Tag: religion

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

Isaiah 53–He May Have Endured my Pain, But Don’t Call Me Shirley

Posted on by Michael Smith

This is the most beautiful and specific prophecy about the coming Messiah.  It has been the verse for some of the most beautiful music.  It describes in such detail the sacrifice made by our Lord.  We often forget the level of pain and degradation that the Lord Jesus suffered on our behalf.  In Philippians 2, we are told to have the same attitude as Christ. Who being God, already did not need to attain immortality or authority over all. Yet out of Love for us, He emptied Himself of His Godhood and became a man.  Being in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient to Death–a death on the cross.

Isaiah’s description of the Lord’s sacrifice goes to the very heart of that.  He was GOD! he created the universe. So, to live humbly as a carpenter and then an itinerant Rabbi was quite a step down.  Then to spread the message of the Father’s Love and desire for relationship with us; only to be at odds with the leadership of HIS chosen people…not easy to take. Finally, to heal, raise the dead, feed the masses, and cast out the enemy; knowing all the time these people would demand His execution, uugh. 

It was the most beautiful way for God to demonstrate His love for us.  For Isaiah, well he had the first preview of what would become the greatest event in history.  He saw the thing that would, in fact divide time.  He forecast this life hundreds of years before as if he was watching it in HD.  That is why we should trust God.  He created us and a plan to save us despite our wicked nature. What a prophet and what an evangelist. Thank You Lord, for the prophetic markers to remind us of our Lord’s love and sacrifice for us!

God Bless You

Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.

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

Isaiah 47–Serving a God You Do Not Have to Carry

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah lays out the distinction between being the true God and being an idol.  In short, God says, “Do you want to worship a God that you make, or one that made you?”  He then draws the distinction of the choice.  The God’s that men make become a burden to their worshippers.  There is the cost of casting the idol.  That is not cheap.  Then there is the cost of moving and replacing the worn-out idols.  Then there is the space they take up…AND FOR WHAT??? They cannot hear you; they cannot answer you; they certainly cannot protect or restore you.


Conversely, God tells His people, “I have made you; I have carried you; I will sustain you from youth until you reach old age.  But you cannot place me on a shelf, nor can you control me.” An old axiom is that God created man in his own image, and men have been trying to return the favor ever since.  It is not our job to create, to control or even to figure out God.  He is the Creator, the Lord.  We are simply called to trust Him and follow Him.  If we will, He will carry us all the days of our lives.  It is however a choice we must make, both personally and daily.


From God’s perspective, men can choose to follow the God’s that they have created, or they can follow THE God that created them. Either choice has a trajectory and a cost. I am going to do as Joshua said in Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!!!”


God Bless You

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low;
    their idols are borne by beasts of burden.[a]
The images that are carried about are burdensome,
    a burden for the weary.
2 They stoop and bow down together;
    unable to rescue the burden,
    they themselves go off into captivity.

3 “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,
    all the remnant of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,
    and have carried since you were born.
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
    To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?
6 Some pour out gold from their bags
    and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god,
    and they bow down and worship it.
7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it;
    they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
    From that spot it cannot move.
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;
    it cannot save them from their troubles.

8 “Remember this, keep it in mind,
    take it to heart, you rebels.
9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
    from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
    and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon a bird of prey;
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned, that I will do.
12 Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted,
    you who are now far from my righteousness.
13 I am bringing my righteousness near,
    it is not far away;
    and my salvation will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,
    my splendor to Israel.

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

Isaiah 46–God’s Installation of Leaders

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah prophecies the coming and taking of the Babylonian empire by Cyress, the King of the Medes and Persians. Interestingly, this is well prior to the Israel exile to Babylon.  The important take away is the reminder that God has a plan and that He is the one executing the plan.  Israel’s fate was sealed. They had abandoned the Lord and were destined to be exiled. In that pain, God had already planned for their release and return to Jerusalem.  

Cyress was no preist or prophet from God, He did neither honor God nor worship Him.  Still, God knew He would be the king that released the exiled Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem.  God has said all along that he installed and removed leaders.  We simply must trust that God’s plan is being completed.  We can neither outthink nor outguess God. Solomon said it best in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge God in all your ways, and , He will make your paths straight.”

America is in a singularly difficult period in its history.  So much division and so much distrust.  The Church is being called upon to pray ceaselessly for God to work His plan and heal our Land.  We cannot be timid, nor can we expect anyone else to intercede for this nation and its people.  Join in prayer for the revival of this nation and for peace in our land.  We cannot give up on meeting together and seeking God with all our hearts.  If we will, we can echo the words of Jonathan, Saul’s son, in I Samuel 14:6, when he told his armor bearer, “Let’s go to battle, perhaps the Lord will work for us.”

God Bless You

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
    to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you
    and will level the mountains[a];
I will break down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.
3 I will give you hidden treasures,
    riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;
    apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
    though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me.
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

8 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;
    let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
    let salvation spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
    I, the Lord, have created it.

9 “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
    those who are nothing but potsherds
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
    ‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
    ‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
    ‘What have you brought to birth?’

11 “This is what the Lord says—
    the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?
12 It is I who made the earth
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
    I marshaled their starry hosts.
13 I will raise up Cyrus[b] in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.
He will rebuild my city
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,
    says the Lord Almighty.”

Posted in A Father's Love, Devotions, Holiness, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 45–The Lordship Of Almighty God

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah brings forth a clear and bold statement from the Lord. It is not complex; it is not controversial; it is simply the truth.  I am the Lord God. In context for the world, Lord is the key word.  So many nations worship so many things. Yet , during that, God remains the Lord of all.  He raises and levels kings, kingdoms, and empires. As the creator of all that is, God could and has simply wiped it all out. 

God has been amazingly patient in his handling of men and specifically His own.  Israel’s and Christians’ pride and sin have resulted in so many lost blessings.  He has had to allow sin to take its toll. The result has been loss of freedom, of prosperity, and loss of life. None has ever thrilled the Father. In retrospect, however, God has done everything possible to reach out and restore salvation to His chosen.

Satan, in many forms has always looked to undermine God’s plan.  Each life and period of history where people have abandoned God, it not only breaks the Lord’s heart, but it also fuels sin and despair among those for whom He sacrificed all to redeem.  God will not be mocked.  He does not ignore our choices and sin.  Instead, He trusts His son Jesus to separate the sheep from goats. Accepting into fellowship sheep and not goats.

All we like sheep have gone astray–but God demonstrates His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.  It is our responsibility to trust Him and follow Him closely.  We do that by seeking the Lord out in word and in prayer.  To be effective, we must accept Jesus as LORD and Savior.  That will change everything; it gives us eternal life with God and restores the relationship the enemy so ardently desires to quash.

Do not be afraid of the Lordship of God–Like any father, our Lord, Adonai always wants an abundant life for us here and for eternity.  We simply have to look at what He has done and trust that God can repeat it in our lives.

God Bless You

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
    to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you
    and will level the mountains[a];
I will break down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.
3 I will give you hidden treasures,
    riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;
    apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
    though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its setting
people may know there is none besides me.
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

8 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;
    let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
    let salvation spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
    I, the Lord, have created it.

9 “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
    those who are nothing but potsherds
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
    ‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
    ‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
    ‘What have you brought to birth?’

11 “This is what the Lord says—
    the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?
12 It is I who made the earth
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
    I marshaled their starry hosts.
13 I will raise up Cyrus[b] in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.
He will rebuild my city
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,
    says the Lord Almighty.”

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

Isaiah 43 Part 1–The Gospel of Isaiah

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah communicates one of the sweetest promises in the Bible to God’s chosen people.  First, the Lord makes clear who He is–I am the one who created you, who formed you; and, I am the one that has redeemed you.  In short, God is not a disinterested party!  As discussed throughout this book of Prophecy, History and promise–God desires most ardently to communicate to Israel and to those who have decided to be in relationship with Him.  The primary message is very simply I know you.I love you, and I will care for you.

The word pictures are so beautiful and specific.  I have summoned you by name and you are mine! Through flood and fire, you will be safe. I will bring you back literally from the corners of the earth. There is no price to high, no people more important than the ones I have chosen and have chosen Me.  God knew that what lay ahead for Israel and for the church would be difficult.  He wanted both to know that He would never leave or forsake them.

In our day, it is difficult to see that love from God.  All media, culture, and forces in the world would have us believe God is a crutch the weak use to cope.  But the loving Father that called out to Israel through Isaiah calls out to us in 2020–“I created and formed you! Do not fear, I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name; you are Mine!”

In the most difficult of circumstance, we can cling to this truth that has stood for thousands of years.  God loves us and knows us like none other.  The world desires to use us and then cast us aside.  It only loves itself and makes no provision for the care of others.  That is why we must cling to the truth and gift of our faith.  Romans 10:9 says it best, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe God has raised Him from the dead–You will be saved.”  God wants us to trust Him and allow Him to have lordship of our lives.  He knows us and wants to lead us through this mess we call life!

God Bless You

But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”

8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
    who have ears but are deaf.
9 All the nations gather together
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
    and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
    so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “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, no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.

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

Isaiah 42 Part 1–The Character of God’s Chosen and of God

Posted on by Michael Smith

God made it clear to Isaiah that his chosen are people with character.  They do not whine or complain.  They are people of integrity that represent God well and represent themselves as separate and different.  They are selfless, content with God’s plan and leadership.  They will seek God with their heart.  They do not compromise or put their needs ahead of those of the Father.

As such, God takes them by the hand and leads them.  He protects, provides, and brings them to a place that they walk and act like the God that leads them.  Unlike the world, they are humble, honest and consider others needs as important as their own.  So as any good Father Adonai meet5s and exceeds the meeting of their needs.  He will never be outdone.  He answers prayers with such specificity and meets needs so completely that his power and authority is not an issue.

In our world, so many voices seek to undermine and minimize God’s hand in the world.  They would have one believe that either things happen by coincidence or at the expertise from their own hands. We must not be fooled by such a ridiculous lie.  One need only look up and see the stars to understand how insignificant our impact on the world.  We need to trust and follow God and allow him to complete his plan in our lives and in the lives of those we pass each day. Ours is not to try to figure it out God’s plan, but to simply allow Him to lead us along the path of this amazing journey.

God Bless You

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street.
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench.
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a]
    till he has established justice in the earth.
    and the coastlands wait for his law.

5 Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out?
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it?
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord; I have called you[b] in righteousness.
    I will take you by the hand and keep you.
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,
7     to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name.
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare.
before they spring forth
    I tell you of them.”

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

Isaiah 41 Part 2–The Chosen Need Not Fear!

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah is clear, God WILL uphold Israel.  No matter which enemy, no matter which age–Israel is still, and will always be, God’s chosen people.  Additionally, those who are in relationship with God through faith in Christ are also God’s chosen.  Isaiah makes the pronouncement that the chosen of God need not fear–He will uphold and defend them and their name until the end of time.

There have been so many cultures and people groups that have sought to eradicate God and His chosen from the face of the earth.  They have persecuted, martyred, and sought to destroy all evidence of God’s existence and impact on men’s lives.  Yet, as of 2020, they have failed repeatedly.  Oh, make no mistake, every resource has been leveraged.  Every attempt has been made. Armies, legislatures, congresses, parliamentary bodies, judicial bodies, evil empires, and tyrannical regimes have, in succession done their part to wipe the planet clean of God and His people.

The Great news is they have all failed–because, as Isaiah so articulately explains, God has committed to our protection and provision.  God can raise and destroy empires in an instant–Ask the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines…Still, God calls His people to pray without ceasing.  He calls us to walk humbly and live holy lives.  He accepts us for who we are; but, calls us to become like Jesus.  In that process, though, He never abandons His beloved.  We must trust Him at His word. Walk as one that is bought with a price.

The world can continue to spew its hate and attempt to take God out of the picture, but, as has always been the case–the world will fail.  The created will never outsmart the creator. He has always been, is and will always be.  Conversely, those that would defeat the Lord are here for an instant and then disappear into obscurity.  We,God’s chosen, need to cling to His promise and walk in His way to enjoy the peace, protection, and provision He longs for us to enjoy.

God Bless You

But you, Israel, my servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
    and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
    I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
10 fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

11 Behold, all who are incensed against you
    shall be put to shame and confounded;
those who strive against you
    shall be as nothing and shall perish.
12 You shall seek those who contend with you,
    but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
    shall be as nothing at all.
13 For I, the Lord your God,
    hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
    I am the one who helps you.”

14 Fear not, you worm Jacob,
    you men of Israel!
I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;
    your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge,
    new, sharp, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
    and you shall make the hills like chaff;
16 you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away,
    and the tempest shall scatter them.
And you shall rejoice in the Lord;
    in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

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

Isaiah 36-39 A History Break

Posted on by Michael Smith

The Book of Isaiah stops and turns from prophetic to the historical.

It is amazing how brash the Godless can be.  The Assyrian Empire Had grown quite well. It’s King, Sennacherib, certainly thought himself invincible.  As he sent 180,000 troops to surround and capture Jerusalem, he assumed it would be a simple process.  His field commander approached the walls of Jerusalem and made the king’s announcement.  “Give it up…you do not stand a chance. Don’t listen to your king, he is deluded. If you think I am afraid of Him OR HIS GOD, you are wrong.  I am not afraid of the gods of my enemies; I have whipped them all.“

Scripture reminds us repeatedly that men’s arrogance usually become the basis of their demise.  Here the Assyrian King placed way too much to confidence in his power and his men.  He laughed at Hezekiah’s promise to the people.  What he was about to learn, however, is that you can never underestimate the power of God.  What makes our Lord different from the rest of the world’s gods is that he is real.  How real? Well looking at the results–Sennacherib would say very real. So would the leaders of Egypt, Moab, Amelik, Midian, Sodom, Gomorrah, Babylon, Greece, Rome, and the list goes on.

I am a strong believer in the power of God. It has carried me through a very challenging journey. He has taught me repeatedly that it is our Lord that controls the lives of men. Our control is an illusion. On this very day as a category 4 hurricane has hit Texas and Louisiana, we are all reminded how quickly things can change.  Through all circumstance, we must seek the Lord and trust Him to carry us through. It will never be like we think, but it will always be amazing.  Help me Lord to trust You through thick and thin. Also, help me not to believe the lies of the world but, cling to the truth of your greatness.

God Bless You

​36

The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? 5 You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? 6 Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. 7 But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”?

8 “‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! 9 How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen[a]? 10 Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

11 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

12 But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

13 Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! 15 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

16 “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, 17 until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

18 “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 20 Who of all the gods of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

21 But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

Posted in Devotions, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 33–What Goes Around Comes Around

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah next takes on the issue of balancing the scales.  So many times, we see the evil in the world and sense that there is no justice.  We see people that prey upon others and never seem to suffer consequences.  They snub rules and shake their fists at authority, all the time feeling invincible and deserving of anything they desire, no matter the cost to others.

Isaiah reminds us, that the destroyer will be destroyed.  The betrayer will be betrayed, in short–what goes around comes around.  In contrast, Isaiah says God will be gracious to the gracious, kind to those that show kindness.  God dispenses justice and mercy according to the measure it is dispensed.  The amazing addition, however, comes in that God also shows mercy to us as sinners.  We do not deserve such grace. We do not deserve salvation.  In Romans 5, Paul says it best, “God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.

It is important for us, as His chosen, to live lives that show grace and mercy to the extent it has been shown to us. We must never lose sight that the Bible and our lives are filled with frail humans doing stupid things that affect others.  We grow cold and self-righteous, forgetting that we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. In that, we act a great deal like the ones described in the prophecy.  We need to show God’s grace and mercy.  We need to show others the same measure of grace we have been shown. When we do, we will be blessed and receive the grace we have shown.  As a child of God, we must continue to live and look like the Savior that bore our sin.

God Bless You

​Woe to you, destroyer,you who have not been destroyed!Woe to you, betrayer,you who have not been betrayed!When you stop destroying,you will be destroyed;when you stop betraying,you will be betrayed.

2 Lord, be gracious to us;we long for you.Be our strength every morning,our salvation in time of distress.

3 At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee;when you rise up, the nations scatter.

4 Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts;like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

5 The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.

6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a]

7 Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;the envoys of peace weep bitterly.

8 The highways are deserted,no travelers are on the roads.The treaty is broken,its witnesses[b] are despised,no one is respected.

9 The land dries up and wastes away,Lebanon is ashamed and withers;Sharon is like the Arabah,and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

10 “Now will I arise,” says the Lord.“Now will I be exalted;now will I be lifted up.

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

Isaiah 27–The Caretaker’s Love and Protection

Posted on by Michael Smith

If there was ever a prophecy that shared the heart of a Father, it is Isaiah’s prophecy in this chapter. God is going to punish those that punished His chosen. He would take the leviathan or serpent; and do to them what they did to His chosen.  The picture of leviathan comes from Baal mythology as the enemy that Baal defeated.  God was sending the message that not Baal–but the one true God was the defeater of the evil one–whether that is Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, or Satan himself–God would destroy all whom would damage the ones He loves.

The other part of the prophecy reminds us that while God does discipline those He loves; it is always the Lord’s intent to restore the chosen and nurture and protect them.  Isaiah’s imagery shows a passionate and loving caretaker.  The prophecy also speaks of the remnant’s return to peace and prosperity.  Isaiah draws a picture of a carefree child; peacefully resting in a safe and lovely place.  That is God’s plan and desire for a people that will humbly follow His lead.

In our time, we have seen the rise and fall of many empires.  We have seen nations trust God and as they did, they were blessed. Conversely, as they turned their backs on Him, chaos and destruction followed.  God wants to bless those that follow Him–whether a nation or a remnant, He loves His own.  We must be ready to trust and follow the Lord in all seasons and circumstance.  If we will, He will bless us and walk with us through great and difficult times.  As the old hymn says–trust and obey, there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 

God Bless You

 In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

2 In that day,
“A pleasant vineyard,[a] sing of it!
3     I, the Lord, am its keeper;
    every moment I water it.
    Lest anyone punish it,
I keep it night and day;
4     I have no wrath.
Would that I had thorns and briers to battle!
    I would march against them,
    I would burn them up together.
5 Or let them lay hold of my protection,
    let them make peace with me,
    let them make peace with me.”

6 In days to come[b] Jacob shall take root,
    Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots
    and fill the whole world with fruit.

7 Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them?
    Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?
8 Measure by measure,[c] by exile you contended with them;
    he removed them with his fierce breath[d] in the day of the east wind.
9 Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for,
    and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:[e]
when he makes all the stones of the altars
    like chalkstones crushed to pieces,
    no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.
10 For the fortified city is solitary,
    a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness;
there the calf grazes;
    there it lies down and strips its branches.
11 When its boughs are dry, they are broken;
    women come and make a fire of them.
For this is a people without discernment;
    therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them;
    he who formed them will show them no favor.

12 In that day from the river Euphrates[f] to the Brook of Egypt the Lord will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.