I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

Isaiah 61-63

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. Isaiah 60:10-11

I return to my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 1 (of 5) of week 22, which looks at Isaiah 61-63.  Day 1 starts with initial observations of Isaiah 61.  Stepping back and looking broadly at Isaiah, this commentary shares how the book serves as a "miniature Bible" with the first 39 chapters focusing on "judgement upon immoral and idolatrous men" and with the final 27 chapters "declar[ing] a message of hope" - Isaiah is 66 chapters just as the Bible is with 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.  This commentary shares that during the middle Isaiah's ministry (722 B.C.), the northern kingdom is taken captive by Assyria, and Isaiah prophecies how Judah - the southern kingdom will be taken captive by Babylon (see also this chart and this history) as the former will be absorbed by the latter.  Isaiah 61 seeks to comfort the afflicted captives, again described by this commentary how:

• the promised Messiah comes on a mission of blessing and vengeance (v1-3, 1-11)
• the Messiah's mission transforms Israel's status among the nations-distinct roles for both Gentile nations and Israel in the Redeemer's mission (v4-9)
• the mission of Messiah brings great joy for its righteousness and fruitfulness (v10-11)

Isaiah's words offer great comfort and hope for believers, particularly for the afflicted and suffering. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves us and who never leaves or forsakes us - offering comfort and hope.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

...[S]o that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2

...[S]o that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7

This morning I attended my Disciple (D) Group that grew out of my church's Men's Wake Up Call gatherings. Our focus over the next six weeks is Ephesians. This morning we discussed Ephesians 1, and of course, not by accident this was also covered by Pastor Dave during MS/HS gathering this past Sunday (which I attend with Dustin).  I am getting a review of Ephesians from multiple angles as I reviewed it again today by listening to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion for today, which looks at Ephesians 2:7 and where John Piper uses Luke 12:35-37 to explain why this passage of scripture shows the coming Messiah as a servant vs how we expect to see God during end times which is as a conquering king: "[b]ecause the very heart of [God's] glory is the fullness of grace that overflows in kindness to needy people. This is why Ephesians 2:7 says he aims “in the coming ages [to] show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."  Believers of course recognize how Jesus served during His ministry on earthy but Piper wants us to understand that "[t]here is no other god like this. He never relinquishes the role of inexhaustible benefactor of his ever-dependent, happy people."  Once again be encouraged by how great our God is and that He loves us and is SO full of grace for us!

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My Prayer: Lord Je sus, You are an awesome God who is rich in grace and kindness towards me - inexhaustibly so!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues....daily.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved[.]

Ephesians 1

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved[.] Ephesians 2:4-5

I continue my pause of a deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series, as I alternate the Isaiah study with a study of Ephesians for 3 days per week as I participate in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. This morning, my focus is Ephesians 1 again, with a specific focus as well on v15-23. Building on my post yesterday, and leaning on this commentary from Chuck Swindoll, Paul seeks for the church  in Ephesus (and all believers who follow) to fully appreciate the spiritual blessings of the inheritance we gain as children of God (adopted by Him).  This morning the text Paul praises God for the faith of the church in Ephesus and prays for them (v16-17), and Paul, through prayer, seeks for the church in Ephesus to: fully appreciate and grasp the hope they should have and the riches of their inheritance, which he defines as the "immeasurable greatness of His power towards us who believe, according to the working of His great might" (v18-19). Paul then goes on to further elaborate on God's might "that He worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come" (v20-21).  Finally, Paul wraps the chapter by describing how God reigns over all, including the church, which is described as "his body, the fullness of him who fills in all."  Of course, again, these are words all believers should take to heart and in so doing be encouraged and act boldly (supernaturally with Christ working through us) in light this encouragement. All of this should be understood in the context of where Paul is when he writes this letter - he is in prison in Rome!  Encouragement indeed!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who adopted me as a child of God and in so doing blesses me with an incredible inheritance that cannot be taken from me. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved[.]

Ephesians 1

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved[.] Ephesians 2:4-5

I pause my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series, to study Ephesians for 3 days per week as I participate in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. This morning, my focus is Ephesians 1 in its entirety, with a specific focus as well on v1-14.  Chuck Swindoll provides this excellent overview of the book, and he describes how Paul writes this letter to the church in Ephesus from prison in Rome and how unlike other letters he has authored where he seeks to address a specific problem in a local church, here Paul is laying down foundational truths of the gospel with an eye towards encouraging growth and maturity of believers in Ephesus. In v1-14, Paul shares with us the spiritual blessings believers experience in Christ, including:

• how "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world" (v4)
• that He sees us as "holy and blameless before him" (v4)
• that "he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ" (v5)
• ..."In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses" (v7)
• ..."In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it[.]" v13-14

We must grab hold of these blessings and drive towards maturity, never forgetting them.  Chuck Swindoll reminds us also that fellowship with other believers in daily living is key towards achieving maturity. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who blesses us as believers with a rich inheritance You give us faith and salvation, You seal us with the Holy Spirit and guarantee our inheritance - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great...and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus...and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it.

Isaiah 58-60

Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it. Isaiah 60:21-22

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 5 (of 5) of week 21, which looks at Isaiah 58-60.  Day 5 encourages us to review Isaiah 58-60, to deepen our understanding, and to extract final applications from these chapters as we prepare to move on to the end of Isaiah. 

Looking back at my posts for these chapters:

• Isaiah 58 focuses on fasting and how God seeks for us to do so wholeheartedly, not hypocritically, or as double-minded - see also Day 1 and 2 posts.
• Isaiah 59 focuses on how God promises a Redeemer for Israel, of course this is Jesus and through Jesus we have the Holy Spirit, who arms us to battle against sin - see Day 2 and 3 posts
• Isaiah 60 focuses on glory for Israel and the coming redeemer is a light in the darkness of the present age - see Day 4 post
  

This post from Chuck Swindoll helps illuminate a key application from Isaiah (including 58-60), and one that convicts me this morning - an excerpt: "In addition to its gospel message, the book of Isaiah clearly articulates the sins of God’s people—dealing with others unjustly which resulted in their offering hypocritical sacrifices to God. Do you see anything in your own life that might fall under Isaiah’s critique of injustice—treating family, colleagues, or even strangers with unkindness or even disdain? Isaiah’s message is also a call for believers to come back to purity in our love for God and for our neighbors (Luke 10:26–28)."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who pursued me and saved me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You saved me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me, and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

Isaiah 58-60

The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Isaiah 60:19

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 4 (of 5) of week 21, which looks at Isaiah 58-60.  Day 4 focuses on Isaiah 60, which describes a vision of future glory for Israel.  This glory rests on not just freedom from captivity from Assyria and Babylon but also on a coming Messiah Jesus Christ. Isaiah's vision also includes a view of end times where in Revelation it says in chapter 21: "the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb (Revelation 21:23)." For today, in the present age, we have hope in the light that Jesus provides to battle darkness and sin.  One day, when the sun and moon no longer shine, Jesus' light will continue to shine...forevermore. Be encouraged in the light Jesus provides!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path - You guide me and sustain me on a narrow path.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such guidance and light.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.

Isaiah 58-60

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. Isaiah 59:14-16

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 3 (of 5) of week 21, which looks at Isaiah 58-60.  Day 3 builds on yesterday's post and focuses again on Isaiah 59, and how God promises a redeemer for Israel and a new covenant based on this redeemer - who is of course is Jesus. Of particular note is how this redeemer gives believers supernatural abilities, through the Holy Spirit, to battle against the forces of the present age and Satan. Isaiah 59:17 echoes Ephesians 6:10-17 and how Christ, the Word, the Holy Spirit, and prayer ready us for battle.

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My Prayer: Lords Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace for me.  You provide Your Word, the Holy Spirit, prayer, the church, etc. for me so that I am armed and ready to fight Satan.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.