“I am the Lord your God,who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."

Isaiah 48

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." v17

Lord, You are Truth, and You are wisdom - through You all things are known.  Without You I would not have any direction nor would I have received the blessings I have received.

My Prayer: Lord, Your Truth is the only source of wisdom and knowledge I hope seek.  Yet from time to time, I consult my own reasoning or other sources and this is sinful.  I know You love me anyway but please forgive me for looking elsewhere.  Help me focus solely on You and on Your guiding hand and light.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.



"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

Isaiah 44

"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.

Return to me,

for I have redeemed you.” v22

As Christmas Day nears, I think of gifts and family- what is typically the focus.  Yet as I continue to reflect and read this passage, the gift of course is God himself - Jesus Christ.  This gift is permanent and is amazing.  As the scripture says, God redeems.  And He is the only one who can do so...and there is so much more.  

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life (John 3:36).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus...what an amazing gift You are.  That You gave Your life so I can have life (abundantly and eternally) is really the most amazing part.  I am weak - I know You love me anyway but please forgive me for my weakness and lack of strength and boldness.  Please help me be more like You.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Help me focus on You - the greatest gift of all.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Isaiah 43

“Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? v18-19

As I have read here, God is always doing something...and He is always doing something specifically for me.  He is alive and active as I have posted here:

Faith is in Him and faith is that what He has in store for us is great - regardless of what the circumstances are (1 Thes 5:18)

My Prayer: Lord, You have always done great things - and great things specifically for me.  And You continue to do so.  I am not worthy of such blessings.  I fail to lead in my house as You command me.  I know You love me anyway but please forgive me Lord Jesus.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Encourage me, give me strength, work through me Lord Jesus.

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

Isaiah 42

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light for the Gentiles,

to open eyes that are blind,

to free captives from prison

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. v6-7

I exist to glorify God and one of the ways I can glorify is to seek and save the lost - in this passage the Gentiles. 

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

I am challenged to do my part to seek and save the lost.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I was once lost but now am found as the hymn says.  You are so gracious, gentle and full of kindness and compassion.  I am not worthy of the love You have for me yet You love me anyway and You take my hand.  Thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me for my sloth....my lack of activity in many areas including my role as spiritual head of the household and also as one who is called to help you seek and save the lost.  Give me courage and boldness.  Give me energy.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires and so that I can do Your handiwork and serve Your purpose.

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Isaiah 41

For I am the Lord your God

who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear;

I will help you. v13

God is of course so much more but here He is as our heavenly father - loving us and protecting us from all harm.  There is so much harm as well - we should not underestimate this role in our life.

¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14

My Prayer: Lord, You are my heavenly father and You are the only one who can protect me from the forces of evil - from Satan and his minions.  I am surrounded by evil and wickedness and I see You so that Your desires are my desires.  I am far from perfect and I fall often - thank You that You love me and pick me up anyway but please forgive me for my neglect - I DO need You.  Purify my heart and my life and make me Yours - fully.



The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

Isaiah 40

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God endures forever.

Indeed, there is only one thing in this world where we can be sure - that our God will always be.  And everything about Him will always be.

Unlike others and things in this world that change constantly...you can always count on and trust in Jesus Christ.

My Prayer: Lord, You are perfect, pure, holy, all knowing and all powerful...and so much more!  You are also always available and You never change.  That is why our trust should be in You alone.  I badly need You because of my sloth.  I thank You for your patience and grace for me - I am not deserving.  Please forgive me for my sloth and my lust.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Help me be more like You.

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you, therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him! v18

Amazing that despite how we disappoint God, how He still longs to forgive us and to show us grace and compassion.  As it is said earlier in this chapter:

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust is your strength,
    but you would have none of it. v15

Even though we would have "none of it" God is still available and waiting for us to repent and will take us back anytime - no shame!  Thus the story of the Prodigal Son.

My Prayer: Lord, You are so awesome!  How amazing that you are so full of grace, patient, compassion, etc.  You are the vine that will never stop producing (over) abundance of fruit!  I need You badly Lord because of my sin.  I am lazy.  Thank You for Your patience and love for me despite what I have done and continue to do.  Please forgive me for laziness.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Transform both my heart and my life.

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

Isaiah 29

“These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught." v13

 Am I this way with the Lord.   In many ways I must assess myself as saying yes....sadly enough.  The Lord God says that the most important command is to love the Lord Your God with all of Your heart, mind and soul.

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.^{] 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40

Another way of asking this question - am I everything that Jesus wants me to be.  

When I look closely, using books like this which I have read, I say not....Jesus please help me be like You in every way you desire for me.

My Prayer: Lord, You are perfect - nothing needs to be added or taken away from You.  Yet I am not, and I need Your help.  I need You in my life.  I know You love me and I thank You that You do, but please forgive me that I am not all that ask of me.  Please help me continue to push forward with growth in Christ.

All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.

Isaiah 28

All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,

whose plan is wonderful,

whose wisdom is magnificent. v29

There is a right way and there is a wrong way and God is our guide - He is Truth.  We must seek Him for Truth, and then we must follow and obey Him.  For without Him we are lost and eternally damned.

My Prayer: Lord, You are wonderful and magnificent, and Your word and wisdom are magnificent.  Without You and Your word I would be lost forever.  It is amazing that You love me and want to be in relationship with me even though I sin and I am broken.  Yet with You I am complete and have a purpose.  I thank You for Your love and for the relationship I have with You as my Lord and Savior.  I seek Your forgiveness because without it I am a slave to sin.  Free me Lord and transform my heart and life.  Redeem me and use me for your delight and glory.

[B]ut whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Isaiah 26

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,
    we wait for you;
your name and renown
    are the desire of our hearts.

My soul yearns for you in the night;
    in the morning my spirit longs for you. v8-9

 Also: 

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14.

My Prayer: Lord, You are the living water and the food we seek.  We need not go anywhere else because You are the source and provider of all things.   You bless all those who follow You.  Yet I fall down...often.  I thank You that You love me anyway, but please forgive me in my laziness and disobedience.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.