The Voice of the Prophet, Day 21 Be careful what you wish for. Read Isaiah chapter 21. As Isaiah continues to prophesy about the destruction coming in the lands, we see that he is impacted by that destruction. When we talk about the destruction of Babylon, obviously the people of Israel had been hoping for that for a while. However, now that Isaiah is seeing it, he talks about how his heart is faltering and how he trembles because of what is happening. He had been asking for God to move, but then didn’t realize exactly what that would look like when God did move. Sometimes, when we are asking…

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 20 Who or what do you trust in? Read Isaiah chapter 20. This short chapter reminds us of the importance of who we place our trust in. You see, Isaiah had already prophesied the destruction of Egypt and the destruction of Cush. And yet, here he continues further and reminds people that they will be held accountable for not trusting in the Lord. If we put our trust in anyone else or anything else, we will be put to shame. We will become undone. We will be betrayed. Nothing else can fulfill our trust like God can. When we think about the Thanksgiving holiday…

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 19 Egypt. Read Isaiah chapter 19. As the Lord continues his judgments on the cities and countries surrounding Israel, we see him explain what’s going to happen to Egypt. This was probably an incredibly odd prophecy to the people of Israel. Yes, he prophesied that Egypt would be judged and destroyed, which wouldn’t have been that unusual, but then he spends a lot of time explaining how Egypt is going to be brought back and that it will be a centerpiece of worship of the one true God. Many people probably struggle to think of Egypt as a place of worship of the Lord,…

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 18 All will know. Read Isaiah chapter 18. As Isaiah continues another chapter, he is revealing the judgment of God in the land of Cush. Here, we see another characteristic of who God is. God is known. Everyone will see and will know what God is doing. God does not move and work in a way that is hidden. When God moves, he does it in a way that people will understand and know that he is the one who moved. In reading about this judgment, we see that there will be no doubt that it is God who is doing the work. We…

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 17 Memory. Read Isaiah chapter 17. As God continues to share judgments with the prophet Isaiah, we see the latest judgment for the city of Damascus. They have not been following God and God is going to judge them for it. Interestingly, part of the issue is that they have forgotten what God has done for them. When we think about judgment, so many times throughout the Old Testament, we see judgment coming because people are no longer acknowledging and remembering what God has done for them in their lives. The ability to remember all that God has done for them is part of…

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 16 In love, in faithfulness, and in judgment. Read Isaiah chapter 16. We see such an incredible picture of the coming messiah in this chapter. Isaiah shares the message that God is going to bring the one and establish a throne for Him in love. That one from the house of David will then sit in faithfulness, and he will sit in judgment over everyone with the purpose of spreading righteousness. Sometimes it can be difficult to think of those three things going together, but they all do. True love is demonstrated in the faithfulness, and the judgment that comes from God. God is…

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 15 One night. Read Isaiah chapter 15. How long does it take to experience judgment? Well, for the people of Moab in this prophecy, judgment is coming in just one night. So often, we spend so much time building up our own little empire. But, if we are not being obedient to God, he can tear down all our efforts in no time at all. It is amazing to think about just how quickly God can tear down anything that isn’t built on him. Are we staying focused on God and in following through on all he has asked us to do? Watch the…

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 14 A refuge. Read Isaiah chapter 14. We see a lot of things happening in this chapter. God is sharing judgment again on people who have gone against him. Often, this chapter is used to describe the fall of Satan and his angels and even through the events of this tragic chapter, we come to the very end and God reminds us that he creates a refuge for his people. We can always rest in God. There is always safety in him, even when everything else in our world is crashing down around us. As we continue to come through all the things that…

The Voice of the Prophet, Day 13 Preparation. Read Isaiah chapter 13. God is sharing about the upcoming destruction of the land of Babylon. As Isaiah is giving this insight into what is to come, we see an interesting characteristic about the army that God is putting together. God is preparing those who will go to battle for him. God sees our heart and God understands who we are, and God is making sure we are ready to do anything he asks us to do. God never asks us to do anything that he has not previously prepared us for. We need to recognize that God’s preparations are extensive and…