Read the Bible in a Year (11AUG19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, August 11’s Bible reading is Isaiah 64-66.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, August 12’s Bible reading is Jeremiah 1-3. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

ISAIAH MOMENT – (11AUG19) “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). The nation of Israel failed to understand that the Lord was the One who created them. He chose them to be a people with whom He would place His name on. They had not done Him any favor in selecting Him; instead, they were chosen by God. He had created them to be a holy people unto the nations through which the world could see and testify of His goodness. Unfortunately, Israel did not honor God as their Potter. They assumed that they were in the position to dictate to Him what they wanted, who they would serve, and how it would be done. Therefore, the clay wanted to tell the Potter what type of vessel He should have created. This, however, was unacceptable to the Lord.

We oftentimes take on the same demeanor as Israel. We want to tell God how, what, and when He should do things in our lives instead of us allowing the Potter to complete His vessel. We also make the mistake of allowing others’ expectations of us to cause for us to be impatient with the Potter. Nevertheless, God is the One who has the ultimate say. The Bible says, “In their hearts human s plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9). God has a plan for every individual. That plan is unique to the work that He desires for you to do upon the earth. It is not for us to rush or become impatient with Him in the process as He is molding, shaping, and developing our character in the process. Even when others feel as if the path you are on is not the one that they would choose, allow the Holy Spirit to be your Guidance Counselor. The Potter has a special plan for you, and if you allow for Him to do His work, you will become His absolute masterpiece. “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (11AUG19) Is there any of us who have not committed sin in our lives? The Bible says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Isaiah had become caught up in the moment of wanting God to come down and render judgment on the nations. He was fed up with the wickedness that he had seen across the land. The role of the prophet was a difficult one. He was assigned to speak to the people on behalf of God, but the people would not listen. They even mocked those who gave them a Word from the Lord pleading with them to turn from their wicked ways. Nevertheless, Isaiah regained his bearings and knew that even he had sinned and that no matter how many good works a person had done, it was like filthy rags compared to the righteousness of God. Some scholars have suggested that during biblical times, women used cut rags for their monthly cycle and burned them; therefore, if that is the case, the analogy that Isaiah used shows how defiled our righteous acts look before the Lord, for those who exhibit pride. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Even though we live in a fallen world, we must remain humble and know that it is only by the grace of God through faith that we are saved. There was nothing that we did in and of our own selves.

There are some Christian sites that are praying for judgment to come down on the lost. One may ask the question, “How many are praying that the lost will be SAVED?” Yes, the wicked will one day be judged, and all who refused to accept Christ will be lost for all eternity. Nevertheless, we must be mindful that we too were on the road to destruction, and if Jesus had not stepped in to detour us down the right path, we would be the very ones receiving the judgment that some are praying for others to receive. We must speak the truth indeed, BUT we must have a heart of humility, and our desire should be that they will come to Jesus while there is still time. The Bible says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:9-10). Something to ponder….

ISAIAH MOMENT – (12AUG19)