Month: October 2026

Where Are We Looking?

Isaiah 60-61

Psalm 121

Luke 3

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Psalms 121:1-4(NLT) I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

This Psalm has some of the greatest lines of poetry in it.  “Shall I lift my eyes up to the hills?” the psalmist asks.  The song was sung as the pilgrims ascended from Jericho uphill to Jerusalem for the feast days there at the temple.  The pagan worship places were often on the top of hills where the Astaroth and Baal idols were worshipped. The decision that we make is whether we will look to the hilltops of this earth or look to our God who made the heavens and the earth.  It seems an easy choice but we must consciously and willfully decide that this is where we are going to look and where to follow.  The world gives us religious thoughts and activities which are not truly Christian but close.  We need to raise our sights above the hills and purposes of this world to God above.

Where is our sight aimed?  What are the things that are close to our heart?

What a rich set of readings from the Word today.  After the uplifting of the Psalm 121 to build up our renewed minds to look to our God, we now read about John the Baptist and the ministry that he fulfills.  We don’t have to wonder who he is and what God has planned for him to do as Isaiah gives us the picture.

Luke 3:3-6(NLT)  Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!
Clear the road for him!
5 The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.
6 And then all people will see
the salvation sent from God.’”

(From Is 40:3-5 if you are interested in looking it up.)

What is John’s true ministry?

Much of the teaching about John focuses on his coming before Jesus to prepare his way.  This teaching is not completely true.  John’s ministry is to come before Yahweh and prepare the way for repentance and change to bring the people back to God.  This ministry will also get people to look for the coming Messiah who is very close to them physically and will become revealed very shortly.  John is only months older than Jesus, and it would appear that both start their ministries when they are the age of 30 years, which in Jewish culture would be the minimum when you could start a ministry or teach. 

The preparation that John preaches is the coming of the LORD who is God Almighty. God is going to reveal His Son the Messiah to the world, and then obviously this will reveal Him in the ministries that both men have.  John is the servant of the most high God, and then Jesus as we will come to see is the ultimate faithful servant for God. 

Luke 3:15-16(NLT) Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John tells them that Messiah is coming soon and will be the promised one of God bringing salvation and judgment to Israel and the whole world. John tells them that he can only baptize them with the water of repentance, but Messiah will baptize them with holy spirit and power.  His message is of repentance for the people and that they will look to God to be obedient to God’s Law and promises.  Then to look for the coming Messiah.

Where does John aim our vision?

What is the baptism of water and holy spirit mean today?

Now read from Isaiah 60 where the prophesy of Jesus coming and his ministry are foretold to Israel.  Raise our sights again!

Isaiah 60:1-3(NLT) Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you.
2 Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you.
3 All nations will come to your light;
mighty kings will come to see your radiance.

And then even more specifically in Isaiah 61 where we see God telling His people about Messiah to come.

Isaiah 61:1-3(NLT) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me,
for the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the LORD’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the LORD has planted for his own glory.

What is it like to say that God will plant people like mighty oaks of righteousness?

What would be another way to say this?

By extension as spiritual children of Abraham we are the nations and Gentiles that are also blessed by the coming of Messiah. God desires for all men to be saved and to come to an accurate knowledge of the truth. He sends his servants and prophets all through history to tell His story.  The New Testament gives us the revealed picture and understanding of what Jesus has accomplished for all the people of the world.  Repentance today is for people to make him Lord over their life and then believe that God has raised him from the dead. 

What is the true confession of repentance that God requires of us?

Isaiah 61:10-11(NLT)  I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God!
For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
and draped me in a robe of righteousness.
I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding
or a bride with her jewels.
11 The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world.
Everyone will praise him!
His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring,
with plants springing up everywhere.

Reflection Questions above in bold

Prayer

Father God, we thank you that we are planted as Your lush garden of spring.  We thank you for planting us firmly as mighty oaks of righteousness showing Your power in our lives and establishing us as strong people of God.  Father please give us understanding of the spirit and power You have given us, and help us to grow into the people of God You have called us to be.  We praise Your Mighty Name and pray today in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Your Righteousness Will Go Before You

A serene background featuring a soft gradient of purple and orange hues with inspirational text from Isaiah 58:10, emphasizing offering oneself to help others and the promise of light in darkness.

Isaiah 58-59

Psalm 120

Luke 3

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN) – Originally Jeremy chose just THIS day to write devotions this week – but he then took on several more days when he very recently became aware of the need for more days to be filled. Thank you, Jeremy!

            I believe that today’s devotional may be the most important one I ever write.  In fact, I normally write a “block” of articles in a group, to create less of a headache for the lady who runs this website, but today is different.  I singled out this one specific bit of today’s reading because it is so important, so absolutely critical, that it may literally save your life (as I believe it did mine).  Even more critically, this may make the difference on whether you enter the kingdom of God, or are cast out “where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”, it’s that important.  So please, listen closely today, because a whole lot could depend on it.

            Isaiah 58:1-5 goes right into it, God (through His servant Isaiah) is chastising the people for the manner in which they are fasting.  The people are making grand displays of deprivation and wondering why God isn’t hearing them, thinking that fasting is like some magic trick that you perform to manipulate God, while continuing to act unrighteously.  That’s not what God wants, and if you want God to listen to your prayers, first act righteously (See for reference: John 9:31, Proverbs 15:29, Ps 66:18).  This is also what God spoke into my heart on about day 3 or 4 of my own fast after my father went blind, which led to a complete lifestyle change.  Reading through verses 1-5 here will give you a great idea of how not to do it, but the next verses immediately go into a remedial course on how you should do it.

            Isaiah 58:6-12 gives us not only a laundry list of things we should be doing, but an even more extensive list of why we should be doing them and what benefit it will bring.  This is the good stuff folks, pay heed.  I suppose I should also say that attitude matters; if you go into some of this thinking “Well, I’ll just do this and God will owe me…” you’re wrong.  God owns you already, and nothing you could ever do will be able to repay the debt that you owe God.  This is a way to humbly obey some of the things He has told us to do that please Him.  Going down line by line (this is from the LSB translation):

Isaiah 58:6-Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to release the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?

            Wickedness is a trap, and people are enslaved by their sin.  When you choose to fast it’s not just a denial of food, it’s an opportunity to loosen the noose that is constricting your holiness before the Father.  Are you addicted to something that is taking your attention and focus away from God? Drugs, alcohol, sex, entertainment, money, your appearance, social media, cars, stuff: anything and everything that takes your attention away from God can be a sin.  Take a break from it.  This is an opportunity to loosen the leash a little, to not be a slave for a time, for freedom under God.  Take it.

Isaiah 58:7-Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the afflicted homeless into the house; when you see the naked, you cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

            Feed, shelter, and clothe people.  Engage with your family.  When Job was protesting his righteousness, one of his arguments was that he had done these things (Job 29:12-16, Job 31:16-17).  Keeping that in mind, remember how proud God was of Job at the beginning of the book.  These are the things that please God.  When we are told to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18, Mark 12:31) it equates this action to loving God.  Think about that, the next time you drive past a homeless person.  You were created in the image of God to have dominion on the earth, to represent the Creator to His creation.  This is an opportunity to love God, take it.

Isaiah 58:8-Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of Yahweh will be your rear guard.

            This is one of the most important bits.  Not just that your illumination will rend forth from the darkness around you, not just that your recovery will speedily spring forth (and that’s a pretty important bit, if you’re struggling physically), but that your צִדְקֶ֔ךָ ( Tzedakah, or Sedaqa) will go before you.  The translation of “righteousness” is a pale shadow of the actual meaning, which can be more accurately translated as: “righteousness, fairness, justice”: all rolled up into one.  Do yourself a favor and look up Tzedakah on Wikipedia, and read it very carefully.  If you by your own actions are about to receive a bad judgement from God, to have your name erased from the Book of Life and written in another, less favorable book: this is one of the 3 things that can avert that judgment according to Jewish tradition: Tzedakah (not charity, but equity towards your fellow man), Tefila (sincere prayer, “crying out” to God), and Teshuva (repentance, turning away from evil and changing behavior).  Add all of those things to the fact that you’ll no longer have to watch your back, because Yahweh will be your rearguard, and it makes it a little silly not to actively seek to do these things.  When you help others you are literally helping yourself.

Silhouette of a person standing on the beach at sunset, with a biblical quote from Isaiah 58:9a NIV inscribed above.

Isaiah 58:9-12:  9 Then you will call, and Yahweh will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, 10 and if you offer your soul to the hungry and satisfy the soul of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your thick darkness will become like midday. 11 and Yahweh will continually guide you, and satisfy your soul in scorched places, and fortify your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you will rebuild the ancient waste places; you will raise up the foundations of past generation upon generation; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the paths for one to inhabit.

            I have felt at times that when I called out to God He wasn’t listening to me.  On reflection, why would He listen to me? I hadn’t been listening to Him!  He has given us very clear instructions on how to make Him proud, and how we are supposed to act, and told us very plainly when we do these things He will answer when we cry out.  He will reveal Himself to us.  He will continually guide us and satisfy us, even in uncomfortable or dangerous places, and strengthen us. 

            The unfathomable grace of God can not be overstated.  He’s trying to give it to you now.  Please believe me when I tell you that these things are absolutely true,  I’m not speaking from a confident book-learning but from an experiential knowledge and certainty based on my own life experiences that God will do all of these things, and more.  If you want to truly experience God in your life, to have God whisper to you in your sleep and at quiet times, to have God utterly smash the things that come at you sideways to do you harm: try living this chapter.  Do you need healing? Do you feel lost and enslaved in darkness?  Do you want to see miracles? Then humble yourself, do these things in Isaiah 58, cry out to God, turn from any wickedness and stand back and be amazed.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. How many times a week do you seek an opportunity to perform Tzedekah (see above for definition)?
  2. Is there something in your life, any yoke or chain,  that is distracting you from God that you could either loosen or remove?
  3. Do you have a time scheduled for fasting?

PRAYER

Father God, help us to listen.  Guide us, satisfy us, and help us to reflect your love to the rest of your creation.  Thank you for everything, you are amazing.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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