Category: Isaiah

Isaiah 43:24a You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices….

I am guilty of the charge God levels against the Israelites in this passage: not praising as I should but never failing to burden Him with my problems and always, always so unutterably human in my failings. But God’s purpose here is not to shame. You cannot have a rich, full relationship if you don’t share both joys and sorrows.

Isaiah 43:24b …But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.

If all I ever do is come to God when I have problems or when I’ve screwed up, He’s become my therapist, and while therapist-patient can be an incredibly beneficial relationship, it is not close and intimate. God wants all of us. He created us and loves us deeply, warts and all. He wants a relationship with us.

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the need for community, relationship. Help me to remember that You desire connection with me, too, not because of anything I can do for You but because my life will be richer, fuller when I allow You near. Amen.

Isaiah 43:26 Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence.

Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43:20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen….

God sounds sad in this passage. Not sad because He has lost something, but sad because He knows His people have because they do not honor Him as they should. Even “[t]he wild animals honor” Him, but not His people, “the people [He] formed [Himself] that they may proclaim [His] praise.”

Isaiah 43:21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

But did you catch the part about purpose? God made us to praise Him. How easy does He make that job? In my life, there are myriad reasons every day to praise Him, though I’m not as diligent about it as I should be. I get grumpy. I get lazy. I get entitled. Help me, Jesus.

Isaiah 43:22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel.

Precious Savior, Thank You that You desire relationship with us so deeply that it saddens You for our loss when we don’t seek You as we should. Thank You for creating  me to praise You. Help me to proclaim Your praise at every opportunity. Help me to be mindful and grateful always. Amen.

Isaiah 43:23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings nor wearied you with demands for incense.

Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43:16 This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,

Verse 19 is one that I not only cling to often but also share with others who are struggling. Don’t we all know what it feels like to be trapped in the wilderness with no way out? And God is already there, already making a way, even if we can’t yet perceive it.

Isaiah 43:17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

Not only that, He is excited about what he is doing. “See, I am doing a new thing!” is empathic, enthusiastic. It’s almost like, “Look! Look! See this new thing I’m doing?!?” I can see God’s exuberant joy at showing me this way that He’s making, even though I can’t yet perceive it.

Isaiah 43:18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Lord, Sometimes we just feel alone and stuck. But the truth is that even in those moments, You are not only with us, You are working for us, making a way–a way that You are excited about, even if we can’t yet perceive it. Thank You. Help us to trust You, even when we can’t see, can’t yet perceive. Amen.

Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43:12a I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—

Verses 10 & 12 contain the words “You are my witnesses.” What are the Israelites witnessing to or for exactly? That God is with us always. That we do not need to be afraid. That He is the One True God. To whom are they witnessing? “…[T]hose who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf” (v8).

Isaiah 43:12b I, and not some foreign god among you.

God asks us to do the same today–witness to others of His presence, mercy, love by glorifying His name. That witness looks different for everyone, but it involves sharing Jesus with others in a way that is unique to us. God will use all our efforts if we allow.

Isaiah 43:12c You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.

Lord, Sometimes the task of sharing You with others feels so daunting. I want to stammer like Moses and give you excuse after excuse about why I am not suited for this task. But You uniquely created each of us to interact with You and perceive You in our own special way. Someone out there needs our story. It’s the only way they will ever see Your goodness. Help us to share Your love abundantly. Amen.

Isaiah 43:13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43:8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.

Scripture talks a lot about people who have eyes to see but don’t perceive, ears to hear but don’t understand. The feeling I always get from these verses (like Mark 4:12) is hopeless. They have the ability to perceive and understand but their hardened hearts won’t yield so that they can or will.

Isaiah 43:9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”

Verse 8 feels different to me. It seems to be talking about those who currently are closed off–blind and deaf to the truth of God–but who have potential, who can be made to understand. Verse 8 feels to me like a task: Lead them out, help them to see, to hear, to understand who I am.

Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

Lord, Thank You that I understand who You are and who You are to me. Help me to be Your witness, to speak of Your love, mercy, and glory to all who will listen. Amen.

Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.

Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43 5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

For my church’s daily devos, we are in 1 Kings 19 this week. Elijah is at the end of himself. God tells him to go stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord for He is about to pass by. Elijah witnesses a powerful, shattering wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but the Lord isn’t in any of these things. He is in a gentle whisper.

Isaiah 43:6a I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ …

In Isaiah 43:1, God says, “Do not fear.” In verse 5, He says, “Do not be afraid.” Then He proceeds to talk about the four points on a compass, reminding us that He is for us and is with us everywhere. But sometimes we forget that everywhere doesn’t just mean the big, tumultuous moments. He is with us in the quiet whispers, too.

Isaiah 43:6b …Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

Lord, Help me to look for You in every moment of every day–the big, loud, obvious moments as well as the quiet, subdued, easy-to-miss moments. You are there. Help me to trust and not be afraid. Always. Amen.

Isaiah 43:7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43:3a For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…

As much comfort as the first two verses of Isaiah 43 brings me because of the reminder of God’s presence with me always, verses 3 and 4 make me a bit uncomfortable because it sounds like God is exchanging others for me. Commentary that I can find skirts around this particular exchange and focuses on the parts that bring me comfort and joy–God’s presence, His love, even in trials.

Isaiah 43:3b …I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.

The God that I serve is not an either–or God. He doesn’t knock someone out of His favor to have room for me. His Son left the 99 to save the 1, I cannot fathom God making that exchange in reverse: whole countries in exchange for me. So what’s going on here? I wish I knew.

Isaiah 43:4a Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you…

Lord, Thank You for the comfort that I find in Isaiah 43. Thank You for the reassurances and reminders it entails. Thank You that I can find comfort and peace even if I still have questions. Thank You for being a God who allows me to question and struggle and seek so that my relationship with You is real and solid and eternal. Thank You. Amen.

Isaiah 43:4b …I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43:2a When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…

I struggle with the fact that bad things happen to good people, bad things happen to people who don’t deserve it, bad things don’t always have an explanation, a reason, a rationale.

Isaiah 43:2b …and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you…

But Isaiah 1 doesn’t hide the fact that bad things happen. Isaiah 1 simply reminds us that when bad things happen, we do not need to fear because God is with us and we are His deeply loved children.

Isaiah 43:2c …When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned…

Lord, I struggle when bad things happen for no discernible reason. Thank You for the reminder that I am Your fiercely loved child, that You are with me always, even when bad things happen, That I have no need to fear because You’ve got me, no matter what. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 43:2d …the flames will not set you ablaze.

Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 43:1a But now, this is what the Lord says—

What I like about these verses is the relationship, the connection that the Lord expresses. This is the Lord who created us, who formed us. He is telling us not to fear. Why? He has redeemed us, called us by name. We are His.

Isaiah 43:1b …he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel…

That doesn’t mean an easy life for us without trouble. It just means that even when trouble comes, we are not alone. He is with us. Why? He has redeemed us, called us by name. We are His.

Isaiah 43:1c …“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you…

Lord, To know that You created me, You redeemed me, You claim me, You are with me….Always, is such a gift. Thank You. I believe so fully, Lord. Help me to trust. Amen.

Isaiah 43:1d …I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Have a blessed day.