fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. —Isaiah 41:10 ESV John Piper, in a sermon, “Fear Not, I Am with You, I Am Your … More The crucial factor in fearless living
John Piper, in a sermon, “Prayer and the Victory of God” Now to fix this truth vividly in your minds—that the victory of God is coming and that it is coming by means of our prayers—look with me at Isaiah 37 and one stunning illustration of prayer and the victory of God. Sennacherib was the … More The Stunning Effect of Prayer Illustrated
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.—Isaiah 35: 5-6 Jesus Christ is the Great Healer. As we have been reading through the Gospels this year, we repeatedly read … More Life-giving sight
O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. The Lord is … More Ultimate stability in unstable times
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.—Isaiah 30:18 John Piper’s introduction and conclusion of a sermon, “Battling the Unbelief of Impatience,” Impatience is a form of unbelief. … More Piper: Impatience is a form of unbelief.
Isaiah 28:16 therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ What is this foundation? 1 Peter 2:6 tells us that the cornerstone is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. … More Anything “added on” or not built upon the foundation is sure to end up in wreckage.
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.—Isaiah 25:1 John Piper comments: God is a planning God. He gives forethought to what he does. He is wise. And if you believe that he is all-knowing, … More Piper: God never “gets lucky”
For thus the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees. When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs, riders on donkeys, riders on camels, let him listen diligently, very diligently.” Then he who saw cried out: “Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post … More Needed: Watchmen
Today we read Isaiah 17-20, more chapters of woe pronounced against nations, all of which are under the sovereign rule of God. As the Creator of the universe, the God of Isaiah and Israel is not limited to Israel. He holds all nations accountable for their actions. We also see a reminder here to place … More This is what has happened to those in whom we hoped?
As we approach some days of long readings in Isaiah, let’s pause to understand Isaiah’s purpose in writing. Isaiah was a well-educated man, married with two sons and called to preach in Jerusalem during the period of 740 BC until after 701 BC. This was the period after King Uzziah died (ch6) and the succeeding … More Can you see God in these long passages of Isaiah?
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 