Loving Jesus Style

Scripture: Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Devotion: These verses serve as a humbling reminder of the vastness of God's wisdom compared to our own. They encourage believers to trust the Lord's more excellent plan, even when it diverges sharply from human expectations or desires. This passage is not merely about the difference in perspective; it is about the difference in essence. The heavens are not just above the earth; they are different altogether. Similarly, God's thoughts and ways are not just above ours; they are fundamentally different. The context of these verses is of utmost importance. They are not standalone declarations but part of a larger discourse that speaks of God's generosity and His eagerness to pardon. The chapter opens with an inv...

Scripture: Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV) 6  “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;   7      let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;        let him return to the Lord , that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Devotion:             With these words, Isaiah seeks to help us repent of our wicked thoughts and actions and turn to the Lord to seek His compassion and pardon. Isaiah notes that the Lord is near to his original audience. How much closer is God through the Holy Spirit to us? We, as Christians, have the Holy Spirit residing within each of us. While we sometimes ignore or actively resist the promptings of the Spirit, nevertheless, God dwells within us, ready to act on our behalf.             Today's wo...

Scripture: Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) 10           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. Devotion:             This verse from the prophet Isaiah pictures God reassuring His people that He is in control and they can trust in Him to save them. This was spoken to the people when they had every logical reason to doubt God’s goodness and care for them. Enemies threatened to conquer and take them from their homes on every side. Doubt and despair were emotions that seemed natural when faced with these circumstances. Yet, God in this verse and those that follow speak to those fears and tell the people that their God was there in that time a...

Scripture: Isaiah 31:1 (ESV) Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses,                         who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong,                         but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!   Devotion:             Let us turn to the prophet Isaiah for more wisdom. This scripture warns those who seek to rely on the strength of military power alone to provide safety. No one who trusts in weapons of war to bring peace will prevail in the long run. Today, our world seeks a mighty fighting force equipped with the latest war-making technology and machinery. Those who seek protection from...

  Scripture: Isaiah 1:18-20 (ESV) 18  “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord :        though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;        though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19      If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20      , but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”   Devotion:               In this brief selection from the beginning of Isaiah, we see God willing to reason with His people. This passage begins with a promise that no matter how bad our sins are, God plans to make them disappear. For Christians reading this passage, it seems to foreshadow the cross and resurrection. Under the old covenant, sins could never be dealt w...

  Scripture: Isaiah 35:3-7 (ESV) 3  Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.   4      Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not!        Behold, your God will come with vengeance,        with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”   5      Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;   6      then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.        For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;   7      the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water;        in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.   Dev...

Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-14 (ESV) 10  Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz:  11  “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”  12  But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.”  13  And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?  14  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Devotion:             Let us prepare our hearts to celebrate the advent of Jesus in our world by looking at this prophecy from Isaiah. Verse 14 contains a familiar promise that comes from the Lord himself using Isaiah as His mouthpiece. We look first at verse 10 where the Lord speaks to the king Ahaz telling Ahaz that the Lord is willing to give a sign of His love and faithfulness to the king.    ...