Tag: Worship

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Isaiah- Week 12- Day 5- Isaiah 58:8-12

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

God blesses obedient worship.

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.  (9)  Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

Isaiah 58:8-9a

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:  (11)  And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.  (12)  And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. 

Isaiah 58:10-12 

Explanation:

Most fathers love to bless their children.  This is a point that Jesus made.

Luke 11:11-13  If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?  (12)  Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  (13)  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

In this passage God has answered the question of those in Israel who were asking why God did not seem to be responding to their expressions of worship.  He told them that they were practicing oppression and selfishness along with their worship.  The remedy He called for was to offer expressions of worship that lead to sanctification, mercy, justice, generosity, selflessness, fleeing injustice and expressing compassion. In today’s verses we see that the results of these expressions of genuine worship toward God would lead to the blessings of God in their lives.  Look at the expressions of blessing God promises will be poured out to the children of Israel when they forsook empty worship, and worshipped God authentically:

Light

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning…” v.8

“then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday…” v.10 

Health

“and thine health shall spring forth speedily…” v.8

Righteousness

“and thy righteousness shall go before thee…” v.8

Reward

“the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward..” v.9

Answered Prayer

“then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am….” v.9

Guidance

“And the LORD shall guide thee continually…” v. 11

Provision

“…and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” . v.11

Legacy

“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.”  v.12

Application:

Do you want to live under the blessing of God?  Do you want to have a legacy of being used by God to make a difference in the lives of those around you?  If you do, you must reject empty ritualism.  You must reject oppression and selfishness.  You must reject a kind of worship that seeks to manipulate God into getting what you want.  You must understand that God expects genuine, authentic worship.  God’s desire is to bless those who are obedient.  The first step of obedience is to trust in Christ as your personal Savior.  We must acknowledge our sin and repent.  We must turn to Him by faith, knowing that outside of Jesus Christ we are lost and still in our sin.  Once we are saved, we can offer God worship that honors and glorifies Him.  We become one of His kids, and like a loving Father, He blesses His obedient children.

Response:

Do you know Christ as Savior?  Jesus said that no man comes to the Father except by Him.  Trust in Christ today?

Believers, is your worship of God regular and authentic?  God blesses obedience!

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Isaiah- Week 9- Day 2

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

Isaiah 46:5-7

Explanation:
God continues and asks what may seem like an obvious question to the one who knows the reality of who God really is. Can God be compared to other gods? Many have certainly tried, and yet there really isn’t much that dead idols have in common with the living God.
Other gods are crafted using created things. In those days they would hire a craftsman to make a god. If an idol was to go anywhere it must be carried and set down. Idols must be shaped so that they don’t fall over. Think about this: people hire someone one to craft an idol, pick it up and take it to a place of worship, and then bow down to worship idols seeking for them to move in their lives. Idols cannot save! Idols cannot answer, much less save anyone from trouble.

Application:
Again, we don’t craft images that look like the ones described in this passage in our western culture. Yet we do worship created things. There is no doubt that we give our lives over to things that replace the True and living God. The same kinds of statements can be made of these things we give ourselves to as are made of the idols in this passage. We purchase the goods and set them up in our houses and then allow them to control the way we think, behave, and yes, even worship. We prioritize these created things over the God of the Universe who has made us and redeemed us. Worshipping these things will always cause there to be a void left in our lives that only God can fill.

We ought to worship the God that carries us, and not the gods that we have to carry.

Response:
We have already asked you to identify any potential idols in your life. Have you done that? The right response to any sin is repentance. Take some time to offer up repentance today if it is needed.

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Isaiah- Week 9- Day 1

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity. Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

Isaiah 46:1-4

Explanation:
Bel is a pagan God of Babylon, and is another spelling for Baal. Nebo is a Babylonian God. Names like Nebuchadnezzar were names given to prominent figures in Babylon as a tribute to this god. When times of crisis came, like when Cyrus, King of Persia, came to take over Babylon, these idols had to be defended and carried on beasts of burden.
These idols that were worshipped by these people had to be carried and defended by these people when things got bad.
In contrast, the God of Israel says that He has carried his people from the womb and will carry them until old age and beyond. From conception beyond grey-headedness God will carry His people. He says in verse four that he made them, he will bear them, and he will deliver them.
So, what is the contrast? The worshippers of false idols have to carry their idols in times of crisis. God carries His worshippers at all times.

Application:
For most of the people to which I minister, and for myself, bowing down to a graven image of some false idol is not my temptation. Yet, that does not mean that we do not have a problem with idolatry. The truth is we give ourselves over to created things in worship all the time. In times of crisis these created things that we worship will not ultimately sustain or save us. Sure, things that are created can help us, but the truth is none of these things can really carry us, especially in ultimate things. We need to be saved, and the only one who can ultimately do that is God Himself. Our cars, houses, jobs, spouses, hobbies, devices, careers, or money cannot ultimately carry us. Only God can do this for us.


Response:
The passage this week really is about idolatry. An idol is anything that receives worship that is due to God. Is there any idol in your life that you are tempted to worship? The first step to rejecting it is naming it.

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Singing Praise (continued)- Isaiah- Week 5- Day 3

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. (5) Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

Isaiah 25:4-5

Explanation:
Another reason for his praise can be found here in verses 4 and 5. He praises God for his works toward the poor, and to the needy in distress. God offers protection to these people. You see this protection described through three words:
Strength. God is a “strength” to the poor and needy in distress. God is a strength to the poor and needy as they deal with their distress and poverty.
Refuge. The word describes a shelter and a safety in the midst of difficulty. In this context the refuge is for the storm. Have you ever been out in the elements during the pounding rain, howling wind, and dangerous lightning? Your fears were calmed and your circumstance changed when you were able to get inside. This is the picture of God for those in the storm.
Shadow. For the person in the middle of the desert wilderness, the sun is an extreme and dangerous problem. God is described here as a shadow of relief and comfort from the heat of the enemies of God’s people.
There is an eschatological (end times) element in this context. God has protected His people through end-times difficulty and gotten them to the other side. God has been faithful and gracious to His people. They see it. They recognize it. It causes them to worship and praise God for his gracious protection to them.

Application:
This certainly has a Jewish context, but those who know Christ as Savior can know the gracious protection of the God of the universe. Though we have enemies because of our allegiance to God, God is a God who provides and protects His own. No matter how difficult things get on this earth, God will be a refuge in the storm, a shadow in the heat, and our strength in poverty and distress of all kinds.

Consider the words of the hymn, O God, Our Help in Ages Past

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:


Beneath the shadow of thy throne,
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.


Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.


A thousand ages in thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.


Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.


O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home!

Response:

  • Where do you find your strength and refuge? Is it in God or something else?
  • Have you praised God for his protection?