Old Testament: Isaiah Introduction (See Below)
Poetry: Psalm 58
New Testament: Hebrews 3
After several years of teaching, I recently had the opportunity to stay home with my two kids. My oldest is three, and he has a mind of his own. Much of my day is spent doing fun things, like playing outside, reading books, and building Lego towers. But, with a toddler, there are always going to be times of correction. Discipline now is necessary for a happy, healthy, well-adjusted human later on. But disciplining through rebellion has its share of tears, tantrums, and yelling of “No.”
Today, we read about a similar situation of discipline. There are two choices we have in life. We can choose to be obedient to God, submitting to his word, or we can choose to pursue our own desires, rejecting God’s word. One path is the path of righteousness and life. The other is the path of sin and death. In Psalm 58, we read about the harsh judgment reserved for those who are not righteous. In verse 10, “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”
As Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “There as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness.’ We must take care of the condition of our hearts. If our heart is soft to God’s leading, we will listen in obedience to what he says, and we will do it. However, if our heart is hard, we will be more likely to reject God’s commands.
How do we know the condition of our heart? It’s important to look at our actions. If what we do is lined up to God’s word, then we have a heart to listen to what he says and follow it. I’ve heard it described as a plumb line that we use to measure up our actions. If we are out of line, God’s word will call us out.
What does a hard heart look like? If you notice that your actions are consistently not matching up with godly living as described in the Bible, that is a good indication that you have hardened your heart to his teaching. You are living in rebellion. Those words seem harsh, but they line up with the way that Hebrews describe them. If you consistently read that you should do something but you don’t, you are not living righteously. Just like the notifications on your phone, you swipe out of and never look at or the alarm you press snooze on, you are desensitizing yourself to the effects of sin. You’ve become “an evil, unbelieving heart” that is “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (v. 12-13).
We need to encourage each other to pursue a righteous life of obedience. That is what we are called to do.
~Cayce Fletcher
***You can find more of Cayce’s writing at www.amorebeautifullifecollective.com.***
Isaiah Introduction
The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah to the southern tribe of Judah at a time when the Assyrian empire threatened Judah’s destruction. The name Isaiah means “the Lord saves”. Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament prophet.
While Isaiah predicted that Judah would eventually be defeated because of their sins; he also predicted a message of hope – the coming messiah (a suffering servant), would come to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.
Some have suggested that the first 39 chapters of Isaiah focus on doom and gloom, similar to the 39 books of the Old Testament; while the 27 last chapters (40 – 66) of Isaiah focus on hope and restoration, similar to the 27 books of the New Testament.
There are many prophecies in Isaiah about the “last days”, the “Day of the Lord”, the promised messiah (Jesus), God’s suffering servant (also Jesus), conditions in the millennium, and the coming Kingdom of God.
One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
–Steve
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Have you walked through a season of rebellion? What was the outcome?
- What is the importance of obedience?
- What is the current status of your heart? How do you know?
Seek Grow Love 