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- Feb 7
- 3 min
The Secret Chamber
Today’s Verse: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. ~Isaiah 26:20 A chamber in the Bible referred to a small bedroom or storage room. It had one way in and out. Houses with a pantry are very similar in idea to this chamber. It was large enough for an adult to stand, lie down, or sit in. It was a getaway from the crowds, crises, and challenges that people fa
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- Jan 30
- 3 min
It's the Lord!
Today’s Verse: Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. ~Isaiah 52:6 Sometimes, I might make a quick shopping run at a store and will run into one of our church families. If they are the first to see and greet me, I tend to be slow in recognizing them. However, after a few moments, I usually blurt out, “Oh, it’s you!” While we might be slow in recognizing another person at an outside location,
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- Dec 10, 2020
- 3 min
The Suffering Servant
Today’s Verse: I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. ~Isaiah 50:6 Suffering is when we go through intense difficulty that can include unbearable pain, sorrow, distress, humiliation, and torment. There is not a human experience we go through that our Lord Jesus did not go through. In our devotion this morning, we see the one of the verses that describes the intensity of adversity that our Lord
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- Nov 28, 2020
- 3 min
A Shadow From the Heat
Today’s Verse: For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. ~Isaiah 25:4 I took up running and brisk walking as a daily exercise regimen a year and a half ago as a means to incorporate 30-60 minutes of continuous cardio exercise. I have learned to schedule my running/walking when it is shady. There is a noticeable differen
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- Nov 22, 2020
- 3 min
Before the Morning
Today’s Verse: And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. ~Isaiah 17:14a Are you a morning person? Are you a “before morning” person? People who work the “graveyard shift” or who have to report to work between 2am and 5am are people who function before morning. Many a preacher (including myself) has labored in the Word before the morning. Before the morning is private time. Before the morning is prayer time. Before the morning is also providential ti
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- Nov 21, 2020
- 3 min
The Cry for the World
Today’s Verse: My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction. ~Isaiah 15:5 Isaiah 15 describes the judgment of God upon Moab. His judgment was accomplished through the Assyrian army during Isaiah’s day. Isaiah had a vivid vision of the destruction and demise of Moab. So overwhelming was this
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- Nov 20, 2020
- 3 min
Short Beds and Small Blankets
Today’s Verse: For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. ~Isaiah 28:20 Have you ever had to sleep in a bed much shorter than the length of your body or to try to cover yourself laying down with small blankets? If you have, you know how challenging that can be. In Deuteronomy 3:11, we are told about a giant man named Og and the dimensions of his bed. His bed was about 13.5 feet in length, an
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- Oct 21, 2020
- 3 min
The Prayer for Surety
Today’s Verse: Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me. ~Isaiah 38:14 A debt is an obligation to repay money that we have borrowed. After we are approved for the desired loan, we sign off a promissory note to repay the loan over a certain number of months. In the event we default on the loan, the creditor has the right to take back the asset that we defaulted payment on or
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- Oct 12, 2020
- 3 min
Smoking Flax
Today’s Verse: ... And the smoking flax shall he not quench:... ~Isaiah 42:3b If you study the Bible very carefully, you will realize that it is rich in content on many daily, common subjects. Among the many things of interest are the many plant varieties that were used for food or fuel. Flax is a plant known for its fibrous composition. It has many nutritious qualities and is most famous for its seeds that are very good for digestive and heart health. The flax plant, when dr
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- Sep 19, 2020
- 3 min
Less Than Nothing
Today’s Verse: All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. ~Isaiah 40:17 A nation is a country of people identified by their constitution, sovereignty, ethnicity, economics, and purpose. There are currently 195 countries, or nations, in the world. A nation ranks itself based on its monetary, military, technological, and trade power. Nations that band together see themselves as a united confederacy for power. A powerful nat
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- Aug 27, 2020
- 3 min
Are You Disaster-Proof?
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 Here in Northern California, we have seen our share of natural disasters. Torrential rains have lead to dry creek beds, streams, and rivers overflowing. Raging fires that have started in the wilderness or hard-to-get-to areas have spre
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- Aug 24, 2020
- 3 min
Five Truths for Troubled Hearts
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 At least once in our life, we will face a problem or trouble that looks so overwhelming that we will panic and lose faith in everyone, including God. Fear brings torment. God knows this about us and gives us today’s verse to encourage us about five truths on how to dea
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- Aug 4, 2020
- 3 min
Strong Hands and Knees
Today’s Verse: Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. ~Isaiah 35:3 Isaiah 35 is about the Millennium, or the one-thousand-year reign of Christ on Earth. During the Millennium our Lord will rule the Earth and His people will be rulers over cities. The picture we see is a desert, barren world becoming fruitful and lush. We see people who have been crippled being given the ability to walk and run. We see people who are weakened and depleted being given stren
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- Jul 26, 2020
- 3 min
The King is His Beauty
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 I have been blessed to see many things of beauty. I think of the beautiful and lush island of Kauai. There are the Butchart Gardens on the island of Victoria. There is the majestic Sierra mountain landscape. There is the beauty of oceans, rivers, and lakes. I think of my wedding day as I watched my bride walk down the aisle in her beautiful wedding gown a
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- Jul 23, 2020
- 3 min
A Breath of Fresh Air
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 Do you know people who are a breath of fresh air to you? By this, I mean someone who lifts your spirit, is reviving when you feel weary and depleted, and is a protector when you are under attack. I am referring to someone who is an encourager. Paul referred to the encouragers in his li
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- Jul 21, 2020
- 3 min
The Work of Righteousness
Today’s Verse: And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. ~Isaiah 32:17 The word “righteousness” is found 289 times in the Bible. It describes the character and person of our Lord. Jesus is the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6). Jesus will reign during the Millennium in righteousness. I tell people that righteousness is being just like God. Isaiah said that the work of righteousness is peace. We see it
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- Jun 19, 2020
- 3 min
To Blossom and Bud
Today’s Verse: I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. ~Isaiah 27:3 My father grew up on a farm. He loved gardening. Even though he worked seven days a week and 12- to 14-hour-days for many years, he would spend time every day in his garden. This included caring for numerous fruit trees, a small vegetable garden, orchids, and a koi pond. For the Jews, having a vineyard was the height of gardening. God uses the symbo
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- Jun 16, 2020
- 3 min
Prevailing Prayer
Today’s Verse: And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail. ~Isaiah 16:12 The word “prevail” means to be successful, to overcome, or to be superior in strength and power. In the realm of prayer, it aptly describes the kind of praying that God answers. It is the kind of praying that God blesses. It is the kind of praying that God uses to make a difference. Let us see this
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- Mar 26, 2020
- 3 min
Shout It Out!
Today’s Verse: Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. ~Isaiah 12:6 Do you shout when you get excited? Shouting is when we let out a loud vocal noise or words that reflect our enthusiasm or our grief. When Isaiah wrote this 12th chapter, God had revealed to him how the future would turn out for Judah and God’s people. Isaiah’s faith was bolstered and he said, “I will trust, and not be afraid.” As he closed this cha
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