11th January
Read Psalm 143
If you don’t have a bible at home you can find the readings on a website such as www.biblegateway.com or an app such as YouVersion
This Psalm starts, “Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy”. It is a cry for help from David amidst feelings of oppression by his enemies. “My spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed” (v4). He asks for help and for guidance, “Rescue me from my enemies ….. lead me on level ground”. A good prayer in all times of difficulty and distress for God hears and answers.
As you read the Bible Stop; Read; Ponder; and Pray.
Monday Isaiah 38:1-8
After the deliverance from the forces of Assyria encamped outside Jerusalem Hezekiah may well have felt a sigh of relief yet here in Chapter 38 we hear that he is struck with illness and #iisaiah comes to him with a message from the Lord that is not encouraging. He tells him that he is going to die and that he should put his house in order.
In depression Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and ask God to remember him and all his faithfulness and devotion having done good in God’s eyes (v3). And he wept bitterly. Ponder what Hezekiah was doing; is this the way he should have acted? Put yourself in his position. He is looking at himself rather than God and using his faithfulness as a bargaining counter with God.
Isaiah comes back to him after his weeping and tells him that God has heard his prayer and seen his tears and will add 15 years to his life adding to this he will keep Jerusalem free from Assyria. As a sign of this he mentions a strange matter of the shadow on steps cast by the sun going back 10 steps (there are various ideas of what this means).
We shall come to the future in time but I wonder if God may give us somethings because of our persistence and grief but which may not be for our long term good. “Your will be done” is often the best way to end our prayers.
Tuesday Isaiah 38:9-22
Verse 9 tells what Hezekiah wrote in connection with his illness and then his healing. He speaks first of all about his sadness and frustration at being afflicted with illness in the prime of his life. The first 14 verses recount in poetic fashion his feelings about this but then in v15 he begins to recount his amazement at his healing by God and says that it was for his benefit that he suffered such anguish (v17).
I wonder if we can understand this for our own lives when we feel we are on the hard end of life. He knows that the Lord would save him and that he would sing. He appears to be encouraging all his people to do that same in their lives. The last two verses indicate a medical procedure that he is told to use by Isaiah and that will cause his recovery. It may be that the sign he asks for is the one already mentioned about the shadow of the sun falling on certain steps on the stairway of Ahaz (v8).
Wednesday Isaiah 39:1-8
We come in this chapter to an event that, at the time seemed not to have much significance, but which would be realised much later would have a great bearing on the future of the people. The news of Hezekiah’s healing had spread and “Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery” (v1). In a kindly expression he sent envoys to Jerusalem to take his greetings.
Whatever was in Hezekiah’s mind he wanted to show off his treasures and splendour to the men from Babylon and he left out nothing of all his Kingdom’s wares. Isaiah sent to ask of him who these men were and what he had shown them, in being told, he gave a sombre prophesy that the day would come when Babylon would come to invade and steal all these treasures and also take the people including future Kings captive. Babylon was given a glimpse of what they could have should they defeat Judah. This prophesy would not be fulfilled until more than 50 years hence but it wasn’t a time for Hezekiah to utter that there would peace and security in my time (v8)
We should never be prepared to accept wrong things in our lives if their effect would only be in a future long term.
Thursday Isaiah 40:1-5
This chapter begins a new section in the book of Isaiah. The first 39 chapters deal with the sin and apostasy of Judah and its neighbours and speaks of God’s judgement but from Chapter 40 we hear a softer tone because it prophecies a healing and redemption for God’s people through the work of the coming Messiah. Commentators have differed on whether this is a later prophesy writer during the Babylonian exile or written prophetically by Isaiah. We will continue to speak of it as God’s voice through Isaiah as the chapter opens with words of comfort to the people and it contains the words spoken of in the New Testament by John the Baptist of himself, “A voice of one calling in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord” (v3).
The prophesy says that preparation will be made for the coming of the Messiah in whom the glory of the Lord would be revealed (v5).
Friday Isaiah 40:6-11
We read now ow what John the Baptist was crying out, that “all flesh are like grass”, showing the mortality of every man or woman. What endures is the Word of God and John goes on to tell of immortal good news which Jerusalem and the towns fo Judah must hear for his role was to proclaim, “Here is your God” (v9), and he is pictured coming with power and a mighty arm yet also like a Shepherd tending his sheep and carrying them close to his heart”
We seem always to see God in these two forms, as the judge and yet also as the caring Father. We are inclined to split them up but we shouldn’t do for both are given us in scripture so that we wouldn’t misconstrue God. When the Bible tells us that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-6 and James 4:6-7) it means what it says for God will not deal gently with those who resist him but o those who humble themselves under him he will be as a caring shepherd.
Saturday Isaiah 40:12-31
The prophet now points to the greatness of God looking to the creation around. In many ways that’s what we need to do when confronted with issues we don’t understand or confronted with those who challenge us and our belief in God. It is the way God dealt with Job after all the unanswerable questions he and his ‘comforters’ had (Job 40 & 41).
“Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales; “ says v 15 and then the nations are asked, “to whom will you compare God? To what image will you liken him?” (v18) and those who make images are shown how ridiculous their attempts are. God on the other hand sits enthroned above the Earth ruling over the heavens and the Earth including every man or Prince. Again God asks who will the nations compare him to but then also turns to the people of Israel and challenges them who cry, “my way is hidden from the Lord” (v27). It is foolish to imagine that God disregards us and indeed the chapter closes with marvellous words about those who hope in the Lord,
“They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” (v31)
Turn to this chapter if at any time you feel down and disheartened or feeling that no-one knows or cares about you.