You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'isaiah' tag.
A break from the ordinary. A commitment to read more of the Bible every day.
A few months back I purchased the Everyday Bible (NCV), half-price or less as all my Bibles are. So far I like the NCV for a daily devotional. It’s relatively true to the original languages, sometimes a little to basic in it’s English, but altogether readable–esp. for the longer passages I’ve committed myself to reading. If you’re looking for a new daily devotional Bible, this is a good one and called the everyday Bible because it has a reading plan in the back where you will read the entire Bible in 365 days. I’m picking up near the end of Isaiah–Jeremiah begins Monday.
He was wounded for the wrong we did.
The suffering servant passage always chokes me up. Whether or not Isaiah in all his humanity, living centuries before Jesus was born into his earthly existence, could’ve imagined this servant coming from a carpenter’s home and doing what he went on to do in his thirty years of earthly existence we cannot say. But for Christians reading this passage centuries after Jesus was born to Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, buried–risen–we cannot but see our Lord and Savior, carrying his cross, telling the daughters of Jerusalem not to weep as blood-mingled tears streamed down his face, forgiving his executioners, and telling the penitent thief that Paradise awaits.
Why would a person so willingly suffer for me? Why would a person be willing to take on my sin? Why would a person be willing to be wounded for the wrong I did? I sin no less than the other–there is no sin too great or too small–it is something we all share but was borne for all upon a cross, the electric chair of antiquity.
In the sixteenth century, Jesus would’ve been beheaded for our wrongdoings; in the 19th century, he would’ve been hung; early in the twentieth century he would surely have been electricuted; today, he would’ve been killed more “humanely,” with a shot that numbs the muscles but not the mind–to soothe the conscience of those who would’ve stood at a distance–with another that stopped his breathing, the final to stop his heart–all for our wrongdoings.
Do I feel guilty? Do I feel ashamed? Do I say I’m sorry to Jesus every time I mess up? No. God wouldnt–God doesnt want that. God wants us to feel blessed.
Blessed.
Because one person who did no wrong would make everything right.
Because one person was willing to suffer for us.
Because every morning I can get up, regardless of all the wrong I have done in my life–I’ve got another chance, another day, another opportunity to do the good God would have me do, even if it means that I too may suffer a little, I too may have wounds to bear for another, I too may lay my life aside so that I may help another live.
Why do you let us stray from your ways? Why do you make us so stubborn that we turn away from you? Come back, for the sake of those who serve you, for the sake of the people who have always been yours. (Isa 63:17 GNB)
In the Old Testament God has this reputation of causing people to be stubborn and ignore the will of God. Take Pharoah for instance, we read that God hardened his heart so that he constantly went back on his word and never, until he and his land had suffered enough, let Israel go.
Today, though, do we think that God does this? Does God intentionally make us stubborn so that we turn away from God?
Certainly God lets us stray. There’s not much God can do. God chose to give us this “gift” of free will, and yes, b/c of it we are stubborn, we do stray, we do think only of ourselves … at least most of the time. And God lets us, I think b/c sometimes we have to stray in order to know the joy of coming back–the joy of return.
That’s part of my story. A lot of the excitement I have of being a minister is due to the joy of return.
I’ve been stubborn.
I’ve been angry.
I’ve been hard-hearted.
But when I returned to the church–different denomination, a different role–I felt such a joy. A joy that was missing. The joy of return.
Would I have felt such joy had I not strayed down a different path?
I will speak out to encourage Jerusalem; I will not be silent until she is saved, And her victory shines like a torch in the night. (Isa 62:1 GNB)
The other day I saw a gentleman standing on the corner of Third and the By-pass in Bloomington, holding a sign that said “The End is near.”
A lot of people think that this is what prophecy is all about. But these words from Isaiah remind us today that prophecy is not all about doom and gloom. Instead, as Abraham Heschel (God bless his soul) said, a prophet is always about hope–doom always leads to hope; darkness to light.
Isaiah’s disciple believed that he had to speak out not just to warn the people but to encourage them. To instill in them the hope that no matter where they had fallen short in their lives–as individuals and a people–good things were about to come.
As a pastor, this is one thing I promised God as I accepted the call–that instead of preaching about the fires of hell, I would talk to people about the joys of heaven. Rather than having people run from the flames, I would help them strive for heaven.
Standing on the corner, holding a sign that says “The End is Near”–that doesnt make you a prophet. Words of comfort, words of hope, words of promise–encouraging words–these are those which are prophetic.
So for all you self-proclaimed prophets out there warning people that the end is near, I say that the kingdom of God has come near–the kingdom of peace, the kingdom of love, the kingdom of hope.
And people of God … dont run from hell. Strive for heaven instead!
The Sovereign LORD has filled me with his Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me To bring good news to the poor, To heal the broken-hearted, To announce release to captives And freedom to those in prison. He has sent me to proclaim That the time has come When the LORD will save his people And defeat their enemies. He has sent me to comfort all who mourn, To give to those who mourn in Zion Joy and gladness instead of grief, A song of praise instead of sorrow.
(Isa 61:1-3a GNB)
I preached this passage not too long ago to the first congregation I pastored. It helped me explain why I was leaving. And it helped me talk about the call of God.
I think I mentioned this yesterday, but by the time we get to chapter sixty-one in the book of Isaiah it no longer reflects the active ministry of the prophet Isaiah, but that of those carrying on the tradition of his teaching. Some say it’s just one person, known as Second Isaiah. Some go so far as to say it’s someone else than that, called (of course) THIRD Isaiah.
But whoever it is, what speaks to me is the way they are absolutely certain of what God has called them to do: to bring good news to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, announce release to captives & freedom to prisoners—to proclaim that God’s salvation has come, to comfort all who mourn. And that’s it.
And what I’ve learned from my experience with saying goodbye to my former congregation and saying hello to my current one is that being able to understand and articulate what God has called you to do is so valuable. It not only helps a person understand who they are, but also help them communicate that to people as well. It helps a person know what they are supposed to be doing in their lives, and exactly where the best place is to do it.
So think about it … what has God called you to do in life?
To teach students.?
To help raise grandchildren?
To become a foster parent?
To write a song or novel that inspires others?
To defend the innocent?
To serve and protect?
Being able to answer that question and to learn to articulate it, both through words and actions—you’ll never recognize yourself, but you realize it’s the self you’ve been waiting for to show up in your life.
The one God created and called you to be.
Look around you and see what is happening: Your people are gathering to come home! Your sons will come from far away; Your daughters will be carried like children.
(Isa 60:4 GNB)
The people had been in Exile a long time when Isaiah, or one of his disciples writing in his name, spoke these words to them. God wanted them to look around, even after things had been so bad and it seemed their days of wandering would never end—God wanted them to look around and see what was happening—to see the signs of the setting of the days of turmoil and the dawning of the days of promise.
Life can really get thrown at you sometimes. Days stretch on where nothing goes right—like dominoes the physical ailments, the struggles at work, another new unpleasant surprise falls in succession.
And we can let ourselves focus on that. We can let ourselves give into despair. We can accept that things will never get better, that something else bad will inevitably happen. If we want, we can accept the prison of despair and negativity and stay in the wilderness.
OR …
We can look around and see the blessings.
The smile of a lover. A good laugh. Willie Nelson singing Poncho and Lefty. A big gulp of air. Or simply placing your hand on your chest and feeling the beating of your heart.
As long as God is around, no matter where we find ourselves exiled, something is happening. For Israel it was the beginning stages of a return home. But we’re there too. Somehow just a few moments from our destination—just a few breaths away from a miracle—always under God’s good graces.
So when life dishes it out, don’t let it steal your focus—don’t accept the negativity but look for the positive in all things. Look for a reason to laugh. Find a reason to smile. Find a reason to trust. And look for a reason to endure.
You’ll find it isn’t that hard to see, if only you try.
You wear yourselves out looking for other gods, but you never give up. (Isa 57:10a, GNB)
Wear ourselves out indeed.
Thinking there’s some perfect answer, some quick fix for all of our problems.
The right book, the right program, the right regimen.
“Forty Days to a Better You.”
Then “Another Forty Days to a Better You.”
And we cant wait for the next one to come out.
Some people go down darker places than the aisles of Barnes & Noble.
But God says those who trust in the Lord will find their strength renewed.
In Christ we are always our Better Selves.
The truth is there is no more perfect regimen than prayer.
There is no better help than God.
And maybe it does come through a book.
I know that the Power of Myth saved my life.
There is no better answer than God.
But those answers come from within.
Wear yourselves out, then, by asking the right questions.
And of the Right Person.
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 nothing! Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all.
(Isa 55:1-2)
Imagine that, in days like these.
“Come, you who have no money—buy food and eat!”
Even as the economic stimulus package blooms closer to a trillion … a TRILLION dollars, we read this from Isaiah today.
God’s promise.
Those without money will be fed.
At least that’s how the Kingdom works.
I cannot understand the mind of God on this point though—the way God sees this promise in its ultimate fulfillment—for there are hungry people all around us.
The phone rings. A job lost. A reconnect fee owed. No heat. No way to cook. No food to cook anyway.
So where will these people without money get their food?
A friend of mine just the other day—works at a food pantry—says that people who used to be middle class are now in line. Both jobs lost. The look of defeat as if, “This isnt how we planned it.”
No one does. Especially these days.
But God’s promise is still there.
“Come, you w/o money—buy food, eat, come!”
And it will be fulfilled.
Take heart in that, if anything else.
“I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm achieved salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me.” ~Isaiah 63.5, tniv
WANTED: Persons to help an omnipotent, all-powerful God. The Kingdom is looking for good workers to carry love, build faith, and send hope to as many people as possible. No qualifications are needed. Only a willingness to serve. And egos must be left behind. You can work from home, if you like, but occasional “business” trips will be required into foreign lands, among those different than you. Interested applicants can apply by applying themselves to prayerful actions of limitless kindness to those around them on behalf of their employer and creator.
“The Lord has seen this, and God is displeased that there is no justice” ~Isaiah 59.15, gnt
Just finished listening to Obama’s speech about his plan for the nation recovering from this economic crisis. And though he’s often accused of sounding socialist, is it possible that what he is truly seeking is justice?
Look, Obama is no prophet—is certainly no Messiah—and will most likely only achieve a quarter of his promised change. He’s a politician. However, what he does say sounds right.
Invest in the right things, beginning with education. This is the biggest area in which Obama speaks to me (maybe, in part, because I’m married to a school teacher). Education and opportunity are so important. That’s our nation’s future. That’s the future of our world.
In the Word, care for the widows and children is an imperative, not an option: “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the swords. Your wives will become widows and your children, orphans”(Exodus 22.23-24, niv). That’s pretty strong stuff, but the point is that we should treat “widows and orphans,” whomever we say those marginalized ones are today, as if they were our own.
And though there are lot of other promises that Obama made during this speech, may at least the emphasis on education, the invesment made in our children, bear fruit—fruit that will endure. For they are not just our, but GOD’s children after all.
“And all of the nations will see the salvation of our God.” ~Isaiah 52.10, tniv
Epiphany—the last day of Christmas.
When we say that we have an “epiphany,” we mean that we have suddenly realized something—something suddenly dawned on us. Suddenly it all became so clear. As if we had awoken from some long winter’s nap.
I like to think of them as those God-moments we get every now and then, where it seems as if we tap into the stream of heaven. Those worries that keep you up at night arent so scary—things that you cannot control will certainly work themselves—absolutely certain of what you want to do with your life—confident in yrself—no more of that self-doubt, confusion, and anxiety.
And then it’s gone.
But those God moments keep us going, through the desert on a long journey to strange lands looking for God and finding him gurggling on his mother’s lap.
The magi rejoiced at their God-moment, and then went home by a different route.
