isaiah Archives – Sonshine's Journal

July 9, 2023July 9, 2023

Perseverance “no matter what.”

Isaiah 6 Has God called you to a task? Do you stop and ask why me? Do you ask what am I to do? Isaiah heard God ask: whom will we send, and Isaiah answered send me. He didn’t stop to ask all of the 5W’s [= who, what, where, when, why, and an H = how] questions, but he did ask, “how long?”

God answered that he was to proclaim His message until the cities were in ruins, houses uninhabited, and the land is devastated; not exactly a message that men wanted to hear. Isaiah’s response would test his stamina. His response would reveal his perseverance to what God has called him to do. Perseverance is the mark of the true believer, especially when the days drag on, few listen, and fewer believe.

Isaiah’s perseverance would last through five kingships. He would be scorned and belittled, but he remained firm. How about us? If God called you to a task, would you say yes, and would you persevere?

July 8, 2023July 8, 2023

What is God saying to you and me?

Isaiah 1-4 Recently, a group of men entered a submersible and set off to view the Titanic. One was a billionaire, but did he know the God of Isaiah? When the submersible imploded, what good would all of his wealth do him? Could he take that wealth into eternity?

Isaiah, God’s prophet, is asking the Israelites and us that same question. What are we doing with the abundance of wealth God has given to us? Do we invest, hoard, share, or give it away? The nation of Judah was wealthy beyond words, but they were greedily seeking to gather more and more. Like them, we find that many of us do the same, but if God were to call us to eternity would we take that wealth with us? Remember the parable in Luke 16:19-31? The rich man discovered that all of his prosperity meant nothing in eternity. How about us?

Instead of wealth Isaiah advised them to promote justice for those oppressed, just as James reminded the early church; fulfill the royal law; love your neighbor as yourself. [James 2:8]

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023

A Promise Made is a Promise Kept

Exodus 4-6 God takes what is imperfect (in our eyes) and uses it for His glory. He wants us to see that it is His glory, not ours. And so we meet Moses as a shepherd who, like many of us, feels like they have failed in this life. They are not waiting for the wonders of God to be revealed; instead, there is no hope for me, a man of uncircumcised lips. We say I am not worthy, just as Isaiah said, and that is true, but God is the potter, and we are the clay to be molded to be used for His glory. Will we let Him mold us?

God is a promise keeper. He made a promise to Abraham, and now it is time to keep that promise. So, God says: I have established my covenant, I have heard, I have remembered (Does God forget?? Unlike us, God does not forget. Go read Isaiah 49:14-16), I will rescue you; I will redeem you, I will take you as My people. Yet, like Moses, we begin “suppose…suppose” with excuse after excuse. No wonder God gets impatient with us!

Where am I/ are you making excuses today? Time to say: No more Moses! No more excuses. Maybe your last week was a week of excuses, but the calendar is changing this week, and we should too. So use us, Lord, in whatever way You desire that Your promises may be revealed.

Photo Credit: Bryan Goff on Unsplash – Author notes

August 1, 2022August 1, 2022

Pride vs. Compassion

Is 16-18 The Sin of Pride

They say there are two sides to every coin, which is true in these chapters. Isaiah the prophet reminds Moab and others of the consequences of pride. God will be patient just so long; then He brings about perfect justice, for He is the Lord God Almighty, and He will not share His glory with another.

There is a second lesson to glean from these chapters: Do we see the fallen and feel compassion, or do we gloat and say that they “got what they deserved.” Isaiah reminds us that to do so is also the sin of pride because we elevate ourselves to think this will not happen to us.

As Isaiah weeps for those who face God’s hand, we must remember that Jesus wept over the sin of pride in Israel and that He weeps over our sin’s consequences. God has spoken: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances.” [Pro 8:13]

May 5, 2022May 2, 2022

Are you Prepared to go?

Ezra 1-4 God’s Servant

What does a servant look like and act like? Ezra was a Jewish scribe living in Babylon during the 70 yr. captivity that God ordered to discipline his errant children. Jeremiah prophesied about it, Daniel read about it, and Isaiah prophesied about a king named Cyrus who would release them. Ezra was that person prepared to go when Cyrus released them!

Cyrus knew these facts: The Lord, God of heaven, had blessed him with the rulership over all the kingdoms of the earth.[Ezra 1:2] Secondly, he knew that this God of the Hebrews had enlisted him to build a house for Him in Jerusalem. So thirdly, he set about to carry out those orders by opening the storehouses in Babylon, where Nebuchadnezzar had placed the wealth of the Jewish Temple for over 70 yrs. ago! [Is. 44:28] Just think, God’s prophets had set the wheels in motion for all of this to happen, and King Nebuchadnezzar had willingly placed all the riches for 70 yrs. in safekeeping in the Babylonian temples.

Application for us: Long ago, in eternity past, God preserved us as His treasure and, at His appointed time, revealed us to the world for one purpose: “so that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light;” [1Pet 2:9]

Cyrus willingly served the God of heaven, do we?

August 14, 2020

“Authentic vs. Fake Devotion”

Isaiah 58-59 If there is one thing, both Isaiah and Jesus saw it was the fake responses of the religious leaders and the people. God hates or “abhors dishonest scales, but an accurate weight is his delight.” [Prov 11:1] It is easy for us to point fingers, but how often are we less than genuine when it comes to our devotion towards God? How often do we go through the rituals and traditions, but our heart is someplace else?

God’s prophet Isaiah was given these words to an unrepentant nation and the people. They were lamenting that God didn’t seem to notice – the God where are you syndrome. God answered back, you are only coming to me to get the satisfaction that I have heard you, but in reality, your heart is far from me. It is all for show. Here’s what I am looking for: you search for those who are oppressed and in need and reach out and touch them with My agape love. My ear is not too deaf to hear you. These are the same words that the seven churches in Revelation heard. “He who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says.” [Rev.2-3]

So how do we apply this to today? James asked: What good is it if you claim to have faith but do not have works to back that faith up? God is looking for authenticity not just in word but also in deed.

February 17, 2020

Who is God?

Deut 4 to 6 Know God2apng

Deut 4-6 God is…

The world shouts out: who is God? The world questions: who is God? They might say God is love and He is, but Moses said God is the Lord. He revealed Himself to the pagan Egyptians and to the Israelites as one who is not a man that he should change his mind. He revealed Himself in signs and wonders such as at Baal-Peor where He eradicated from their midst everyone who followed that false god. Moses asked them this question: “what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him?” And God is asking us the very same question and to that he asks: Do you know me?

Peter reminded the sojourners just as Moses was reminding the people: “You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.” Even though they did not “see” him they heard his voice saying: “This is the correct way, walk in it,” whether you are heading to the right or the left. [Is 30]And again, if we seek Him, we will find Him; if we seek Him with all our heart and soul.

Who is God? He is the Lord God and there is no other besides him. Our obligation: Love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being and all your strength. In this way we affirm we serve Him and only Him.”

August 18, 2016

“Believe in “a” God or Believe God?”

work harder2

In chapter 3 Paul reminded the Jew that no one is saved apart from the grace and mercy of God. Yet they and the world would have it otherwise and heap rewards and boastings upon those who seek to earn God’s favor through works. The prophet Isaiah said our works are as filthy rags; later Paul would say they are dung. Their foundation lies in the life of Abraham and therefore they conclude as his children they are justified by works. Paul, as a righteous Jew, sought to put this argument to rest.

Workers of the Law can boast having done not only what was expected but what is required. But if you don’t work the works of the Law but believe in what merely God says you receive grace and eternal life. You cannot take credit for a gift that is of God alone. That is what salvation is all about; a free gift undeserved. The key is this: Abraham did not believe “IN” God but he believed God. The world says I believe in a God, but Paul says you must not just believe “IN” but believe God.

So now the world asks, what about the works as James says. Both Paul and James affirm that works reveal the grace that we have received. They demonstrate our gratitude for the gift of God’s blessed forgiveness of our lawless deeds.

Are you depending upon your works heritage to get into heaven? If so, turn around and go the other way for you are on the wrong path.

Photo: Unsplash/Jordan Whitefield

July 12, 2016

The School of Hard Knocks — God Calls it Refining

Proverbs 17 Is 48 molten-metal-puregold2 Prov 17:3 “The crucible is for refining silver and the furnace is for gold, likewise the Lord tests hearts.” Isaiah 48:10 “ Look, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have purified you in the furnace of misery”

We have all been there and we do not like it one bit and, in fact, we probably have had a few choice words for the God we serve as to “why me? Or why now? Or what is this all about God?” So when we read verses like these we have to stop and answer those questions.

These are the “ouch” verses and we really find them uncomfortable when we try to understand the love part with the affliction/misery part. We just want the “God loves me” and the fluffy part, not the refining part, but God has a higher purpose. God is saying I am refining you just as a metalworker would do to remove the dross. The refiner is an assayer, one who is able to determine not only the quantity but the quality of the product and only God has the inner view of our heart. (Jer 17:9) He knows our secret sins, what fears we harbor, what attractions the enemy has placed before us, where we might be prideful, where our love is impure. And so like a refiner of gold God steps up the fire.

If you can face the fire your faith will be stronger, your grace measure in abundance, and your obedience pure. If you pass the test you will come forth just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, with no smoke upon you. You want to be able to say like Job “if he tested me, I would come forth as gold.” So be ye thankful, Beloved, that God has considered you worthy to step into the fire. You want to shine like a diamond reflecting Christ and His image. So, Beloved, thank God for your refining school of hard knocks.

diamond reflection2

December 6, 2013

“We Say What Happens Happens but God says—What Must Happen”

Join me for your ringside seat to what “must” (that is what is necessitated) happen after these things. As I was reading I stopped and asked: “after what things?” The scholars say after seeing Christ in all of His glory, after hearing and telling about the 7 churches. Now the clock starts ticking down to the judgment of the earth and the sin that envelops it—he who has ears had better hear what the Spirit says. Before John can share the events ahead he asks us to join him in viewing the contrast to the horror of sin here on earth as he lives on the barren island of Patmos to the awesome, marvelous incredible beauty of the throne room in heaven. John is not the only one to have had a vision of the Godhead but also the prophet Micaiah, Isaiah and Daniel. These too were transported in some way to see and thus to behold what we who are earthlings have yet to view. What must it have been like to see with earthly eyes that have been transformed so that one can see with heavenly eyes? How does one describe a holy God?

Micaiah says he saw the entourage of heaven—all of the assembly of heaven both on God’s right and left. Isaiah said: “I saw the sovereign master seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple.” Ezekiel’s vision included “Above the platform over their heads was something like a sapphire shaped like a throne. High above on the throne was a form that appeared to be a man.” And Daniel said “thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His attire was white like snow; the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool. His throne was ablaze with fire and its wheels were all aflame.” And now John writes: “a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it that gleamed as jasper and carnelian with a rainbow encircling it. Around the throne were those who would worship without ceasing with white gleaming clothes and crowns about their heads. Beloved, are you ready to enter the expanse of heaven and see this too?

First John heard the sounds of roaring and crashes of thunder and flashes of lightning. In the midst of this power he heard worshipers. They were never in the mode of rest but over and over they say: “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was and who is, and who is still to come!” You alone are worthy to be praised for you are “THE” Creator of all that was and is to come. Beloved is this our mode, do we worship without ceasing?

As we move from Revelation 4 to Revelation 5 we will now see what “must” happen. Are we prepared? Jesus said in Matt 13 ““You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven…For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance.” But, Jesus also said that if we reject what has been given “even what he has will be taken from him.” Again Jesus explained that if our hearts are dull, hard of hearing, and blind, we will never see, never hear, and never understand the spiritual truths that he has for us. May we today have soft heavenly hearts, soft heavenly ears, soft heavenly eyes to see and behold the One who sits enthroned in the heavens.