June 15 – Isaiah 37:21-38 Wow. This was a fun chapter. Although not so fun for the poor foot soldiers of Assyria, who were killed in the night. God’s word spoken through Isaiah came true. Totally. Down to the death of the arrogant king himself. And do you want to know the key to this whole wiping out of a menacing army that really could have easily slaughtered the Jewish people? Prayer. Yup. Isaiah tells Hezekiah in verse 21, that it was because he prayed. I don’t totally understand prayer. God makes His plans and they can’t be thwarted and yet He asks us and even commands us to pray. And when we do? He moves. If we don’t? Sometimes He does not move. Prayer […] Read more »

June 14 – Isaiah 37:1-20 We continue our dilemma, today, as Hezekiah starts to respond to these very real and present threats to the future of his country. He starts by tearing his clothes, dressing in burlap and humbly seeking God in the Temple. I’ll tell you what. Humility is a very good position to choose when in need of God’s help! I love that this was Hezekiah’s first choice. Even before consulting Isaiah. I confess to my shame, that too often I first go to friends and family and only then turn to the Lord with a dilemma. Hezekiah’s way is much wiser. Isaiah was not spooked by the messages of the Assyrians. I love his response and his prophecy that – at least […] Read more »

June 13 – Isaiah 36 Well here we are at the historical portion of the book of Isaiah. We are walking away from future events and proclamations and praises and taking a deep look at a frightening time in Judah’s history. The king of Assyria had already captures some of the fortified towns on the outskirts of Judah and had sent his assistant ahead to bully the people of Jerusalem and their king, Hezekiah, into a surrender. As he had already succeeded in many other places, these were no idle threats. His intimidation tactics were impressive. First of all, he told the people what Isaiah had already told them back in Chapter 30. Egypt was unreliable and would not help them. After that? Not much […] Read more »

June 12 – Isaiah 35 We have skipped a few chapters once again, so if you want to read all of Isaiah, go ahead and read the ones I skipped. But here we are at Chapter 35. If ever there were a “cheer up, better times are coming” passage, this would be it. I love how Isaiah describes our future. He even declares as he writes what he has seen that it is to encourage us who are tired and who have “weak knees.” Haha! Have you ever had your knees turn to jelly when you were afraid? I have. I know there are supposed to be two responses to danger, flight or fight, but I often choose the least wise course of action: freeze. […] Read more »

Week Three Introduction to Week Three How are you doing with your consistency in daily quiet time? Have you found your rhythm? If not, don’t despair. You are loved whether you are consistent or not! However, also don’t give up. Ask yourself what is stopping you from daily time with God. Pray. See what needs to change so you get those precious few minutes of sitting at His feet each day. We are going to be reading history this week. Yes. Right in the middle of the long book of Isaiah are some stories of what happened when King Hezekiah reigned in Judah. I’m excited to change it up a bit as we dive into the day to day life of our prophet. We’ll see […] Read more »

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June 10 – Isaiah 30:1-26 And today we come to the chapter that holds my life verse and the verse on which the name of our study is based! I love this chapter of Isaiah so much. It starts out with a warning. Judah has decided to make a treaty with Egypt, so that if war comes, they have an ally to fight with them. Isaiah talks about donkeys laden with treasures from the treasuries of Judah, bringing it all to Egypt in exchange for a promise of help. And the sad thing is? God has told Isaiah that Egypt will take the treasure and will be of no help at all to Judah. What a waste! In this passage we hear God’s hurting heart. […] Read more »

June 9 – Isaiah 26 Isaiah is still praising God in this chapter. He’s sharing some important lessons for us. Let’s look at how Isaiah handles all the hard news he’s had to deliver and learn how to live in the midst of troubled times without dismay. The first lesson comes from Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” I bet Isaiah learned this the old-fashioned way. He lived it. When he looked around him, he saw the wickedness of a people who would not turn to the God who loved them When he fixed his thoughts on God, however, he was at peace. Oh, that we would remember to train our […] Read more »

June 8 – Isaiah 25 We skipped a lot of chapters, didn’t we? Isaiah had specific messages from the Lord to many diverse people groups. He spoke to those who lived in Babylon, Assyria, Moab, Damascus, Israel, Ethiopia, Egypt, Edom, Arabia, Jerusalem, and Tyre. He singled out a few individuals as well. When God had something to say, Isaiah would speak it out. When God asked whom should He send all those years ago? Isaiah meant his “yes” to God, didn’t he? An amazing, faithful prophet. We are now past these pronouncements (If you have time, do read them) and we’re back to praise. Isaiah doesn’t just pronounce judgment. He also proclaims the majesty of God. These, of course, are some of my favorite parts. […] Read more »