Search

Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

Free Daily Bible notes by Rev Stephen Thompson

Open Search
Tag

help with my daily devotional

Daily Bible thoughts 615: Tuesday 13th May 2014:

 Isaiah 6: 1 – 5

A leader will see many things, but what is of utmost importance is that he or she should have a vision of God (1). It is not clear whether Isaiah ”saw the Lord” in ”the temple” in Jerusalem, or in the heavenly temple. Either way, it does not alter the essential meaning of the passage. He saw the Lord in His transcendence (”high and exalted”) and in his immanence (”the train of his robe filled the temple”). God is both high above and removed from us, and yet close at the same time. This is paradoxically true. In the New Testament John wrote that Isaiah ”saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him” (John 12:41). Having just quoted from Isaiah 6:10,he was referring to Isaiah’s experience of seeing God. As someone pointed out, Isaiah may not have recognised Jesus in his vision, but the New Testament writers knew that to see God was to see Jesus (John 10:30). Isaiah had seen a human king who died; one of a great host of mortal kings. But a greater and eternal King filled his vision; the One who lives for ever. ”The throne of Judah had changed occupants, but God was still on His throne and in perfect control of everything.”Warren W. Wiersbe: With the Word, p.456

This was an awesome vision. Not only did he see the Lord in His transcendence and immanence but also in His unutterable holiness (2-4). His holiness is emphasised in the threefold statement in (3). The angelic beings Isaiah saw may correspond to the ”living creatures” John saw around God’s throne (Rev.4:6-8). Just the sound of their voices caused the temple to shake and fill with smoke (4). This is a reminder of Mount Sinai, when the mountain shook at God’s voice (Ex.19:18; 20:18, 19). F.B. Meyer makes a point from the fact that the ”seraphs” had ”six wings” (2). He says that with two each covered his face for reverence’s sake; with two they covered their feet, for humility, and with two they did fly for service and obedience. He continues: ”It may be that we are taught that a third part of our time and energy should be expended in activity; two thirds to reverent fellowship and communion. Probably with most of us the proportion is in the other direction; and we give two -thirds to flight for God, and one-third only for fellowship with God. The service that springs from such communion is directed by deep sympathy with the mind of God.” Great verses through the Bible, p.271

One reason why we need to see the Lord is because we need to see ourselves. When we look up we will be forced to look in. We have to look ourselves fully in the face as reflected in the mirror of God’s dazzling holiness (5). For Isaiah it was not a pretty sight. When is it for any of us? ”Every word I’ve spoken is tainted-blasphemous even! And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate. And here I’ve looked God in the face! The King! GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies!” The Message. ”…the man who lives close to the Eternal Light…is most sensitive to sin.’’ A.E. Cundall. There in the manifest presence of God, Isaiah thought his end had come. In the first place, he felt unclean. It is a sensation common to those who draw near to Almighty God (e.g. Job 42:5, 6; Luke 5:5-8). ”If we are truly worshiping in God’s presence, we ought to have Isaiah’s feeling of uncleanness and unworthiness. True worship is an awesome and humbling experience; it is much deeper and greater than simply the emotions we feel when we are singing our favorite worship songs.” Tom Hale: The Applied Old Testament Commentary, p.1000. Secondly, Isaiah knew that no man can see God and live (Ex.33:20). But of course we can see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and, as we saw earlier, that, according to John, is what Isaiah saw. ”Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.” John Calvin.

Prayer: Lord let me see you more clearly this day, and worship you more fully.

 

 

0

Daily Bible thoughts 614: Monday 12th May 2014:

 Isaiah 5:20-30

I have long thought that (20) has major relevance for our culture and not just Isaiah’s world. People who scoff at God (18, 19) also scoff at his values. Leaders will stand up today and say that what God calls sin is for society’s good. They will applaud perversion. Reading these words in Isaiah should cause us to fear (and weep) for our nation and drive us to prayer. Why? It is because we are like this, and God pronounces a ”Woe” (a curse, a word of judgment) on those who say and do such things. I believe we will face serious trouble if we do not repent.

We also need to be wary of becoming ‘clever-dicks’ (21; see Prov.3:7). In the foolishness of our wisdom we dismiss God. ”Doom to you who think you’re so smart, who hold such a high opinion of yourselves!” The Message. We need to remember that ”The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” (Prov.1:7). We only really learn true knowledge when we humble ourselves before the all-knowing God and learn from Him. We must submit our minds to His. The people described here could have been wise, but refused to drink at the Fount of wisdom (24b).

In (22-25) God scoffs at the scoffers, as someone said. Really, we have a recapitulation of the injustice of (8 -10) in (23), and of the drunkenness of (11, 12) in (22). There could not be a clearer statement of the judgment that is coming than the one we find in (24a). It will be as rampant and as real as fire ravaging through dry grass. All the woes and judgments in this section of Isaiah are because of (24b). If we choose God’s way and follow His Word we will be safe. If we go against it (Him) we will be in the greatest danger.

God is going to use ”distant nations” (26-30) such as Assyria and Babylon to punish His disobedient people. He only has to ”whistle” for the great superpowers of the earth and they will run to do His bidding. (In ancient times a ”banner” was placed on a hill to mark the location where troops were to muster for attack.) Isaiah goes on to describe the speed and power and ruthlessness of these invaders who would soon overwhelm Judah.

The descriptions of judgment in the prophetic books are truly frightening. The good news of the gospel tells us that God, in His love for us, does not want to punish us for our sins, even though we deserve it. Jesus, at the cross, got ‘burned’ (24a) for us; so that we don’t have to face this. That is amazing love. We just have to trust in Him and we will be saved. But if we don’t, it remains true that God is judge of all the earth, and if we will not receive His mercy we will face His wrath against sin.

Prayer: Holy Lord, please help me to see sin as You do; let me hate it and turn from it.

 

 

 

0

Daily Bible thoughts 613: Friday 9th May 2014:

 Isaiah 5:8-19

Following on from the song of the vineyard (5:1-7) in which God was ”Looking for a crop of Justice” (Peterson) , we now have a section of woes and judgments (8-30) because, as we know, God did not find what He was looking for growing on His land.

Verses 8 -10 have to do with the greed of the wealthy. They kept unjustly taking the houses and fields of the poor until there was nowhere for them to live. This was particularly offensive to God because He was the real owner of the land and intended that the poor should have a share in it. (Lev.25:23). ”Taking over the country, leaving everyone homeless and landless. I overheard GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies say: ”Those mighty houses will end up empty. Those extravagant estates will be deserted. A ten-acre vineyard will produce a pint of wine, a fifty pound sack of seed, a quart of grain.” ” The Message. Sin has consequences; it will not go unpunished. We cannot afford to act unjustly or be complicit with it. God cares deeply for the poor in this world, who will always be with us.

Verses 11 – 17 are about drunkenness and debauchery. Indeed there may be a description of alcoholism in there: ”Doom to those who get up early and start drinking booze before breakfast, Who stay up all hours of the night drinking themselves into a stupor.” The Message. It is sad to see here that the ”masses” (14) will not escape the consequences of what their leaders have done. A frightening picture is painted. The ”grave” is personified as someone with a great big greedy appetite. A life not lived in the fear of God, but lived purely for self will, in the end, be swallowed up in judgment. ” Sheol developed a huge appetite, swallowing people nonstop! Big people and little people alike down that gullet, to say nothing of all the drunks. The down-and-out on a par with the high-and-mighty. Windbag boasters crumpled, flaccid as a punctured bladder.” The Message. Once again we see that a day is coming when the pride and arrogance of man will be humbled and God alone will be exalted (15, 16; see 2:17). Wine is one of God’s good gifts, but its abuse can lead to terrible sin and destruction. In our own society we are witnessing some of the bitter fruits of its misuse (along with other substances.)

In verses 18, 19 God denounces those who are quite brazen about their sin and openly defy Him. They mock Him. They are like the scoffers the apostle Peter wrote about who thought God wasn’t going to do anything about the ungodly (2 Pet.3:3-7) They remind me of the many rough, tough lads I knew in the area where I grew up. They would deliberately pick a fight and then ask, ‘What are you going to do about it?!’ Well, me personally, I wasn’t going to do anything. But God is! God most certainly will!! ”Doom to you who use lies to sell evil, who haul sin to market by the truckload, Who say, ”What’s God waiting for? Let him get a move on so we can see it. Whatever the Holy of Israel has cooked up, we’d like to check it out.” ” The Message. In this chapter it is made clear that God will act and will be glorified.

Prayer: Help me Lord to care about the things that break your heart.

 

0

Daily Bible thoughts 611: Wednesday 7th May 2014:

 2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1

There are stark differences between Christians and non- Christians. This is spelled out in the contrasting descriptions given in (14-16). Believers and unbelievers belong to different kingdoms; vastly differing worlds. They don’t speak the same language. Therefore there are certain close relationships (what Paul refers to as being ”yoked together’’) that Christians should not enter into. Paul does not state precisely which he has in mind, but it has long been believed that marriage is a major example. How can you become one with someone who is ”darkness” when you are ”light in the Lord.’’? (Eph.5:8). The Christian in such a situation will usually reason/argue that he or she will win their partner over. Of course it can happen. But the normal flow of events is in the other direction. I heard that Spurgeon was in conversation with a girl from his church who proposed to enter such an unequal partnership. ‘But I’ll pull him up’, she protested. Spurgeon had her stand on a chair in the middle of the room. ‘You pull me up from there,’ he said. She couldn’t, of course. ‘Now let me show you how easy it is for me to pull you down!!’ It is not the case that we are to avoid friendships with people who do not share our faith. But any tying together of our lives is to be avoided. In such a relationship we will constantly pull apart and want to go off in different directions. There will have to be compromise to keep moving forward together, and the disciple of Christ must not compromise his beliefs or commitment to holiness (17 -7:1). The central truth here is that God lives in His church (16), among His people. He also lives in each of us (see 1 Corinthians chapters 3 and 6). We belong to God; we are not our own. Therefore we must put separation between ourselves and anything that would prevent us from fully living out the implications of this relationship. It is a privilege to be God’s people, but it also carries responsibilities.

”Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil?…Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself…With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.” The Message.

When you are wearing your best clothes you will do everything you can to avoid staining them or getting them dirty. As a Christian you have a responsibility to be even keener to avoid contact with moral filth. Remember always who you are and whose you are.

Prayer: Lord, if I am going to make a ‘’clean break’’ with everything that would stain my life – and I do want to – I will need your strength. I look to you to help me keep my clothes unstained this day.

 

0

Daily Bible thoughts 610: Tuesday 6th May 2014:

 2 Corinthians 5: 3-12

”We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way we act, and so no one can find fault with our ministry. In everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God.” (3, 4a). Here you have a fine personal mission statement for every church leader to adopt. Paul recognised that it’s not just about speaking, but ‘living’, ‘acting’ and ‘showing’. If what people see in your conduct contradicts what you say in your sermons you are going to have a big credibility problem. Here, then, are some hallmarks to be found in a ministry of integrity:

  • Patience in troubles (4b, 5): Hardships will be faced by every faithful leader. It ‘goes with the territory’ as they say. Very few of us in the West know anything of the intensity of the difficulties faced by Paul and certain of his colleagues. But whatever comes our way will still be painful to us. Even if you are only run over by a single-decker bus (whereas Paul got hit by a double-decker), it’s still a bus and it will injure you. But patience in trying circumstances shows a vital connection with the Holy Spirit, as He grows His fruit in you.
  • Commitment to holiness (6): These character traits all speak of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within you and show you to be the genuine article. It is possible to translate part of this verse as: ”We have proved ourselves by…the holiness of spirit.” It’s good to remember that no-one drifts into holiness. (Note in verse 7 how ”righteousness’ ‘ is both an offensive and defensive weapon. See Eph. 6:13)
  • Faithfully preaching God’s Word (7): There could be a temptation to go quiet and seek out a hiding place when you suffer so much for what you say.
  • God’s power at work in you (7b):
  • Serving as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (7c): You are willing to engage in the spiritual battle. You are not a ‘chocolate soldier’ who melts in the heat of the fight.
  • Serving whatever comes your way (8-10): Even though a gale is blowing against you, you keep on going into the teeth of the biting wind. Nothing can stop you because God has called you.

We can’t reproduce for ourselves the context in which Paul lived and served, nor would we want to. But where we are, where God has called us to be, let us determine, as leaders to be faithful in the way Paul was, so that the way we live is never a stumbling block to anyone.

Prayer: May my life never become a blockage, getting in the way of others who are seeking you Lord. I pray rather that I may be a clean channel through whom you can flow.

 

0

Daily Bible thoughts 609: Monday 5th May 20014:

 Isaiah 5: 1-7

There is a book, written by Bob Goff, entitled ‘Love does.’ Love indeed does show itself in action. Bob Goff says his personal motto is: ”Love God, love people, do stuff.” Out of His love for His ”vineyard” (i.e. His own people/nation) God did so much for them. He gave them a great start; every chance to be fruitful. God could not have done more for them (3, 4a). But the fruit did not show (7; see 4b).

I am caused to think of the words of Jesus recorded in Luke: ‘Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig-tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, “For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig-tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?” (Luke 13:6, 7).

The Lord looks for ”fruit on this fig-tree’’ of my life. We are called to bear fruit as we abide in Christ.

”I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples…You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last…” (John 15:5, 8, 16) 

The whole purpose of our ‘marriage’ to Christ is for the sake of fruitfulness for God:

”So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”  (Rom.7:4)

It is this production of fruit which authenticates any claim to be Christ’s. If we really are in Him, as a branch in the Vine; and if He (His life) is in us, we can expect for the fruit of Christlikeness to form (see Gal.5:22, 23). Without such manifestation the prospect can only be one of judgment (Isaiah 5: 5, 6). God has given us all we need to grow. If we don’t, there are no excuses to cling to.

Prayer: Make my life ‘delicious’ with your fruit Lord.

 

0

Daily Bible thoughts 608: Friday 2nd May 2014:

Isaiah 4:2-6

Once again we see the balance in the prophetic literature; the balance between stern warning and bright hope. ”We have already seen Isaiah change abruptly from scenes of judgment (Isaiah Chapter 1) to scenes of redemption (Isaiah 2:1-5). From this we can understand that the ”day of the Lord” includes both judgment and redemption – judgment for the wicked and redemption for the Righteous.” Tom Hale: The Applied Old Testament Commentary, p.997

The primary meaning of ”the Branch of the LORD” (2) relates to the remnant of Judah: the Jews who would survive God’s judgment and return from Babylon to resettle their land (see 1:9). God would grant renewal of life to this ”Branch” and produce ”the fruit of the land”; i.e. both physical and spiritual fruit. Not only would the Jews be revived, but their land also. All this happened when the Jews returned, as described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. But there is another and more important meaning. The ”Branch” is also a name for the Christ, the Messiah. Yes, this verse does refer to a renewed community of Judah. But one day, that community would be embodied in one Man, Jesus. So Isaiah’s vision applied to both the near and more distant future. (We often find this double fulfilment aspect in the prophets.) God had a greater blessing for the Jews than just a fruitful land. He was planning to come to them Himself and redeem them by the sacrifice of His body on the cross. God’s revelation in the Bible is progressive. Words like ”Branch” came to have a new meaning as the revelation unfolded. Later prophets used this term specifically regarding the Messiah (Jer.23:5; 33:15; Zech.3:8; 6:12. Even Isaiah himself did also: Isaiah 11:1-3).

The purpose of the Lord’s judgment on Jerusalem was not only to destroy the evil there, but also to purify what remained (4-6). ”GOD will give Zion’s women a good bath. He’ll scrub the bloodstained city of its violence and brutality, purge the place with a firestorm of judgment. Then GOD will bring back the ancient pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night and mark Mount Zion and everyone in it with his glorious presence, his immense, protective presence, shade from the burning sun and shelter from the driving rain.” The Message.

What a beautiful picture of the calm after the storm.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for how you so carefully prepared the way for the coming of your Son into the world. It amazes me to think how much you revealed hundreds of years earlier, and it causes me to worship you. You are great beyond any words.

 

0

Daily Bible thoughts 607: Thursday 1st May 2014:

Isaiah 3:12-4:1

Verses 12-15 continue to describe the failed leadership of Judah. Spiritual leaders should never forget just whose ”vineyard” they are tending (14), and whose ”people” they are leading (15). We have the privilege and responsibility of overseeing God’s church; the Lord’s people. Knowing that they are essentially His and not mine should shape my approach to ministry. The leaders of Judah should have protected the poor. Instead they abused their privileges and took advantage of them: ”You’ve played havoc with this country. Your houses are stuffed with what you’ve stolen from the poor. What is this anyway? Stomping on my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt?” The Message

The proud and wealthy women of Jerusalem (16-23) were one big example of the decadence that was eating into the core of national life. The problem wasn’t so much that they were well off, but that they were proud, and did not care about the poor. It was also that they had got some, at least, of their riches unjustly, at the expense of the poor. (See Amos 4:1ff for a similar tirade against the women in Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom.) ”GOD says, ”Zion women are stuck-up, prancing around in their high heels, Making eyes at all the men in the street, swinging their hips, Tossing their hair, gaudy and garish in cheap jewelry.” The Master will fix it so those Zion women will all turn bald -Scabby, bald-headed women. The Master will do it. The time is coming when the Master will strip them of their fancy baubles – the dangling earrings, anklets and bracelets, combs and mirrors and silk scarves, diamond brooches and pearl necklaces, the rings on their fingers and rings on their toes, the latest fashions in hats, exotic perfumes and aphrodisiacs, gowns and capes, all the world’s finest in fabrics and design.” The Message. ”Isaiah was especially grieved because the women of the land had become addicted to wealth and fashion and were more interested in social status than spiritual character. The day would come when their artificial glamour would be gone and they would be sitting in the dust. (See 1 Pet.3:1-6).” Warren W. Wiersbe: With the Word, p.454.

Things can change! They can, let it be said, change for the worse as well as for the better (24 – 4:1). Isaiah foresaw that a calamitous reversal of fortune would come to the citizens of Jerusalem. After living in luxury they would be taken captive as slaves. Their men would die in battle (25). In fact, so many of Judah’s men would be lost in battle that the women would outnumber the men by seven to one (4:1). The war widows would seek to marry the few men who remained in order to have the security of a family name, and also bear children. (In ancient societies it was considered a ”disgrace” to remain childless: Gen.30:22, 23; Lk.1:24, 25) They would also be bereft of the leaders who used to sit in council at the ”gates” (26). ”Instead of wearing seductive scents, these women are going to smell like rotting cabbages; Instead of modeling flowing gowns, they’ll be sporting rags; Instead of their stylish hairdos, scruffy heads; Instead of beauty marks, scabs and scars. Your finest fighting men will be killed, your soldiers left dead on the battlefield. The entrance gate to Zion will be clotted with people mourning their dead – A city stooped under the weight of her loss, brought to her knees by her sorrow. ” The Message.

If we are living through days of prosperity, let’s ensure that it has all been gained justly and that it is used wisely, so that good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us. Let us always put the spiritual above the material. Let’s remember that care for the poor and needy is not optional.

Prayer: Lord, you have blessed us with much. May we never lose sight of our responsibility to use our wealth wisely in ways that fully please you. May we carry a great ambition to give all we can.

 

 

 

 

0

Daily Bible thoughts 606: Wednesday 30th April 2014:

 Isaiah 3: 1 – 11

In this chapter Isaiah turns his thoughts from a distant ‘day of the Lord’ to a judgment that would be much more imminent for Judah and Jerusalem. In fact it fell more than a hundred years after Isaiah wrote these words, but the prophet’s description was spot on. The calamitous punishment came at the hands of the Babylonians. Though all the people would suffer, the leaders would face the worst. Leaders bear the greater responsibility, both for what goes right and what goes wrong (James 3:1). In these verses Isaiah lists the key leaders who would be removed from Jerusalem, leaving only the poor behind (2 Kings 24:14; 25:18-21). I take (1b) to refer to the ”supply” that would be removed, and (2, 3) to the ”support”. The Message has it that God ”…is emptying Jerusalem and Judah Of all the basic necessities, plain bread and water to begin with. He’s withdrawing police and protection, judges and courts, pastors and teachers, captains and generals, doctors and nurses, and, yes, even the repairmen and jacks-of-all-trades.” Our trust must not be in any man or woman but in the Lord Himself. ”God would take away in His wrath everything that dethroned Him in the hearts of the people…Beware living on substitutes!” Warren W. Wiersbe: With the Word,p.454.

A football supporter was telling me recently about his team. They are not doing well in their league and the potential of relegation looms large. It would appear their confidence is shot to pieces. ‘No-one seems to want the ball,’ he said. Verses 4 – 7 describe such a situation politically, where no-one wants ‘the ball’. Usually it doesn’t take much encouragement to get people to become leaders! But here people will recognise that the situation is hopeless and not want office. In the vacuum created by (1-3) there will be poor and immature leadership (see also 12) and social anarchy will reign: ”I’ll put little kids in charge of the city. Schoolboys and schoolgirls will order everyone around…One brother will grab another and say, ‘You look like you’ve got a head on your shoulders. Do something! Get us out of this mess.’ And he’ll say, ‘Me? Not me! I don’t have a clue. Don’t put me in charge of anything.’ ” The Message. ”Generally men aspire to be rulers; the emolument and honour of the position are infinitely attractive… What a striking contrast is suggested to the love of Jesus Christ! ‘He saw that there was no man…therefore his own arm brought salvation.” He knew that if he espoused the cause of our lost race, it would involve Him in the bitterest agony and woe. But He steadfastly set his face to the accomplishment of our redemption.” F.B.Meyer: Great verses through the Bible,p.270.

There is no escaping the Biblical principle that we will reap what we sow (8-11). You cannot sow dahlias in your allotment and expect onions to come up! Here are key lines in this passage: ”They have brought disaster upon themselves…they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds…They will be paid back…” (9b, 10, 11: You will notice that this works both ways: sow goodness and that’s what will grow; sow wickednessand… you know the rest!!) What is fascinating here is that even as the ship is going down, and they are responsible for it, the people remain on deck shaking their fists at God. ”Jerusalem’s on its last legs. Judah is soon down for the count. Everything people say and do is at cross – purposes with GOD, a slap in my face. Brazen in their depravity, they flout their sins like degenerate Sodom. Doom to their eternal souls! They’ve made their bed; now they’ll sleep in it.” The Message. On Good Friday I took part in a small march of witness in our village, as we carried the cross up the High Street. Someone said to me afterwards that they could see the derision and even anger in some facial expressions. Whilst we are not the judges of what is happening in anyone’s hearts, it is certainly true that scorn and hatred can be writ large on people’s faces (9).

Note the promise to ”the righteous” (10). Even when everything is crumbling around us, let us not lose heart and just blend in with the crowd because it’s easier. We should continue to walk in God’s ways. We will not regret it if we do.

Prayer: I acknowledge, Lord, the feebleness of anything I try to rely on apart from you. It will not hold me. Forgive me if I ever, even for a moment, try to live on substitutes.

 

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑