"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. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour" (Isaiah 43:2-3). …
Category: Isaiah
In Christ, we are “more than conquerors.”
Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths (Isaiah 2:3). I rejoiced when I heard them say: Let us go to God's house (Psalm 122:1). We are called to worship …
Light in the darkness
"Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Without the Word of the Lord, we're stumbling around in the dark; We're trying to make sense of life, but it's not quite working, There's something missing. The Word of the Lord comes to us. It brings light into …
Judgment and salvation
“The day of the Lord is near … The day of the Lord is going to come. It will be a cruel day with fury and fierce anger. He will make the earth desolate. He will destroy its sinners. Its time has almost come. Its days will not be extended” (Isaiah 13:6,9,22) – what solemn …
From Good Friday to Easter Friday (14): In the prophet’s words, we hear the Word of love, eternal love, the love of God.
Welcome to the fourteenth stage of our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: In the prophet's words, we hear the Word of love, eternal love, the love of God. Isaiah 55 The Lord says, “Come, everyone who is thirsty— here is water!Come, you that have no money— buy grain and eat!Come! Buy wine and milk— it will cost you …
A holy man of God
"I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God" (2 Kings 4:9). What a wonderful reputation Elisha had. He was known as "a holy man of God" - What a reputation to be lived up to! How can any sinner become a holy man of God? This is …
Responding to Jesus Christ
Sixth Sunday in Lent (Palm / Passion): Entry into Jerusalem – Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Passion – Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 (or Matthew 27:11-54) PALM SUNDAY Our response to Christ - Discipleship, Depth, Devotion Four times, Jesus is called ‘the Son of David’ (Matthew 20:30-31; 21:9,15). Christ is greater than …
Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday): Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27,66
Isaiah 50:4-7: Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27,66 Listening to God and speaking for Him ‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught’ …
The Lord’s “strong hand” is the strong hand of his love.
"For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people" (Isaiah 8:11). We tend to think of God, leading us by his loving hand. Here, we read about his "strong hand." What we must understand, if we are to be led by the …
Continue reading The Lord’s “strong hand” is the strong hand of his love.
When God sends out His Word
Isaiah 55-57 When God sends out His Word, He sends it with a promise; "My Word... will not come back to Me without results, but it will accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I send it to do" (Isaiah 55:11). The Lord is looking out. He's looking beyond those who are already worshipping Him. …
A New Name
God has given us ‘a new Name’. It is ‘the Name which is above every name’, the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 62:2; Philippians 2:9-11).
Shine Your Light Upon Us, Lord.
‘Arise, shine; for your Light has come... the Lord will be your everlasting Light’ (Isaiah 60:1,19-20). We thank You, Lord, that Your Son, Jesus Christ is ‘the Light of the world’. When we ‘follow Him’, we ‘will not walk in darkness’. We ‘will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). We are living in difficult …
Compassion and comfort from the Lord lead us to sing to him with great joy.
Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones (Isaiah 49:13). From the heart of God come compassion and comfort. When God's compassion and comfort reach our hearts, this leads to rejoicing and singing. We sing the song of salvation. We rejoice …
Continue reading Compassion and comfort from the Lord lead us to sing to him with great joy.
New Year: a time for thinking about something else – new life
We're nearly at the end of the old year. Our thoughts are turning to the New Year. Is it time for thinking about something else - new life? "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who …
Continue reading New Year: a time for thinking about something else – new life
Trust in the Lord forever.
"Trust in the Lord forever.... the Lord is an everlasting rock!" (Isaiah 26:4). Forever, everlasting - We must never lose sight of this eternal perspective.
Patience and pride – There’s a big difference between the two.
"The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit" (Ecclesiastes 7:8). We are to wait patiently on the Lord (Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 40:1). The emphasis is on the Lord - not ourselves. Pride says, "I don't need the Lord. I'll do things my way." Teach us, …
Continue reading Patience and pride – There’s a big difference between the two.
Lord – give us strength. Give us your strength.
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but …
Continue reading Lord – give us strength. Give us your strength.
In all these things, it is said of the Lord, He will be glorious.
In Isaiah 22-23, we read about God’s judgment on Judah, Shebna and Tyre. We read of “a day of confusion and trampling” (Isaiah 22:5). We read the words of judgment on “Shebna, the man in charge of the palace” - “Look, mighty man! The Lord will throw you out” (Isaiah 22:15,17). There is judgment on …
Continue reading In all these things, it is said of the Lord, He will be glorious.
Salvation, glory and power belong to our God.
In Isaiah 19-21, there are words of judgment and words of grace: “The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague. When He strikes them, He will also heal them. They will come back to the Lord. And He will respond to their prayers and heal them” (Isaiah 19:22). The question is asked, “How can we …
Continue reading Salvation, glory and power belong to our God.
The love of Christ: reaching out to us, and reaching out, through us, to other people
Christ died "not for our sins only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). This is something which we, in the church, must never forget. When we are tempted to shut out 'the big, bad world', we must remember - Christ died "not for our sins only but also for …
When it seems like there is no hope, God speaks to us His Word of encouragement.
“The day of the Lord is near... The day of the Lord is going to come. It will be a cruel day with fury and fierce anger. He will make the earth desolate. He will destroy its sinners. Its time has almost come. Its days will not be extended” (Isaiah 13:6,9,22) - what solemn words …
Continue reading When it seems like there is no hope, God speaks to us His Word of encouragement.
As the waters cover the sea
“As the waters cover the sea”: These words come from the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah and Habakkuk. Isaiah says this: “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (11:9). Habakkuk adds something else. He speaks about being “filled with the knowledge of the glory of the …
Thank You, Lord, For Jesus, Our Saviour.
We thank You, Lord, that You have given to us words of prophecy, wonderful words that point us to Jesus Christ, crucified for us - ‘the Lord has laid all our sins on Him’ - and risen from the dead - ‘After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life’ (Isaiah …
A Light To The Nations
Isaiah 49:1-13 God is calling us to listen to Him, and to pay attention to what He says to us (Isaiah 49:1). He's calling us to be His torches. We're to shine for Him - "I will also make you a light to the nations" (Isaiah 49:6). What kind of light are we to be? …
We Thank You, Lord, That You Don’t Keep Your Distance From Us.
‘I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me... I am bringing My righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed’ (Isaiah 46:9,13). We thank You, Lord, that You don't keep Your distance from us. You come near to us - …
Continue reading We Thank You, Lord, That You Don’t Keep Your Distance From Us.
There is only one King of kings.
Isaiah 37-39 As we read of what is happening among the nations, both in the Bible and today’s news, we must never forget this - the Lord our God is “enthroned over the angels.” He alone is the God of the kingdoms of the world.” He “made heaven and earth” (Isaiah 37:16). As we rejoice …
When God looks upon us, he looks upon us in love.
"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As …
Continue reading When God looks upon us, he looks upon us in love.
Where are you?
"Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9).Everything had started out so well, It was such a promising beginning. Then something went wrong, something serious, something that changed everything. What does God do about it, when things start going wrong? He starts looking for us. Why is He looking for us? It's because He loves us.Jesus tells us …
Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) II – Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20
God has given us ‘a new Name’. It is ‘the Name which is above every name’, the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 62:2; Philippians 2:9-11). Christ loves us. He has given Himself for us. He calls us His ‘Bride’ (Ephesians 5:25-27; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 21:2, 9). Through faith in Christ, …
Good News: God loves us.
Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) III – Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12); John 1:1-14 - These readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. The same Bible Readings are suggested for Year B and Year C. Good News ‘Good News’- Let us ‘shout for joy’. ‘Good News’- Let us …
God has given us ‘a new Name’ – ‘the Name which is above every name’, the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) II – Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2: (1-7), 8-20 - These readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. The same readings are suggested for Year B and Year C. God has given us ‘a new Name’. It is ‘the Name which is …
Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) I –Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)
Glory to God in the highest – our Saviour has come. The prophecy has been spoken - ‘To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given...’. The prophecy has been fulfilled - ‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord’. Jesus Christ …
Good News of great joy for all nations and all generations
The Nativity of the Lord, Midnight: Isaiah 9:1-8; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 Good News of great joy for all nations and all generations The prophecy has been spoken - ‘To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given...’. The prophecy has been fulfilled - ‘Today in the town of David a Saviour …
Continue reading Good News of great joy for all nations and all generations
Glory to God in the highest – our Saviour has come.
Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) I – Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20) - These readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. The same readings are suggested for Years B and C. Glory to God in the highest – our Saviour has come. The prophecy has been …
Continue reading Glory to God in the highest – our Saviour has come.
Redeemed
"I have redeemed you" (Isaiah 43:1). Redeemed - this is not something that we can do for ourselves. Redeemed - this is something that needs to be done for us by the Lord. Redeemed: thank God - this is something he has done for us. All of God's great blessings are summed up for us …
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
Christ has come. Christ is coming again. Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of ‘Immanuel’ - ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). We look forward to the Second Coming of Immanuel: ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will …
It’s spreading.
"He led me through water that was ankle-deep .. He led me through water that was knee-deep ... He led me through water that was up to the waist. Now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in – a river that no one could …
Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold.
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24 Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold.Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of ‘Immanuel’ - ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). We look forward to the Second Coming of Immanuel: ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and …
Continue reading Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold.
Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold.
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24 Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold. Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of ‘Immanuel’ - ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). We look forward to the Second Coming of Immanuel: ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, …
Continue reading Let us pray that our love for Jesus will not grow cold.
When the road is rough and steep
"I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland" (Isaiah 43:19). Do you feel like you're in a "wilderness", in a "wasteland"? Here's a song which may help you - When the road is rough and steep. https://youtu.be/UF7xgQwKlpc
Third Sunday of Advent – Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 (or St Luke 1:47-55); James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Do we have faith? – Let us commit ourselves to a life of holiness. What blessings are given to those who draw near to God - ‘Your God... will come and save you’ (Isaiah 35:4). The Good News of Christ comes to us as a call to faith - ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and …
Third Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 35:1-6a,10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
What blessings are given to those who draw near to God! What blessings are given to those who draw near to God - ‘Your God... will come and save you’ (Isaiah 35:4). The Good News of Christ comes to us as a call to faith - ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be …
Continue reading Third Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 35:1-6a,10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Christ calls all nations to turn to Him.
Second Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12 Christ calls all nations to turn to Him. The family tree of ‘Jesse, the father of King David’ has a very special ‘Branch’ - Jesus Christ (Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 1:1,6,16). Jesus Christ has raised ‘a banner for the nations’. He is ‘the Saviour of the …
Second Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12
Christ calls all nations to come to Him. The family tree of ‘Jesse, the father of King David’ has a very special ‘Branch’- Jesus Christ (Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 1:1, 6, 16). Jesus Christ has raised ‘a banner for the nations’. He is ‘the Saviour of the world’. He has died ‘for the sins of the …
Jesus’ death and resurrection
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Jesus spoke about His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21). This is prophecy. What we have here is even more remarkable. We read this, and we think that this must have been written after Jesus’ death. This is the work of the Spirit of God. He sees what lies ahead. He describes these events, …
God calls us to worship Him.
First Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44 God calls us to worship Him. God calls us to worship Him - ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord...’ - and walk in His ways - ‘Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord’ (Isaiah 2:3,5). We are …
There’s only one Saviour.
"I alone am the Lord, and there is no saviour except Me" (Isaiah 43:11). "I alone am the One who is going to wipe away your rebellious actions for My own sake, I will not remember your sins any more" (Isaiah 43:25)."Come back to Me, because I have reclaimed you. Sing with joy... Rejoice..." (Isaiah …
When we’re left thinking, “I didn’t see that coming!”
This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go" (Isaiah 48:17). Have you ever wished you could look into the future and see what the future holds for you? We all know that we can't do this. …
Continue reading When we’re left thinking, “I didn’t see that coming!”
God’s wonderful grace changes everything!
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago (Isaiah 25:1). When we worship the Lord, we are to give thanks to him for all that he has done for us. Without his wonderful grace, we would be on …
Learning to worship the Lord and walk in his ways
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” (Isaiah 2:3). A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and …
Continue reading Learning to worship the Lord and walk in his ways
Come to me, and you will have life.
"Listen now, my people, and come to me; come to me, and you will have life! " (Isaiah 55:3). God is speaking to us. He's saying to us, 'Are you listening?" When God speaks to us, we should listen to him. We should say, "Lord, what do you have to say to us?" He says …
Salvation comes before service.
We do not begin with the question, "What are we to do for God?" We begin with the question, "What has God done for us?" Grateful to the Lord for all that he has done for us, we give ourselves to him, committing ourselves to a life of serving him. Here, we highlight the vital …
Times of empowering and times of ministry
At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he …
The Forgiveness Of Sins
We confess our sins to You, Lord - ‘We sinned... All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags’. We look to You for forgiveness - ‘Do not remember our sins for ever’ (Isaiah 64:5-6,9). We know that You hear and answer our prayer. Jesus …
Can we just leave Jesus in the past?
"Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairing of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in" (Isaiah 58:12). Rebuilding, raising up, repairing, restoring - all of this is very important. In the work of the Lord, we continue work that …
The Word and the words (15): The way to the Father … the way of love and holiness … the way to heaven
“Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later " (John 13:36). "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go …
Looking forward to the future
Isaiah 35:1-10 Isaiah looks forward to the future. He says that there will be blessing from the Lord. He looks forward to a time of "joy and singing." He says that it will be a night of "the glory of the Lord" (Isaiah 35:2). Isaiah brings Good News to the people - "He will save …
Happy Times And Hard Times
"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). Sometimes, we have happy times - and sometimes we have hard times. What are we to do when the going gets tough? We've heard the saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." It sounds good, doesn't it - but what if we …
We must look to the Lord for salvation.
ISAIAH 36-42 36:1-37:20 – Hezekiah is facing a very powerful enemy – ‘Sennacherib, king of Assyria’ (36:1). Hezekiah prays for deliverance – ‘O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand’. He prays for salvation – ‘O Lord our God, save us…’ (37:20). We face an even more powerful enemy – Satan, ‘the ruler of …
Never to be forgotten
In 1996, Willie McDonald died at the age of ninety. I had only known him for a short time. I will always remember him as a man who loved the Lord deeply. He was small of stature, but he was a man of “strength”: real, spiritual strength (Psalm 90:10). He was “strong in the Lord”, …
Learning From God's Word 