Isaiah 48:12-50:11 ~ Ephesians 4:17-32 ~ Psalm 69:1-18 ~ Proverbs 24:5-6~One Year Bible Blog

Isaiah 48:12-50:11 ~ Ephesians 4:17-32 ~ Psalm 69:1-18 ~ Proverbs 24:5-6

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Old Testament - Isaiah chapter 49 verse 6 is sometimes referred to as "the great commission of the Old Testament"! Here it is: "You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." Paul and Barnabas quote this verse in part in Acts 13:47. The preceding 5 verses (1-5) in chapter 49 are considered the second servant song in Isaiah and are thought to refer to Jesus, the coming Messiah. Isaiah chapter 50 verses 4 through 9 in today's readings are considered the third servant song (out of a total of four) in Isaiah. It's interesting, when I initially read these verses in chapter 50 I really thought they were solely about the prophet Isaiah. But, as we all know by now from our readings in Isaiah - and we'll see this again in big ways in our coming day's readings - Isaiah often had the coming Savior of the world, Jesus, on his mind when he was writing this incredible book of the Old Testament in the eighth century B.C.! I love this painting below of Isaiah writing about Jesus...

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah chapter 50 titled "The Lord Can and Will Help Those Who Trust Him" is at this link. Below is a nice image for Isaiah chapter 48 verse 17 from today's readings:

New Testament - Wow. It is rare that I will copy & paste 8 verses in a row here on this blog - because you can simply read the verses by clicking on the link above. However - I think these 8 verses of Paul's in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 17 through 24 bear repeating here and warrant our re-reading and really meditating on these verses. Please take a few minutes to really reflect and pray on these verses - "With the Lord's authority let me say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They don't care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed. But that isn't what you were taught when you learned about Christ. Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness--righteous, holy, and true."

Powerful verses above, eh? I love this teaching - there must be a spiritual renewal of our thoughts and attitudes! Has there been a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes? Is there currently a daily spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes? Or are you maybe on "cruise control" these days? A great teaching I heard once is that "you are either moving forward or you are sliding backwards. There is no stable middle ground." I believe this to be true in our spiritual life. We are either moving forward - continually renewing our thoughts and attitudes and displaying our new nature - or we are sliding backwards. Backsliding as some may say. I pray that each of us today will really take to heart these teachings of Paul's in Ephesians. Let us throw off our old evil nature and our former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception! Let us each and every day spiritually renew our thoughts and attitudes through Christ Jesus our Lord!

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Ephesians titled "Leaving Our Old Ways Behind" is at this link. Below is a great image for Ephesians 4:25 from today's readings -

Psalms - Psalm 69 verse 16 today is such a true statement that maybe we need to be reminded of today - "Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Turn and take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful." God does answer our prayers - perhaps not in the way we "want" Him to, but always in the way that is ultimately best for us and the Kingdom. His unfailing love is wonderful. His mercy is so plentiful. But, yet, somehow I think I sometimes forget all of this. Why? I think I forget about God's love & mercy when I am not praying to him. How about you? Are you needing a reminder today about God's unfailing love and his mercy? Are you praying to God for these very things? Will you allow God to demonstrate both his love and mercy to you today? Will you offer up prayers and allow God to answer in his perfect way?

I love this image below for Psalm 69 verses 17 and 18 from today's readings!

Proverbs - Proverbs 24 verse 5 seems to go against some of our modern world's teachings about strength being the key to success - "A wise man is mightier than a strong man, and a man of knowledge is more powerful than a strong man." Which do you believe to be true? The world that says strength is mightier? Or the Bible that says wisdom is mightier? Let us seek ever-increasing godly wisdom in our lives each day!


Worship God: Psalm 69:16's call to prayer reminded me of Bebo Norman's wonderful song that he wrote as a prayer to God called "Beautiful You." I'm not sure if you've ever had a chance to see Bebo perform live? If he ever rolls through your town try to see him! It is a great worship experience!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji__VSnZxoA
Do you know our eternal "Beautiful You"? Click here to know Him!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you from today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

Have you been broken? ~ Bob Coy

Fixed by Brokenness

So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." -Genesis 32:27-28


In biblical times, there was often a direct correlation between people's character and the definition of their name. So a person's name gave others a snapshot of who he or she was.

The name Jacob means heel catcher, conniver, and deceiver. Not many names have ever fit a person so perfectly. From the womb, Jacob was determined to do all that he could to "get his" (Genesis 25:26). His existence was dominated by his sense of self, which enabled him to survive in the real world. But it also prevented him from becoming the spiritual man God had called him to be. A drastic dose of change was needed, and the Lord had the perfect prescription: brokenness.

The Lord appeared to Jacob and deliberately put his hip out of joint. This wasn't a minor injury, but apparently remained with him for the rest of his natural life (Hebrews 11:21). It was a life-changing moment that was designed not just to cripple him physically, but also to break him spiritually. With his bodily capacity to fend for himself gone, Jacob would now be forced to rely on the Lord for his strength and sufficiency.

This change is illustrated in the Lord's renaming of Jacob. No longer would Jacob live as the self-centered deceiver, but now he would be known as Israel, which means governed by God, thus indicating his new nature as a God-dominated man. From this point forward, Jacob would begin to manifest the spiritual characteristics that would immortalize him as one of the great patriarchs of the Christian faith.

Missionary Alan Redpath once said, "God has one great purpose for His people above everything else: it is to destroy in us forever any possible confidence in the flesh; it is to bring us to the place where self-confidence has passed into history and has been exchanged for a confidence in God, who raises the dead."

Before God can fully bless us, He needs to fully break us of our "Jacob-like" ways. Such breaking is all a part of the process of being rebuilt by our Master Maker.


Discuss, Dig, Decide

Discuss with your group how you see brokenness as an integral part in God’s process of changing lives.

Dig into Genesis 32. How can you relate to Jacob’s experience? How does reading this story of Jacob wrestling with God cause you to see your circumstances differently?

Decide as a group to gratefully embrace God’s gift of brokenness. Take time as a group to pray and ask God to accomplish His purifying work in you.

Name Above All Names ~ Charles Stanley

Philippians 2:5-11

Naming a child was a major event for a Hebrew family. The household took great pains in the process of selecting a name, sometimes choosing one that had personal meaning for a parent. For example, Leah chose “Judah” for her fourth child, saying, “This time I will praise the Lord” (Gen. 29:35). Occasionally, a perceived personality trait would determine what a baby was called. Genesis 25:26 shows this to be the case with Jacob (“one who supplants”).

The name given at birth frequently symbolizes to others who that person is. In the ancient world, this was intentional. Even today people subconsciously associate character traits and experiences with names. We all hope that when others hear us called, they will have good things come to mind rather than a sense of dread!

Mary and Joseph had a far different experience from that of other Jewish parents. Instead of choosing the name themselves, an angel told them what their child would be called (Matt. 1:21). The heavenly Father selected His Son’s earthly name to represent His purpose in coming. A day will come when the very mention of “Jesus” will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that He is Lord (Phil. 2:10).

The Hebrew form of “Jesus” means “salvation” or “He saves.” Christ is called many things: Lord, Emmanuel, Teacher, High Priest, etc. But His given name tells His story. He came to save the world from sin. No wonder God gave Him a name above all names!

The Holy Spirit Guides ~ Joyce Meyer

The Holy Spirit Guides, the devil shoves.

I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

—Psalm 32:8


When we are in trouble, the Lord promises in His Word to deliver us. Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to teach us what we need to know. He said to His disciples:

I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you (John 16:12-15).

I am so glad Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will guide us—not push and shove us, but guide us—to truth. The devil wants to pressure us and manipulate us, but the Holy Spirit wants to gently lead us. That is one of the ways that we can recognize whether we are hearing from God or from the enemy. If you feel pressed, confused, controlled, or stressed about something, then it is not of God; that is not how He works. Instead, the Holy Spirit will gently "reveal, (declare, disclose and transmit)" the truth to you.

Serving Jesus ~ David McGee

Acts 6:3-4

3 "Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business. 4 Then we can spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word."
NLT

Life Lesson

We should be willing to serve the Lord in any and all ways.

In Acts 6, we see how important it became for these twelve men to raise up other Godly disciples to help in the work of the ministry. God had called these disciples to teach the Bible. In the midst of the grumbling among the believers, a decision had to be made. They could have either raised up other Godly disciples to help in the work, or they could have neglected their study of the Word of God. In order to teach the people, these men made the right decision. Instead of trying to delegate the order of business among themselves, they decided to raise up others. It is important in ministry and in this body of believers to delegate and 'give away' ministry. God has given each and every one of us gifts in order to serve Him and the body of Christ. The gifts that each of us encompass are a necessary ingredient to the body of believers.

Eph 4:11-12, 'And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,' NKJV.
Loved one, step out and begin serving the Lord in the small things, and watch as larger doors open for you. He is so worthy to be served. Together, we will see God change lives, starting with our own.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. Lord, it has become clear that I have not been fully ready to assume the tasks You have called me to do. Help me to take a step toward a new beginning in my life. Drive me closer to You, and lead me down the path of Your choice. As I look back on my life, I see where I have been afraid to take a step of faith. Help me to recognize my true gifts and talents. Use me as Your vessel to accomplish Your purposes. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Raising thirsty children ~ Greg Laurie

A verse that we often quote, especially when our kids are going astray, is Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" (NKJV).

We think the way to do that is to raise our kids, basically from birth, in a Christian environment. So, from their very early days, we send them off to Sunday School. We send them to Christian camps. We enroll them in Christian schools. We only let them listen to Christian music, and we try to make sure they have Christian friends. We seem to be doing all of the right things.

Even so, when they get a little older, they go into rebellion in some cases. We think, Wait a second! Where did I go wrong?

But maybe it's a failure to understand what it really means to train up a child in the way that he or she should go.

The phrase "train up" in the original Hebrew speaks of the actions of a midwife who would dip her finger into crushed dates and then put it in the mouth of a newborn child. The purpose of this was to stimulate the infant's thirst for milk. So drawing from this concept, we see that to "train up" a child means to create a thirst within him or her.

Also, the word "child" used in Proverbs 22:6 is used in different ways in various passages. In one passage, the word relates to an infant. In another, it speaks of a young boy. In another, it references Joseph at age 17. In another, it is associated with a young man ready for marriage.

So this verse is really speaking of training children from their infant stages all the way into young adulthood. So, to put it all together, the verse is saying, "Create a thirst in and also give your child external boundaries from the beginning to the end, from infancy to young adulthood."

That is what God has called us to do. We are establishing external boundaries for our children's protection, but we are also seeking to develop within them an internal motivation to know and love the Lord.

What is the best way to create thirst? The same way you stir an appetite.


Imagine going out with friends who want to go get something to eat, but you aren't all that hungry. You go to the restaurant with them anyway, where they order big hamburgers, fries, and shakes.

When the food arrives, it smells so good. So you ask, "Mind if I have one of those fries?" The next thing you know, you've ordered your own meal. What happened? Their food came. You smelled it. You tasted it. And then you wanted your own.

In the same way, the best thing we can do to create a hunger and thirst for Jesus Christ in others is to live it ourselves. It is to be what God has called us to be.

If we are being the salt of the earth (see Matthew 5:13), then we will create a thirst for spiritual things in others, and they will see something in us that they will admire. So, in leading our children and training our children, the most important thing we must do is to live it first.

Moses said to the people of Israel, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:6–7 NKJV).

Moses is saying that what you teach your children must be real to you first of all. Faith in Jesus Christ is something that permeates every area of our lives, and it is something that we should be talking about—not just at church or at a set time, such as family devotions.

It should be all of the time, when you sit down . . . when you rise up . . . when you are walking on the way. It is a part of our lives, and we need to teach our kids that Jesus Christ is to be a part of everything that we do.

As we model that for them and teach it to them, it will create a thirst in them as well. But first, we must be good examples.