Jeremiah 2:31-4:18
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We read some harsh words today from God to Israel in Jeremiah chapters 2 & 3 – calling the nation a prostitute and an adulteress.  These are not words a person wants to hear from God – much less an entire nation hearing these words!  Jeremiah wrote this book during the last 40 years of Judah’s existence, which is not surprising to consider when we read this in chapter 3 verses 8 through 10 – “But now Judah, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution. Israel treated it all so lightly–she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone. So now the land has been greatly defiled. But in spite of all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry,” says the LORD.”  Again, not words you want to hear from God.  Can you imagine a much worse insult from God?  A prostitute?  An adulteress?  As harsh as these words are – I almost hesitate to ask this – But I think I should – Today, are we ourselves ever a “prostitute” or an “adulteress” to God?  Do we give ourselves over to sins and lusts and false loves that break God’s heart because of his love for us?  Well, when we act in such a bad way, we are fortunate that God says things like he did in verse 1 of chapter 3 of Jeremiah today – “But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, says the LORD. Yet I am still calling you to come back to me.”  Even though we may sin gravely against God, he still calls us to come back to Him!  Through Jesus today we can come back to Him!  Do you need to come back to Him in any way in your life?  Will you?  Will you leave behind any and all “adulteress” or “prostitute” behaviors, and return to Him simply as the child of God that you were always made to be?

Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of the fantastic worship song “Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?” by Delirious.  For some reason every time I hear the lyric “open up the doors and let the music play, let the streets resound with singing” I am reminded of a trip to the Dominican Republic I took several years ago to work on houses with Habitat for Humanity.  Walking down the dusty streets of a tiny village in the DR I distinctly remember the doors being open, the music playing and the streets resounding with the singing of children playing.  God’s presence was so real and tangible to me on that dusty little village in the DR.  I pray you’ve had or will have a similar experience with God walking down “a street that has no name!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIR5zFSkWUY

Have you felt the mountains tremble?  Click here and let the music play!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Jeremiah 1:1-2:30
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Today we begin the book of the prophet Jeremiah!  Below is a painting from the year 1630 titled “Jeremiah Laments the Devastation of Jerusalem” by the artist Rembrandt.  This painting can be viewed today in Amsterdam at the Rijksmuseum.

~ Jeremiah ~
Author: Jeremiah
Date: Sixth century B.C.
Content: Jeremiah’s life covered the last forty years of Judah’s existence. The burden of his message was for God’s people to accept the judgment of God so that a new beginning could be made. He lived through the invasions by the Babylonian armies, the deportations of his people by the enemy, the slaughter of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the Temple of God. He warned the people concerning these events, pleading with them to turn from their sins, but to no avail. He received only scorn and persecution. Jeremiah’s life is described in some detail, thus making him the best known of the Old Testament prophets.
Theme: In the crisis days during which Jeremiah lived, he had but one message for the people: Repent and turn to God. All false hopes must be abandoned and God must be given his rightful place in the nation. Nothing can save the people – neither their wealth, their armies, their diplomats, nor even their religion – only God can save. The destruction of Jerusalem stands as a memorial for all time that when a nation rejects God, the inevitable result will be ruin. Jeremiah also has a message of hope. Although Judah had abandoned God, God had not abandoned them and would once again show himself mightily on their behalf. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 13)  A great commentary on the book of Jeremiah by Donald Curtis is at this link. 

Today in Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 26 we read this sad statement – “Like a thief, Israel feels shame only when she gets caught. Kings, officials, priests, and prophets–all are alike in this.”  How about us in our lives today?  Do we only feel shame when we get caught?  Do we realize that God knows exactly what we are doing even if we think we might be doing something in “secret”?  Do you realize there are absolutely no secrets with God?

Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of the song “The Prayer” that has been sung by several artists.  I believe Celine Dion wrote the song.  Here is a beautiful version of the song by Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin.  This song starts off a bit slow, but stick with it.  The duet with Yolanda and Donnie by the end is powerful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddgmktt-GCQ

Have you ever prayed “The Prayer”?  Click here and pray!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Isaiah 66:1-24
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Today we finish up the book of the prophet Isaiah!  What a great read this book has been for me this year!  I hope it has been a blessing for you as well.  Tomorrow we begin the book of the prophet Jeremiah!  We read powerful words from God in Isaiah chapter 66 verses 2 & 3 today: “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. But those who choose their own ways, delighting in their sins, are cursed. Their offerings will not be accepted.”  Have you ever literally trembled at God’s Word, the Bible?  I am not 100% sure if I have.  I hope so.  I have certainly read portions of God’s Word where I have felt very convicted.  Where I have realized I must change my ways.  So, I suppose in this regard I have trembled at God’s Word.  Do you have a humble and contrite heart?  Again, I hope I do.  I know I do sometimes…  But do we have a humble and contrite heart all of the time?  I pray that we learn to.  Let us not choose our own ways.  Let us not delight in our sins.  Let us instead tremble at God’s Word.

God’s words in the last 3 verses of the book of Isaiah are apocalyptic (which is not a bad thing – just the Truth of what is to come) and seems to be a precursor to John’s Book of Revelation that we will read later this year: “”As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear,” says the LORD. “All humanity will come to worship me from week to week and from month to month. And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by will view them with utter horror.””

Worship Video – Today’s readings remind me of the Chris Tomlin song “Jesus Messiah:”

Is Jesus your Messiah?  Click here to meet your Messiah!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Isaiah 62:6-65:25
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Fall! And we’re 3/4ths of the way through the Old Testament!  There is something about the season of Fall and the Old Testament Bible readings that I just love.  We’re coming up to some great books in the Old Testament during this season of Fall with Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel on deck. Last but not least, maybe I love the season of Fall and our readings because we have read through 3/4ths of the Old Testament this year and we’re now in the last 1/4th of our readings.  Maybe I love the fact that we are in the “home-stretch” of our One Year Bible readings.  I do want to congratulate each of you for making it this far.  Press on toward the finish line here in these last 3 months!  Yay God for the season of Fall!  (and for those of you participating in the Old Testament readings in the southern hemisphere – Yay God for Spring! 🙂

Today in Isaiah chapter 63 we read about God’s judgment against his enemies.  It is interesting dialogue in verses 1 through 3: “”It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who is mighty to save!”  Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? “I have trodden the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. It is their blood that has stained my clothes.”

Isaiah chapter 64 verses 5 through 7 stood out to me as a stark reminder of why Jesus came into our world as our Savior eight centuries after this was written by Isaiah – and why we still need Jesus today as our Savior… – “But we are not godly. We are constant sinners, so your anger is heavy on us. How can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.”  Do these verses remind you of your need for Jesus?  Has Jesus saved you from your constant sinning?  Have you been saved from the “infection” of sin?  This is great wording in these verses by Isaiah – we are all “infected” with sin… praise God that Jesus saves us from this infection!  C.S. Lewis says this about Christianity being a “good infection” –

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Isaiah chapter 65 titled “The Lord’s Answer: Mercy for Israel” is at this link.

Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of For King & Country’s song “For God is With Us:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HErRFLapu4

Do you know our God who is with us?  Click here to be with Him!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Isaiah 60:1-62:5
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Today in Isaiah chapter 60 we read about Jerusalem’s future glory!  Verses 4 through 6 tell us – “Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home. Your eyes will shine, and your hearts will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands. Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. From Sheba they will bring gold and incense for the worship of the LORD.”

Beautiful imagery in verses 8 & 9 – “And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel, like doves to their nests? They are the ships of Tarshish, reserved to bring the people of Israel home. They will bring their wealth with them, and it will bring great honor to the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he will fill you with splendor.”

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Isaiah titled “The Spirit-filled Servant and the Kingdom of God” is at this link.

Worship Video: Today’s readings in Isaiah reminded me of the Steven Curtis Chapman song “Yours:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-ERm0_tuKM

Do you believe than anything is truly yours?  Click here and hand it over to God!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Isaiah 57:15-59:21
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Today in Isaiah chapter 57 verses 20 & 21 we have a chance to think about that sometimes elusive word “peace”: “”But those who still reject me are like the restless sea. It is never still but continually churns up mire and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.”  I don’t know about you, but I know I have gone through many days of my life without true peace – and many days with true peace.  And I do honestly believe that there is no peace in our lives apart from God.  When we live our lives solely for our own selfish motives, we live a very chaotic un-restful un-peaceful life I believe.  But, when we turn our lives over to God, when we embrace God, when we love God, and when we are obedient to God’s will for our lives, we come to know true peace!  And it is indeed a peace that surpasses all understanding.  I pray that each of us is walking in the light of God’s peace this very day.  And tomorrow.  And the next day.  Please, don’t ever step out of the peace of God and back into the chaos of living for yourself.  I know this can seem to be a glib saying at first glance, but there’s a whole lot of truth to this one:

Today in Isaiah chapter 59 we read about warnings against sin – which were written for Israel in 8th century B.C.  Do you think we should heed these warnings today as well?  Any of these warnings in chapter 59 sound like they could have been written for our modern day?   In verses 9 & 10 today we read – “It is because of all this evil that deliverance is far from us. That is why God doesn’t punish those who injure us. No wonder we are in darkness when we expected light. No wonder we are walking in the gloom. No wonder we grope like blind people and stumble along. Even at brightest noontime, we fall down as though it were dark. No wonder we are like corpses when compared to vigorous young men!”  When I read these verses above and look at this image below, I for some reason think of people in our world today who are addicted to pornography.  Pornography is a horrific sin that indeed turns vigorous young men into “corpses” of themselves.  Pornography sells you “vigor”, but it delivers just the opposite – death.  I pray that if anyone reading this is addicted to pornography that you’ll run for your very life to counseling.  Seriously.  Your life is too short and precious to walk around like a corpse any more!  Go for God!  You likely can’t pull out of the addiction on your own.  You’ll need help – immediately.  Find an addiction counselor in your town ASAP.  Please don’t walk in the darkness of this deadly addiction anymore…

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Isaiah chapter 57 titled “God’s Condemnation or God’s Comfort” is at this link.

Video: Today’s discussion in Isaiah above about pornography reminded me of the movie starring Kirk Cameron called Fireproof.  Have you seen this movie yet?  It is terrific! It is an awesome movie about marriage and God. Kirk’s character does struggle with pornography in the movie, but is redeemed. Please see the movie soon if you can. Below is the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5lSu6GkC2k

Do you think you are Fireproof?  Click here for a Fireproof faith!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Isaiah 54:1-57:14
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Today we read Isaiah chapter 55, which is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible! I went to a wedding several years ago in Napa, California and God led me to a church in that town on a Sunday morning where the pastor preached an incredible sermon from Isaiah 55.  It is a beautiful chapter for all of us who are Thirsty. Let us drink deeply of God’s Word today!  Verse 1 tells us – “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink–even if you have no money!”  Are you drinking freely of the Bible this year?  Even if you have no money, do you believe that God is inviting you to drink deeply of his True and Holy Water, His Word?  Are you thirsty?

Verse 6 is fantastic… Will you seek? Will you call?

In verses 10-12 we read:

“10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.”

How do these above verses resonate with you, based on our One Year Bible readings? Particularly verse 11 above – is God’s Word accomplishing something in you this year through reading the Bible each day? Is the Bible “watering” you? Are you Thirsty? Do you feel that you are going out in joy and being led forth in peace? Have the mountains and hills burst into song before you?  Are the trees of the field clapping their hands in your life today?

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Isaiah chapter 55 titled “God’s Exhortation to Receive His Grace” is at this link.

Worship Video:  Today’s readings reminded me of the great Aaron Shust song called “Give Me Words to Speak.”  His song includes this lyric: “Calloused and bruised. Dazed and confused. My Spirit is left wanting something more. Than my selfish hopes.  And my selfish dreams. I’m lying with my face down to the floor. I’m crying out for more!”  Awesome song!  Here’s a live version with Aaron on the keys!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7Xk6sc62EY

Has God ever given you words to speak?  Click here and speak to God!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” Isaiah 55:1 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you are thirsty for the Lord. Pray that you come to Lord daily with your thirst. Pray that you receive freely Living Water from Jesus on a daily basis and forevermore.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Isaiah 51:1-53:12
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Isaiah chapter 53 is one of the most powerful chapters of the Bible – and one of the saddest to really meditate upon.  Isaiah chapter 53 is all about Jesus!  This is a powerful chapter to read…  I’m sure you likely caught that this chapter was about Jesus when you first read it, but if not, please re-read the chapter again and do you see how Isaiah is prophesying Jesus’ passion and death?  It is astounding to realize these words of Isaiah’s were written in 8th century B.C.  Verse 5 tells us: “But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!”  Do you believe that the words of Isaiah’s in chapter 53 today are about Jesus?  Do you believe that Jesus was wounded and crushed for your sins?  Was he beaten that you might have peace?  Are you healed because Jesus was whipped and then murdered on a cross?

Verse 7: “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

Verse 8: “From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins–that he was suffering their punishment?”

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Isaiah chapter 52 and 53 titled “The Triumph of the Suffering Servant” is at this link.  Below is a great image for Isaiah 53:6 from today’s readings:

Worship Video:  I’m sure many of you have heard on K-LOVE “By His Wounds” by Mac Powell, Mark Hall, Steven Curtis Chapman and Brian Littrell. This song is based on Isaiah 53 verse 5 from today’s readings. It is a beautiful song about our beautiful Savior Jesus. Here’s a live version of the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWnSX3X7wbw

By His wounds, have you been healed?  Click here to be healed!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Isaiah 48:12-50:11
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Isaiah chapter 49 verse 6 is sometimes referred to as “the great commission of the Old Testament”!  Here it is: “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”  Paul and Barnabas quote this verse in part in Acts 13:47.  The preceding 5 verses (1-5) in chapter 49 are considered the second servant song in Isaiah and are thought to refer to Jesus, the coming Messiah.  Isaiah chapter 50 verses 4 through 9 in today’s readings are considered the third servant song (out of a total of four) in Isaiah.  It’s interesting, when I initially read these verses in chapter 50 I really thought they were solely about the prophet Isaiah.  But, as we all know by now from our readings in Isaiah – and we’ll see this again in big ways in our coming day’s readings – Isaiah often had the coming Savior of the world, Jesus, on his mind when he was writing this incredible book of the Old Testament in the eighth century B.C.!  I love this painting below of Isaiah writing about Jesus…

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Isaiah chapter 50 titled “The Lord Can and Will Help Those Who Trust Him” is at this link.  Below is a nice image for Isaiah chapter 48 verse 17 from today’s readings:

Worship Video:  Today’s readings reminded me of Tenth Avenue North’s song “Healing Begins:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe1yKciSlT4

Has your soul been healed by God?  Click here for Healing!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Isaiah 45:11-48:11
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In yesterday and today’s Isaiah chapter 45 readings we read about King Cyrus of Persia!  Verse 13 says this about Cyrus in today’s readings: “I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide all his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people–and not for a reward! I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!”  The interesting thing to note here is that Cyrus was not Jewish – he was a Gentile ruler who was raised up for the purpose of freeing the Israelite captives from exile in Babylon and allowing them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.  In yesterday’s readings in chapter 45 verse 1 Cyrus was even referred to as “God’s anointed.”  This is the only place in the Bible where a Gentile ruler is said to be anointed.  It’s also very interesting to note that Isaiah is calling Cyrus by name some 150 years before Cyrus ruled!  Isaiah prophesied from 740 to 681 B.C. and Cyrus ruled from 559 to 530 B.C.  Some Bible commentaries suggest that Cyrus read these prophesies of Isaiah during his reign and was so moved by them that he decided to indeed fulfill them.  In any case, Cyrus played a pivotal role in our spiritual history – allowing the promise of Abraham’s many descendants to continue to the fulfillment of the coming Messiah in Jesus! 

Isaiah chapter 45 verses 22 & 23 are powerful and foreshadow Jesus’ ministry here on earth: “Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to my name.” These verses are also foreshadowing of the book of Revelation that we will read later this year.  We read Paul quoting these verses to describe Jesus in Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10-11.  Do you believe that all the world should look to God for salvation?  Is there another god?  Is Jesus God?  Do you believe that one day every tongue will confess allegiance to the name of Jesus and every knee will bow to Jesus?

Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
To order prints visit her “Revelation Illustrated” site.

Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Isaiah titled “The Lord’s Superiority to the gods of Babylon” is at this link.  Below is an image from Isaiah 46:4 from today’s readings:

Worship Video:  Isaiah chapter 45 verse 23 reminded me of the fantastic Brian Doerksen song “Come, Now is the Time to Worship” which includes the lyrics: “One day every tongue will confess you are God.  One day every knee will bow.  Still the greatest treasure remains for those who choose you now!”  Here’s a nice live version of this song, sung by Phillips, Craig and Dean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBczkmLHdVo

Has your tongue confessed who God is?  Click here and bow your knee!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!