Tag: Jeremiah Grable

Hearts Far from God

Isaiah 28-30

July 11, 2025

              Within the contents of Isaiah 28-30, there are a few verses that stick out to me that I think are worth dwelling on. The first of those is Isaiah 29:13 which reads:

 [13] And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, – Isaiah 29:13 (ESV)

I think this verse describes what is happening a lot in the Church today. Many of us, me included, are guilty of claiming with our mouth that we are living holy and righteous while not giving up the areas we need to improve. I don’t want to be someone always ready to give a good answer, something that sounds intelligent, ready to glorify God, but do not live out what my mouth claims. I don’t want to be someone who is ready to sing a worship song but not ready to forgive the person who has wronged me.

The next verse I wish for us to dwell on is Isaiah 29:19.

 [19] The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. – Isaiah 29:19 (ESV)

              This verse can act as an encouragement for some and a warning to others. Whether you are rich or poor, strong or weak, short or tall, educated or uneducated, I think this verse tells us to adopt a mindset of being humble. Throughout the Bible, over and over, God helps those in need and sympathizes with the struggling. Especially in America, it is so easy to live in comfort and the mindset of self-reliance. We blind ourselves with the things we possess or the abilities we have and try to forget how much we depend on God. Let us remember that God will make great the meek and lift up the lowly.

The last verse that I want to cover is Isaiah 30:18.

 [18] Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. – Isaiah 30:18 (ESV)

When we receive God’s grace it is freeing to know that despite all that we have done that is evil, God still chooses us and extends forgiveness toward us. Sometimes it is hard to see that God is gracious with us. We constantly need to be reminded of the fact that God will be gracious with us if only we would turn to him and allow his grace to change us.

Application Questions:

If you have received grace from God, how does your life reflect that?

Who is someone who needs to hear about God’s grace today?

Will you be a talker or a doer of following God?

-Jeremiah Grable

SGL.2025.JulyFullPageDownload

Set Apart for God

2 Kings 18:1-8
2 Chronicles 29-31
Psalm 48

              Chapters 29 through 31 of Second Chronicles talks about King Hezekiah and how he followed God by cleansing the temple and reestablishing the law upon the people. When King Hezekiah became king, he could have done many things to build up his own name, become prosperous, and live life as he desired it. Instead, we see that he chose to steer his people back to God and lift God’s authority over his own.

[1] Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. [2] And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 2 Chronicles 29:1-2 (ESV)

I find it fascinating that a twenty-five-year-old man with so much capability, power, money, and status would choose to spend his effort on making the nation of Israel God’s people not something for his gain. Now this is what Hezekiah told the Levites to do as a step towards restoring holiness to Israel.

[5] and said to them, “Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. [6] For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD and turned their backs. 2 Chronicles 29:5-6 (ESV)

              I think we can take this advice which was intended for the Levites and apply it to our lives. God’s will for us is that we would be sanctified and set apart in our thoughts, actions, and speech. Something we can do to help this is simply to ask God that he would give us hearts that desire His will. If our hearts want what God wants, then our lives will reflect that and pour into others as well.

              Why should we set our lives apart for God? Psalm 48, a great reminder of God’s greatness, is helpful in encouraging us to praise him. Psalm 48 says …

              [1] Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, [2] beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Psalm 48:1(ESV)

              This Psalm refers to Jerusalem as Mt Zion, the great city, and as a place that will be lifted high. Because God is steadfast and always faithful, the psalmist praises God. Together with the psalmist, we should become people of praise. I find that praising God, giving thanks to God, and spending time in his presence, gives me joy and peace. A tool that is helpful in praising God is praying through a Psalm. The Psalms contain many beautiful sayings that come from the truth of God’s word just like these two verses in Psalm 48.

              [9] We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. [10] As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Psalm 48:9-10 (ESV)

Application Questions:

What are some things that are preventing us from giving God glory?

What is one thing you can do this week to set yourself apart from the world?

-Jeremiah Grable

We welcome a new writer for SeekGrowLove. He introduces himself for us:

My name is Jeremiah Grable, and I am 18 years old. I live in Southern California with my wonderful parents and 6 of my 8 siblings. I love being outdoors doing things like playing pickleball, hiking, and doing parkour. I also love traveling and seeing new places. This spring I graduated from high school and plan on attending California State University San Bernadino in the fall in hopes of getting my bachelor’s in business. I have been a believer for 4 years now and got baptized in the fall of 2024.)

SGL.2025.JulyFullPageDownload

The Problem – and The Solution

Isaiah 23-27

Isaiah 23-27 tells of God’s judgement upon the earth, the peace that comes from God, and the redemption that we find in Him. Though these may seem in opposition to each other, each of these elements is a key facet to the overall theme of these chapters. In chapters 23 and 24, we read about the suffering, desolation, and punishment which is a result of the people’s wickedness. Isaiah 24:5 says that:

              [5] The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. (ESV)

My mind immediately recalls Romans 3:23 which says, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. All of mankind have done things that are displeasing to God and are deserving of the punishment which is talked about in Isaiah 23/24. Often when we sin, there is a conscious knowledge that what we are doing is wrong, yet we continue anyways. Our sin pushes us away from God’s presence and leads us down into some very dark places where we try to cover up or escape the last bad thing we did. This cycle of sin continues, and we draw further away from God and for our unrighteousness, God will punish us. However, there is hope that for those who trust in God and repent from sin, he will save us and deliver us from destruction.

              [8] He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. (ESV) – Isaiah 25:8

This passage gives me so much hope and encouragement for what is to come when there is no more pain, suffering, and death. Everyone at some point in their lives will experience hardship. Maybe that is the loss of a loved one, battling addiction, becoming seriously ill without any warning, or maybe going through a breakup. Maybe you’re in that time of life right now or maybe it is around the corner. Whatever it is, there is hope that someday, God will restore this earth to its rightful state, but in the meantime, we can set our eyes to the one who has the power to save and deliver.

Isaiah 26:3–5 says:

[3] You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. [4] Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

I’d like to end with this portion from our text as a final reminder to set your mind on God. This can be very difficult amidst the infinite distractions in our world, but when you set aside these distractions, you can see clearly through that business or pain and find everlasting peace.

Here are some application questions to ask yourself:

Are you building your life upon the God?

When was the last time you asked God to be your rock or firm foundation?

How can you encourage someone in your life and lead them to the hope of deliverance?

-Jeremiah Grable

SGL.2025.JulyFullPageDownload