Category: Devotions

Isaiah 17
Damascus was a key city, highly influential and very powerful. This city in Syria along with Israel will experience a fading glory. God will show the world that all that these 2 places have accomplished are simply not real. They are fraudulent. Man may look and be impressed but God will reduce their achievements to rubble.
Why?

You have forgotten God your Saviour; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress, v10.

How is it possible to forget anything of great significance?
No doubt these people still believed in God and they still declared they were Yahweh followers. Had they really forgotten?
Well we all know what it is like to have some kind of memory loss! Two elderly women were discussing the problems of growing older. One commented, “The worst thing is when your memory starts to go. I’ve known you all my life, and I can’t think of your name. What is it?” The second lady thought for a moment and said, “Do you need an answer right now?”
But to forget God? How is that possible?
Unknown author, Chuck Ross, took a novel by Jerzy Kosinski, titled Steps, which had won the National Book Award six years before. Ross retyped the first 21 pages of Steps and sent them out to four publishers, using the name Erik Demos as a fictitious by-line. All 4 publishers rejected the manuscript. Two years later, he retyped the novel Steps in its entirety and submitted it, again credited to Erik Demos, to several more publishers, including the original publisher, Random House. It was rejected by all with unhelpful comments, including Random House! All told, 14 publishers and 13 literary agents failed to recognize a book that had already been published and had won an important award. And so …
We forget God when we forget what He has done in our past that was absolutely wonderful and life-saving and our present shows no sign of that amazing provision. This is dangerous memory loss.

Isaiah 16
v5 In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it— one from the house of David—one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

Isaiah believed for a leader who will lead in love. Power is not everything.
Isaiah believed for a leader who will stand firm. So many start but do not finish.
Isaiah believed for a leader who will be faithful. The call must always remain.
Isaiah believed for a leader who will live for others. Many die living for themselves.
Jesus fulfilled all that Isaiah believed. He is that dream leader.
There is still a call for such leadership.
Let us all lead our lives in such a way today.

Isaiah 15

Moab is mentioned often in the Old Testament as a wicked people whom God would judge for their sins against Israel.
Moab is ruined …
My heart cries out over Moab …
Who are the wicked, the sinful? Is it the same proud person of the previous chapter?
When you see them fall will you respond like Isaiah?
Will you cry?
Peace-loving Francis of Assisi joined the Fifth Crusade in Egypt, though he did not fight. He risked his life crossing enemy lines to preach to Muslim sultan Malik-al-Kamil. The sultan did not convert, but he offered Francis riches (which he declined) and had him escorted back to the Christian camp. “The Crusades,” Christian History, Issue 40.
Let us all cross enemy lines with our prayers for those who need God’s help right now, no matter who they are or what they have done.

Isaiah 14

In 2006, a New York city judge allowed José Luis Espinal to legally change his name to Jesus Christ. Following the decision, Espinal said he was “happy” and “grateful” that the judge approved the change. He also said that he was moved to seek the name change about a year prior to the decision, when it dawned on him that, “I am the person that is that name.”
Who is Isaiah speaking of?
I will ascend. I will get to the very top. I will be above everyone. No one can stop me. I am above and beyond. I would rather destroy what I have than give it someone else. (v13-17)
Who is this person?
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon? Satan? Your enemy? The friend you once knew?
No matter who they are they will never make it.
There is only one God.
Nik Wallenda has become the most-watched high wire artist and daredevil in the world. His two most recent feats were seen by a billion people across the world. In 2012 Wallenda walked a tightrope across Niagara Falls. In 2013 Wallenda became the first person to high-wire walk across the Grand Canyon.
Wallenda knows that he will be tempted by pride, so after the accolades and applauds have died down and people have gone home he goes around the site and picks up rubbish. Wallenda recently wrote,
“My purpose is simply to help clean up after myself. Three hours of cleaning up debris is good for my soul. Humility does not come naturally to me. So if I have to force myself into situations that are humbling, so be it …. I know that I need to get down on my hands and knees like everyone else. I do it because it’s a way to keep from tripping. As a follower of Jesus, I see him washing the feet of others. I do it because if I don’t serve others I’ll be serving nothing but my ego.”
May we all serve in the rubbish.

Isaiah 13

I have just been reading of an Afghan woman explaining to a correspondent that the women who continue to wear burqas, the full-body coverings mandated by the Taliban do so even though they don’t like them and are no longer forced to wear them because:
“We have lived in darkness for so long that now we are afraid of the light.”
v 10 The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.
The Day of Judgment will be day of darkness. Evil flourishes in darkness.
Some today even though they may have faith cannot see the stars in the sky. They are unable to see the sunrises that happen every day. They only see clouds not the sun, not even the rays through the clouds. The lights have gone out. Actually the light is there, but they cannot see it.
Today come out from the darkness, forgive and let go where that is needed, trust the God of light again. Do not be afraid to change. Do not be afraid to step into the light. He is waiting for you. He has not stopped shining.

Isaiah 12

You may be unsure of many things.
The results could go either way, the decisions being made, what happens next so unpredictable.
There are no guarantees with man.
One moment they are by your side and the next they are gone.
Surely God … v2
When all else fails…surely God.
When everyone leaves the room…surely God.
When the sun goes down…surely God.
God cannot stop being who He is, your God.

Isaiah 11

It doesn’t make sense.
What is seen and heard not being taken as the sole truth.
The wolf with the lamb.
The leopard with the goat.
A child leading a calf and a lion.
A cow eating with a bear.
A vegetarian lion.
Children and snakes.
This is a world that doesn’t make sense.
Historical feuds ended.
People walking across rivers miraculously.
Enemies silenced forever.
If all this can happen.
If a world can become back to front.
Then you, a remnant, a left-over, can be reached again.
You’re not too far off, nor too small and insignificant.
You may only be a shoot from a stump, a branch from roots.
However, you can walk tall again, not in hiding, not on a B-road but a High road.
It doesn’t make sense.
However, it is possible. So pray the ancient prayer.
Come Holy Spirit. As you did with Jesus, rest on me.

Isaiah 10

What is left?
As you look around today you may see a lot of things have been taken from you, people have left you and you perhaps feel isolated.
However, God has always used a remnant throughout history. He never uses multitudes.
A remnant that begin to truly rely on Him, v20.
A remnant that return to believe in His might and power again, v21.
Don’t focus on the circumstance, you are still here. A remnant, supernaturally preserved and protected by God, ready to rely and return.
That is what is left and how amazing you are!

Isaiah 9

He never rolls his eyes at you.
He never drags His feet.
He really does want to make things clear to you, like darkness into light.
He does want you to grow through this circumstance.
He wants joy to increase.
He wants to shatter your burdens.
He wants to lift the weight from you.
He really does want to break that which oppresses you.
He is not just capable of this. He really wants to do it.
In fact He is passionate about His purposes for your life, enthusiastic and excited.
He is zealous for you.
For you are also His child.

ISAIAH 8

For those facing attacks of all kinds today:
1. Declare openly God’s message of protection and provision,v1.
2. Get faithful people to agree with you, v2.
3. The attacker is attacking God not you. The land did not belong to Ahaz, it was Immanuel’s, v8.
4. Threats, preparations, strategies and plans will not succeed against you because God is with us, Immanuel, v10.
5. Put your faith in God’s voice and hand not the attacker, v11.
6. Make God the rock of protection and don’t become offended, v14-15.
7. Wait for Him, be at the ready, awakened to serve Him, for action, v17.
8. Don’t try to receive guidance on the cheap, prayer is always the key, v19.
9. Immerse yourself in God’s Word, v20.