Intense Devotion

 Scripture:

““For a remnant will leave Jerusalem; survivors will come out of Mount Zion. The intense devotion of the LORD who commands armies will accomplish this.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭37‬:‭32‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah gives King Hezekiah a word about the enemies of God and their overthrow of Judah. God told him that only a remnant would be leaving Jerusalem at this time and that survivors would come from Zion. He then reminds the king that “the intense devotion of the LORD who commands armies with accomplish this.” 

Application:

God is not only devoted to His people, He is intensely committed to His people. God’s devotion is intense! I love this picture. We can know that God is intensely devoted to us and that He will accomplish what He says He will accomplish in our lives. We can trust Him. He has proven Himself over and over again. Our job is to trust the commander of heaven’s armies to do what He says He will do.

Prayer:

Commander of Heaven’s Armies, You are worthy of praise and worship. You are my king, my rock, my fortress, and my God! You are everything to me. Help me to trust You more, even when the battles are raging against me. Help me to rely on You and Your intense devotion to me rather than trying to fight on my own. You are the commander I can trust.

Yours,

Jeff

Responding to Your Enemies

 Scripture:

“They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭36‬:‭21‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

The king of Assyria was telling God’s people that they were going to be attacked and destroyed. He told them that their God would not be able to help them because none of the gods of the other countries had rescued them. King Hezekiah told them that God would fight their battles and defeat the Assyrians. When they were taunted by the Assyrians, the king told them not to respond. 

Application:

There are times when the enemy wants to taunt us and tell us we are going to fail. He wants us to think that God won’t rescue us. Sometimes silence is the best option. When we respond, it is easy to give into fear, panic, or thoughts of destruction. There are times when the best response is no response. Rather, we put our confidence in God and not ourselves. When the enemy can’t get a response, he gets nervous because he realizes that we are not going to be controlled by fear.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, show me when to respond and when to be quiet. Teach me to to battle well. Show me how to respond in each and every situation. Let my ears be open and my eyes be upon You. You are my help and my healer. You are my strength and my confidence. You are my everything.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Voice of God

 Scripture:

“You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, “This is the correct way, walk in it,” whether you are heading to the right or the left.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭21‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This is a promise given to Israel, and to us as children of God. In the context, God’s people were returning to Him and this is the promise of those who follow the Lord. It says, “You will hear a word spoken behind you.” That voice will tell you the correct way to walk. In the New Testament we are told to walk in step with the Spirit. We were meant to be led by the Spirit of God.

Application:

This verse promises us that we will hear the voice of the Spirit, showing us what to do and which way to go. When we need direction, we should listen for the voice of the Spirit. When we need guidance, we should listen for the voice of the Spirit. We should be hearing words spoken behind us giving us direction and leading us to a closer walk with Christ. As for me, I want to live a Spirit-sensitive life and to be led by Him every day.

Prayer:

Lord, You know my desire to hear Your voice clearly. You know every detail of my life and the direction I should be going at any given time. Guide me Holy Spirit. Teach me Mighty God. Show me things to come and help me prepare for them. I want to hear the voice of God clearly. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Exalt the Lord

 Scripture:

“O LORD, you are my God! I will exalt you in praise, I will extol your fame. For you have done extraordinary things, and executed plans made long ago exactly as you decreed.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭25‬:‭1‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah cries out to the Lord and says, “You are my God! I will exalt you in praise.” He started by making it personal. He declared God to be HIS God. He then moves into praise and exaltation. He declares that God has done extraordinary things and fulfilled His prophetic words. Isaiah knew God and was ready to extol His name.

Application:

The more we know God, the more we love Him. The more was know Him, the more impressed we are. The more we walk with Him, the more we see His awesomeness and want to extol His name. I want to know God more intimately every day. I want to exalt and extol the Lord forever. I want to see Him working and declare His praise.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are awesome and I love You. You are worthy of my praise. I extol You. I exalt Your name. You are holy, righteous, mighty, majestic, and powerful. You are worthy of my very best. You are amazing! Help me to live in awe of You at all times and to declare Your goodness to the nations.

Yours,

Jeff

The Keys are in Your Hands

 Scripture:

““At that time I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. He will become a protector of the residents of Jerusalem and of the people of Judah. I will place the key to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭22‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God says that He was going to summon Eliakim. Isaiah was to put his robe on him, tie his belt around him, and transfer authority to him. Then God says He will place a key on his shoulder of the house of David. When he opens the door, no one can close it and when He closes a door, no one can open it. Authority opens and closes doors.

Application:

When God anoints a person and gives them authority, He backs it up with open and closed doors. Keys are small, yet powerful because they can open large doors and gates. As a man of God, I must realize that God has put some keys in my hands. I must open and close the doors that He is leading me to open and close. Sometimes I am waiting for an open door, but the Lord is saying, “I have already given you the keys.” Using the keys and opening the doors is on us. There are times when God will open the doors and there are times when the keys are in our hands and we must open the doors.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for sharing this with me today. Help me to use the authority You have given me. Help me to take authority to open and close doors. Help me to lead well in this generation. Show me the way forward in every situation, then help me step into the doorway because I already have the keys.

Your Son,

Jeff

God’s Justice and Mercy

 Scripture:

“The LORD will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they will acknowledge the LORD’s authority at that time. They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill them. The LORD will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the LORD and he will listen to their prayers and heal them.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭19‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here about the Egyptians. It was the Egyptians that enslaved God’s people for 400 years, yet God still loves them and reaches out to them. He sent the plagues upon them in the past, the Lord reaches out to bless them. Here it tells us that Egypt will acknowledge the Lord’s authority and that the Lord would strike them, then heal them, then they would turn to Him.

Application:

Just as God deals with the Egyptians in this passage, He faithfully loves His people. His love is always reaching out to a people that have turned from Him many times and worshiped other gods. In this passage it says that God strikes, them, then heals them. God loves us and wants what it best for our lives, but we must pursue Him. When we turn to God, He listens and answers our prayers. Our place is to humble ourselves before Him. He then will listen to our prayers and heal us.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing and I worship You! Help me to live a life that follows You completely. Teach me to walk in step with your Spirit and to fulfill Your will in and through my life. I want to walk humbly before You and complete every assignment You give me. Give me and ear to ear and a heart to follow You wholeheartedly.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Love and Justice

 Scripture:

“Wail, for the LORD’s day of judgment is near; it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

God is a god of love, peace, joy, patience, and goodness, but He is also the God who will judge the living and the dead. His love can be trusted in beautifully, but so can His justice. In this passage, Isaiah delivers a warning to Babylon that destruction is coming and that God is going to judge them for their actions through the years.

Application:

God is to be loved, honored, worshiped, and also to be feared. He will stand as the judge of the whole earth one day and will judge the people of the earth. Right now we have a period of great grace where God is drawing people everywhere to Himself through His loving kindness. One day in the future, He will rule with a rod of iron and His enemies will be destroyed. We should live in the love of the Lord, but also the fear of the Lord.

Prayer:

Lord God ALmighty, You are great and glorious and I love You with all my heart. Help me nail the balance between the love of God, the mercy of God, and the judgment of God. Help me to accurately present You to the world as I preach Your word. Let me be precise in my preaching and teaching. I don’t want to misrepresent You in any way. I want to know You more each day.

Your Son,

Jeff