On May 20th, 2013, we experienced a massive tornado here in Moore, OK. Some 1200 homes were completely leveled, and another 11,000-12,000 were damaged. Twenty-four people died, and hundreds were hurt. Over 2 billion dollars’ worth of damage was done. As I walked through the damage, it took my breath away. I couldn’t even imagine how long it was going to take to clean up the mess, much less rebuild. It was a daunting task.
But God is good. The community went to work, and helpers began to arrive from all around the country. People gave up their vacations to lend a hand. Donations came in from everywhere. Piles of rubble were pushed to the curb, and repairs and reconstruction began quickly. Within a year, you had to know where to look to even spot the damage the tornado had done. From decimation to transformation. It seemed to me an impossible task. But God saw us through.
Isaiah reminds us in our passage today that God will give us what we need when we need it. As the Jews faced the overwhelming task of returning to their destroyed homes and city, it had to take their breath away. How would this be done? Do they have the strength and the resources to do it? The answer to those questions is one of the great statements of Jesus: “What is impossible for man, is possible with God!” God HAS the strength for the task. God will give them the strength for the task. God will provide what they need when they need it. Restoration and reconstruction are what God does BEST!
Remember that today. God will give YOU what you need when you need it! He will help you SOAR to levels you’ve achieved before. He will help you RUN through your busy day, helping you do more than you ever thought possible. Or He will help you WALK that long, seemingly never-ending road you're on. His strength is YOUR strength. He doesn’t give up. He doesn’t get tired. And He doesn’t let go. Come hell or high water, or EF5 tornado, trust in the Lord, and He will see you through! That’s God’s Word for you today.
(And for those of you who heard I announced that I will be retiring next year, I DO plan on continuing to write my daily devotional… especially since I’ll have more time!)

Did you know that you can name a star? It’s true. For a minimum of around $50, you can go to a website called star-registration.com and have a star named for someone you love. Or for yourself. The website tells you that it is officially catalogued, so that no one else gets to name your star. It’s all yours.
It’s bogus, of course. No person, organization, or even country, for that matter, can give a star an “official” name. Because none of those entities actually own any of the stars they’re naming. I mean, I could look up at the sun, our closest star, and call it “Wanda,” but that doesn’t mean that’s really its name. And of course, it wouldn’t be nearly as hot! :-))
Isaiah reminds us that God put the stars in the sky. He created them. He gave them birth. He put them exactly where they needed to be. Isaiah says that God calls each of them by their name. Since those stars are His, He gets to call them whatever He wants. And He doesn’t have to pay a dime.
Let the starry night sky remind you today of the awesomeness of God. It’s estimated that there are somewhere between 100 and 400 BILLION stars right here in our own Milky Way galaxy. And, by some recent estimates, there are maybe up to 2 TRILLION galaxies out there. That’s a LOT of stars! But each one is unique, special, and was named by the God who made them all.
Now think about this. The God who made and named all those stars, made YOU as well. And He knows YOU by name. He knows where you’ve come from, where you’re at, and where you are going. Though God made this amazing, beautiful, starry sky, YOU are the most precious of all of His creations. Like His stars, no one else gets to define you, no one else gets to own you, and no one else gets to determine your worth. Yes, God named His stars, but He DIED for you. When you look at the night sky, remember this. You’re more than a star. In fact, you are worth more to God than all the stars in the sky put together. The stars are His beautiful creation. But YOU are His Beautiful Child. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in.” – Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

When I was in college, I had a Greek professor who was absolutely brilliant. He was one of those no-nonsense kind of teachers who had pretty strict guidelines that we had to follow, and who made us really work to make good grades. Let’s just say I studied four times more for tests in his class than I did in any other class I took.
I remember a few different times when we got into discussions about Greek words or related theology, he would expound in a manner that left those of us in the class spellbound. There were also times when he took off on a topic, and I would just shake my head thinking, “I have no idea what he’s even saying.” Can you imagine me in my first or second year of Greek, giving my professor advice on Greek? Of course not. Why? Because he had spent his LIFE studying the language. He had more knowledge about Greek and how it applied to the Bible in his pinky than I had in my whole body!
This is the point Isaiah is making about God. God is not only our Creator, Lord, and Savior, He is also the sum total of all knowledge and wisdom. He knows what is, what was, and what ought to be. Yet, how often do we feel the need to advise Him? I did this just the other day! As I was walking and praying, I began to pray for a friend of mine. My heart was in the right place, but I forgot who I was talking to. Instead of acknowledging that I am a child who knows NOTHING compared to my Heavenly Father, I shifted into Pastor mode. I started detailing for God how He needed to handle my friend and began to give Him detailed steps He needed to take. I finally caught myself and started laughing and just said, “Here he is, Lord, you know what He needs, and you can take it from here.” I imagined God laughing along with me.
Let’s call out to God. As His Children, He invites us to pray for His mercy, His healing, and His help. But let’s remember who we’re talking to. This isn’t an amateur handler of the universe. This is Almighty God, maker of the heavens and the earth. Feel free to ask for whatever is on your heart. Feel free to lay any need, any burden, and anyone you want before Him. But let’s drop the need to advise God on how to handle things. He doesn’t really need our help. He’s been running the universe for a long, long time. He can handle it from here. That’s God’s Word for you today.

My father was one of the most gentle men I’ve ever known. He was also the man I most feared growing up. I can still remember sitting in his lap and feeling as if it was the safest place on earth. I can also remember the panic I felt when he came home after I’d done something I shouldn’t have done. Mom was a pushover. I could schmooze her or whine my way to getting what I wanted from her. Dad was like a rock. When he said, “No,” it was “NO.” He was a fearful model of power. He was also a wonderful model of gentleness.
I think that’s why this image of God that Isaiah paints is such an endearing picture for me. He speaks forcefully about the coming of God as a powerful King. He was to be respected. He was to be feared. He is a God of justice who will reward those who love and serve Him. But He is also a God of justice who will assuredly give evildoers their due.
But notice that Isaiah also describes Him as a Shepherd. Loving. Kind. Protective. Compassionate. “He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.” That is the ultimate picture of a Gentle Savior. Rugged, strong, and quite capable of handling all the animals and all the danger that might be encountered along the way. But tender in His touch and in His care of the lambs He carries.
Jesus also gave us a perfect picture of this. He was Grace and Truth. He was the embodiment of God’s justice as He overturned the tables in the Temple and drove the evildoers out with a whip. He was also the embodiment of God’s tenderness as He welcomed the children who came to Him and stood with those who were ostracized or shunned. Jesus described Himself as “gentle.” Some translations use the word “meek.” It actually means “strength under control.” Jesus knew how to exert His authority. He also knew how to demonstrate His love.
So let’s not presume for a moment that God doesn’t mean what He says. He does. They’re called “commandments,” not “suggestions.” He is a God of Truth and Justice who is not to be trifled with. But He is also a God of Grace and Compassion. If you need Him today, just call upon His name, and He will lift you up close to His Heart. He is a God of Powerful Gentleness. That’s God’s Word for you today.

As Isaiah is encouraging the people in preparation for their return to Jerusalem, he lets them know that nothing is going to stop what God has ordained. No doubt, as the rumors of going home make their rounds, a thousand questions and fears arise. How is this going to happen? What will “home” look like? How will we get what we need to rebuild once we get there? Isaiah reminds them that where God leads, He provides.
This passage is also quoted in the New Testament as a prophecy about John the Baptist. If you remember, John was not only a cousin to Jesus, he also boldly preached about the coming Messiah. John’s preaching “tilled the soil” for the work that Jesus would come to do. He stirred people’s hearts with both a hungering and a wondering about the Messiah. John challenged people’s thinking about who God was and what they should expect. His life “prepared the way” for Jesus to take the baton and usher in the unshakable Kingdom of God.
WE get to prepare the way for the Lord as well! Think about it. Every single day as ambassadors for Jesus Christ, we get to chip away at and shape the way people think about who Jesus is and what He came to do. Many people have false ideas about God. Some have encountered Christians who didn’t act very “Jesus-like.” Some have gone to churches that didn’t do a good job of representing what the true God really looks like or what He really expects. Some see God out of their own pain and disappointment in life and have come to their own false conclusions about His existence or nature.
But we get the opportunity every day to change that! Let’s let the love of Jesus Christ flow through us. Let’s let His compassion and healing touch the lives of the people all around us. Let’s let His joy and peace show through in such a way that people catch a glimpse of Him and they say, “I want some of THAT!” Let’s shed all of those attitudes and behaviors that create barriers to people seeing Christ in us. Let’s prepare the way of the Lord for our families. Let’s prepare the way of the Lord in our schools. Let’s be the path of God to people’s hearts wherever we are this week. Prepare the way for the Lord!! That’s God’s Word for you today.

I had a friend who told me about a time when he got punished by his father for something he didn’t do. Something at the house got damaged, and it was his sister who did it. She was, of course, conveniently missing when their father discovered it. In a rage of fury, the father whipped his son, even though he repeatedly denied that he had anything to do with it. When his sister came home, she confessed that she was the one who did the damage. My friend said his father looked at him, and instead of apologizing for the unfair punishment, he said, “Well, consider that whipping for something else I don’t know about.” Nice guy.
Contrast that to our Heavenly Father. A Father who is certainly just and does not wink at our sin, but one who is also compassionate and gracious. Having been taken into exile for their disobedience to God, the Lord doesn’t abandon them. As He prepares them to return to Jerusalem, He tells Isaiah to speak “comfort” to them. God knows that they have been broken. He knows that their suffering has been great. In fact, the way He refers to them being punished “twice over” for their sins tells us that God was empathetic to them. He has no desire to see them suffer any longer, but wants to comfort, heal, and restore them.
That’s God’s heart for us. When we suffer from the consequences of poor choices, bad decisions, and outright sins, God has no desire to punish us further. He is not a God who delights in our suffering. He is not a father who rubs salt in the wound of our shame by telling us we’re getting exactly what we deserve. Instead, He is the Father who longs for our awakening and waits in anticipation for our returning home. And when that time comes, He runs to meet us with joy, comfort, and healing. That’s the heart of our God.
If you find yourself in the land of bad decisions, come home. If you look around today and realize that you are a long way from the person you want to be, come home. If your head and heart are heavy with shame today, come home. God will respond to your repentance with love, grace, and restoration. God’s heart is always FOR you and not against you. His arms of comfort are always open for YOU. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“It’s never just about me.” I want you to say that out loud today. It’s an important truth to keep in mind. We often make decisions thinking only about ourselves. But the choices we make have both a horrible and wonderful way of also impacting those around us.
Hezekiah is a great example of that. By showing the Babylonian envoys around, he has exposed Jerusalem to a great danger. When Isaiah confronts him and tells him the consequences of what is going to happen, Hezekiah’s thoughts are only about himself. “At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.” Yeah, but what about in the lifetime of your children, grandchildren, and all of those living in Jerusalem? THEY were going to suffer because of a choice YOU made!
Think about how often this happens. Someone drinks until they’re impaired, and then they get behind the wheel of a car, not considering that they might hurt or kill someone else on the road or a passenger in their car. Or someone smokes, often accepting the fact that their smoking may have health implications for themselves. But they often don’t consider that those around them may have serious health issues from their secondhand smoke. Or sometimes people make horrible financial decisions by buying stuff they can’t afford, not considering that the hole they’re digging isn’t just for themselves, but it becomes a financial grave that the whole family gets buried in. The decisions we make every single day are ripples, waves, and sometimes tsunamis that impact all those we are connected to. And even some we’re NOT connected to!
Hezekiah’s story reminds us that it’s never just about “me.” We need to choose wisely, think carefully, and consider who else will be impacted. Our good choices and wise decisions bless others. Our poor choices and thoughtless actions put others at risk. Be mindful and prayerful today. It’s never just about you. That’s God’s Word for you today.

When the envoys came with well-wishes and a gift from the king of Babylonia, Hezekiah was flattered. He probably felt as if the king was trying to make a partner out of him in their fight against the king of Assyria. Hezekiah, wanting to make himself appear like a worthy ally, gave the envoys a “behind the scenes” tour of the wealth and power of Jerusalem. While a gesture like this appears harmless on the surface, it was actually dangerous and reckless.
First of all, it wasn’t just a “glad you’re feeling better” gesture by the king of Babylonia. He was sizing up Jerusalem for future acquisition. Though it was true that Jerusalem and Babylonia shared a common enemy, in this case, “the enemy of his enemy” was not his friend. Once Assyria was taken down, Babylonia would set its sights on Jerusalem as well. Now Babylonia would know what they were fighting against and what there was to take. If Hezekiah had been wise, he would have sought the counsel of Isaiah beforehand about how to handle this envoy. His lack of wisdom put wind in the sails of Babylonia’s desire to possess Jerusalem.
Another dangerous part of this encounter was that it seemed that Hezekiah’s motivation to show them his wealth and power was driven by his pride, which was truly a slap in God’s face. Hezekiah’s power didn’t save the city from the king of Assyria. God’s power did. And the wealth they possessed was from the blessing of God and not their own accomplishment. After all that God had done for Hezekiah and Jerusalem, including healing Hezekiah of a deathbed illness, Hezekiah still took credit for it all. He forgot where his blessings came from, and he unwittingly set himself up to lose it all.
Guard well what God has entrusted to you. Our lives, our families, and all that we possess have come from His Hand. His blessings are precious, and His work in our lives deserves both our gratitude and our protection. Don’t forget to seek His heart and mind in the important matters of your life. Be careful to remember all that He has done. A lack of judgment and a lack of appreciation can quickly undo the good treasure God has poured into our laps. Remember, we are stewards, not owners, of God’s good gifts. Let’s be wise and guard them well! That’s God’s Word for you today.

“New Life!” That’s the title of my Easter message today. It is also a statement about the incredible power of our God. Go back to the Garden of Eden. God wanted to make a special creation. A being He could have a relationship with. One whom he could love and who could return His love. One that He would make in His own image to be like Him. But notice that He started with something dead, not alive. He scooped up dust from the earth and made a mudpie man. Then He did what only God can do. He breathed into that dirt the Breath of Life. And that dirt became a Living Being.
There were several times in scripture that God did this. Dead people whom He raised to life. Or those who were on their way to death. That was Hezekiah’s story. Isaiah had already told Hezekiah that his illness was going to lead to death. But then Hezekiah did what all of God’s Children have the privilege of doing. He cried out to God for compassion. So, God laid His Hand on Hezekiah’s dying body and gave him another 15 years to live.
As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ today, it’s important to remember that it isn’t just Jesus that God can raise to life. It’s US! In Romans 6:4, Paul reminds us that the resurrection wasn’t just a historical fact; it was the invitation to personal transformation. He said, “And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
Where could YOU use a New Life today? Maybe you’ve blown it, and you need God to forgive your sins and give you a clean sheet to write a new story. Maybe your marriage is dying, and you need God to resurrect your marriage and breathe new love and new life into you. Maybe you’ve been through more than you dreamed you could ever handle, and you’ve been ready to give up. Maybe you need God to breathe new hope and strength into you. Hezekiah cried out to God, and God raised him up. I invite you, on this Resurrection Day, to cry out to that same God. New Life may be simply a prayer away! That’s God’s Word for you today.

“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” –  Romans 6:4 (NLT)

As I’m writing this, it’s Good Friday. When I walked and prayed this morning, I spent a good bit of time thinking about what this day was like for Jesus. It was a cruel day. It was a painful day. It was a day of abandonment by His closest friends. It was a day of being beaten, whipped, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross. He was mocked, spat upon, and humiliated. It was a day of sorrow. A day of sadness. A day of darkness. Jesus prayed that if it was possible, He be spared this day. But He wasn’t spared. He suffered and hung on that cross until He died. Yeah, I know. Resurrection Day was coming. But He had to go through Good Friday to get there.
Hezekiah had his own Good Friday. He was deathly ill. He was dealing with the threat of the Assyrian army attacking Jerusalem. As king, he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. And now, instead of a word of hope that this was soon going to end, Isaiah tells him the exact opposite. “You’re going to die.” I thought it interesting that Hezekiah’s words were very similar to the thief hanging next to Jesus. “Remember me, Lord.” Things were going to get better for Hezekiah. He would have his own “resurrection.” But he had to go through Good Friday to get there.
Some of you are going through your own “Good Friday” time. You’re suffering. You’re hurting. You’ve been abandoned or rejected. You’ve had close friends or family just walk away. Some of you are experiencing what seems like the death of your dreams. Your greatest fears have become your reality. Your day today, like Jesus’ Good Friday, is a day of darkness, sadness, and sorrow. You’ve been praying that God would make it all go away. But He didn’t. So here you are.
I’m not going to minimize what you’re going through. Because some of you are suffering to a degree that God alone understands. But that’s my encouragement to you. God DOES understand. He is empathetic to your pain and the darkness of this day. He has been where you are and is right there with you as you go through yours. And just like the dark days of Jesus and Hezekiah gave way to a “resurrection day,” so will yours. I don’t know when. I don’t know how. But I do know that God will see you through to the other side. God will “remember you.” Sunday really is coming. But you’ll have to go through Good Friday to get there. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Don’t miss the significance of one little phrase in our passage today. It is the key that unlocks many doors. The phrase is “because you prayed.” Think about the power in that statement.
At stake was whether the city would stand or fall. Hanging in the balance were the lives of thousands of people. Generations would be impacted by what happens between the King of Assyria and Hezekiah. Hezekiah could have tried to be the hero and lead his army into battle. He could have tried to be a diplomat and negotiate some kind of surrender to Assyria. Hezekiah could have simply not done anything and let things just work themselves out, believing that whatever is going to happen is going to happen. But he didn’t. Hezekiah prayed. And God stepped in.
“Prayer changes things.” Do you believe that statement, or is it just a cliché to you? Some people believe that God is going to do whatever God wants to do, whether we pray or not. If that’s true, then why does God tell us over and over to cry out to Him? Abram prayed, and God answered. Moses prayed, and God delivered. David, Daniel, and the three Hebrew children prayed, and God rescued them all. So how about YOU? Do YOU pray?
James 5 tells us that “the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective.” It is a tremendous source of strength that God gives us. God places in our hands the opportunity to partner with Him in His Work here on earth. Make no mistake, God does the work. Our prayers are not magical incantations by which we work magic here on earth. But our broken, passionate, and surrendered hearts do produce prayers that touch the heart of God and often prompt Him to move. Sometimes, as in the case of Hezekiah, in amazing and historic ways.
“Lord, help us to remember that you’re often waiting on us to move in the world around us. Let us not rely on our own strength, our own wisdom, or our own skill. Help us to be a people who are humble enough to seek you each and every day with all our hearts. May it be said of us one day that you worked in a profound and powerful way…because we prayed.” That’s God’s Word for you today.

I love Hezekiah’s model in our passage today. After receiving the letter from the King of Assyria threatening to overthrow Jerusalem, he took it into the temple and laid it out before the Lord. Then he humbled his heart in prayer. This is so key. Hezekiah didn’t try to put on an air of pride or power before his people. He didn’t try to pretend as if the letter didn’t bother him, and that he had no fear. He didn’t blow the letter off as if it didn’t exist or try to create an illusion that the threat wasn’t real. He also didn’t try to sneak out of Jerusalem and run for the hills. He simply acknowledged that his problem was bigger than he was and laid it out before a God who was bigger than his problem!
Camp on this for a bit, because the implications are HUGE. How many of us have a hard time admitting when we’re in over our heads? How often do we put on pretend smiles for the people around us and say, “I’m fine.” How often do we try to act as if we can handle anything—even when we KNOW that what we’re dealing with is bigger than we are? Some of us even take our problems and pace the floor with them, somehow believing we can “worry them away.”
Learn from Hezekiah. Lay your problems before the Lord. Acknowledge that what you’re facing is bigger than you, but then give it to a God whom it is NOT bigger than! You don’t have to pretend that you’re not worried. We ALL worry. You don’t have to pretend as if you’re fine. NONE OF US are fine. God INVITES us to bring our struggles and troubles to Him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and heavy with burdens, and I will give you rest.” You’ve carried that burden long enough. Time to lay it before the Lord. That’s God’s Word for you today.

When I was playing basketball in college, it was interesting how teams would try to intimidate us. Some teams would come out of their locker rooms yelling and shouting, hoping that the noise would scare you. Other teams would try to get in your head during warmups by doing dunks with the ball or fancy drills. One team came out in a tournament we played, came down to our end of the floor, dribbled around us in a big circle, and pointed at us and laughed. Their goal was always the same. To win the game before it ever started by overwhelming us with fear.
That’s what the King of Assyria was trying to do with Hezekiah and Jerusalem. He sent his chief of staff to the city to meet with the leaders of Hezekiah’s court. His message to them was one of intimidation. He told them how small they were compared to how big the Assyrian army was. He described the destruction they would bring and how devastated the city would be. He laughed at their allies, their army, and even their God. His weapon was FEAR. The goal was to get Hezekiah and his people to quit before they even started. Fortunately, though they were shaken, Hezekiah and his leaders didn’t yield to the fear.
My guess is that the Enemy is coming at many of us as the Assyrians came at Jerusalem. He’s trying to control us with fear. We’ve messed up, and he’s using fear to make us believe there’s no way back. We feel God calling us to a task or a position, but he’s using fear to make us believe we’re not worthy or not capable. God is nudging us to speak more boldly about our faith, and he’s using fear to keep us quiet. Some of us know we need to have a hard conversation with someone, but he’s using fear to keep us in dysfunctional patterns and unhealthy relationships. Fear is one of the most powerful tools the Enemy has because the Enemy doesn’t have to defeat us if he can just make us fearful enough to quit.
Don’t let fear conquer your faith. Don’t let fear rule your life. Don’t let fear rob you of the life God is calling you to live. God has called you to a Victorious Life. But the greatest foe you’ll have to defeat is fear. That’s God’s Word for you today.

You’ll lose some battles. But God will win the war! This is a truth that we have to bury deep in our hearts. It’s so easy to grow discouraged when hardship comes or setbacks happen. Fear can grip our hearts, and faith can feel like a slippery rope that we can’t hang onto. That’s when we have to remember that God has promised ultimate victory, no matter what we’re going through.
Isaiah begins the details of Sennacherib’s attack on Judah by talking about how his army conquered some of the fortified towns. You can only imagine how much fear this caused the people of Israel to feel. The Assyrian army was massive and strong. After conquering some of the towns, the king sent a message to the people of Jerusalem to let them know that their situation was hopeless. Even King Hezekiah was in panic. But God was still on His Throne!
When Hezekiah went in and cried out to God, God assured him that He had everything under control. Hezekiah’s humility and brokenness before God moved the Lord to act on Jerusalem’s behalf. God even went so far as to tell Hezekiah how He was going to send the attacking king home without him so much as being able to fire an arrow at Jerusalem. Yes, Judah had suffered some losses, but God was still ultimately in charge. HE would see His People through.
Some of you may have lost some battles recently. Maybe you thought you were on the right path, but you hit a roadblock. Maybe you put your trust in someone who betrayed you. Maybe you’ve had some physical, financial, or relational setbacks. The Enemy often uses these as points of attack. He wants to discourage you. He wants to cause you to doubt and fear. He wants to steal your joy and fill your heart with panic. Like the King of Assyria, he wants you to believe all is lost and you might as well just quit and give up. But don’t do it!! Yes, you sometimes lose a battle here or there. Yes, sometimes the road gets hard, and you have to take a couple of steps backward to go forward again. Yes, sometimes life on this fallen planet doesn’t go as you want it to, and life can feel so very out of control. But it’s not. It’s just a part of the war called “Life.” You may lose some battles. But God will win the war! That’s God’s Word for you today.

God will bring me back. I want you to say that out loud today. It’s an important reminder that the places we find ourselves in are not the places we will always be. God knows where we are, and He will bring us back.
That is the great hope that Isaiah is speaking over the people in our passage today. They are in exile. They are suffering the consequences of their own sins. Some of the people are actually suffering because of the sins of others. But God knows EXACTLY where they are. He knows the strength of their enemy. He knows the sadness and the brokenness of those who have to endure. He knows the severity of their suffering. And He knows the repentant hearts of those who have learned their lesson. Though His People can’t fathom how God can redeem them and get them home, He knows. And He is already moving on their behalf.
This understanding overwhelmed my heart with hope today, as I hope it does yours. God sees our captivity. He knows exactly where we’re stuck. He knows how we got there, whether choices of our own making, the choices of others, or simply catastrophic happenings of life. God also knows our hearts, sees our repentance, and hears our cries for help. And He’s already working to bring us back.
Those of you who have sinned and fallen away, call out to Him. God’s grace is greater than all of your sin. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how far from home you’ve wandered. He sees you, and He loves you. Like the father of the Prodigal Son who came running to meet his wayward child, God will come running to meet you. Yes, there may be consequences you have to endure, but He will see you through, and He will welcome you home.
God will bring you back, those of you who are lost in your grief. God is close to the brokenhearted, and He will restore your soul. God will bring you back, those of you reeling from the unfair choices of others. God will help you find your way back to level ground and a better path. God will bring back those of us who are suffering, those of us who are confused, and those of us who are lonely. The Enemy is strong and wants to keep you exiled from the great love of God. But he cannot. Cry out to your King today. Cry out to the one whose arm can reach all the way to where you are. Soon, your pain will be in your past. Soon, your suffering will be over. Soon, your sorrow and your mourning will be no more. No matter how dark it may seem, God is near. And God will bring you back. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Recently, I met my youngest son for lunch. Afterward, I needed to stop by his house to pick up something. I wasn’t familiar with the area where we ate, but I decided that rather than backtrack to the way I knew to his house, I would just wind my way through the area heading in the direction where I knew he lived. I made it out of the shopping area to the main street, feeling very proud of myself. But when I made the turn onto a street that I was sure would lead me to the interstate, it was a dead end. I turned around and went back to the main street, completely sure that if I just followed it far enough, I would come to a cross street that would get me where I wanted to go. The main street turned out to be a dead end, too. Completely frustrated, I turned around again and backtracked until I saw a sign that led me to the interstate. My son just laughed when I finally got to his house. Evidently, he had tried that “shortcut” before himself!
All roads don’t lead to heaven. Isaiah reminds us of this today. Only the “Highway of Holiness” takes us to the place where God lives. And not all of us choose to take that road. Many of us like to try to find our own way through this “desert” we call life. We believe we’re smart enough to figure it out. So we try this path and that path and then another path. But we soon discover that any path of our own making is just another dead end. As Proverbs tells us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in destruction.”
Fortunately, we don’t have to carve a path of our own. God has already paved the Highway of Holiness that leads right to Him. His name is Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.” Jesus came so we didn’t have to figure it out on our own. He IS the Highway of Holiness. When we come to Him, surrender to Him, and follow Him, we’re on a road that leads straight to God. All other paths are dead ends.
Learn from my frustrating journey. As much as you may want to believe you can make your own way to heaven, it just doesn’t work. There’s One Road, One Path, and One Highway of Holiness. Turn around today and come to Jesus. He is the road you’re looking for! That’s God’s Word for you today.

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” – John 14:3 (NLT)

As I was walking and praying today, I thanked God for His incredible goodness in my life. The word I used as I thanked Him was the word “abundance.” I thanked Him for the abundance of love I’ve known in my life. Love from my wife. Love from my boys and their families. Love from so many precious friends and family members. And, of course, the life-changing love of God. I teared up as I thought about the overwhelming abundance of love I’ve known. Love that I did not deserve and love that I could never repay.
Then I began thanking God for all of the opportunities I’ve been given. Opportunities to preach and teach. Opportunities to pastor and lead. Opportunities to travel and explore. Opportunities to pour into people’s lives and families. Opportunities to learn, grow, and develop. Opportunities to be broken, restored, and renewed. I feel as if I’ve lived five lifetimes with all I’ve had the privilege to do.
Then, when I read our verse today, I thought, “That’s EXACTLY what God’s done in my life!” He has caused my life to FLOURISH. Where I was dead, He brought LIFE! Where I was barren, He brought FRUITFULNESS. Where my life was simply withering away, He became a spring of Living Water within me. I was a desert. But God made my life an Abundant Garden. He was and is the Author of Life.
Oh, my friend, that’s what Isaiah is saying God wants for ALL of His People. He wants us to experience the fullness of life that only He can provide. He wants to work in us and through us in ways that we can’t even begin to imagine. He wants us to live with joy and expectancy. He wants us to flourish as we walk with Him, flourish in our homes and families, and flourish in our lives and relationships. I invite you today to open up the barren place of your life to His cultivation. I challenge you to open your heart and soul to His Living Springs. I encourage you today to stop living as though your life doesn’t matter or that a blossom or two of God’s goodness is all you can expect. What Isaiah spoke was simply a foreshadowing of the words of Jesus when He said, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that you might have LIFE, and it more ABUNDANTLY.” Let’s live in that abundance! That’s God’s Word for you today.

I love this beautiful prophecy that Isaiah gives about the ministry of Jesus. Everywhere He went, He did exactly what Isaiah said He would do. He touched the eyes of the blind and made them see. Even those who were BORN blind! He opened the ears of the deaf so that they could hear. He took hold of the hands of those who were lame, and they were able to jump to their feet. He opened the mouths of those who could not speak so that they could sing and praise His Name. There is no healer like our Jesus!
But there was a spiritual dimension to this prophecy as well. One that often slips by us at a quick reading. He opened the eyes of those He called to follow Him so that they could see Him as the Messiah. He opened the eyes of a Centurian so that he could see Jesus as the One True Authority. He opened the eyes of Zacchaeus so that he could see Jesus as the only treasure worth having. He opened the eyes of the woman at the well so that she could see The Man she had always longed for. He opened the eyes of Paul (by blinding him!) so that he would know who he was truly fighting against. Yes, Jesus made blind eyes see, but He also opened the eyes of people’s souls so they could see HIM!
That same spiritual application goes for all the other healings as well. Jesus opened people’s ears so they could hear the truth. He put the strength of courage in the legs of those who needed to carry His Word to the world. He healed the voice of Peter so that He not only wouldn’t deny Him again, but He would find the power to stand up, lift up his voice, and preach the gospel so that THOUSANDS would come to Christ! Our Jesus is an AMAZING Healer!
Remember this as you pray today. Jesus can still heal our bodies, eyes, ears, legs, voices, and everything else that needs healing. So pray with confidence today, because the Doctor is IN! But Jesus can also heal the spiritual diseases that so many suffer from. He can open the eyes of their hearts. He can strengthen their legs to take the steps they need to take. He can empower their voice of confession, repentance, and admission. What Isaiah foresaw, Jesus DID. And through the power of His Holy Spirit, He can STILL DO! That’s God’s Word for today.

Growing up, one of the classes most of us have to take in high school is Government class. We learn that Congress is the Legislative Branch of our government. They make the laws. We learn that the President of the United States heads up the Executive branch. This branch serves the country by enforcing the laws. Finally, we learn about the Judicial Branch. They are the ones who are charged with the responsibility of interpreting the laws.
As we grow older, we begin to recognize how chaotic this system can be at times. Sometimes the Executive Branch refuses to enforce laws that have been passed. Sometimes the Judicial Branch strikes down a law that has been made or determines that the Executive Branch has overstepped its authority. Politics is all about trying to get all three branches to be supportive of YOUR particular perspective on the Constitution. And in case you haven’t noticed, EVERYONE has a different perspective. Thus, the chaos.
When I read our verse for today, I realized that God operates like our government, except a whole lot more effectively. Isaiah says that God Himself is the lawmaker. He knows what we need, what is best, and has the wisdom to form guidelines for us to live by. God is also the King who enforces those guidelines. He has All Power. He has All Authority. But He is also a benevolent King who loves the people that He rules. He is as kind, gracious, and merciful as He is powerful. Are you ready for this? He is also the Judge. Since He made the laws, He can interpret them in the true meaning that they were created for. He doesn’t argue with Himself about what they mean or how they apply or how they match up with Scripture. He is the AUTHOR of Scripture! Instead of having several levels of courts and judges who may all look at us and judge us differently, He is the Only Judge before whom we will stand.
Here’s the best part. When we stand before the judge one day, He has already made available the best Public Defender the world has ever known: His Son, Jesus Christ. If we accept Him as our Savior, He will not only stand in our place before the Righteous Judge, but we also discover that He has already paid the fine for our sin. As Isaiah said earlier, “and the government shall be upon His shoulders.” No chaos, no politics, just Jesus. It’s not a government “of the people” or “by the people,” but it sure is a government “FOR the people!” That’s God’s Word for you today.

Isaiah reminds us today that our God is a Protector. As His people, we are to be praying for His protection, seeking His protection, and trusting Him for protection. With so many forces at work in this world to attack us, we NEED the protection of God! Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that “we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.” (GNT) With that in mind, let me pray this prayer of protection over us.
“Father, I pray for each of us today as we seek to walk with you. We echo Jesus’ words that you would ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ We know that the Enemy wants to steal our joy, steal our peace, and cause us to fall away from you. Guard our hearts and minds today, Lord. Protect our souls from the one who seeks to steal them away. Keep us strong in your Spirit and fully committed to you.”
“I pray for our homes. I pray for those marriages that the Enemy seeks to tear apart. I pray that YOU would be the glue that holds us together. Protect us from the Enemy’s planted thoughts that cause us to think ill of each other. Protect us from greed and lust and busyness that create walls between us. Bind us together by the strength of your mighty hand.”
"Protect our children and grandchildren, Father. Guard their minds and hearts from all of the forces and influences that seek to pull them down destructive paths. Be the Good Shepherd who drives away the wolves of this world that seek to devour them. Help us to keep our children close to our hearts that they might grow up knowing your love. Post your angels around them today and fight for them.”
“You told us, Lord Jesus, that the Enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. Be a river of strength around us. Be the wisdom that watches over us. Be the hand of strength that fights for us. You alone are Our Protector. In YOU we put our trust. In your Mighty Name we pray, amen.” That’s God’s Word for you today.

Sunday, in my message at church, I talked about how WE are God’s plan for spreading the Good News about Jesus. Jesus told His disciples before He left, “As God the Father sent me, so send I YOU!” As Christ-followers, we are now the conduit of God’s love, grace, and power to a lost world.
As I shared about the different ways we accomplish that, one of the points I made is that we are to live lives that attract others to Jesus. Jesus said that we are the “salt” of the earth, both adding godly flavor to this world as well as making people “thirsty” for Jesus. We are also called the “light of the world.” In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us to live such attractive lives that people will “see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in Heaven.”
So how do we live lives like that? Only through the grace and strength that God gives us. This is what Isaiah is talking about in our verse today. “In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD will be your treasure.” When God is the foundation of our lives, we can stand firm when the rest of the world is shaken and rattled. HE is our steadiness. HE is what holds us fast. HE is the reason that people can see us walk through trials and difficulties without giving up or falling into despair. We know that HE is our salvation, HE is our deliverer, HE is our healer and sustainer. Even as we face death, it is with the knowledge that HE is our resurrection and life. Even in death, we shall live!
You see, when people see us standing strong when times are tough, they wonder how we do it. When they see us holding onto faith instead of falling apart, they envy and admire that steadiness. When they see us remaining positive and optimistic about the future, when there seems to be so much to be negative about, it makes them curious how we can be that way. So when they ask us how we do it, that’s when we give them the rest of what Isaiah said. We have a “secret treasure” that assures us it will all be okay. His name is Jesus. What they see on the outside is what He is providing on the inside. Let’s live in a way that captures the world’s attention. And let’s not keep the “secret treasure” secret anymore! That’s God’s Word for you today.

We often miss how profound this verse is. Isaiah reminds the people that “the LORD is very great and lives in heaven.” Which the people understood. God was unreachable, untouchable, and unknowable. He was altogether “otherly.” He was too holy to look upon. He was too righteous to be approached by the most religious of mortal beings. He was too pure and sacred for humans to even say His Name.
But Isaiah points out what is the true heart of God. He wants to come down and live among us. “He will make Jerusalem his home of justice and righteousness.” His scriptures will reveal His purposes, His promises, and His guidelines for protection. His temple became a place where He invited His people to come to worship Him, celebrate Him, and cry out to Him. Though He lives in Heaven, out of His great love and grace, His people would experience the visits of their King.
But once again, this was a foreshadowing of what was coming. On the horizon, the King was coming again. But not just for a momentary visit. God would LIVE among us! This is why many had such a hard time accepting Jesus as God in the flesh. They couldn’t believe the King could be born in a stable. They couldn’t believe that He would be born of a common woman and raised in a common home. They couldn’t wrap their minds around a Holy God who wanted to sit at the table with sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes. It flipped their world upside down to imagine a God who no longer wanted to remain “up there.” He has chosen to be “right here” where we live.
Camp on that thought for a minute. God is right here with you. He’s right here in your home, in the midst of what your family is going through. He’s right here where you work, facing the day’s struggles with you. He is right here with you in that classroom, with you as you drive, and with you as you sit alone in your room. You don’t have to climb a hill to find God. He’s right here. You don’t have to go to a chapel or a shrine or kneel at an altar. If you’re in need of wisdom, just ask. If you’re in need of comfort, just reach out. If you need forgiveness, just confess. God is still righteous, holy, and majestic. But He has also made Himself reachable. His home is now with us. That’s God’s Word for you today.