August 1 – Isaiah 64-66

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 64-66. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Akshathnkumar Shetty

I was never good when it came to molding things out of clay. Art really is not my thing. I can take a lump of clay and roll a pretty mean snake, but beyond that, I just lack the talent. It’s not for trying; I have given it my best effort. In middle school art class I tried to make a dragon, but the proportions were completely off, and the only thing right on it was possibly the green color. I thought it would be fun to sit down at the pottery wheel, but every time the urn began to form it would collapse back down. (Still the romantic scene of me and Crystal together at a pottery wheel sounds like fun!) The most memorable thing I made was a clay pot out of snake rings piled on top of each other and then smoothed over. It is midnight blue and black in color and sits in my attic today.

I love that the Bible often likens God’s work in us to Him being the potter and us being the clay. Unlike my lack of talent, God has all the ability that we could hope for. He is the master potter. He is the ultimate craftsman. He wants to mold us and shape us to his will for our lives. At least that is what Isaiah reminds us of … “you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8 NLT)

Now the question is are you allowing the potter to work? Are you allowing God the Father to mold and shape you into the beautiful creation He desires you to be? Are you praying, asking God to be the potter of your life? I hope so, but you must know it takes giving up control. It takes allowing God to take you through things you might not necessarily get or understand. It takes you allowing God to put you through the pressure of His hands and through the finishing fire. It may not always be pleasant, but what comes out on the other end is magnificent. My pottery projects were disasters, but my hands are not the hands of a master potter. God’s hands are the hands of a master potter, and his works are magnificent!

July 31 – Isaiah 59-63

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 59-63. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

I am not big on hellfire and brimstone preaching. When I lived in Virginia I used to attend a Wednesday breakfast with some men from the church. The food was great, the fellowship was wonderful, and the worship was fine. There were two reasons I stopped attending; the early time meant for a long day and the teens on Wednesday nights were not getting the best out of me. However, the main reason I stopped attending was the preaching that took place. Every other week the pastor of the church spoke. Each time he spoke his preaching was directed at how bad our world is getting. Often I felt beat down and not uplifted. I could not take all the negativity that overwhelmed that place.

Now, there are times preaching and teaching has to have some corrective elements. Negativity has to rear its ugly head from time to time. If it never does, correction may never happen. But constant negativity just wears people out. Isaiah was one who brought a lot of negative news to the people of Judah. Fortunately for him, his news was not all bad. From time to time he had the privilege of bringing good news. He was able to one of the first to announcing the coming Messiah. His news even spoke of the return from exile.

He knew his mission was both the bearer of bad and good news. Read his words again … “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners be freed.” (Isaiah 61:1 NLT) Good news always needs to follow bad news. Hope always needs to be seen.

I hope your teaching, sharing, and preaching to your friends, relatives, and co-workers who may know Christ and have strayed, or who do not Christ is not always full of negativity. I hope in there you are pointing to hope, pointing to restoration, bringing good news. That is exactly what gospel means … the good news of the work of Jesus! Bring some good news!

July 30 – Isaiah 54-58

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 54-58. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

I am back. Camp was a blast. Unfortunately I did not get to get near my computer long enough to write blog post or even upload the readings to the blog. When was on my computer I spent it writing things specifically for camp. I apologize for that. I now plan to be back to my normal schedule. Thank you for your patience.

I have also found a renewed freshness to my reading. The break has done me some good. When I came to read the word today I found so many different topics to write about. When we dive into the word of God each day, especially reading it in this chronological order we find very similar topics day after day. We have heard from many prophets over the past month or so about the coming destruction of Israel and Judah. You might find comfort to know that I am ready for it to happen so we can move onto something a little more uplifting.

Today I found three independent areas I want to draw thoughts from. To cover all three means I am only going to be able to do a smattering of justice to each of them. Let’s begin.

God often compares His relationship to us by reminding us of our own family relations. In our reading today we found these words … “For the LORD has called you back from your grief-as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband.” (Isaiah 54:6 NLT) Why would God use such an analogy? Because he knows we understand the emotions tied to this idea of abandonment. Some of you reading this may know from a painful past what abandonment feels like, so when you read this, deep emotion pulses through your veins. For others, while not experiencing this can relate, you understand the emotions. God uses what we know and experience to relate to us, and for all of us family relations are our first community experiences.

God relates to us this way because God is not us, but He wants to do life with us, so He has to relate how He created us to relate. God is bigger and more diverse than we are. The second thing I noticed today is a reminder that we are not God, and we do not think like God thinks. Read these words again … ““My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”” (Isaiah 55:8 NLT) Because God is so much more than we are, He must communicate with us in a way we can connect with. God is too vast to interact with.

Last week during camp I taught a class on baptism. On Thursday I had a roundtable discussion with all the kids wanting to be baptized. They asked about how Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit could all be one. I cannot really explain it, especially to fourth and fifth graders. It is a concept that is incredibly hard to wrap our brains around. It is something that requires faith. And you know what? That is absolutely ok. God is so much more than we can understand. That is ok!

The final thing I found while reading is some comfort from Isaiah. Often we see bad things happen to good people and wander why. Sometimes it is even the loss of a family member, a friend, or even a faithful church member. But when they are in Christ, is it really that much of a loss? Maybe for us it is. But is it for them? Absolutely not! Isaiah gives us some insight into God’s plans and offers a little comfort … “Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.” (Isaiah 57:1 NLT) When I look at our world, I am reminded that to be home with the father is much better than to be present on this earth. We should long to be homesick. While someone’s death from this world leaves a hole in our heart, if they are in Christ, then they are home; somewhere we should long to be.

July 22 – Isaiah 28-30.

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 28-30. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

This week I am at Butler Springs Christian Camp. I will have internet access, but it could be somewhat spotty. My goal will be to post each day at least the verses to read. There may or may not be any devotional thoughts. Thank you for your understanding. 

July 18 – Isaiah 23-27

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 23-27. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

 

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

“Throughout the earth the story is the same-only a remnant is left, like the stray olives left on the tree or the few grapes left on the vine after harvest. But all who are left shout and sing for joy. Those in the west praise the LORD’s majesty.” (Isaiah24:13-14 NLT) A lot of Bible readers struggle reading through the prophets because God paints such devastating pictures of his righteous judgment he was about to bring on the earth. But what I love is the glimmers of hope he plants throughout his word.

When I was in college and taking homiletics courses (The fancy word for preaching class), we were always taught to point to hope. Whether that is pointing to Jesus or putting a positive spin on some negative preaching. That way you do not just beat people down you give them some positive actions to take to correct whatever it is you may have been preaching about. God knew this long before we did. That is why he slips hope in throughout his word.

The words above not only gave Israel and Judah hope in their day, but give us hope today. It seems our world is much like those in Bible times. Our world does not worship God. Our world does not honor God. Our world does not respect God. But, you and I, along with millions of other believers in the world, are that faithful remnant today who has the privilege of shouting and singing for joy; we get to praise the LORD’s majesty. So how are you doing at being the faithful?

July 17 – Isaiah 18-22

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 18-22. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

I feel the more I read the Bible the more I fall in love with it. The Bible is unlike any other book on the face of the planet. Where else do you get a book that was written over a fifteen hundred year period of time, in three different languages, on three different continents and yet it all tells one story? Where else do you get a book that teaches so many truths but at the same time contains destruction and violence like the Bible does? Where else do you find steamy sex scenes like Song of Solomon yet they are completely appropriate and even God honoring? Where else do you find the very mind of God contained in the words on the pages? Nowhere! I love this book.

I was reminded of that today as I visualized the imagery of Isaiah’s prophecies. One really struck me in Isaiah twenty-two verses seventeen and eighteen … “For the LORD is about to hurl you away, mighty man. He is going to grab you, crumple you into a ball, and toss you away into a distant, barren land. There you will die, and your glorious chariots will be broken and useless. You are a disgrace to your master!” (Isaiah 22:17-18 NLT). I love that imagery … the idea of God taking a person, crumpling them into a ball and hurling them. What an amazing word picture God paints through Isaiah’s pen.

So what amazes you about the Bible? How does God move you to fathom various thoughts about his Word? What draws you back to God’s word over and over again?

July 16 – Isaiah 13-17

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 13-17. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

We are drawing near to the end of both Israel and Judah as nations. It seems like every generation has struggled to follow God. So now God is predicting their destruction. This prediction for Judah is not an empty threat. This prediction is coming with some specifics. God calls out the nation he will use to deliver the blow … the Babylonians.

When we read chapter thirteen of Isaiah we see this prediction given through Isaiah’s words. What amazes me is that while God is going to use Babylon it does not mean he approves of their actions, their worship, or their lifestyles. Does this give you some idea at how horrible God’s so-called consecrated people had become? In the same chapter where God proclaims he is going to use Babylon to pour out his vengeance he also says he is going to one day destroy them. And again he gives indication of who will bring their end … the Medes.

God’s hand on the movements of nations is amazing. It makes me wonder what it is God is up to here in America. Sure we have free will, but I wonder if God is at work preparing and doing something that we are just not aware of. All I know is that to those faithful, to those who follow God, who continue to worship, God will honor. All I know is we can never stop sharing the love of God. Israel and Judah held off God’s wrath because they repented and worshiped; they listen to the words of God’s messengers the prophets. Maybe it is our responsibility as the faithful to be God’s messengers today. Maybe it is taking the frog in the kettle, things heating up real fast that will wake us up. I pray this is the case. 

July 13 – 2 Chronicles 27 & Isaiah 9-12

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 2 Chronicles 27 & Isaiah 9-12. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Hope. Do you live your life understanding you have hope? Do you feel like you have hope? Do you pursue your dreams, ambitions, desires knowing hope for you has been taken care of. Today’s reading is full of hope.

In chapter nine of Isaiah the added title (If your Bible has section titles this has often been added by the publishers and translators of your particular translation) tells about the hope of the Messiah. This chapter tells about one who will come from Galilee, the region north of Judah which is in the land of the nation of Israel, to reign forever on David’s throne. That idea of reigning forever on David’s throne signifies that this will be a different kind of kingdom than what Israel and Judah had ever experienced. We know the fulfillment of this prophecy to be the virgin birth of Jesus, born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth of Galilee.

The reading is also full of glimmers of hope for Israel and Judah. Destruction and exile has been hinted at over and over throughout the prophetical books. The end of the kingdom as they know it is going to be over. But God doesn’t leave them without hope. Throughout it he reminds them that they will return to their homeland. One day they will find a faithful remnant back in Jerusalem.

One of the strongest messages of the Bible is hope. If you belong to Jesus, if you call him Lord and Savior, then you have hope. You have hope in eternal life with Jesus in heaven. That is the greatest hope ever. 

July 10 – Isaiah 5-8

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 5-8. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Our reading today is incredibly rich. It contained a beautiful allegory comparing God’s love and care for the nations of Israel and Judah to a vineyard. We even got to experience the proclamation of hope coming to earth through the virgin Birth. Isn't it exciting to see God laying the foundation for the coming Messiah, our savior Jesus Christ?

One of my favorite excerpts from our reading today deals with Isaiah’s call. Isaiah is called by God and he gets this amazing glimpse of God on his throne in heaven. He sees and hears the seraphim worshiping God. As their voices shake the Temple Isaiah has this realization … “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”  (Isaiah 6:5 NLT). WOW! Do Isaiah’s words resonate with you? Do you feel like him? Do you fill like you are sinful, like you have filthy lips, you say things you know do not honor God, you speak words that tear down others instead of uplift others, and do you realize the world around you is full of filthy lips and lives and actions?

We are incredibly like Isaiah. Isaiah gets a glimpse of God. As followers of Christ, as Christians, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That means God is within you. Not only do you have the promise of spending eternity in front of the throne of God that Isaiah was able to gaze upon, God has taken up residence within you! Now by seeing Isaiah’s reaction, and by knowing what you do about God’s residence, does that change your actions here in this life? I hope it does.