When ‘the Spirit is poured upon us from on high… the wilderness becomes a fruitful field’ …

ISAIAH 32:1-20  –  ‘Abandoned… deserted… a wasteland…’ (14). Can such a desperate situation be turned around? Yes! When ‘the Spirit is poured upon us from on high… the wilderness becomes a fruitful field’ (15). We must not lose heart. We must keep on calling upon the Lord. We must believe that God is able to …

When the enemy shall come in like a flood …

1 Kings 16:29-18:16 Things were getting desperate: ‘Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him’ (1 Kings 16:33). What did God do about this? How did He respond to this situation? God sent His prophet, a man who would stand …

A tremendous and fascinating mystery …

Rudolf Otto spoke about a "tremendous and fascinating mystery." In a great song of praise to the Lord, Mark Altrogge speaks of the greatness of God in a most thought-provoking way: "You are beautiful beyond description, too marvellous for words, too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard." In God, we see holiness …

When other helpers fail …

"The Sovereign Lord helps me" (Isaiah 50:7). The Lord is our Helper. Can it get any better than this? Can anyone else help us the way the Lord can? "When other helpers fail and comforts  flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me."  This is the prayer that we bring to the Lord. How does …

The true God and false gods

There is a great contrast between the true God and false gods (Isaiah 31). God brings great blessing into our lives. He does this through the gift of the Holy spirit – “the Spirit is poured upon us from on high” (Isaiah 32:14). In Him, we receive “peace” (Isaiah 32:18). In Him, we receive “the …

Jesus Christ – God’s beloved Son …

Monday in Holy Week: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 36:5-11; Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11 Jesus Christ is God’s beloved Son - the Saviour sent to us by the God of love. ‘Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice …

High points and low points …

When we look back over the events of our life, we say, "This was a high point" and "That was a low point." How do we decide that this was a high point, and that was a low point? It depends very much on how we look at life. Is it a high point when …

Streams in the desert …

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion" (Psalm 84:5-7). Often, our life seems like a …

A debtor to mercy alone …

"The older son shall be the servant of the younger son" (Genesis 25:23). Grace isn't defined by human expectations. Human wisdom gives priority to the older son. God chooses the younger son, Jacob - to carry forward his great plan of salvation. Why did God choose Jacob? Was Jacob better than Esau? We won't find …

Don’t miss out on the strength which God wants to give to you.

"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength, but you would not,  16 and you said, “No ..." (Isaiah 30:15-16). "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" - This is a well-known verse. Did you know that there is sadness at the end of the verse and at the beginning of the next verse? …

“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down … ” (Isaiah 64:1).

We read, in the Scriptures, of times when God was powerfully present among his people - but we, also, read of times when his people wondered, "Where is God in all of this that's happening to us?" What are we to say about this? There are times when it seems like the sunshine of God's …

God is with us.

Isaiah speaks, prophetically, of the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is also known as “Immanuel” (“God is with us”) (Isaiah 7:14).  “God is with us” – These words are spoken to God’s people in every situation of our life (Isaiah 8:10). Isaiah’s prophetic message concerns the transformation which brings “glory”, where there is …

The Holy One of Israel, ‘The God of the whole earth’

Isaiah 54:1-17 ‘The Lord’ is not only ‘the Holy One of Israel’. He is ‘the God of the whole earth’ (Isaiah 54:5). The Gospel is for ‘all nations’. The ministry of Christ’s apostles began in ‘Jerusalem’, but it did not end there. The Gospel was to be taken ‘to the ends of the earth’ (Luke …

Human comfort helps us so much – but it can only take us so far …

"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God" (Isaiah 40:1). We are comforted by the words and actions of good friends. We know the truth of the saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." Human comfort helps us so much - but it can only take us so far. We need more than human …

In Christ, we have the victory: ‘they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb …’ …

ISAIAH 14:1-23  –  We look beyond ‘the king of Babylon’ (4). We see Satan, full of pride – ‘I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High’ – , fallen  – ‘How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer…’ – , and  brought to nothing – ‘you will be brought down …

Comfort and compassion

What "joy" there is in the Lord's "comfort" and "compassion" (Isaiah 49:13). He reaches out to us in compassion. He reaches out to us with His comfort. We rejoice in Him - the God of compassion, the God of comfort. "The Almighty Lord helps me" (Isaiah 50:7,9). What help there is in the Lord! The …

Jesus loved them – and he loves us …

"Jesus ... saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). There were so many people - and Jesus loved every one of them. He loved them, he prayed for them - and he gave himself, …

Let us ‘press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’ …

ISAIAH 4:1-5:17  –  ‘Those who are left… will be called holy’ (4:3). The world speaks of God’s people with contempt – ‘the holy people who need to learn to live in the real world’. When God calls His people ‘holy’, He speaks in a very different way. He speaks with affection. He looks upon us …

‘Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help … ‘

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord" (Isaiah 31:1). "Egypt" had been, for God's people, the place of oppression. …

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).

Who’s counting?

Is God counting our sins? Are we counting our blessings? Look at Jesus. Look at him, crucified for you. Look at him - and you'll know the answer to the first question. God's not counting our sins. All our sins have been laid on Jesus (Isaiah 53:6) - "My sins are gone, gone, gone, far …

“Today, salvation has come to this house … ” (Luke 19:10).

"There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none but me. 22 “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:21-22). Many people say, "There is a God" - but they never get beyond this, and say, …

The Word of God will stand for ever.

In Isaiah 40:8, we learn that "the Word of our God will stand for ever". Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Mark 13:31). The Word which Jesus Christ speaks to us now is nothing less than the Word of God. We are born again through His Word (1 …

Let us bring Christ to the nations …

Baptism of the Lord (First Sunday in Ordinary Time): Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17 Let us bring Christ to the nations. Let us serve the Lord in the power of the Spirit. ‘Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and …

Read the written Word of God – and feed on Christ, God’s living Word.

"These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine." (Isaiah 29:24). Before there can be a change in our way of living, there needs to be a change in our way of thinking. This is a change which comes to us through our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus, God's …

Something we always need to hear …

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more" (Isaiah 43:25). From the heart of the Old Testament - a wonderful verse about the forgiveness of sins! Is this just what you need at this time? Let your heart be lifted up to the …

Good News of great joy …

ISAIAH 9:1-10:4  –  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 is our great Saviour. He is our ‘Wonderful …

The waiting Father

“The Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you … Blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 30:18). The Lord waits for us before we wait upon him. Our waiting upon the Lord is important – “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).  His waiting upon us is even …

In today’s world, there’s plenty of bad news – but there’s, also, Good News …

In today's world, there's plenty of bad news - but there's, also, Good News (Mark 13:10). In Mark 13:7, we read about the end - "the end is not yet." In Mark 13:8, we read about a beginning - "These are the beginning of sorrows." Beyond "the beginning of sorrows", there is "the end." The …

How, Lord, Do You Strengthen Us?

‘I am the Lord... I will strengthen you’ (Isaiah 45:5). How, Lord, do You strengthen us? You strengthen us with salvation. You come to us as our ‘God and Saviour’.  You call us to come to You and receive salvation: ‘Turn to Me and be saved...’. Through faith in Christ, we are ‘saved by the …

The Lord Strengthens Us With His Salvation.

Isaiah  45:1-25 ‘I am the Lord… I will strengthen you’ (Isaiah 45:5). How does the Lord strengthen us? He strengthens us with salvation. He comes to us as our ‘God and Saviour.’ He calls us to come to Him and receive salvation: ‘Turn to Me and be saved…’ Through faith in Christ, we are ‘saved …

You get nothing for nothing … ?

"You get nothing for nothing. You only get what you pay for." Is this cynicism - or realism? Let's think together about something else - something that lifts us above all of this - the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the gift of God, the peace of God, the …

Think of God’s faithfulness – and count your blessings … (Preaching The Word Of The Lord: Isaiah 40:1-11).

Comfort (Isaiah 40:1) - This comes from God's great faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). In our past, present and future, we see the faithfulness of God - "His mercies never end. They are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23). Think of God's faithfulness, and "count your blessings." Think of this, that and the other blessing (good things in …

Singing with joy

Isaiah 54:1-17 Singing with joy (Isaiah 54:1) - Our song comes from the Lord. Our joy comes from the Lord. From ourselves, there is sin. From the Lord, there is salvation. “Through the love of God our Saviour, all will be well ... All is well ... All must be well.” So much blessing is …

Prophecy, looking forward to Christ’s resurrection and His return (Isaiah 25:6-9)

Here, we have prophecy, looking forward to Christ's resurrection and His return. We look back to His resurrection - and we look forward to his return. We have "the foretaste of glory divine" - but we still look forward to the complete fulfilment of God's promises: "He will destroy" (Isaiah 25:7-8), "On that day, it …

The God of heaven has become the God of our salvation.

"Restore us, O God of our salvation" (Psalm 85:4). We hear the words, "From a distance, God is watching us", and we wonder, "Is this all that we can say about God?" From Isaiah 57:15, we learn that God is "the high and exalted One." He "lives forever." He is "holy. He lives in "a …

Whiter than snow

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). As I was thinking about the wonder of God's forgiveness, my thoughts turned to the gospel song, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." We ask our question - "What can wash away my sin?" God …

When life is hard …

"Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe." (Genesis 12:10). Later on, in the time of Joseph, we read about Egypt being a place of refuge in a time of famine. This story is told in Genesis 41-50. …

Jesus, the Name I love so well, the Name I love to hear! …

Isaiah 62-66 62:1-12  -  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 (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 …

How, Lord, Are We To Listen To Your Word?

‘Hear the Word of the Lord’. How, Lord, are we to listen to Your Word? We are to ‘tremble at Your Word’. We are to ‘drink deeply with delight’ (Isaiah 66:5,10-11). There is to be the fear of the Lord. There is to be joy in the Lord. These are not opposites. They belong together …

“Seek the Lord while He may be found … ” (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Isaiah 55:1-13   The Word of God is spoken - ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found...’ (Isaiah 55:6-7). No one seems to be listening. What are we to do? We must remember God’s promise: ‘My Word will not return to Me empty’ (Isaiah 55:11). We do not see all that God is doing. He …

It’s so easy to forget …

It's so easy to forget the Lord. Even when we forget Him, He does not forget us. ------------------ Isaiah 30:18-31:9 'Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are strong, but do not look to the …

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 …

Alive In Our Worship, Involved In Our Community

Isaiah 61:1-3; John 21:1-17; Revelation 5:11-14 When our service of worship ends, our service in the world begins. God is calling us to be alive in our worship, and He’s calling us to be involved in our community. Worshipping the Lord and serving Him - we need both, not one without the other. We are …

“I am the Lord your God who teaches you what is best for you … ” (Isaiah 48:17).

Isaiah 48:1-22  ‘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). God knows what is best for us. He helps us to say, ‘As for God, His way is perfect’ (Job 23:10; 2 Samuel 22:31). How does God help …

Serving the Lord arises out of worshipping Him.

Isaiah 6:1-13 Serving the Lord arises out of worshipping Him.  * We proclaim His holiness: "Holy, holy, holy... " (Isaiah 6:3).  * We confess our sin: "Woe is me" (Isaiah 6:5) - a personal confession. Before we can speak the words, "Here am I. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8), we must hear the words, "Your sin …

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 …

Are we only to pray to the Lord when things are going badly?

Isaiah 33:1-24  ‘O Lord...Be our strength every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble’ (Isaiah 33:2). We are not to pray to the Lord only ‘in the time of trouble’. We are to pray to Him ‘every morning’. We are not to keep God at a distance, calling on Him only when things are …

Make Sure That You Belong To Christ.

Praying through God's Word: Isaiah 65:13-66:4 Help us, Lord, to see clearly the great contrast between those who belong to Christ - ‘My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts’ - and those who have refused to come to Christ for salvation - ‘You will cry out from anguish of heart and …

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? …

“The Lord will be your everlasting light” (Isaiah 60:20).

Isaiah 60:1-22  ‘Arise, shine; for your Light has come... the Lord will be your everlasting Light’ (Isaiah 60:1,19-20). 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 times. We are surrounded by …

Lift Up Your Eyes!

Isaiah 26:1-4 "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.

Jesus is our Saviour and Lord. Let us worship Him …

Isaiah 46-49 46:1-47:15  –  ‘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’ (46:9,13). God does not keep His distance from us. He comes near to us – ‘The …

More love, more prayer, more power, more peace, more joy

"Love one another" (John 13:34); "Pray for each other" (James 5:16). Jesus loves us. Jesus prays for us. If we are to follow Jesus, we will love one another and pray for one another. May the love of Jesus fill our hearts will love for one another. May the prayers of Jesus for us encourage …

Arise, Shine …

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you" (Isaiah 60:1). * Let the light of Christ shine. * Let the words of Scripture lead to thoughts of the Saviour. * In Christ, we are called to salvation, sanctification and service. * Be wise – worship the Saviour. …

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 …

Good News: Isaiah 53:1-12; Mark 15:33-16:20

Isaiah 53:1-12; Mark 15:33-16:20 The story of Jesus didn't end with His death. Beyond His death, there is His resurrection. The risen Lord says, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Gospel means Good News - The Good News which comes to us from God the Father; - …

What God must do for us – Salvation; What we must do for God – Service

* What God must do for us - He must save : "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save …

By the power of the Holy Spirit …

Isaiah 10:20-13:22; 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5; Psalm 105:37-45 Jesus Christ was filled with “the Spirit of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2). It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are to live for Christ. As we give ourselves to the Lord in service, our first priority is “to honour the Lord Himself.” We do this …

Overcoming today’s “Goliaths”

David faced a giant. We face giants. His giant was called Goliath. Our "Goliaths" are the giants of unbelief and disobedience. We're told that it doesn't matter what you believe. We're told that it doesn't matter how you live. Like David, we must rise up with faith in the Lord. Like David, we must move …