Scripture

A man burns part of a tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says,”Ah, that fire feels good.” Then he takes what’s left and makes his god – a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshipping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god!”

Observation

The Lord will pour out His Spirit on Jacob’s descendants, and His blessing will on their children.

There is nobody like the Lord who called together a people and explained their future.

The people who worship idols are foolish – who but a fool would make his own god? A man takes a part of a tree and uses it to keep warm and then takes the rest of the tree, carving it into an idol and praying to it.

The Lord made all things. He exposes false prophets and makes fools of fortune tellers. But He carries out the predictions of His prophets.

Application

Idolatry is the highest form of foolishness, especially for those who make the idols. They never reflect on the fact that they take one part of a tree and burn it for cooking and then worship another part of the same tree carved into the shape of a god.

The various forms of witchcraft and paganism that have sprung up in recent years, re badged as “New Age” are equally foolish. We have a revelation of Christ. We know the grace of God. So why would people seek salvation or enlightenment through crystals or tarot cards?

The true God, who created all things and who hand crafted every individual, invites all of us into an intimate friendship through Jesus Christ. I have the Spirit of God inside me!

Why would I turn to the lesser things?

Prayer

Father God, thank you for inviting me into friendship with you. You opened the door through the death of Jesus. Please help me to walk in friendship with you every day. Amen

Scripture

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 

 Observation

The Lord has ransomed Israel. He promises to go with them through floods, fires, difficulty, and oppression.

The Lord exchanged other, greater, nations as a ransom so that He could have Israel.

The Lord will send an army against Babylon. He is the one who parted the sea to let Israel escape from Egypt. 

Now he will do something new. He will create rivers in the desert to refresh his people, Israel. They have not brought sacrifices to the Lord, but He will blot out their sins anyway. 

 Application

Just as the Lord called the nation of Israel by name, so He calls us by name too. He moulded us in our mother’s womb and knows exactly what our lives are meant to be about.

For that reason, we can be confident and trust him. He walks with us through the floods and fires that threaten to consume as. He shows us the way to stand firm in the midst of troubles and oppression.

He doesn’t shelter us from the trials of life. He doesn’t click his fingers to make everything sweet for us. He does promise to walk through these times with us. 

Even when you feel like you are alone, the only one in that situation, God is with you. He will never abandon you.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the knowledge that you are always with us, even when everything seems to be falling apart. Amen. 

Scripture

He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.

Observation

The Lord’s servant, His chosen one, will bring justice to the nations. He will not crush the weakest reed. He will not lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth.

The Lord will give the servant to Israel, and He will be a light for the nations. Everything the Lord has prophesied has come true.

Application

In Isaiah, there are several passages that relate to the servant of the Lord, predictions about the ministry of Jesus.

In this chapter, we are told that he will be gentle, not breaking a weak reed or quenching a spluttering candle.

His ministry is to bring righteousness to the whole earth, even to lands beyond the sea.

That part of Jesus’ ministry has been expanding for 2,000 years, until now where there are Christians in just about every nation in the world.

This is important because everywhere christians live, they bring concepts of law, justice, love, freedom and so on. They literally bring a turnaround in the destiny of nations.

In some parts of the world, christians are persecuted severely for their faith. In places such as North Korea, Nigeria and the like, christians can only influence their circle. In other parts of the world, we have built nations, institutions and cultures on the freedom of the gospel.

Faith is no small thing. It drives history.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the faithfulness of past generations of Christians around the world. Please help me to make a difference in my part of the world. Amen.

Scripture

Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked. They are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind.

Observation

The Lord summons the lands beyond the sea to hear his arguments in a court case.

The Lord has stirred up the king from the east (i.e. Cyrus) to trample the nations. He scatters his enemies and reduces armies to dust.

The idol makers watch in fear. They encourage one another as they build their idols.

The Lord will look after Israel. He will destroy their enemies. He is the Lord their Redeemer.

He provides water for the thirsty and plants trees in the barren desert.

None of the false gods can do any of this. They are foolish, worthless things.

Application

Sinful human beings are incredibly idolatrous. We like to have the comfort of gods that we can see, as opposed to the true God whom we cannot see.

To an extent, idols are things that we can control and manipulate. The true God refuses to be manipulated.

Maybe we don’t have the traditional carved images, but even Christians can have their false gods. It might be the best scripture translation, the best denomination, our favourite pastor. Some even try to add occultic practices to faith, which is very dangerous.

I am discovering that I have a near- idolatrous relationship with food. The Lord is dealing with that by calling me to periods of fasting during Lent.

All idols in our lives must go in order to free us to serve the true God, the Lord.

Prayer

Father, please reveal to me the idols of my heart, and grant me grace to repent of them. Amen.

Scripture

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall into exhaustion. Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Observation

God calls for comfort for Jerusalem. Her sad days are gone, and her sins are pardoned.

Someone calls in the wilderness for a highway to be built through the wasteland.

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of the Lord stands forever.

There is no equal to the Lord. He measures the heavens and the earth. Can we even supply an offering that is worthy of Him? God stands above the earth. He created the stars and calls them by name.

God gives power to the weak. Even young men become weak and tired, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength.

Application

When we feel that we have done all that we can do, and still the world is imploding on us, it is time to stop and wait on the lord.

The NLT translates the word as “trust”, but other translations use “wait. ” The sense is the same. We need to trust that God is going to resolve the issues and that needs us to wait.

Waiting in this sense does not mean pacing up and down, stewing stewing and saying, “Why doesn’t God do something?” No, waiting means that we can be calm and patient because we know that God is way bigger than our problems.

To God, the whole earth is like a grain of sand. My problems are big to me, but tiny to the lord.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the knowledge that I can put my trust in you. Please help me to wait in confidence and in peace. Amen.

Scripture

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, listen to this message from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘The time is coming when everything in your palace – all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now – will be carried off. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord.”

Observation

Some envoys from the king of Babylon come to Jerusalem to send Hezekiah his best wishes following Hezekiah’s sickness.

Hezekiah is delighted with them, and shows them everything in the Palace, including the armoury and the treasure stores.

Isaiah asks Hezekiah what the men had wanted. Hezekiah tells hem. Isaiah says that the Lord says that all of these things will be carried away to Babylon. Even Hezekiah’s sons will go into exile.

Hezekiah thinks this isn’t so bad because at least there will be peace in his time.

Application

Although Hezekiah is considered a godly king, on this occasion he acted very foolishly. Seduced by a gift and kind words, he treated these envoys as friends when he should have been more careful.

On one occasion, Jesus told us not to throw pearls to pigs. In other words, there are spiritual truths that we don’t need to share with unbelievers. Some people just want to engage Christians to find out how silly they are. Their desire is to condemn not to convert.

There are many aspects of my life that I keep to myself. In this highly connected world, privacy seems to be at a premium. What I share in a closed meeting can easily be repeated to the world.

We must always be as gentle as doves and as wise as serpents.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to discern who is open to your word and who is hard of heart. Amen

Scripture

Then this message came back to Isaiah from the Lord. “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him,’This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayers and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria.’”

Observation

Hezekiah becomes extremely ill. Isaiah goes to visit him and tells him to set his affairs in order for he is going to die.

Hezekiah prays and asks the Lord to heal him. He weeps bitterly as he prays.

The Lord sends Isaiah back to Hezekiah with the message that the Lord has heard his prayers. He will add fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life. As a as a sign of this promise, the Lord will cause the shadow on the sun dial to go backwards ten steps.

Application

Hezekiah prayed passionately to the Lord and he was healed. Not only did he receive healing from his immediate illness, the Lord added fifteen years to his life.

The Lord responds to passionate prayers. He wants us to pray with feelings for the things that really concern us. Prayer is not meant to be a to be a cold and dispassionate recital of prayer requests.

No, prayer is sharing what is on our hearts. There is a place for prayer lists and so on where we pray because we know that we should.

The really powerful prayers are where we allow the Holy Spirit to be released in us and to speak through us.

Sometimes these prayers come with authority that we didn’t know we had. At other times there will be tears or laughter. These powerful prayers are always heard in heaven.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the boldness and power that come when we pray in the Holy Spirit. Please teach me how to do this more. Amen.

Scripture

That night, the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib broke camp and returned to his own land.

Observation

The Assyrians have surrounded Jerusalem, and everyone is distressed. The Assyrians appear to be unstoppable.

King Sennacherib of Assyria sends a message to King Hezekiah that they cannot trust their God because the Assyrians have destroyed the gods of all the other nations.

Hezekiah takes the letter to the Temple and lays it before the Lord.

Isaiah sends a message to Hezekiah, that because he prayed, the Lord will not not allow the Assyrians to enter Jerusalem. Sennacherib will go back to his own land.

That night, the Lord kills 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. The king returns to his own land and stays there.

Application

Jerusalem is in a terrible situation, surrounded by a powerful enemy army. Hezekiah takes the situation to the Lord in prayer, The Lord rescues them, killing much of the enemy army and sending King Sennacherib to his own land.

When we are surrounded by enemies or under pressure from life, we must take it to the Lord in prayer.

The trouble is that the circumstances intimidate us. They seem invincible, and we get sucked into the wrong belief system. Every adverse situation needs to be prayed about.

If prayer doesn’t fix it by itself, add fasting into the mix. Lay it all before the Lord and let Him take care of it.

If God can kill 185,000 enemy soldiers in a night, He can take care of all the situations we face. We just need to surrender ourselves to Him.

Prayer

Lord, I yield my whole life to you right now. Thank you for the assurance that you are with me, that you care for me and that you fight for me. Amen.

Scripture

“Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?”

Observation

The land of Judah is invaded by the army of Assyria. Having taken all the walled towns in Judah, they proceed to Jerusalem.

The Assyrian leaders call the leaders in Jerusalem to surrender. They claim that they have no alternatives. Egypt is weak and cannot help them. The Lord will not help them, they say.

The Assyrians offer that, if they surrender, the residents of Jerusalem, will be taken to another land where they can grow their own grain and vineyards. They tell them that they cannot rely on the Lord to rescue them. The Assyrians have overcome all the gods of the other nations.

Application

The Assyrians were a fierce and fearsome nation. They rapidly expanded their empire, conquering the nations around them.

The Assyrian leaders made a fundamental mistake when they came to Jerusalem. They made what philosophers call a category error. That is, they assumed that the Lord is the same as the gods of the other nations. They reason that these other gods had not been able to protect their people, and therefore the Lord would not save the people of Jerusalem.

Whereas other so-called gods are imaginary and therefore weak, the Lord is real and strong. He is not like the others.

We can rely on the Lord and have faith that He will provide for us and protect us. He knows what we need, and like a wise Father, he looks after us.

Prayer

Father, I thank you that, unlike all the other false gods, you are real and you care for your people. Please help me to trust you. Amen.