Today’s Verse: Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. ~Isaiah 55:1-2 The word “come” is mentioned four times between vs. 1-3. It is an open invita

Today’s Verse: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. ~Isaiah 46:4 Can you feel the effects of getting older? Hair color changing; muscles aching more; eating less and gaining more weight; hearing and vision not as good as when you were younger. Does the prospect of getting older frighten you? I’ve met a lot of people who once they passed 45, 50 and 60 became noticeably

Today’s Verse: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. ~Isaiah 41:10 Life is filled with many unexpected and unplanned challenges. Things occur in our life that we have no way to plan for. Whatever plans we have laid out can be quickly turned upside down. When exasperating events occur, when our health is being tested, when our relation

Today’s Verse: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31 We live in a time when everyone wants things now and right away. We do not like to wait in long lines. We do not like to wait a long time for appointments that are running behind. We do not like to be stuck in traffic. We do not like long delays in answers that we need. However

Today’s Verse: To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. ~Isaiah 40:25-26 Many people today are value shoppers. They do comparative shopping in order to get the best bargain for their money. They see shopping for something as their

Today’s Verse: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. ~Isaiah 43:2 Trials are an indispensable part of the Christian life. Without trials, we cannot grow in the grace of the Lord. Without trials, we cannot learn patience. Without trials, we cannot be trusted with a new level of opportunities of servic

Today’s Verse: Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. ~Isaiah 35:6 Deserts are natural wonders of God. They are an ecosystem to themselves. The thought of a desert probably is not exactly your choice of a vacation or paradise stay. However, we want to discover how God works in the desert places of our life and, at the most needed moments, gives us streams in the desert.

Today’s Verse: Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. ~Isaiah 34:16 A former park ranger at Yellowstone National Park tells the story of a ranger leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he switched

Today’s Verse: Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. ~Isaiah 33:17 As a child growing up, I remember looking into a kaleidoscope. A kaleidoscope is an optical instrument in which bits of glass, held loosely at the end of a rotating tube, are shown in continually changing symmetrical forms by reflection in two or more mirrors set at angles to each other. A kaleidoscope operates on the principle of multiple reflections, wh

Today’s Verse: Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. ~Isaiah 53:12 This morning, we are considering the greatest sacrifice ever performed: we are remembering Jesus' death on the cross for every sinner. Isaiah 53 has been called the Suffering Servant c

Today’s Verse: Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. ~Isaiah 12:3 Wells are necessary water sources. In the arid, hot desert areas of the Middle East, a well was a source for personal consumption, farm irrigation, and watering the herds and flocks. Entire communities depended upon wells for their survival. The daily task of drawing water from the wells was a reminder that without that well, life would be miserable. This morning, we are consider

Today’s Verse: He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ~Isaiah 53:3 When we think of our Lord Jesus, we think of so many wonderful ascriptions given of Him. He is the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, the Good Shepherd, the Prince of Peace, Savior, and, of course, God. In our devotion this morning, we pause to examine a descripti

Today’s Verse: Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. ~Isaiah 52:2 It is amazing how dusty things around the house can get if we do not regularly vacuum, sweep, and dust. Especially books that we have placed on the bookshelf can collect dust. I have had more than one occasion of carrying books that I’ve taken off of the bookshelf that got my clothes very dusty. Well, when you get dus

Today’s Verse: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31 For some of us, waiting can be very challenging to our need for patience. For instance, I am not one that likes to wait in lines or past a certain amount of time for an appointment. Waiting is frustrating. You wind up delayed for other planned events. Waiting is frittering. It

Today’s Verse: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6 In Isaiah 9:6, the prophetic announcement of Christ coming into this world by way of a miraculous birth is given to us. In this announcement, we are given six wonderful names that describe His deity and ministry to every sinner who places f

Today’s Verse: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ~Isaiah 1:18 A few years ago, while preaching in the Philippines, one of the pastors told me of an area that they reach people in that is one of the filthiest areas in the world. The stench from the refuse that has built up will cling to your clothes. There are flies by the droves in that g

Today’s Verse: Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. ~Isaiah 37:23 I read a story about an elderly woman who walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked politely. "The front row, please," she answered. "You really don't want to do that," the u

Today’s Verse: And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. ~Isaiah 32:2 When I was in the fourth grade, some of my friends got me to try out for the boys’ basketball team. One of my best memories of learning how to play basketball was “Coach Tony.” Coach Tony took time to help each boy develop in his skills. He worked us hard, but he always had an encourag

Today’s Verse: But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand. ~Isaiah 32:8 A recent news article revealed that one of the richest female philanthropists in the world donated an astounding $2.7M to 286 organizations. While I do not agree philosophically with most of the organizations she donated to, her action falls within the thought of “the liberal deviseth liberal things.” Giving is a major aspect of the Christian life. We must remember that

Today’s Verse: Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel. ~Isaiah 30:29 The Assyrians were the mighty world power during the days of King Ahaz. Israel would be overtaken by them. King Ahaz made an alliance with them, only to have them turn against him and Judah. The Lord intervened and delivered Ahaz and Judah. In is deliverance, G