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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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Beyond anything we can imagine…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 114:3 The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back….

As I was reading Psalm 114 this morning, Isaiah 55:8 came to mind: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” 

Psalm 114:4 …the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs.

When we look at life—our hopes, dreams, realities—we see them all through our incredibly narrow human lens. God’s not limited to our parameters. Not only that, He wants so much more for us than we can even fathom for ourselves. Our fear comes in letting go of our “good” to make room for His “best.”

Psalm 114:5 Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why Jordan, did you turn back?

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder held in Isaiah 55:8. Thank You for having bigger plans and dreams for us than we could possibly fathom for ourselves. Grant us Your peace as we trust where You lead, even when it feels frightening and painful. Help us, always, to trust Your ways, which are far beyond anything we can imagine. Draw us closer. Amen.

Psalm 114:6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs?

Have a blessed day.

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God is my King…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 74:11 Why do You hold back Your hand, Your right hand? Take it from the folds of Your garment and destroy them!

This psalm was written during a time of defeat. The writer did not see, did not feel God’s presence. I’ve been there before, when you pray for a positive outcome, you know God is able, but for reasons You don’t understand, He says no, He heals by taking them home to heaven.

Psalm 74:12 But God is my King from long ago; He brings salvation on the earth.

This psalm paints a good picture of what to do then: praise Him for His previous blessings and provision, trust that, even though He did not bring healing the way you wanted, He is still God, still good and sovereign, He brings salvation to the earth, and even when we don’t understand, don’t like His way, we can still trust Him. Always.

Psalm 74:13 It was You who split open the sea by Your power; You broke the heads of the monsters in the waters.

Lord, You are sovereign and holy, loving and good. I know You can do all things. Help me to trust that when You choose not to heal or act in the way I pray that it is because Your way, Your plan is “far beyond anything you could imagine” (Isaiah 55:8). Hear me, Lord. Heal me. Help me to praise You. Always. Amen.

Psalm 74:16 The day is Yours, and Yours also the night; You established the sun and moon.

Have a blessed day.

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Even when I don’t understand…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 20:1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress…. (NIV)

Commentary suggests that this was a psalm the people said over David as he was preparing for battle, but I can’t help but think of Job as I read these words. I think God HEARS us always. He knows our struggles. I think He ANSWERS us always. But sometimes those answers look very different than we had hoped or imagined.

Psalm 20:1 In times of trouble, May the LORD answer your cry… (NLT)

Isaiah 43:19 is a favorite of mine, especially when I don’t understand, when I can’t perceive what God is doing: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness….” Even when I don’t understand, even when I can’t discern what He is doing, He is still making a way, drawing me closer, allowing me to shine His light more clearly. I can trust Him, even when I don’t understand.

Psalm 20:4 May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for hearing my prayers, for knowing my heart, for answering, even when I don’t understand or can’t yet perceive Your response, even when Your answer is not what I had hoped. Thank You for the trust that You are sovereign, that You love me fiercely, that I am safe in Your care, always. Amen.

Psalm 20:5 May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.

Have a blessed day.

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God is love…. (devo reflection)

Job 12:13 “To God belong wisdom and power; council and understanding are His.”

I was taught from an early age that God is love. The angry, vengeful God in the Old Testament is often baffling to me. And yet, in Job 12, I am able to see some powerful truths about the Almighty. Verse 13 highlights His sovereign nature. He is all knowing, all powerful. This brings to mind Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

Job 12:22 “He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.”

Verse 22 reminds us that “… even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you” (Psalm 139:12). God knows our deepest, darkest, ugliest selves. And He loves us anyway. He doesn’t want to destroy us with our secrets. He wants to bring us into His light, wash us clean, and remind us that we are His. He loves us—deeply, fiercely, mercifully—simply because we are His.

Job 12:23 “He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and disperses them.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to look at this chapter and see, not Your vengeance, but Your mercy. Help me to drag all my darkness into Your light so that You can wash me clean and draw me closer. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.

Job 12:25 “They grope in darkness with no light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.”

Have a blessed day.

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Ways and truths…. (devo reflection)

Job 11:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied….

It seems so long ago that the three friends sat in the silence of grief with Job for seven days. I have to believe, even now, that these friends are trying to be loving, supportive, and helpful to Job. I just don’t think you can sit for a week in silent mourning with a friend and not have his best interest at heart. However, this whole section has me pondering the nature of friendship and support during trials.

Job 11:7 “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”

Verses 7-8 bring Isaiah 55:8 strongly to mind: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD, “And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine.” Again, as I strive to make sense of Job, I see the sovereignty and majesty of God and the often single-minded focus of myself. I know how actions and events affect me, but I can’t know the power and strength of the ripples and how they touch others. But God knows.

Job 11:8 “They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know?”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to see the book of Job in a new light. Thank You for the reminder that You are sovereign, loving, and compassionate. I may not understand Your ways, but I definitely understand these truths. And I trust you. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.

Job 11:9 “Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.”

Have a blessed day.

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Extraordinary grace and undeserved mercy…. (devo reflection)

Esther 9:1 …On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand on those who hated them.

Isaiah 61:3 came to mind as I read this chapter, especially Esther 9:22. Isaiah 61:3 promises “…a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Haman’s massacre of the Jews was an edict from the king. Yet, because of the faithfulness of Esther and Mordecai, the Jews were granted not only redemption but retribution.

Esther 9:5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.

As I typed the above, Romans 8:37 came to mind. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Perhaps that is the ultimate lesson of this chapter: no matter how devastating and irrevocable the proclamation against us, if we are faithful to “Him who loved us,” God can not only redeem us but can give us overwhelming victory. Thank You, Jesus.

Esther 9:13 “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for this reminder that no matter our sin, no matter the heartache we face, You can and will redeem us if we come to You with a humble and repentant heart. Thank You for the assurance that no matter the opposition facing us, overwhelming victory is ours through You. Thank You for Your extraordinary grace and undeserved mercy. Draw us closer. Amen.

Esther 9:20-22 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes…to have them celebrate annually [these two days] as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration….

Have a blessed day.