Tag: protection

Posted in A Father's Love, Fathers Love, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 29-30 With God, There Is Always the Hope of Restoration

Posted on by Michael Smith

It is an amazing part of the knowledge of the Lord, to realize the reality that God’s strongest desire is to bless and protect the ones He loves.  In Isaiah 29-30, God speaks first of the siege of Jerusalem.  He speaks of the sadness as Jerusalem is taken down.  He warns not to run from what is ahead–but, to repent.  Turn their hearts from other gods and destroy their idols.  Then as they return to Him, the Lord will protect and restore them.  He will restore their faith, hope, and their future.  

When they return to Him, the Lord will then come in a fury and destroy the enemy, restore the land, and restore the faith and joy of the people.  Amid the sieges, the captivity, and the loss of national identity, it had to be these promises that allowed many to maintain their faith and follow God.  It was these promises that led the remnant back and through the centuries allowed the people of Israel to continue their traditions and seek the Messiah.

Now these thousands of years later, the Messiah has come and died and rose again; and, we all can be in personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus.  That faith will bring hope in all circumstance and as in the passage return us to days of peace and times of joy.  We will quit worshiping our handmade gods and humbly seek our Father.  We will experience peace, love, and have the confidence that we will be with the Lord throughout eternity.  

We can live without fear in a fearful time.  We can have real joy during chaos and unrest.  In short, we can and will live abundant lives even while the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) We can walk in confidence as we allow our lives to be hidden in Christ with God. (Col 3:1-4) Thanks Father, that Your peace does pass all human understanding; and Your desire is to bless those You love.

God Bless You

18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
    and therefore, he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all those who wait for him.

19 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”

23 And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, 24 and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25 And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26 Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

27 Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar,
    burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke;[d]
his lips are full of fury,
    and his tongue is like a devouring fire;
28 his breath is like an overflowing stream
    that reaches up to the neck;
to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction,
    and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.

29 You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. 30 And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones. 31 The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the Lord, when he strikes with his rod. 32 And every stroke of the appointed staff that the Lord lays on them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres. Battling with brandished arm, he will fight with them. 33 For a burning place[e] has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.

Posted in A Father's Love, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 26–Trusting God Brings All We Could Imagine

Posted on by Michael Smith

Prophets not only speak to what lies ahead, they also simply speak the truth.  Isaiah is simply speaking the truth when he says following the Lord brings peace. He looks to a time when Judah is following the Lord and what God shows him is peace. People that know God will long for His presence.  They will trust in His provision; they will rest in the Lord’s protection.  He will be the walls.  He will be the watchmen.

Conversely, those that fail to follow God, even when God grants them favor, will not recognize it.  They won’t notice His protection; they will fail to appreciate God’s provision.  They will ascribe his protection to their own skill and craftiness.  They will hoard any blessing as their own and fail to benefit anyone–except themselves.  Sadly, their attempts to hoard and be the center of attention is the very things that will keep them from enjoying the benefits they long for, peace and security.

The word is filled with the promise of peace by simply submitting to God’s lead. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your path straight,” Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (peace, provision, and protection) will be added to you.” Philippians 4:19, “My God is faithful to supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Our job is simple, know our Lord. Trust and follow him daily. Then watch Him make your lives great.

God Bless You

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;
    he sets up salvation
    as walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates,
    that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3 You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
5 For he has humbled
    the inhabitants of the height,
    the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
    casts it to the dust.
6 The foot tramples it,
    the feet of the poor,
    the steps of the needy.”

7 The path of the righteous is level;
    you make level the way of the righteous.
8 In the path of your judgments,
    O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
    are the desire of our soul.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
    my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
    the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 If favor is shown to the wicked,
    he does not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly
    and does not see the majesty of the Lord.
11 O Lord, your hand is lifted up,
    but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.
    Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.
12 O Lord, you will ordain peace for us,
    for you have indeed done for us all our works.
13 O Lord our God,
    other lords besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
14 They are dead, they will not live;
    they are shades, they will not arise;
to that end you have visited them with destruction
    and wiped out all remembrance of them.
15 But you have increased the nation, O Lord,
    you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
    you have enlarged all the borders of the land.

Posted in Creation, devotion, Fathers Love, Holiness, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 18-21–Isaiah, The World’s Prophet

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah saw from God’s perspective the fate of the world in which he lived.  Not only was he an evangelical prophet that brought hope to Israel for the future; he was also the messenger to the known world.  God was not myopic. He loved His people Israel, but He also watched and knew the fates and paths of Israel’s foes and allies.

In this set of prophecies, God uses Isaiah to set out the world’s history for the next several years.  The rise and fall of Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, and the Middle East; all foretold and born out. History does not happen in a vacuum, and God made it clear that Israel’s trials and tribulations were not the only ones that lie ahead.

In our world, we become focused upon our circumstance and our future.  That is only natural.  But, as it was in the days of Isaiah, nothing that happens in our time will do so in a vacuum. The prayers and revival of the church can and will impact the world.  If evil thrives in America, because good people simply do nothing–that will ripple out across the globe. Conversely, if we as God’s chosen, truly return and pray and seek His face, then we could change the course by God’s mercy–which too could change the world.  

It starts with us, and it starts with repentance and prayer.  Join in the greater work of seeking God and humbly following His lead.  It may be our opportunity to truly change the world.

God Bless You

A Prophecy Against Cush

18 Woe to the land of whirring wings[a]
    along the rivers of Cush,[b]
2 which sends envoys by sea
    in papyrus boats over the water.

Go, swift messengers,
to a people tall and smooth-skinned,
    to a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers.

A Prophecy Against Egypt

19 A prophecy against Egypt:

See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud
    and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
    and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.

2 “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
    brother will fight against brother,
    neighbor against neighbor,
    city against city,
    kingdom against kingdom.
3 The Egyptians will lose heart,
    and I will bring their plans to nothing;
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
    the mediums and the spiritists.
4 I will hand the Egyptians over
    to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

A Prophecy Against Babylon

21 A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland,
    an invader comes from the desert,
    from a land of terror.

2 A dire vision has been shown to me:
    The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot.
Elam, attack! Media, lay siege!
    I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

3 At this my body is racked with pain,
    pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;
I am staggered by what I hear,
    I am bewildered by what I see.

A Prophecy Against Edom

11 A prophecy against Dumah[b]:

Someone calls to me from Seir,
    “Watchman, what is left of the night?
    Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
    “Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
    and come back yet again.”

A Prophecy Against Arabia

13 A prophecy against Arabia:

You caravans of Dedanites,
    who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14     bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,
    bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee from the sword,
    from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
    and from the heat of battle.

16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

Posted in A Father's Love, Creation, Devotions, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 17–The Rise and Fall Of Empires

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah was sadly having to deliver a message to Damascus and to the Northern Tribes of Israel.  After the Division of Israel under Jeroboam, the northern tribes took on the identity of Ephriam. The Southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin took on the identity of Judah as the sons of David. As time progressed, Ephriam became increasingly evil and first aligned with the Assyrians, whose capitol city was Damascus.  Then after some time they were conquered by the Assyrians, removed from the lands, and transplanted in Samaria.

Isaiah was giving both groups fair warning–If they thought they would take Judah; God had a different plan.  As they dared to challenge God and His people, God would destroy them, disband them, and make sure they would be completely and utterly forgettable. History tells us, that is exactly what happened.  The northern tribes were scattered. Assyria defeated, absorbed, and forgotten.

Amazingly, God’s people are still a nation, God is still in charge, and His name still above all names.  In our culture, men still believe they can eradicate God from the world–they are as mistaken as were the Assyrians.  Try though they may, all attempts to defeat and dispel God will fail. 

We as His chosen must remain on our knees and pray for direction and revival of our hearts and the heart of our nation.  Following God is always the best answer for peace, security, and prosperity. All other answers are at best band-aids and are never successful.  We must change the course and return to being “One nation under God, indivisible; with liberty and justice for all.” If we will; we can still have an impact on the world.

 Sadly, the alternative has been played out many times. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medes & Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Prussians, Mongols, Japanese, British, Axis, USSR…nations and empires rise and fall–God simply does not.  That’s why following the Lord and His plan is always the right course.

God Bless You

An oracle concerning Damascus.

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city
    and will become a heap of ruins.
2 The cities of Aroer are deserted;
    they will be for flocks,
    which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.
3 The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,
    and the kingdom from Damascus;
and the remnant of Syria will be
    like the glory of the children of Israel,
declares the Lord of hosts.

4 And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low,
    and the fat of his flesh will grow lean.
5 And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain
    and his arm harvests the ears,
and as when one gleans the ears of grain
    in the Valley of Rephaim.
6 Gleanings will be left in it,
    as when an olive tree is beaten—
two or three berries
    in the top of the highest bough,
four or five
    on the branches of a fruit tree,
declares the Lord God of Israel.

7 In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. 8 He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.

9 In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.

10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation
    and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge.
therefore, though you plant pleasant plants
    and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,
11 though you make them grow[a] on the day that you plant them,
    and make them blossom in the morning that you sow,
yet the harvest will flee away[b]
    in a day of grief and incurable pain.

12 Ah, the thunder of many peoples;
    they thunder like the thundering of the sea!
Ah, the roar of nations;
    they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!
13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters,
    but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away,
chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind
    and whirling dust before the storm.
14 At evening time, behold, terror!
    Before morning, they are no more!
This is the portion of those who loot us,
    and the lot of those who plunder us.

Posted in A Father's Love, Holiness, Marraige, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 14 Part 2–Pride, the Common Denominator

Posted on by Michael Smith

In this passage, Isaiah is describing the fall of the king of Babylon.  In his description, Isaiah parallels the fall to the fall of Satan. Ezekiel does a similar description in his prophecy about the king of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:12-17). The common theme is very simple, the pride and arrogance of these “great ones” are the very things that brings them down.  It is no secret that God establishes and destroys kingdoms, empires, and leaders.  In Daniel 2, John 19, Romans 13, I Timothy 2, and 1 Peter 2 God makes clear that He is the one that establishes governments.

In this passage, Isaiah reminds the king of Babylon that his pride and arrogance will be his demise–just as it was for the morning star–Satan.  There is a common axiom that states, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  That was why God always sought to lead Israel–He knew men would fall into pride and arrogance as they obtained power. Since Lucifer, God watched leaders let their personal arrogance seduce them into forgetting their place was established by God and once that occurred, chaos and destruction followed. 1/3 of the angels were cast out of heaven with the morning star.  The handwriting was on the wall for the king of Babylon.  Throughout time, leaders have risen and fallen simply by chasing the intoxicating feeling of power and control. It never lasts.  It is simply an illusion, a mirage sparkling in the distance that ends up being a desert.

Solomon, the wisest king, said it best in Proverbs 3, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.  Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways–and He will make your path straight.”  God sets the path and trajectory–we can choose to follow it or refuse and strike out on our own.  The former brings life and peace, and the latter brings chaos and destruction. Please pray for our country and its leaders; pray that they will realize this truth.

God Bless You

The realm of the dead below is all astir
    to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—
    all those who were leaders in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
    all those who were kings over the nations.
10 They will all respond,
    they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
    you have become like us.”
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,
    along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you
    and worms cover you.

12 How you have fallen from heaven,
    morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
    to the depths of the pit.

Posted in Creation, Devotions, Holiness, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 11–Jesus, The Game Changer

Posted on by Michael Smith

In his delivery of the difficult message to God’s chosen people, Isaiah never seems to give a tough decree without the follow of great hope.  Isaiah had just finished describing the enslavement of the people to Assyria and to Egypt he also talked of the return of the remnant anf the destruction of Israel’s captors.  Then, from that, Isaiah stops and begins a description of the shoot from the branch of Jesse that restores and brings peace.  

In Isaiah’s description, The one that will restore will do so with peace, wisdom, and understanding. There will be no need to raise a sword because he will unify and protect His own.  He will bring peace accross all nations and will rule with wisdom and not with might. Sadly, the description is not the description of most rulers.  The Messiah was not sent to be a mighty tyrant or warrior king, He was sent to seek and to save that which was lost.

Looking back at the coming of the Lord, He truly divided time and taught peace and unity.  He changed the world by reminding us that to be first–one must get to the back of the line.  The great should act with the most humility, and the leaders should be the most selfless servants. 

Then and now, His people are to be the ones to lead the nations to a right knowledge of God and draw them to God not push them away.  Make no mistake, God is all knowing and all powerful. He brings up nations and then takes them down.  He allows men the ability to destroy themselves–but desires most to restore and unify them.  Jesus, the shoot of Jesse, waits to be the change agent; if we will simply trust and follow Him.  Let’s Pray for revival for ourselves, our families, and our nation.

God Bless You

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 

Posted in A Father's Love, Creation, Devotions, Fathers Love, Holiness, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 7 Great News for Now and Forever

Posted on by Michael Smith

Now that God had His man on the ground, He sent Isaiah and his Son (A remnant will return) to assure and encourage the King.  Three phrases carry the day–Be careful, keep calm and do not be afraid.  Ahaz had reason to be afraid, the 10 tribes–Ephriam and Assyria were poised to take Judah (Judah and Benjamin).

God makes it clear–“Not going to happen!”  What is more, the two enemies will be a distant memory. This was pretty good news for Ahaz–even though he was not following the Lord.  Fortunately for him, God honored his promise for David and on David’s behalf.  Isaiah knew that God was not fooling around and was able to give the message to the king. 

Tucked in this is another great message–Messianic prophecy 1–Judah will have an eternal reign.  Isaiah tells Ahaz that God Himself will seal His mark on history–A virgin will give birth to a son and his name will be Immanuel–God with Us.  Ahaz had no clue that this was a promise for eternity, surely if he had, he would have trusted God and followed God’s leadership.

Isaiah would lead four kings and try to give them a vision for the future of God’s chosen people.  Many of the messages would have immediate relevance, and many would have relevance for all time.  This was the first message recorded after Isaiah’s call that rocks our world. 

We wake up grateful each day that “God with Us” came and changed history, government, and people’s ability to have a relationship with the Father. It was a great promise for the king and for all of us who know and trust God. He alone will complete us and restore us to the eternal folks we are to become. 

God Bless You

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,[b] to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,
8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
    you will not stand at all.’”

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The virgin[d] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[e] will call him Immanuel.[f] 15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”

Posted in devotion, Devotions, Holiness, Marraige, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 6-The Call of a Prophet

Posted on by Michael Smith

It truly must have been a daunting vision. Isaiah standing in Heaven in the presence of God.  To that point, Isaiah had been a historian for the king. The king died and I am sure that Isaiah was wondering what was next for his journey–then Bam! Isaiah was standing in God’s presence in stark fear, knowing that Uzziah became a leper for simply going into the Holy of Holies and touching the incense.

BUT GOD, was in control. He purified Isaiah, and He also sent Isaiah on a mission.  The purification was by an angel that literally touched Isaiah’s mouth with an ember from the alter of Heaven–that is something one does not experience every day. Then God described his mission–Go tell a group of people that are not seeing, hearing, or understanding that they are in big trouble, what lies ahead.  Further, be assured that when you tell them they will not understand.  That is not a job one would get a plethora of resumes for on Indeed.

Isaiah did the job he was called to do–for Judah and for the world.  For as sad as the message to the people truly was, the hope of salvation was equally as exciting. With God, there is always hope–that hope centers on the person of Jesus Christ.

We cling to the fact that Jesus is the Savior, and not our own sinful attempts to control life.  As we follow the Lord humbly and intently; He will show us the way to do this life, and He will prepare us for what lies ahead in eternity.I would be less than honest if I did not admit that I would not want Isaiah’s job; but, I would do what God calls me to do daily. I know God’s call will be preparation for what is to come.

God Bless You

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.
the whole earth is full of his glory!”[b]

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah’s Commission from the Lord

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing,[c] but do not understand.
keep on seeing,[d] but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people dull,[e]
    and their ears heavy,
    and blind their eyes.
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”

Posted in A Father's Love, Holiness, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 5 Part 1–The Vineyard Story

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah shares the pain of the Lord in a practical way.  God invested so much time and energy to prepare, protect,  and provide for Israel. From the moment He led them from Egypt, He cared and led the chosen people into a promised Land.  His goal was always for Israel to be His ambassadors to the world.  They were to remain separate from the cultures of the world–all the while, leading the world to a loving Father.

Sadly, repeatedly, when Israel became prosperous, they walked away from God. Rather than leading the world to the Lord, they chased the world and all that sparkled and shined. Like the parable alluded, rather than producing lives for the Lord, they produced more sin and hedonism. God tried everything to bring the people back, judges, kings, and prophets–none could turn the people from their sin. So, like the vineyard owner, God took down the protection and the prosperity He provided and allowed Israel to reap the consequence of their behaviors and choices.

It was a heartbreak for the vineyard owner, God, to let the world overrun what He had spent so many years building.  At that point, God knew nothing would change the hearts of the people He freed and restored.  He let them do what they wanted and just removed His protections and provisions. He loved His chosen and hated to see them continue to live independent of His leadership. Like the vineyard owner, God tried everything to restore the hearts of the people,  but He is not foolish and knew it was time to walk away.

For us and our current world, God has patiently waited for us to return the values of our forefathers.  Selflessness and honor were the cornerstones of society. As prosperity grew, those values receded to make way for materialism and pride.  Each person has become the center of their own universes, without any regard for others.  After generations of slowly abandoning God and the values He placed in the world–God knocked down the vineyard walls and closed the watchtower.

Chaos has ensued. Families have crumbled and authority has been disregarded.  The wolves of the world have now infiltrated and destroyed the foundations God put in place.  To God, it is a heartbreak. For us, it is time to repent and to return to the values of our forefathers.  Help me Lord to return to the values you placed in this world so that we can once again follow you and enjoy your restoration.

God Bless You

Let me sing for my beloved
    my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
    on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,
    and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
    and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
    but it yielded wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
    and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard,
    that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
    why did it yield wild grapes?

5 And now I will tell you
    what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
    and it shall be devoured;[a]
I will break down its wall,
    and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste;
    it shall not be pruned or hoed,
    and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
    that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
    is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
    are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
    but behold, bloodshed;[b]
for righteousness,
    but behold, an outcry!

Posted in A Father's Love, Devotions, Holiness, Marraige, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 3 Part 1 They Did This to Themselves

Posted on by Michael Smith

The recurring message of Isaiah was and is God is pulling away His hand of Protection and allowing those that are his own to face the consequence of their actions.  As any father would say, “If you think you are so independent, GO FOR IT! In Isaiah’s prophecy what does that look like, it is a matter of support and supply.

Israel and specifically Judah had grown to expect God to meet their every wish and desire.  Protection, provision and prominence were the expectation for the folks in Israel.  So, the word was Given to Isaiah–I am pulling my support and supply.  All food and water, all military and civil protection and all wisdom and leadership will now be up to you.  You are going to be run by punks.  You are going to be led by immature and inexperienced children.  They will crumble and fall–naked and ashamed. They will be unable to recover because they are too busy bickering and blaming.

They will turn on each other–siblings, parents, friends.  They will be led away–cities in ruin and spirit broken they will become slaves and sycophants to their masters.Isaiah called them out–You have become militantly sinful praising your rebellion as a show of pride and courage. 

So be it! For you, there is a reckoning awaiting.  The righteous will be spared but the rest of you will have nothing left to hope for because the judgement is real. What an incredibly sad message. 

 In our lives, we have to understand that God’s judgement is not a beating he brings on us; it is so much worse.  It is Him simply removing His protection and His support. 

When that happens, those under his care become immediately vulnerable to the outcome of their pitiful choices.  They simply reap all that has grown from what they have sewn.  Please, Lord, do not remove your protection from those whom you have loved.  Help us to stand in your shadow and follow you closely and humbly.

God Bless You

For behold, the Lord God of hosts
    is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and supply,[a]
    all support of bread,
    and all support of water;
2 the mighty man and the soldier,
    the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty
    and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skillful magician
    and the expert in charms.
4 And I will make boys their princes,
    and infants[b] shall rule over them.
5 And the people will oppress one another,
    every one his fellow
    and every one his neighbor;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
    and the despised to the honorable.