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Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 6:3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (NIV)
Two things happened this weekend that cause me to see this verse with new eyes. First, I spent time with a sister of my heart, conversing about any number of things. One thing she shared was a bit of wisdom she heard on the radio: “Did you ever wonder why God whispers when He speaks? Because He’s standing right beside you.” I find that profoundly comforting.
Isaiah 6:3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (ESV)
The other was a picture shared by a pastor, photographer, and friend. The scene was utterly ordinary: trees, rocks, grasses, sky, clouds, etc. But the photo was beyond extraordinary. Something about the angle or the lighting or maybe it was God beside me whispering, “Be still and know. I am here. I am holy. Everything is miraculous if you only see it through My eyes.”
Isaiah 6:3 They were calling out to each other: “Holy, holy, holy! The LORD Almighty is holy! His glory fills the world.” (GNT)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your presence and Your holiness. Thank You for the extraordinary that can be found in even the mundane if we see through Your eyes. Thank You for being close enough to whisper to my heart. Help me to still the noise of life so I can hear you. Help me to see Your glory in the everyday of life. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 6:3 And this one hath called unto that, and hath said: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is Jehovah of Hosts, The fullness of all the earth is His glory.’ (YLT)
Have a blessed day.
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Grace…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. (NIV)
This chapter illustrates a struggle that is very real and difficult for me to reconcile. Commentary declares that if a church member is unrepentant, members might need to push him out of the church’s protection. And while I am certainly not advocating that the church celebrates sin, if a sinner can’t find grace within the church, where is he supposed to find it?
Isaiah 5:21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. (NLT)
My reading just before this chapter today was in John 13. Verse 1 says, “…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” Jesus knew Judas would betray Him. Yet He washed his feet and shared bread and wine with him at the Last Supper. He loved him to the end. I can’t reconcile that treatment of Judas with the advice to push an unrepentant sinner outside of the church’s circle. Jesus, Help me.
Isaiah 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (ERV)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for scripture that causes me to study and struggle to make sense of it in light of what I know to be true. Thank You for Your grace, which covers me. I am a sinner saved by Your grace, Lord. Help me to love like You love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 5:21 You are doomed! You think you are wise, so very clever. (GNT)
Have a blessed day.
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Keep moving forward toward Christ…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 4:3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. (NIV)
Commentary had a very interesting section on this verse, specifically about the idea of being called holy and what it does and does not mean. Far too often, I think, when we feel we have reached “holy,” we end up acting “holier than thou,” looking down on anyone who doesn’t live up to our ideal of holy.
Isaiah 4:3 All who remain in Zion will be a holy people— those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem and are recorded among the living. (NLT)
To be holy, according to commentary, means “…a life, a heart, a mind, and a body that is genuinely separated to the LORD. It is a life lived apart from the thinking and heart of this world….” To be holy is to keep striving, keep seeking, keep trying to draw closer to our Savior. It is not without blemish, but when the falls and snares and struggles do come, holy brushes itself off, learns the lesson, and keeps moving forward toward Christ.
Isaiah 4:3 Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living. (BSB)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for this look at holy. I want more than anything to be set apart for You, to live apart from this fleshly world. Holy doesn’t seem something I’m even capable of achieving, Lord, but striving to draw closer, shaking off the muck, learning, and continuing to draw closer to You, that is something I can absolutely do. Help me, Lord. Amen.
Isaiah 4:3 Everyone who is left in Jerusalem, whom God has chosen for survival, will be called holy. (GNT)
Have a blessed day.
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If my heart seeks You… (devo reflection)

Isaiah 3:24a Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness….
By and large the commentary I read to provide background and insight to scripture does a pretty good job. It’s clear we have some basic philosophical differences, but the cultural history is solid and the commentary is thought-provoking if nothing else.
Isaiah 3:24b …instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.
But sometimes, the commentary leaves me scratching my head. Today, for instance, commentary spent an inordinate amount of time discussing women’s shopping vices. Somehow, I’m not convinced that was the heart of the message here.
Isaiah 3:25 Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that anytime we put anything or anyone above You in our lives, we are headed for trouble. Thank You for the ability to draw closer to You always, regardless of the specifics of commentary. If my heart seeks You, I find You. Always. Thank You. Amen.
Isaiah 3:26 The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Have a blessed day.
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Resting in Him…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 2:22 Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem? (NIV)
I am utterly exhausted. Every day of this school year I have felt like a hamster on a wheel, running for all I’m worth and getting nowhere but exhausted. The kids are great. Being together again is a plus. Class discussions are fantastic. I’m just exhausted, and I am not alone.
Isaiah 2:22 Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they? (NLT)
What do these thoughts have to do with Isaiah 2:22? I’ve always prided myself on my self sufficiency, my ability to do what needs to be done. But there is definitely still something amiss here. I start every day rooted in His word, but I can’t help but think that if I were truly resting in Him as I should, I wouldn’t be this exhausted.
Isaiah 2:22 Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? (BSB)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that I cannot do this life alone, I cannot make it through in my own power. Thank You for the promise of Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Draw me closer, Lord. Wrap me in Your peace, rest, and love. Amen.
Isaiah 2:22 Stop trusting the power of humans. They are all going to die, so how can they help? (CEV)
Have a blessed day.
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Reasoning together…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 1:18a “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord….
Several translations use the wording “let us reason together” instead of “let us settle the matter.” That seems an important distinction to me. God wants us to make the best choice for our lives, but He has given us the free will to choose and the reason and intellect to make the right choice. So why do we often still choose wrong? Are we idiots? Gluttons for punishment? So wrapped up in hedonistic pleasure that even when God is the obvious choice, we still choose vice?
Isaiah 1:18b …“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
I wonder if part of the problem is disbelief (which boils down to lack of trust. Jesus, Help me.) It is difficult to fathom that a garment dripping scarlet could ever be white as snow again. But this offer is given to all—Saint and sinner, rich and poor, worldly and sheltered. We just have to trust and believe. Such simple concepts. So difficult to put into practice.
Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land…
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your mercy and compassion. Your offer seems too good to be true. You seem too compassionate to be real. “I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 1:20 …but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.”
Have a blessed day.
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Come away, my beloved….

Song of Songs 8:12a But my own vineyard is mine to give….
I wish I could say at the end of this chapter that now this book totally makes sense in the larger cannon and in my life of faith. I can find connections to my faith if I look hard enough, but I’m still baffled about this book.
Song of Songs 8:12b …the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon….
The commentary that uses this section as a reminder to “take care of your ministers” is a case in point. It seems an odd reading, given the rest of the book. Or the focus on love and purity and saving yourself for your spouse, the mate God has for you. These are things I believe in fully, yet Solomon is being held up as that perfect, loving mate? Remind me again of the number of wives and concubines he had.
Song of Songs 8:12c …and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You that even in my confusion I am able to draw closer to You. Help me to keep questioning, keep searching, keep seeking. Help me to draw closer to You. Always. Amen.
Song of Songs 8:14 Come away, my beloved….
Have a blessed day.
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Finding delight…. (devo reflection)

Song of Songs 7:1 How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince’s daughter!
I’m struggling with Song of Songs more than I thought I would. It definitely seems to be advocating and blessing marriage and the physical intimacy that comes with it, and I can see some parallels between marriage and our relationship with Christ, but I’m not sad that tomorrow is the last chapter. I’m ready to move on.
Song of Songs 7:6 How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights!
Overall, to me, this book just doesn’t seem to fit, it feels so different. Though commentary today mentioned that the groom describes the bride’s beauty three different times and she only describes his once, concluding, “…God finds us much more delightful than we find Him.” That seems an accurate statement.
Song of Songs 7:10 I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your fierce love of Your creation. Forgive me for being so caught up in myself and my life. Help me to seek You and to see You everywhere in my life. Help me to praise Your presence and Your name. Draw me closer. Amen.
Song of Songs 7:11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside, let us spend the night in the villages.
Have a blessed day.
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Loving acceptance…. (devo reflection)

Song of Songs 6:5a Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me….
Reading through this description of his beloved, a modern reader might think it more in line with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, where the speaker begins, “My mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun;” however, commentary indicates that in its original context, this section of Song of Songs would indeed have been praise.
Song of Songs 6:5b …Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead.
The thing that both this description and Sonnet 130 share, the idea that Jesus also embodies, is loving acceptance, regardless. The beloved shows it even after their tiff in the last chapter. The speaker shows it even though his beloved isn’t the fairest in the land, Jesus shows it even though we aren’t anywhere close to perfect.
Song of Songs 6:6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is missing.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your fierce, unconditional love of Your children. Help us to love ourselves and each other as You love us. Draw us closer. Amen.
Song of Songs 6:7 Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.
Have a blessed day.
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The need for relationship…. (devo reflection)

Song of Songs 5:2 I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking….
This chapter puts me in mind of the need for relationship, for intimacy—not the sexual connotation of the word, but in the literal denotation, a close familiarity or friendship with another.
Song of Songs 5:3 I have taken off my robe—must I put it on again? I have washed my feet—must I soil them again?
Intimacy with another, even Jesus, doesn’t just happen by accident. It has to be intentional—time carved out to be together, listening and noticing, asking and paying attention, going beyond just surface level sharing, being vulnerable. It takes determination and work. It sometimes requires personal sacrifice, but putting that time and effort into a relationship, especially my relationship with Christ, is so worth it.
Song of Songs 5:16a His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this reminder. Thank You for the certainty that You made us for relationship, that You want a close, personal, intimate relationship with us. Help me to put in the time and effort to accomplish that. Draw me closer. Amen.
Song of Songs 5:16b …This is my beloved, this is my friend….
Have a blessed day.