Isaiah 10:1-11:16 ~ 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 ~ Psalm 56:1-13 ~ Proverbs 23:6-8
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Old Testament - Isaiah chapter 11 in today's readings is an incredible Messianic chapter of the Old Testament! Check out a webpage outlining the Messianic prophecies from Isaiah chapter 11 and then their fulfillment in the New Testament at this link . The life and character of Jesus is so clear in chapter 1 verses 1 through 5 today: "Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot--yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay. He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth. He will be clothed with fairness and truth." Does this sound like anyone you personally know? I pray so.
Then, verses 6 through 9 are such a beautiful reflection on the peace and safety of the coming Messianic age when Jesus returns: "In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard and the goat will be at peace. Calves and yearlings will be safe among lions, and a little child will lead them all. The cattle will graze among bears. Cubs and calves will lie down together. And lions will eat grass as the livestock do. Babies will crawl safely among poisonous snakes. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes and pull it out unharmed. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain. And as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD." Can you imagine all of this? Can you imagine all of this ever taking place, apart from Jesus coming into our world? Do you look forward to experiencing the day of the lion and the lamb living together in peace! (Or as I heard a pastor quip once, the dog and the cat eating out of the same bowl! :)
New Testament - Paul's words in Second Corinthians chapter 12 verses 20 and 21 were written for the church in Corinth. But, imagine if you will that these words were written to you and me today... "For I am afraid that when I come to visit you I won't like what I find, and then you won't like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfishness, backstabbing, gossip, conceit, and disorderly behavior. Yes, I am afraid that when I come, God will humble me again because of you. And I will have to grieve because many of you who sinned earlier have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure." What would Paul find if he came to visit our lives today? Would he find quarreling, jealousy, outbursts, selfishness, backstabbing, gossip, conceit, or disorderly behavior? Impurity? Sexual immorality? Eagerness for lustful pleasure? Or - instead, would Paul find peace, joy, love, giving, and purity in our lives? Would we grieve Paul or make him joyful? Better yet, let us reflect upon what Jesus would find in our lives if He came back today? Would our lives grieve Jesus in any way?
Bible.org's commentary on today and tomorrow's readings in Second Corinthians titled "Paul's Closing Argument, Appeal, and Blessing" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 56 verse 10 makes a One Year Bible blogger quite happy :) "O God, I praise your word. Yes, LORD, I praise your word." Does this verse make you happy? Do you praise God for the gift of the Bible? Do you praise God's very Word, the Bible?
Proverbs - Today's Proverbs 23 verses 6 through 8 teach us: "Don't eat with people who are stingy; don't desire their delicacies. "Eat and drink," they say, but they don't mean it. They are always thinking about how much it costs. You will vomit up the delicious food they serve, and you will have to take back your words of appreciation for their "kindness."" This is a great teaching on not eating with people who are stingy. I hope in turn we can reflect upon whether or not we ourselves are stingy? If so, God is instructing people not to eat with us! :)
Worship God: I heard this song on the radio today, and loved the add-on lyrics (My Chains Are Gone) to the original lyrics of "Amazing Grace." I think this song works very well when considering the Messianic verses in Isaiah today. God's new covenant of Grace through his son Jesus was clearly being foretold in the Old Testament through the prophet Isaiah! The great thing about this video is that I didn't realize this song was in the movie "Amazing Grace," which is an incredible movie about the life of antislavery pioneer William Wilberforce! Have you seen this movie yet? If not, please please please do! (I can't beg you enough :) This is one of those movies with a message that I think can change your life if you'll let it. The Amazing Grace movie website is here: http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/ And a powerful companion website called "The Amazing Change" about the staggering number of slaves still in our modern world today (an estimated 27 million - more than at any other time in history!!) is here: http://www.theamazingchange.com/ Please take a few minutes to explore these 2 website links - particularly The Amazing Change's site. Without further ado, here is Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace / My Chains Are Gone":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXV6HJxUebg
Have you experienced God's gift of Amazing Grace? Click here and let your chains be gone!
YouTube #2: Okay, it's pretty rare that I post up 2 YouTube's in one day. But I just came across a movie trailer clip for the movie "Amazing Grace," which I will share with you to encourage you even more to please please please see this movie if you haven't yet! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqlcjI85gaY
Hmm.... since I'm now way down this rabbit trail about "Amazing Grace" the movie and modern day slavery, let me give you a related book recommendation too. This book was written by a 15 year old boy named Zach Hunter, who truly can be called a modern day abolitionist and activist who spends much of his time working to end slavery around the world. If you have teenagers this could be a great book to get them inspired! This book is definitely geared for teens, but I think adults or anyone in youth ministry can get a ton out of this book too. The book is boldly titled "Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World!" Check it out on Amazon.com here. Here's the cover:
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 (NIV)
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
