Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 242: Israel's Punishment

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Ezekiel 4-8.

In today's reading, God details the punishments for Israel's disobedience.

Then, He promises that a remnant will survive His wrath. He will not wipe out His people entirely.

He then takes Ezekiel in a vision to see the sins of Jerusalem, from jealousy to idol worship. The people did not believe God could see what they were doing.

But that isn't true. God always knows what we are doing, and when we sin, that makes Him sad, and if we continue in sin without repentance, especially when we know better, that can incite His wrath.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Ezekiel 9-12.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 241: Ezekiel

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Ezekiel 1-3.

In today's reading, Ezekiel receives a vision from God, who instructs him to take His word to the people of Israel, to speak only what God gives him. At this point, in the vision, Ezekiel eats the scroll that God gives him, thus taking God's word into himself.

Israel is rebelling again, and Ezekiel is the prophet chosen to go to them. Ezekiel is to speak God's word whether the people choose to listen or not.

God tells Ezekiel that though Israel is stubborn, He will make Ezekiel just as stubborn.

Israel is often in trouble because of sin and rebellion, aren't they? Just as we sometimes are.

Well, I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Ezekiel 5-8.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 240: A Plea

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Lamentations 3:37-5:22.

The people have been captured. They have been overtaken by their enemies. They are dying, either by the sword or from starvation. It looks bleak.

Yet Jeremiah still cries out to God. He knows that it is never too late to ask God for help. Chapter 5 is his plea for the deliverance of God's people. He begs for relief, for salvation. He prays for mercy.

And we already know that God is merciful. We also know that He did not wipe out the entire nation of Israel.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Ezekiel 1-4.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 239: Jeremiah's Lament

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Lamentations 1-3. You thought we were finished talking about Jeremiah, but according to my Bible, the third chapter at least, is Jeremiah's lament.

Regardless, this person is lamenting and crying out to God because of the plight of the Israelites. They are telling God how His wrath has been poured out. They are not arguing with His punishment, but rather acknowledge Israel's sins. Still, they lament and cry out, begging God to forgive, to reverse His wrath, and relent in His punishment.

Remember, the Israelites are once again in captivity because they turned away from God.

And doesn't that apply to us too? When we turn from God, even for a moment, and let sin overtake us, then it can feel like we are bound by the weight and guilt of that sin. It can feel like God has forgotten us, like He wouldn't want anything to do with us anymore. It can feel like our sin has separated us from Him forever.

But God is merciful. And loving. And forgiving. That's something else this person reminds God of in the lament.

Sometimes we mess up. It's usually not as intense or as often as the whole nation of Israel, but for that time, we are separated from God by our sins, and if we persist, His anger will kindle against us.

And wouldn't that be terrifying?

We don't have to be afraid of making mistakes, or messing up. We just shouldn't sin on purpose, continuously, without repentance. Because God is merciful and forgiving if we acknowledge our sin, acknowledge that He is God and ask for His forgiveness.

Unlike the Israelites who continued in their sin with pride and without fear or humility.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Lamentations 3:37-5:22

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 238: Judgment on Babylon and Israel

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read the final chapters of Jeremiah: 51-52.

In today's reading, Babylon is judged for its sins against Israel. Then, Israel is judged, and taken into captivity.

If all of this sounds familiar, that's because we got a fuller account in the Chronicles of the kings.

Well, I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Lamentations 1-3:36.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 237: God's Judgment Foretold

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 49-50.

In today's reading, God prophecies how He will destroy the other nations that have sinned and turned away from Him and have come against His people, but only after the Israelites have repented and turned back to Him.

Once the Israelites return to God, He will deliver them from their enemies.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 51-52, the final chapters.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 236: Punishment Foretold

Good morning, everyone.

Today I read Jeremiah 46-48.

In today's reading, God describes the calamities which will befall the countries. He also tells what He will do to the Israelites, but promises that He will redeem a portion of them after their punishment for their disobedience.

I feel like I should apologize for my blog lately. I'm just not really getting anything from Jeremiah. In a few days I'll start Lamentations, and while that book can also be depressing, I learned some things the last time I read it, so I'm hoping I'll have more to share with you then.

I hope you'll still join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 49-50.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 235: Warn, Ignore, Repeat

Good morning, everyone.

Today I read Jeremiah 42-45.

And not to sound rude, but it's more of the same. The people are sinning. Jeremiah warns the people. The people declare Jeremiah is a liar: "God would never hurt us!" and ignore his warning. God promises calamity.

But no calamity yet.

I'm used to this pattern: sin, warning, ignore the warning, calamity, repentance.

We haven't gotten to the last two yet. At least not enough for the Israelites to repent.

And this message really is so important. We can't just ignore God's warnings because we believe He won't punish us for doing wrong. We have to repent and ask His forgiveness when we do. Otherwise, we'll face His wrath and bring calamity on ourselves and our families.

Well, I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 46-48.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 234: Secret Meeting

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 38-41.

In today's reading, the elders go to the king and demand that Jeremiah be killed, so Jeremiah gets thrown in a cistern, or a tank that stores water, only there was no water, so he sunk into the mud. 

But a man went to the king and told him that the elders had dealt wickedly with Jeremiah. So the king sent for Jeremiah and had a secret meeting with him so that Jeremiah could tell him all that the Lord had said, without the elders finding out.

And in the later chapters, all that Jeremiah told them that the Lord had said came to pass.

Babylon attacked and the people were either captured or killed. Even Jeremiah was taken, but he was released and allowed to go to the house of the man governing the people.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 42-45.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 233: Jeremiah in Prison

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 35-37.

Jeremiah speaks the word of the Lord, and is thrown in jail. The king sends for him, hoping he'll change what he said. When Jeremiah repeats God's words about the calamity that will befall Judah and how the people and the king will be captured by Babylon, he is thrown back in prison.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 38-41.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 232: Ah Lord God

Good evening, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 32-34.

In today's reading, there were a few verses I want to share. They were actually made into a song, so I'll share that as well.

Jeremiah 32:17 - 'Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm.

Jeremiah 18b-19 - ...O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

Jeremiah 32:26-27 - Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"

I hope you enjoyed seeing these verses and learning where they got the lyrics for this song. If you didn't know the song before, I hope you enjoyed it.

I also hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 35-37.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 231: Eventual Deliverance

Good evening, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 30-31.

In today's reading, God promises to deliver the Israelites from captivity. They will still be punished for their continuing sins, but God promises to deliver them and avenge them, always keeping a remnant for Himself.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 32-34.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 230: What God Tells Us to Do

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 26-29, and in today's reading Jeremiah continues warning the people about God's punishments if they do not change their ways.

Again, the false priests and prophets prophesy against Jeremiah, and claim that God won't do anything to the people.

They even plot to kill Jeremiah, but Jeremiah speaks God's word to them, reminding them that his innocent blood will be on their hands and they will bring calamity on the city, and they relent and don't kill him.

Though it isn't usually this extreme, sometimes we don't want to hear what God is saying to us because it isn't what we want to hear.

But every word of God should be obeyed, and we should do everything He tells us to do.

That's something I need to work on too.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 30-31.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 229: God's Flock and His Chosen Shepherd

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 23-25.

The Israelites are still in trouble. Today, God calls out the prophets and priests who do not keep His commandments, who prophesy falsely in His name.

Then, God states that He will send a new Shepherd for His flock.

Jeremiah 23:3 - "Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply."

Jeremiah 23:5-6 - "Behold, the days are coming, " declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch and He will reign as king and ac wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, 'The LORD our righteousness.'"

So, this is where the Israelites got confused when Jesus came to earth the first time. They either ignored or didn't understand the other prophecies about Him being the Lamb (or sacrifice) and how He would be born. I think some of them are found in Isaiah. I can't remember exactly.

But from this reading, it can sound like Jesus was going to come and deliver the Israelites from their enemies and reign as a King and secure them.

Which He will do for all of us. But many people expected it the first time. Israel had been invaded by the Romans, who were taxing them mercilessly and there were rebel factions who tried to fight back. The Israelites expected Jesus to come and be a great leader who would lead them to victory over their enemies.

They just expected physical rather than spiritual victory. Jesus does give us victory. But until the time is right, He won't come and fight physically. And no one knows when that time will be except God the Father. Even Jesus doesn't know.

Spiritual victory is a lot, though. Especially when we consider that that's where the real battle is. Satan doesn't operate in the natural realm, though he may use natural means to get something done. He operates in the spiritual. Tempting us, and trying to convince us to do something that he knows will put our spiritual lives in jeopardy.

But Jesus came so that we could have victory. And when we believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, we do have victory.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 26-29.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 228: God Will Not Bless Sin

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 18-22, and in today's reading, Jeremiah gets beaten up.

No. Seriously.

God sends Jeremiah to tell the king and the priests about the prophecies which God has given him concerning the punishment and downfall of Israel and Judah due to their sins.

The priests, particularly Passhur, don't like this information, and Passhur has Jeremiah beaten and thrown into the stocks.

When Jeremiah is released, he has a word for Passhur from God, that Passhur will witness the downfall of Judah, and then Passhur will be taken into captivity in Babylon where he will die.

The Israelites were a stubborn people, weren't they? Even God's priests didn't want to hear anything except that God would bless them.

But that wasn't the message they needed. And it isn't the message we need.

We all need the truth. The truth is found in God's Word. We can't choose part of it and leave the rest alone. We can't ignore one commandment we don't like and keep the rest. All of God's commandments must be obeyed. All of His word is meant for us, to teach us.

And the truth is that God wants to bless us, to see us succeed, but we cannot succeed or be blessed if we are in sin the way Israel often was. We cannot serve ourselves and God. We must choose. God or our flesh. God's plans or our plans. God's will or our will.

And sometimes those do line up. Sometimes we want something that is right in line with God's will for us. Sometimes we want something that He is happy to give us (not always exactly when we want it).

But sometimes our flesh wants something that isn't good for us, that would cause us to stray from God. Sometimes it is something that would bring calamity on us. And so God says no.

And that's where our choice comes in. We can still choose to do it, but if we know His answer is no, we shouldn't.

So, here is the truth that the Israelites didn't want to hear:

God will not bless sin.

He understands when we mess up, but we have to ask forgiveness. If we don't, if we continue to abound in sin and pride, God does not bless that.

Okay. That was a little heavy today. Still, I hope you learned today as I did. I also hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 23-25.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 227: Drought

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 14-17, and in chapter 14 it talks about a drought that will come on the Israelites because of their disobedience.

And it made me think that the Israelites were already in a drought because they weren't obeying God's laws or listening to Him.

And I connected it to the way we all are when we are without God's word. When we don't read God's word every day, there is a drought in our lives. A thirst that only He can quench.

And that's true of everyone, not just Christians.

Even if people don't know what's missing, or won't acknowledge it, everyone has a drought in their lives until they begin reading God's word and really letting it soak into their spirits.

So, that was my connection today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 18-22.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 226: The Struggle

Good evening, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 10-13.

In these chapters, there are more warnings for the Israelites, who still have not turned from wickedness.

Why is it that we do that? Why do we continually ignore what God tells us to do? Why do we answer the call of temptation so often, even when we know it isn't good for us in the short or long term?

I think the answer is because we are imperfect beings, made of flesh. And our flesh is weak, even when our spirits want to serve God. So the struggle continues.

It heartens me, however, to know that in the end, as with so many things, this struggle will be worth it.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 14-17.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 225: The Book of Jeremiah

Good evening, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 7-9, and I'm sad to say that I have absolutely nothing to say about it.

If anyone knows a good study of the book of Jeremiah, I'd love a recommendation.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 10-13.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 224: God For Us or God Against Us

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 4-6.

And God is angry.

Jeremiah 6:11 - But I am full of the wrath of the LORD; I am weary with holding it in.

How terrifying would it be to hear God say that? To hear Him say that He is full of wrath and tired of holding it back?

I would be quaking in my boots.

I confess that I don't always reverence God the way that I should. If I did, I would never sin, because I would always be in such awe of His glory and His power that I couldn't even contemplate it.

But I do fear Him. He is awesome. He is mighty. His power knows no limits. 

But thankfully He is also merciful.

He was willing to pardon Israel if they repented and turned from their wickedness. Alas, He knew they would not. And so He purposed to weed out the wickedness from their midst by allowing them to be overtaken by other nations. Yet, He would keep a remnant for Himself, for they are His people.

We are His people. He is just. He is merciful. He will forgive us when we sincerely ask. But He is a jealous God, and He doesn't want us to serve anyone or anything above Him. And if we do, He will allow us to go our own way. However, He will not bless us while we are doing wrong. And that can lead to calamity in our lives.

And I'm not talking about trials or storms, either. I'm talking about serious calamity.

I've been there. I've been to the place where nothing was going right and there didn't seem to be a point to life. Where I had no purpose. No joy. No peace.

But God is faithful and merciful. And when I turned my life back over to Him, tattered and torn, mistakes and all, He forgave me, and helped me to stand again.

It wasn't easy. Some days it still isn't easy as those things I had given my life to sometimes still call to me. But the war gets easier with every victory. And when you allow God to fight for you, Satan cannot win.

I don't know about you, but my life is so much better now that God is fighting for me, and I'm not fighting Him.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 7-9.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 223: God is Merciful

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Jeremiah 1-3.

Israel is in trouble again because they have turned their backs on God and are serving false gods. They are ignoring His laws and He is not happy with them. He calls Jeremiah to be a prophet, to speak to Israel on His behalf.

And He offers them forgiveness, because He is merciful, if only they will acknowledge their sins and ask forgiveness.

And that is very encouraging.

Even if we don't sin on that large of a scale - a whole people, we all sin. Sometimes we don't mean to, and other times we think "What will it hurt?"

But when we mess up, all we need to do is ask God sincerely to forgive us and He will, because He loves us, and He is merciful. He knows we are only human. He knows we will make mistakes. And He is willing to forgive us when we acknowledge our sin.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 4-6.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 222: Rend the Heavens

Good morning everyone!

Today I read the final chapters of Isaiah, 64-66, and I just want to share part of what I read with you today.

Just take a moment to picture this imagery.

Isaiah 64:1-2 Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence--as fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil--to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence!

Isn't that great?

Oh God that You would part the heavens and come down so that all nations would see Your glory and know Your name.

Isaiah 64:3-4 - When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

When God's presence comes down, the very mountains quake. There is no god like Him who acts on behalf of His people. He does such awesome things, things beyond our imagination.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading the book of Isaiah with me, and that you will join me tomorrow when I read Jeremiah 1-3.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 221: Thy Will Be Done

Good evening, everyone!

Wow, has it been a busy day! But I'm here at the computer now to share what I learned about Isaiah 59-63.

And I have to confess, I didn't learn a lot. The book of Isaiah is still confusing to me. 

But there is one verse I want to share that was inspirational this morning.

Isaiah 59:1 - Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.

Even when our sins take us far from God, He can still reach us and pull us back, if that's what we want. 

No matter how lost our families may be, He can still reach them and draw them back.

He is not deaf. There is nothing wrong with His ears. He hears us. Always. And there is nothing wrong with our prayers, as long as they are in accordance with His will.

And in the vein of salvation for our loved ones - because this is something I've been dealing with lately - I want to share 2 Peter 3:8-9.

But do not let this one fact escape your noticed, beloved, that with the LORD one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The LORD is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

I don't know what you're waiting for, but I know what I'm waiting for.

And God has not forgotten either of us. He is not deaf to our prayers, and His arm is not too short to reach us.

Yet He sees time differently than we do, being the One who created it. He is never too late. Never too early. His timing is perfect.

I pray that you will turn to Him in your wait, as I am trying to do. And pray for me, dear friends, as I pray for you, that we will wait well, and patiently, serving Him in this season.

And as always, let us pray that His will be done above all else, because we cannot see the bigger picture.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 64-66.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 220: God's Word Returns to Him Fruitful

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 54-58, and I want to share a few verses that I found inspiring this morning.

Isaiah 54:17 - "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.

This verse is used often, but most people only use the first part. In fact, I didn't even know there was more to it, but I really like the whole thing. If I were to use this verse, I wouldn't stop at the first part.

Part 1 - No weapon will prosper against us.
Part 2 - We will condemn every tongue that accuses us.
Part 3 - This is the authority God has given to those who serve Him.

The whole verse is so important. You can't just leave part of it out. Especially part 3. You can't have the first two parts without the third.

Isaiah 55:6-8 - Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

We will never fully understand God, and especially not while we are in our mortal bodies. He alone is God, and none can fully understand Him. He knows everything, and His thoughts stretch farther than ours. We can't even imagine them.

Isaiah 55:10-11 - "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

This is why we should read God's word. Well, one reason. God's word does not return to Him void. It stretches out, plants seeds, and He reaps the harvest.

I want to continually learn of Him, and I want to grow through His word. I also want His word to return to Him from my life fruitful.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 59-63.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 219: Ransomed for Our Sin

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 49-53, and I just want to share part of chapters 52 and 53 with you.

Isaiah 52:7-8 - How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, they shout joyfully together; for they will see with their own eyes when the LORD restores Zion.

Isaiah 53:2 - For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

Jesus came as an ordinary man with no special features to speak of, so that people would not be attracted to Him for something so superficial.

Isaiah 53:3-4 - He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:5 - But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.

Isaiah 53:6 - All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. 

Isaiah 53:7 - He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb to the slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.

Can you imagine if Jesus had opened His mouth? He loved us so much that not only did He take the punishment for our sins, but He kept silent about it. If He had opened His mouth, the angels would have borne him away, but we would not have eternal salvation with Him. And so He did not even open His mouth. Can you imagine it?

Isaiah 53:8-9 - By oppression and judgement He was taken away; and as for His generation who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

He had known no sin but ours, and willingly paid the price for it.

Isaiah 53:10 - But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

Can you imagine how hard it must have been for God to see Jesus suffering like that, sorrowful that it was necessary and yet pleased at His obedience? Even Jesus submitted to the will of God the Father. If He can do it, taking on such a task, we can do what God asks of us.

Isaiah 53:11-12 - As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

Because of His obedience, Christ ransomed us, justified us, and we are His portion.

I love how all of this is found in the Old Testament.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 54-58.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 218: Every Knee Will Bow

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 45-48.

In today's reading, God speaks to Cyrus, His anointed king, and tells him how He will prosper him and fight for him for the sake of Israel.

Then, God goes on to remind Israel of His power, and how there is no god like Him.

Isaiah 45:23-24 - "I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say of Me, 'Only in he LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to Him and all who were angry at Him will be put to shame."

Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that the Lord is God.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 49-53.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 217: The Infinity of God

Good evening, everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 42-44.

Today's reading continued like yesterday's, with statements about who God is, and how there is none like Him. Who can do the things our God can? Who is comparable to Him?

Isaiah 43:1-2 - But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you."

God is always with us. Through the storm. Through the fire. Through troubles. He never leaves us nor forsakes us, and He will protect us and help us.

Isaiah 43:10-11 - "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me."

Isaiah 43:11-13 "I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; so you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God. Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?"

When God acts, no one can reverse it. Whatever He has planned for our lives, it is for our good, to prosper us and to take care of us. And no one can reverse it.

All we have to do is call upon the Lord, to seek Him and serve Him.

And sometimes that isn't easy, but it is so much better than the alternative. I've been there. I've served myself. I've served the world. I've done the worldly things that were supposed to make me happy. And none of it did. But God does. Serving Him does.

The more I serve Him, the more I want to serve Him. The more I learn of Him, the more I want to learn.

Isn't it amazing? Who can fathom the depths of God's character? No matter how much we learn, there is always more to learn. No one can ever fully understand Him. And yet He gave us His word so that we could connect with Him, could begin to understand Him. Because He loves us.

And isn't that amazing? That our God, so powerful, so full of infinite wisdom, loves us, despite all our faults and all our sins, and all the times He knew we would mess up.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 45-48.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 216: Who is Comparable to God?

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 36-41, and there's a lot I could talk about from this reading, but I want to focus on just part of it.

Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:10-11 - Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

Isaiah 40:13 - Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has informed Him?

Isaiah 40:14 - With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and informed Him of the way of understanding?

Isaiah 40:18 - To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

Isaiah 40:22-23 - It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

Isaiah 40:26 - Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.

Isaiah 40:29 - He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.

Isaiah 40:31 - Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary.

Who is comparable to God? From whom does He need help? Who can give Him counsel? 

There is no one like our God. He is mighty. He strengthens us. He is always with us. The very earth is in His hands.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 42-44.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 215: Those Who Do Not Seek God

Good morning everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 31-35.

I didn't understand most of it, but something stood out to me.

Isaiah 31:1 - Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!

So, I'm going to make this more general.

Woe to those who trust and rely on anything but the Lord. Money. Power. People. Cars. Anything.

God will never fail us, never let us down. Everyone and everything else will, at some point. So, we need to put our trust in Him. We need to find our joy in Him.

Woe to those who make idols of those things rather than giving glory to God.

Things cannot save us. Money cannot save us. Even people cannot save us. Only God can save us.

And that's what I learned from my reading today, though there is a lot more to these chapters, and I encourage you to read them. Don't just take my word for it.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 36-41.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 214: Lip Service

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 28-30. Israel is in trouble again. Judah is warned to turn from their wicked ways. Jerusalem is warned to turn from their wicked ways.

Isaiah 29:13-14 - Then the LORD said, "Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed."

God doesn't want lip service. He doesn't want just our words. If our hearts aren't in our worship, it is meaningless.

Can you imagine a whole people doing this? "I go to church because it's tradition. I don't have to do anything once I get there." "I go to church because my parents took me and now it's a habit, but it doesn't mean anything."

Uh oh. Do you know someone who thinks this way? I do.

Now, I'm going to say something that might be startling.

Church isn't the important part.

I know. I know. "Gasp!"

But it isn't. The important part is our relationship with God, and the purpose of our hearts.

If we go to church just to plant our butts in the seats, that isn't right. If we worship just because it's a habit, that isn't right.

God doesn't want lip service. God wants us to worship Him with all of our hearts, and that can only happen when we truly get to know Him.

Are you in a relationship with God? Do you know Him, or do you just know of Him?

If it's the latter, I encourage you to admit that to Him today, and to tell Him how much you want to get to know Him. Then, read God's word. That's how you can get to know Him.

I pray that you decide to give God more than lip service today.

Please join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 31-35.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 213: Though the Earth Crumbles

Good morning, everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 23-27. There's a lot I could talk about today, and more things that confused me, but today I want to focus on this part:

Isaiah 25:1 - O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

Now, this is a series of prophecies about more destruction, but this was sort of hidden in the middle, and I wanted to share this part, because I understood it.

We should exalt God because He is worthy of praise. He has plans for our lives and for the earth, plans that He formed eons ago, even before time began. He has plans to take care of us, which give us hope. He has plans for our future. And so we should praise Him.

Though destruction were all around us, though the very earth were crumbling, still we should praise God, with whom we will reside eternally.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Isaiah 28-30.

Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 212: Prophecies

Good afternoon, everyone!

Today I read Isaiah 18-22.

Today's reading is a series of messages, or warnings for several nations, including Egypt.

Basically I didn't understand anything about today's reading. I got the vague sense that these nations had sinned and so God was going to judge them. Other than that I didn't understand what was going on. 

Maybe tomorrow will be better, though most of the prophecies go way over my head. I hope you'll join me then when I read Isaiah 23-27.