Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.

Isaiah 9 

Surely wickedness burns like a fire;
    it consumes briers and thorns,
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke. v18

This is a reminder that sin is everywhere....and it spreads easily.

This morning, I recall different ways we can avoid sin:

Being separate from sin
Repentance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ
The Word of God in Your heart will protect you

My Prayer: Lord, You are Holy and sinless.  I am not....I continue to speak and think badly of people.  I know You love me anyway, so thank You Lord Jesus for Your unconditional love.  Please forgive me and help me avoid sin.  Help protect me and help purify and refine me.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. v6

The greatest gift of all...the greatest blessing of all time...is Jesus Christ.  Isaiah tells of the coming of Christ which is great news indeed.

I don't have to live a life enslaved to sin.  I can come to Christ who will bear and forgive my sin so that I can have a new life...a new life in Him.  What an amazing gift.

My Prayer: Lord, the gift of Your son is a gift like no other.  It is the only gift we could ever want or need.  Yet I continue to find images of God elsewhere or I worry too much...or I exasperate my children.  I know You love me Lord Jesus, and I do thank You for this love, but I seek Your forgiveness.  I also seek the transformation that only You can provide.  I seek to have Your truth and Your Spirit dwell throughout my body and in my daily life.  Guide me.

The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.

Isaiah 8

The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
    he is the one you are to fear,    he is the one you are to dread. v13

And of course there is Matthew 22:37-39:

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.’

I should not have desires outside of what God desires for me.  Yet I continue to fall down.

This dilemma is also expressed by Paul

²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.  

Romans 7:21-25

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the standard - as You are perfect, pure, and Holy.  I am not.  I know that You love me anyway but Lord Jesus please forgive me for the corruption of my heart and for my unholy acts.  Help me so that I am not a slave to sin.  Purify me, refine me, transform both my heart and my life.  Take me Jesus I desire to be Yours and Yours alone.  I don't want any desires beyond what You desire for me.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. v14

As Jerusalem is threatened by invaders, the Lord tells Isaiah:

⁷ Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,⁸ for the head of Aram is Damascus,
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
⁹ The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,    you will not stand at all.’” (v7-9)

Two key takeaways this morning, particularly after the election:
(1) The Lord is in control of all things at all times (v7)
(2) Our faith in Him is the most important (v9), Mark 12:28-30

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:28-30

My Prayer: Lord, You alone reign over everything at all times forever and forever.  You know why things happen and why and when things will happen.  You allow things to happen and You also prevent things from happening.  It is You alone in whom I must have faith.  Yet I have faith too much in people and government and this is not right - it is sinful.  I know You love me anyway, but please forgive me that I am not standing firm in my faith.  Purify me, refine me.  Help me be more like You Jesus Christ and help me act like Jesus Christ.  Take me and make me Yours.

With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.

Isaiah 6

With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” v7

God has always been one of forgiveness and grace.  As I have read here in Chronicles, we are often deserving of harsh punishment but God forgives and is full of grace.

It is also written in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Grace is ALL that is needed....on grace alone we have power previously unavailable to us.

The dictionary defines grace as: "unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification".

This is really all that is needed....why would we need more than this? 


My Prayer: Your grace Lord Jesus IS sufficient....it IS all that I need.  Your grace has carried through light and darkness.  You have been there and will be there always.  Yet I don't often trust in this grace and as well I sin in other ways, liking speaking badly of others, particularly of leaders in the political realm and at work.  This is wrong and sinful.  I thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me for these sins.  Refine me, purify me and help me trust in You alone and Your grace.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Isaiah 5

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
    and clever in their own sight. v21

Many a times have I heard God speak a message warning of arrogance and pride.  For example, I have recently read these words in Proverbs.

In Isaiah 5, "woe" has severe consequences:

for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
    and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people;
    his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,
    and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. v24-25

My Prayer: Lord, it is only You who are wise - it is through You that all wisdom exists.  I have none except through You.  Yet I continue to believe and have faith in my self and my own wisdom.  Deeply sinful!!  I know You love me anyway, but please forgive me Lord Jesus...rid of this pride and arrogance.  Help me draw close to You.  Fill my heart with Your words and Your wisdom.  Help me act out my faith and be Jesus to others.  I seek to please and honor You Lord Jesus.

The Lord takes his place in court;he rises to judge the people.

Isaiah 3

The Lord takes his place in court;
    he rises to judge the people. v13

This morning I reflect on how I have neglected the Lord, and turned my back on Him.  I have not reached to the Lord in study, prayer, reflection in over a week.  I have worried about work and school and other matters.  I have also judged others and said awful things about them.

This morning I am reminded that Lord is judge and that I deserve punishment for my sin.

 I am reminded as well that if I am punished it will be for my own good and for God's glory:

Whoever spares the rod hates their children,
    but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. Proverbs 13:24

My Prayer: Lord,  You are perfect, pure, and holy.  Everything You have done and will do is with both a pure motive and with a perfect outcome.  I have seen the precision of Your design and the beauty of Your outcomes in my own life, in the lives of others, and in creation - in nature.  Amazing.  Yet, in contrast, I have impure motives AND I have imperfect outcomes with all of the sin in my life.  I know that You love me anyway, so I am deeply grateful for that, but I ask that You forgive me.  Help me deepen my faith and love of You.  Give me strength to be bold and to carry out Your plan for me.