an enormous Buddha statue for a shrine in the city of Kyoto. The statue took 50,000 men five years to build. Just as the work was completed, the great earthquake of 1596 brought the roof of the shrine down on the statue, and ruined it. Accounts say that Hideyoshi went to the shrine with a bow and fired an arrow at the statue. He yelled, "I put you here at great expense, and you can't even look after your own temple." When tragedy came, Hideyoshi didn't get the response from his idol that he had been hoping for.

I think back to the story of Job when I read this. It says in verse 1 that Moab had been devastated and ruined, and that certainly was an apt description of Job's life. But, Job did not look for comfort in man-made things, because they were all gone. Moab still had it's idol temple, but we don't know what it's condition was. Likely the temple was left, but the inside had been looted. They were worshipping a shell of their former religion, and they felt completely hopeless. Job certainly mourned the losses in his life as these people did, but he made great statements of faith regarding who God was in the midst of Job's difficulties. Do you seek pity or power in those moments that life kicks you in the teeth? So many Christians will share their problems with others so that they will know, but they don't really share the problem with God. Weeping and mourning in the midst of tragedy is not wrong, but forgetting God during those times is. He is still on His throne (Isaiah 6), and has not been unseated. Think ahead to how you will respond in tragedy. Are you prepared to fully trust the Lord, and to be a witness for those around you who may not know Him?

Isaiah 14

How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! Isaiah 14:12

There is a boxing video game coming out that features Mike Tyson on it. Tyson is one of those guys that just won't seem to go away. He had a couple of good fights, and as a result had leaches crawling out of the woodwork trying to attach themselves to this guy's star. And over time, Tyson made choices that destroyed his professional and personal life. And now Tyson is trying to forge a comeback, though not in the ring, but simply a comeback of his image. The problem is, he's fallen from such a height, it's just not possible to climb back up there.

I think I'm starting to put this together in my mind. God wants us to be like Him. We are to be holy, matching the character of God. Satan wants us to be like him. He wants us fallen and miserable as he is. Jesus describes Hell with the term Gehenna which was the name of the dump outside of Jerusalem. The dump of Hell is Satan's final residence and he wants others there to share in his misery. So when we are choosing between whether to sin or not to sin, we're choosing between the hope of Heaven or that dump of death. Good things only come from God. Satan has never once provided or produced anything good in his time against humanity. Satan fell from a great height as the #1 servant of God. It's a height he can never reach again. The next time you find yourself mulling over sin, think about what you're accepting and what you're rejecting. You can either accept the garbage that Satan offers which will stink up your life and bring you down to the pits with remorse, or you can accept the good things that God offers that will enable you to be able to look yourself in the mirror. You choose to accept trash or treasures.

Isaiah 13

And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaiah 13:19

I've never been to ancient Rome, but I have seen it on television. Rome was such an amazing empire, and now all we have are a few decrepit structures here and there. Rome was the super power of it's day, and now it is gone. It's a good reminder to us that nothing last forever outside of our God. Look at the nations of the world today, and it will be different tomorrow. Nations rise and fall with regularity. Atlases and globes fall of of relevance within a short time as people gain and lose their independence all over the world.

I'm sure a prophecy against Babylon at the time of Isaiah would have been like prophesying that America would vanish. They were strong, they were mighty, and they had a tremendous belief in themselves. However, they did not last because they did not honor God. It doesn't matter how wonderful humanity considers something to be. It matters how God looks upon a nation or situation. Is there anything that you are counting on being around tomorrow that would devastate you if it wasn't? We cannot allow routine and people to be what we rely on for our stability. Losing my wife and children would be an immeasurable blow for me to deal with, but ultimately I would be able to through the love and preservation of God. Or what if you were to lose your house, your money or your job? Are you counting on these things to always be there, or do you count on the Lord? If you are trusting in something or someone more than God, you had better prepare yourself for the moment when that person or thing is removed.

Isaiah 12

And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted."Isaiah 12:4

I had a chance to go to Philadelphia with a group of teenagers from all around the country. These teens were working on sub-standard housing within the city as part of a summer missions project. During this project, I had a conversation with one of the residents named Keith. He was watching the work and I was talking to him about why the kids were doing it in the first place. I explained that these teenagers were sleeping on the floor back at a local church and that each of them had paid $260 to come work on Keith's house. He was completely surprised by this, thinking that they must be getting some sort of pay. He asked, "Why would they do that?" I said, "Because they love you Keith, and they want you to know God loves you too."

Isaiah continues to write about the day that Jesus will reign, and we saw yesterday that the knowledge of the Lord will be in all the earth. However, we are to make known the deeds and works of God. Those teenagers were doing great work in Philly, but if we failed to share the reason for the work, then the trip would have been wasted. Those teenagers come to work in Philadelphia because God had worked in their lives. Otherwise they probably would have just hung out at home doing nothing. Do you thank God when He is working in your life? Do you share that thankfulness with others? God's work is not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of those who know us and need to meet God personally. This is His purpose. He desires to be glorified, and in so doing, others might see His greatness and come to Him through Jesus Christ. Your testimony isn't just for church, but it's for the man on the street who needs to know that God desires to work personally in his life.

Isaiah 11

They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9

Living in the 21st century, people feel that we are more knowledgeable now. We can get news from anywhere in the world in just a few moments. In fact, with all the internet news outlets and multitude of cable news channels, it would seem that we should have our finger on the pulse of just about everything. But information is not knowledge. We have many people seeing the news and taking the word of "professionals" regarding what it means. There is so little real knowledge out there, that we may know of events, but people don't necessarily comprehend them any better than we have at previous points in human history.

We read of an amazing time in Isaiah 11. These events will take place as a result of Jesus' reign here on the earth. It will be vastly different from the world you see today. Death and fear will no longer be the orders of the day. And as amazing as it will be to see humanity live on the earth as God originally intended, the greatest benefit will be the knowledge of the Lord. The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Today there are 1.6 billion people who have never heard the name of Jesus. The earth is not full of His knowledge yet. According to Isaiah 11, one day every person on the planet will know exactly who Jesus is. The earth will be different because the knowledge of the Lord will be everywhere. How has the knowledge of the Lord changed you? Do you recognize your sin now and struggle against it, or do you recognize it and simply feel worse? God has given us knowledge through His word to reveal to us the kind of lives we are to live. Having Jesus reigning on the earth will be great, and there will be no mistaking the will of God for humanity at that point. But let us not forget that our unseen God is everywhere and calling to us to pay attention to His words today. Are you living with information you know of God or knowledge you are gaining in your daily walk with Him.

Isaiah 10

As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria Isaiah 10:10

When I was playing basketball in junior high, we had a large variety of schools that we had to drive to because we were in a very rural location. So often we knew little to nothing about these teams other than their mascots. So in our typical junior high fashion, we decided that whoever had the best mascot would probably win. We were the eagles, and we saw ourselves beating up on the wildcats, hawks and bulldogs. We were concerned about playing the lions, rangers and bears though. By the end of the season, we began to realize that it doesn't matter what your mascot is called. It doesn't translate to the court.

As Assyria comes to bring the beatdown on Jerusalem, they mention that the previous nations had greater idols than Israel does. This impression probably came from the fact that those previous nations had large idols and made quite a show out of yelling and calling on them to save their nations. Israel doesn't go running off to an idol, which makes them appear to have nothing and no one to count on. He wasn't their mascot for them to rally around. He was their God to be completely devoted to. Do you sometimes treat God as an idol? Sometimes we can act as if He's not around just because we don't think about Him. You don't have to go to church to pray. You don't have to hold a cross. You just have to pray. Have you been treating your faith and your God as an idol? Running to Him when trouble comes, but neglecting to maintain and strengthen your relationship in the good times? Let others around you see that you worship a God, and not a religion.

Isaiah 9

Yet the people do not turn back to Him who struck them, nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. Isaiah 9:13

God is at the center of everything. It’s hard to determine the difference between what He causes and what He allows, but we know that there isn’t a circumstance or heartache that God is unaware of. On 9/11 people asked Christians whether God caused 9/11, and if not why did He let it happen? I don’t know, but I do know that 9/11 caused many people to consider a God that they had long forgotten. I don’t think that God lacked compassion as those people died, however the opportunity for America to take notice that she wasn’t protected from such atrocities didn’t grow us closer to God for long. The fastest growing religion since 9/11 has been the religion of Islam, the faith of the very terrorists who struck against us. That’s foolishness to not only ignore God, but to choose falsehood over truth.

God allowed the enemies of Israel to come upon them, and still God’s people refused to call upon God. They neither considered or turned from their sin, and they definitely did not seek God. God is called the Lord of hosts here, a term indicating his command over a heavenly host that could defeat Israel’s enemies. God was exactly who they needed, and He was able to meet their specific need, but the people were unwilling to ask. What needs do you have in your life? How are you going about meeting them? Have you spoken to the Lord about them, or have you given up because the answer didn’t come in your time? It would be enough if God were just this great, big God. But He is more. He is able to be specifically who you need Him to be in any given circumstance. Start relying on the Lord with specifics and not just generalizations to make your life better. And if He allows heartache and pain to come into your life, seek Him out. Don’t attempt to handle on your own, what God intended for you to ask Him to handle in your life.

Isaiah 8

Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. Isaiah 8:16

A man recently came up to me after I had spoken in church. I had shared a story of us singing songs of the Lord over our children as babies and how it seemed to calm them down. We are a household of music, and my assumption is that our children remember those songs from the womb. This man came up and said they sang a Japanese lullaby to their oldest one while his wife was pregnant with their next child. After the next child was born, he was soothed to that lullaby even as an infant, proving to this man that his unborn child heard the music. I told him, "It's great to have your children come out and enjoy praises to the Lord." He said, "I don't know that we were doing that, but the point is the same." He was not a believer and amongst the truth God shared through me that night, all he listened to was one good story.

Binding up the testimony and sealing the law among the disciples does not mean that we are to be silent about who we are or what we believe. It means that when people approach us, as we live our lives to honor the Lord Jesus, testimony and the truth of Scripture should come forth. This man wanted a nice story to share. I wanted to make the point of how God sings over us according to Zephaniah 3:17, and that just as my children were defenseless and helpless as we sang over them, it soothed them. You need to understand that the lost are not looking at the world through the truth of God's Word. They think it's great that it works for you, but it's not for them. Make sure that you live your life with a testimony and the Word of God ready for anyone that God would choose to send your way. Remember that your testimony isn't how bad a sinner you were and so you became a Christian. Your testimony is also who you are now because of Jesus Christ. Be prepared today to share the Word of God and your story of faith with someone who doesn't know the reason for your faith. In fact, make it a point that you will not end this day until you have done so.

Isaiah 7

thus says the Lord GOD: "It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. Isaiah 7:7

My children come to me quite often telling me what their brother or sister said to them. It might have been a threat to damage their favorite toy or something about getting a spanking for a bad deed. So many times, one of my children has come to me so upset until I simply say, "That's not going to happen." Once they hear me assure them that their toys and/or bottoms are in no real danger, they calm down. They begin to realize that someone made statements that they couldn't back up.

Judah had a serious situation and they were being told by their enemies that it was all over for them. However, a declaration by their enemies did not trump the declaration of God. God simply says, "It' ain't gonna happen." Sometimes we get caught up in the threats of the world and we forget to trust God and fear him only. Instead we find ourselves fearing man, who can touch our lives, but not our souls. What words of men have you worried? Is there talk in your work place of cutbacks. Do you hear constant bad news regarding your investments that you have spent so much time on? Let us remember that the only one with the power to make declarations over our lives is the Lord. If you lose your job or your money, God is aware. Nothing comes to pass without his knowledge. Trust in the Lord, and seek His peace in your times of confusion.

Isaiah 6

In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Isaiah 6:1

John had preached in many churches to fill the pulpit, and this one seemed no different. It was a small country church. It didn’t have huge facilities, a dynamic worship leader, or an exciting worship service. But, something was different about this church as John began to preach. He mentioned it afterwards to many of the members who simply gave a knowing smile. They acknowledge that the Spirit seems to move in their church on Sundays, and then they asked John if he had noticed the shack in the pastor’s backyard. John indicated that he had, and the members told him that their pastor spends 2-3 hours in there on a Saturday night praying for the worship services. As a result, others began praying as well. The Spirit was in their church, because they invited Him and expected Him to be there!

Isaiah was living in Judah during a tough time. King Uzziah had been a great king, and the people were missing him. In the midst of this, Isaiah goes into the temple and he sees the Lord. There were probably other people in the temple that day, but only Isaiah was able to see this vision of the Lord. He had heard about God, but now he was seeing God with His own eyes. But Isaiah had a personal encounter with God. My guess is that just like this church in Tennessee, Isaiah went to the temple (i.e. he went to church) expecting God to show up! How do you approach God’s house? Do you go to church because it’s Sunday and that’s what you do? Do you go expecting the minister to bring you closer to God? Or do you go expecting God to show up? Are you happy to go to church and go through rituals and routines instead of the real presence of God? Ask God to move in your worship services and ask Him what He expects of you as you come into His presence.

Isaiah 5

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20

When I was in the National Guard, I had a friend named Don. I don't know how we became friends because we were polar opposites. I talked to him about God and my relationship with Jesus. Don talked about his latest sexual escapade. I talked to him about this and told him that it was going to catch up with him one day. He laughed it off, even through a few STDs. To him, Christianity was just all about ruining his fun. Then one spring break he came home and said it wasn't fulfilling anymore. I had never seen him so upset. He never came to Christ while I knew him, but he began to see that what he was calling "good" just wasn't cutting it in his life.

Israel was suffering from an identity crisis in Isaiah's day. They had the law, so they knew what God's standards were. However, they weren't living by them and as a result, good became evil and evil became good because they were simply doing whatever came out of their own brains. I think many Christians sin out of ignorance of the Word of God. There have been many life changes I have made because I was reading the Bible and saw the broken areas of my life as a result. For the Christian, we have to make sure that we call sin what it is...sin. Are you justifying sin in your life? Are you giving a reason why your sin is ok for you? Premarital sex is not ok for the Christians that are truly "in love". Stealing is not ok because you really "needed it". Examine what sin you have allowed to remain in your life, and admit to God that you have been calling evil good.

Isaiah 4

There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain. Isaiah 4:6

My wife and kids came back from the library recently, only to discover online that there were still books that we had not brought back. Nikki asked our 7-year-old son, Tyler, if he had checked his room for these books, which he said he had before they left. He looked again and came back within a minute with the missing books. Nikki said there was a late fee of a $1.50 and Tyler had recently been given a dollar by a woman in our church, so I told him to bring me his dollar to help pay for it. This made him pretty sad because he had plans for that dollar. Nikki told him that he would have an opportunity to earn it back, which I initially didn't like. But then I realized, there's nothing wrong with giving him hope in the midst of discipline. And that night in his prayer time, he even asked God to help him not be upset about losing his dollar.

Just like Tyler and I, God gave Israel hope in the midst of discipline. God has been laying out, through Isaiah, what's going to happen. Babylon will come and defeat them and carry many of them off. That's why verse one talks about having one woman to seven men. Babylon defeats Israel because God's people have turned themselves into a pagan nation. As a result, God wants Israel to have a fresh start and He chooses Babylon to give it. But even as disappointed as God is in His people, God gives hope for renewal. He promises to lead Israel just as He did out of Egypt with the cloud by day and fire by night, allowing them to constantly see His presence. He promises to be a shelter and a refuge. Have you recently been under the discipline of God? I know that in times that I am paying the price for my sin, I am ashamed to be near Him. But if I come to Him in humility over my sin, it doesn't always mean the consequences won't come, but God shows us that He will not abandon the humble. He'll leave the proud, unrepentant Christian out to dry for a while if needed, but humility brings God close. The greatness of God is shown in so many ways, but the way He loves us even when He's disciplining us has to be one of the most comforting characteristics of God. He truly loves us in spite of who we are.

Isaiah 3

The LORD arises to contend, and stands to judge the people. Isaiah 3:13

One afternoon we got to a classroom during basic training, and the instructor was late. So Drill Sergeant Montez sat on the stage up front, kicking his feet and letting us ask him any question we wanted. This was peculiar, but he told us details about being stationed overseas, having a family in the army, and tons of other stuff. I suddenly wasn't so afraid of him. The teacher showed up, and after the class we were lining up outside to march back. Some kid called out to Montez, and I had a feeling it was going to be bad. Montez screamed at this kid for talking to him, and eventually punished the entire platoon for his actions.

Montez was able to be two people. During those classroom moments I realized that he wasn't a Drill Sergeant because he wanted to hurt people. He had chosen this duty because he wanted to train young soldiers, and he cared about how that was done. As quickly as he could be our advocate, he could be our adversary. God has the ability to be one of two people to us as well. Isaiah says that God arises to contend and stands to judge. Contend means to "defend or support", and I get the picture of God rising gently to defend those who stand in front of Him who have chosen to live submitted to Him. But, He stands, perhaps quickly, to judge those who have ignored Him. In verses 10-11, Isaiah says that standing before God will go well with the righteous and not so well for the unrighteous. How will you stand before God? How do you stand before Him today? Sometimes we think of God judging us after we die, but we stand before God everyday. Is the Lord ready to contend for you when you deal with adversaries around you, or is He willing to allow your own sinful actions to bring judgement upon you? You have the choice, every day in regards to how you will stand before God and if He will arise in defense or stand in judgement.

Isaiah 2

Men will go into caves of the rocks and into holes of the ground before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, when He arises to make the earth tremble. Isaiah 2:19

Saddam Hussein thought he was the man. No matter what you think of the war that has raged in the streets of Iraq for years, there is no denying that the Iraqi people are better off without Hussein ruling over them. He said who lived and who died. He ruled through fear and terror and as a result of his pride, he took on nations that we too great to be taken on. In the end, he ran and hid in a hole. I'm sure he sat in that hole in rural Iraq and thought, "How did I end up here?" If you're going to play king of the mountain, you better make sure you're the biggest kid in the fight.

Again as I read the Bible I am constantly reminded of the consistency that exists throughout the Word of God. Isaiah is writing about Jesus establishing his 1000 year reign on the earth. It will be an amazing time of peace that will see people take the metal of weapons and build them into implements of harvest and peace. However, there will be those who will be taken by surprise at the return of Jesus. This verse parallels Revelation 6:15-16 where we see these people not only hiding, but actually hoping the mountains and caves will fall upon them. These were people that had idols in their lives and had been worshipping created things instead of the Creator. Saddam had made himself an idol, and when he realized that his power and mighty were pretty limited, his only choice was to hide. Do you ever feel like hiding from God? Just last night I was thanking God during my prayer time that despite the sin that still finds its way into my life, He still loves me and I don't have to hide from Him. David told us how idiotic it is to try to run from an omnipresent God back in Psalms. He's everywhere, so where can we go to escape Him? The times we feel the need to hide from God are actually the times we need to seek Him out. God loves it when His people say, "I'm sorry." Don't hide from God, and don't try to hide your sin. Allow His conviction to motivate you to change your life.

Isaiah 1

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Isaiah 1:16

I've got to say that shooting an M-16 was one of the great experiences of my life. I had almost no experience with guns before that and I found myself truly enjoying the art the shooting. After we finished our first firing session with them, our drill sergeants told us we were going to clean our rifles. I thought, "How hard can it be? Wipe it down, clean out the barrel, and you're done." If you've never taken one apart, you wouldn't believe the amount of small moving parts that become dirty as a result of firing the weapon. I had no idea how to clean the thing. So we had a class on how to do it. We took it apart, and learned to clean it and put it back together. I thought that stripping and cleaning the weapon would be impossible to learn, but thanks to the instruction I received I was able to do it without any help soon after.

There were about 6 or 7 passages in this chapter that really struck me, but I chose this one because I think that Christians need to deal with this important truth: God can empower you to overcome sin, but you have to make the choice to do so. My drill sergeants instructed me on how to clean my weapon, but ultimately it was my responsibility to make sure it was cleaned, not theirs. We see that Isaiah was living in an Israel that didn't really fear God. They choose evil, and when they felt bad about their choices they gave extra offerings or had extra church functions. God was simply tired of it. He tells them in verse 15 to stop wasting their time in prayer if they aren't willing to leave their sin behind. We know that Jesus forgives us of the guilt and punishment of our sin. So why does God instruct us in verse 16 to wash and cleanse ourselves? Because you are accountable for your own sin. I've heard people say, "I prayed and ask God to take away the sin of ____ from me, but it's still there." Sins remain not because God doesn't hate them, but because you do not hate them. He will empower you through the conviction, reminders and wisdom of the Holy Spirit in regards to your sin. But the simple truth remains that any sin you have in your life, is a choice you are making to leave it there. What sin do you need to get serious about? Have you been putting the accountability on God to overcome your sin? You have to take the stand against sin in your life.

Song of Solomon 8

"Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised." Song 8:7

Captain Kemble was a sea captain from Boston. He left in 1653 and was gone for three years. Records show that on the day that Captain Kemble returned home, he was placed in the stocks for 2 hours! What could he possibly have done to ruin his homecoming and anger the good people of Boston? When Captain Kemble came off the boat, he saw his wife for the first time in three years. And even though it was against the law to kiss in public on a Sunday, Captain Kemble did it anyway. The punishment he would face to kiss his bride was worth it!

I've seen marriages drown. A marriage can have two people who love each other, and who start to doubt the reasons for their marriage. They allow family, career and financial pressures to turn them from a marital partnership to a business one. Solomon says that many waters cannot quench love. Water sustains life, but it can come with great pressure and force. When a marriage begins to go sour, it's not because love is quenched; it's because love has been forgotten. I can never imagine a time in the future that I would be unable to love my wife. Even in the most dire of situations, my affections for her would never be changed. Perhaps you feel the love in your marriage has been quenched. More likely, it's just been forgotten or re prioritized down the list. Solomon says that if you were to give of your possessions to keep love, you would strike out. If I were to really upset my wife by my selfishness, a diamond necklace would be pretty, but it would not solve the problem that created the strife. Don't try to gift your way out of a drowning marriage. Don't accept the world's solution to simply find someone new. Remember that true love doesn't drown. Ask God to help you rediscover what may simply be missing in your relationships with your husband or wife. Ask Him to show you what it is that he or she misses from you, and be ready to hear it.

Song of Solomon 7

How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince 's daughter! The curves of your hips are like jewels, the work of the hands of an artist. Song 7:1

A teacher was grading a science test at home that she had given to her elementary-school class and was reading some of the results. The subject was "The Human Body," and the first question was: "Name one of the major functions of the skin." One child wrote: "To keep people who look at you from throwing up."

One of the major sin issues for guys is looking at women who don't belong to them. However, God is an artist as Solomon says here. He created men to be attracted to the curves of a woman, and He created the woman with those curves. He left no room for same-sex attractions in His master plan. Women also experience physical attraction towards men, but it's often not as shallow. There is usually some basis for attraction based on the personality and attitude of the man towards her. But in either case, physical attraction is an important part of any relationship. Skin is for more than keeping us from throwing up! Do you tell your wife how beautiful she is? Do you tell your husband how attractive you find him? As Christians, the most important part of your relationship is your mutual faith in Jesus Christ. However, that doesn't mean that physical attraction is not important. Some pastors have condemned looking for a beautiful person over a godly person, and rightfully so. However, let us not make the mistake that we can't have both. Have you told your spouse how beautiful they are to you today? Have you shown them?

Song of Solomon 6

But my dove, my perfect one, is unique: she is her mother's only daughter; she is the pure child of the one who bore her. the maidens saw her and called her blessed, the queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying, Song 6:9

I'll never forget my wedding day. There was still plenty of time before Nikki would be walking the isle, and my future father-in-law called me outside with him. The man can probably fix anything and I know that I am a city slicker in his eyes for sure. So as we start walking around the parking lot of the church I was wondering, "What is he going to say? Am I about to get a warning about not screwing this up?" We just chatted and finally he told me he was proud his daughter was marrying me. That was kind of a shocker to me, and as I saw tears in his eyes I realized how important she was to him. I wasn't just marrying a woman; I was marrying someone's daughter, sister, and friend.

Our spouses are obviously important people in our lives. They listen when others won't, and they know us at our best and worst and still love us. It's important that we remember the uniqueness of our husband or wife. They had a childhood, probably a lost love or two along the way, and they have chosen to unite their life with yours. Don't forget all who have invested in your spouse before you. There are parents and friends and siblings who all care a great deal for him or her. There is truly no one else like our husband or wife. Do you live reminded of the uniqueness of your spouse? There is no one exactly like him or her anywhere else. You both had a love for each other that drew you together, which is always amazing to me. Loving someone is easy, but that person loving you back is always the dicey part. Thank God for the uniqueness of your spouse. Point out those things to him or her so that they know they aren't just married...they are loved!

Song of Solomon 5

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, as to what you will tell him: for I am lovesick. Song 5:8

Everytime my wife has left to go somewhere, I always think I'm going to have a good time while she's away. It's my chance to watch movies, eat pizza and play video games non-stop. By about the third day I'm tired of it. I have a hard time sleeping alone in the house since being married, not because I'm afraid of the dark, but I'm just used to her being around. The pizza doesn't taste as good. The movies aren't as fun. Just everything seems to lose it's value when I'm all alone without my wife.

In this chapter we see Solomon's bride separated from him for a time and how it made her feel. She's completely distraught because she doesn't know where he is. The separation for her feels unbearable. I don't think we have to be a stalker for our spouse, but our thoughts should never be far from them even when they're far from us. I'm getting ready to leave for a week to do something I enjoy, but it just won't be the same without her there to enjoy it with me. God is my first love, but I have been united by Him to my wife in a special and unique relationship. How do you act when you are away from your spouse? Do you keep the focus of your affections on him or her even when they're not around? God has united a married couple in such a way that separation should be difficult. I hear of couples that live in separate cities for a time, and I think of how ridiculously stupid that is. There is no financial or job situation that should ever cause a married couple to cease living under the same roof. Do you stay in close contact with your spouse even when he or she is out of town? Do you check to make sure they had a safe trip? Treat your spouse as a person of great importance when they're right next to you, or halfway around the world.

Song of Solomon 4

You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you. Song 4:7

I always had a good time going to St. Louis Cardinal baseball games. It was always exciting to walk up towards the stadium and eventually as I got inside I saw the greenest grass I had seen all summer. The stadium just seemed great on every level. Then the organization started talking about building a new stadium. I thought that was crazy, but a few years later it was built. I haven't been, but my friend Steve went. He said there's no comparison between the two, because the new one is amazing. I've seen pictures of the new stadium and I started thinking back to the old one. The seats weren't really that comfortable, which has been changed. The bathrooms were a little old and past their prime. There was just a lot of ugly concrete all over the place. There were plenty of things wrong with that old ballpark, but I loved going there so much, I just overlooked them.

This verse gives an interesting statement on Solomon's part, because we know that his bride was blemished. She was forced to work in the sun by her family, and her skin had skipped tan and moved onto burnt. It was a definite blemish that she was aware of and bothered by. But her husband doesn't mention it. When we love our husband or wife we have to be ready to ignore the blemishes of our spouses. I'm not talking about sin, because my wife has led me to greater holiness as a result of her willingness to point out sin in my life. I'm talking about the personality or physical traits that are not perfect in your spouse. When you dwell on the blemish, the situation will always seem worse than it is. When you dwell on the reasons that you love your spouse, the blemishes melt away in your mind. How do you make your spouse feel? Does he or she feel a constant need to be someone they're not? Are you quick to point out the blemishes of your partner, while being less willing to notice your own. Solomon wasn't blind. He was in love, and his love caused Him to treat his wife as a valuable possession. That's exactly what your spouse is.

Song of Solomon 3

"Scarcely had I left them when I found him whom my soul loves; I held on to him and would not let him go until I had brought him to my mother's house, and into the room of her who conceived me." Song 3:4

A church I once served gave financial assistance to a single mother in the church. She was saved and realized that she should not be living with her boyfriend, who was the father of her children. So the church decided to put it's money where it's mouth was and not just tell her to move out, but they paid for her to do it. It was a few months later when she started living with him again. After a while she became completely frustrated and moved out. My wife and I thought this was a good move, and we were totally surprised when she came to us saying that this man had proposed to her. We knew she wasn't really in love with him, and sure enough a few months after the marriage she wanted out again.

People say love is a fickle thing, but I don't think that's true. So many people today settle for looks, a good time, or some other reason to be in their relationships. Look at Solomon's bride here. She is out looking for someone that she has already identified as a true love in her life. She says that when she finds him she will not let him go. But how can you hold onto someone you love? I see people that are in "love" have relationships break apart all the time. In nearly every experience where I've seen relationships and marriages in trouble, do you know that the big problem was? They didn't continue to develop their love or they were never in love to begin with. If you have children, you need to teach them now to consider the standards they want in a future spouse. Don't allow them to wait until they are dating, because they will force their standards to fit a particular person instead of waiting for the right person to come along. They need to be the right date instead of trying to find the right date. If you're already in a marriage relationship, do you feel like the love is nearly lost? Then focus more attention on your spouse, and less upon yourself. Write down the things you love about him or her and then dwell on those things. Your lover is not perfect, just like you. That makes you perfect for each other.

Song of Solomon 2

My beloved is mine, and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies. Song 2:16

I was recently talking with a teenage guy regarding his future. He indicated that he had two plans for his life: one that included his current girlfriend and one that didn't. I asked him which plan he'd like to see happen in his life, and he indicated the one without his girlfriend. I told him that he has no obligation to this girl because they are not in a committed relationship. Neither one of them belongs to the other. My concern is that he was going to keep going out with this girl because she doesn't want to break up. Eventually they'll move in together, and then they'll get married because it seems like the thing they should do.

I see people in uncommitted relationships living as if they are married all the time. They haven't taken on any of the responsibilities of marriage, but they are seeking and enjoying all the perks. Then I see marriages that are listless and lifeless. The efforts made by each spouse before the marriage relationship have not translated into continued efforts to keep love, passion and excitement alive. Solomon correctly indicates that in a marriage relationship you do not belong to yourself. You belong to your husband or wife, and you no longer make decisions as if those decisions only affect you. Do you make choices for your day apart from your spouse? Do you attempt to live in your marriage as a selfless person, and allow your spouse to have equal say on your time? You may wish that your husband or wife would do this, and since they don't you don't. Change rarely comes when both parties are choosing selfishness over improvement. Be willing to live as if you belong to your spouse, even if he or she does not repay you with similar efforts. Know that you are honoring God, and pray that the heart of your spouse will be changed.