NT: “For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1:11-12‬ ‭CSB)

In defending the gospel that he preached and his authority to preach it, Paul made sure that the believers in Galatia understood that he did not invent the message that he preached, nor was he peddling a message that he received from someone else. The gospel that he preached was not of human origin. The gospel that he preached came directly from Christ through revelation by the Holy Spirit.

Through preaching the gospel that he received from Christ, Paul was not conforming to the popular opinions of the day, nor was he conforming to his own preferences. In fact, the gospel that he preached was in many ways contrary to the popular beliefs of the day and greatly challenged his preferences. The gospel of Christ crucified, buried and resurrected was a stumbling block for the Jews and utter foolishness to the gentiles. The message of taking up your cross, dying to self, and becoming a bondservant of Christ put an end to any selfish agendas and put to death any petty preferences. Why would Paul have concocted such a gospel? Well… he didn’t. The gospel that Paul preached was both the wisdom of God and the power of God. Only God could have devised such a perfect plan to redeem the world from sin while still maintaining righteousness and justice. And only faith in the gospel had the power to save lives and deliver them from the grip of Satan.

When we as believers remain faithful to the gospel that comes from Christ, we no longer have to be concerned with conforming to the fickle norms of culture. We no longer have to stay up-to-date with the latest cause-du-jour in order to stay on good terms with the influencers of the hour. The gospel of Christ, while not always popular, transcends popular opinion – for it is not of human origin. It originated in the heart and mind of God, is always true, and like God, never changes. When we, instead of conforming to human culture, conform ourselves to the gospel of Christ, then we too will transcend the ways of the world, and by grace become steadfast rocks of sanity and reason within the stormy seas of popular opinion and political correctness.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that the validity and effectiveness of Your gospel does not depend on popular acceptance, for the gospel message is not of human origin, but come from You. The gospel that You have given us to share does not need to be popular – it just needs to be preached… as-is. Help me to not be pressured by popular opinion or political correctness into preaching any other gospel than the one You gave – and may I never be ashamed of it, for it is the power of God for salvation to those who believe. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Paul, an apostle — not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead… Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel —  not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him! …For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1:1, 3-8, 10‬ ‭CSB)

Galatia was not a city, but a region of Asia Minor. Therefore, the epistle of Galatians was a letter written by Paul to multiple churches in the region. The reason for Paul’s letter was that legalists, called Judaizers, were teaching doctrine that said that faith in Christ was not enough for salvation… that salvation was only for the Jews, and that a person had to first become a Jew and subject themself to all the Judaic laws before they could be saved. For the Judaizers, faith in Christ was necessary – it just wasn’t enough.

Paul, understandably, was greatly concerned about the spread and acceptance of this false gospel. The gospel that Paul had been given and that Paul preached stated that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of all the law and prophets – and by giving His life as a perfect and complete sacrifice, the debt for sin was paid for and the heavy burden of the requirements of the law was broken. When we come to faith in Christ, we come into Christ and appropriate all that Christ accomplished through grace. The legal requirements of the law were satisfied by Christ, so when we come into Christ by faith, we are free from the law. Therefore, all and any are made worthy of salvation through faith in Christ. False teachings and perverted gospels aren’t just something that occurred in the first century. The gospel of Christ is a gospel of grace, but it is also a gospel of confession and repentance of sin with an expectation that by grace and the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we mature away from sin and into holiness. There are plenty of false gospels that are overly legalistic on one side and overly gracious and compromising on the other. That is why being a student of the word and following the teachings and example of Christ is so important – that we won’t fall for false teachings but will be believers, followers and preachers of the true gospel of Christ.

When people are truly set free, the people that once held power lose the power that they held over people. That is why people in power tend to renounce truth that leads to freedom – so that they can keep their dependents and subordinates in some semblance of bondage while maintaining their influence and power. Paul had no ulterior motives. He wasn’t trying to gain power. He wasn’t trying to people-please. He merely wanted the people that he loved to experience the freedom by grace that is found in Christ, and he would go to great lengths to defend the gospel of Christ.

Prayer: Lord, there are many enticing versions of the gospel out in the world. It would be easy for me to reason my way into a gospel that worked for me and allowed me to have and do all that I wanted. However, only one gospel is able to bring me true freedom and abundant, eternal life. That is the unadulterated gospel of Christ. Help me, by grace through faith, to align my life to the gospel and not the other way around. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground. You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you will be brought down to Sheol into the deepest regions of the Pit.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭14:12-15‬ ‭CSB)

Beginning in verse 3 of chapter 14, Isaiah prophesied the downfall and destruction of Babylon. Beyond the downfall of Babylon, Isaiah had a vision of the downfall of Satan. Lucifer is synonymous with the shining morning star mentioned here by Isaiah. The name Lucifer means “light-bearer,” so Lucifer was undoubtedly a very splendid creation. But in his splendor, Lucifer allowed his heart to be lifted up. At the root of Satan’s fall from glory was pride. Look at the words attributed to Satan: “I will ascend… I will set up my throne… I will make myself like the Most High.” Lucifer, now known as Satan the adversary, lifted himself up above the knowledge of God and attempted to make himself equal with God. In the process of lifting himself up, God cast him down from the heavens onto earth were he roams to and fro as he seeks people to trap in pride and self-reliance, that they may suffer his same fate. Ultimately, at the end of the age, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire along with all who fall prey to his deception and submit themselves to his ways.

Whenever we give ourselves over to pride, as align ourselves with Satan and the kingdom of darkness. Why do you think the Apostle James tells us in James 4:7 to first submit to God, then resist the devil? By not submitting to God, we are aligned with the devil. When we rid ourselves of pride, humble ourselves and submit to God, then the devil has no leverage over us. Then when we resist the devil as we are submitted to God, then the devil will flee. However, if we try to resist the devil in our own strength, he has already won. By relying on our own strength, we succumb to pride and in essence, cannot resist the devil whose ways are established on pride.

Proverbs: “The Lord has prepared everything for his purpose — even the wicked for the day of disaster. Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:4-5‬ ‭CSB)

The word here that is translated as “detestable” means disgusting, or an abomination. A proud heart, or a heart that is lifted up, is disgusting to the Lord. Those are pretty strong words, but they are true. Does God show mercy to those who have allowed their hearts to be lifted up? He will if they humble themselves and repent of their pride. But few things are as detestable to the Lord as a proud heart that refuses to humble himself. The person that lifts up his heart above God will ultimately be cast down, just as Lucifer was cast down. How do we resist aligning ourselves with kingdom of darkness and place ourselves in a position to be blessed with grace? Humble ourselves and submit all our ways to the Lord God.

Prayer: Lord, throughout Your word, You tell me that You resist the proud and give grace to the humble – that pride comes before destruction and an arrogant spirit before a fall. I don’t want to live a life that is resisted by you and submitted to the ways of Satan. I want to live a life that is humbly submitted to You and able to resist the ways and temptations of Satan. Therefore I humble myself before you in worship as I lift You up above all things. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “On that day you will say: “I will give thanks to you, Lord, although you were angry with me. Your anger has turned away, and you have comforted me. Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust him and not be afraid, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.” You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation, and on that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim his name! Make his works known among the peoples. Declare that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things. Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.”” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭12:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

The day that Isaiah spoke of initially was the day when the exiles of Israel were able to return back to their homeland. God’s anger did not last forever. Though the Northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria and the Southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon, there would come a time when the diaspora would be released from captivity and allowed to come home. Though the Jewish people had allowed themselves to become distant from God; on that day, God would once again be their strength, song and salvation. Those were the words that Moses declared about God when He delivered the Israelites through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:2), and that will be the song on the lips of God’s people when they are allowed to return to their promised land once again.

Ultimately the day that Isaiah spoke of will occur when Christ returns for His bride and the people of God are called home. On that day, all of heaven will break out in song celebrating the strength and salvation of the Lord (Revelation 19:1-7). Life on this earth is challenging – especially for those who are not willing to compromise with the world, the flesh or the devil. But for those who remain faithful to the Lord, we can always have hope… we can always have a song of praise on our lips by faith. As David wrote in Psalm 30, “Sing to the Lord, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.”

Psalms: “God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth. They prepared a net for my steps; I was despondent. They dug a pit ahead of me, but they fell into it! Selah My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident. I will sing; I will sing praises. Wake up, my soul! Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your faithful love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches the clouds. God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭57:5-11‬ ‭CSB)

In one of David’s darkest times (both literally and figuratively), when he had to flee from imminent danger and hide in a cave – instead of sulking, complaining and doubting, David lifted up a song of salvation and praise. In fact, he wouldn’t even wait for the new day to begin, but said that he would awaken the dawn with praise for God’s imminent salvation. Though the situation he was in seemed hopeless to the naked eye, David could see the Lord’s deliverance by faith. He knew that God’s faithful love and faithfulness was immeasurable. Therefore, he was confident, that as long as he remained faithful to the Lord, David’s enemies would be trapped by their own snares, David would go free, and God would be glorified.

Proverbs: “All a person’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs motives. Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ 16:2-3)

The joy and confidence that David experienced in the cave – the joy and celebration that Isaiah prophesied would come is not available to everyone. The great contingency is that in order to experience the joy and salvation of the Lord, we must commit all of our plans and doings to Him. God isn’t bound to establish our plans and our works. He has promised to establish His plans and His ordained activities. If we want to live a life full of hope and confidence, we must be about the things that God is planning and doing.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that in You I can have peace that passes all understanding and joy that fills me even in the saddest and darkest times. Help me to not disconnect myself from Your grace by turning my reliance to my ways that seem right to me. Help me to remain ever abiding in You by faith so that You can be my strength, my song, and my salvation in all times. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, he will not execute justice by what he hears with his ears, but he will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with a scepter from his mouth, and he will kill the wicked with a command from his lips. Righteousness will be a belt around his hips; faithfulness will be a belt around his waist… On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will look to him for guidance, and his resting place will be glorious.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11:1-5, 10‬ ‭CSB)

After prophesying that Assyria would be God’s tool of discipline, Isaiah went on to prophecy that God would then judge Assyria for their godlessness and arrogance. Isaiah described Assyria as a strong and formidable tree standing before the temple of God and shaking its fist – but God would chop off its branches, cut down the tree and clear-cut its forest. The great empire of Assyria would be no more.

Then out of the stump of Jessie – a tree long since believed to be dead – a shoot would grow that would form a branch and bear fruit. The promise that God made to King David was still alive. Though it seemed like the possibility for the promised Messiah was dead, the redemptive and life-giving plans of God cannot be stopped. The promised Messiah, descendant of David and Root of Jesse would then be lifted up as a banner, calling all peoples from every nation to Himself and to the Lord God.

As it is with many Biblical prophecies, this prophecy from Isaiah had an initial fulfillment and an ultimate fulfillment. The initial fulfillment occurred in the first coming of Christ. The ultimate fulfillment has not yet happened yet – but will happed when Christ comes again. Just like it seemed like the promise of the Messiah was dead, we can think – because of the time that has passed – that the promise of the Lord’s return is dead. But the promise is still alive, and in due time, fulfillment will come. That is the sure hope of all who are in Christ by faith.

Psalms: “Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes. I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. Selah God sends his faithful love and truth.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭57:1-3‬ ‭CSB)

This psalm was written by David during a time when he had to hide out in a cave as he was fleeing King Saul. David was a skilled warrior and courageous man who was not afraid to fight. However, at this moment in his life he had to humble himself and hide in a cave. He wasn’t hiding out of fear. He was hiding out of wisdom. The time would come when the Lord would bring David victory, but that time was not now.

Though David had physically retreated into a cave, his true refuge was in the Lord. God had given David a promise –  that he would be king over Israel… but there he was fleeing for his life and hiding in a cave. The optics of the situation didn’t seem very kingly – but that didn’t bother David. He took refuge in the Lord and knew that when the time was right, God would fulfill His purposes for David.

When we come into the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we enter an age-long war against the kingdom of darkness. In this war, there will be times to stand up and fight, and there will be times to step back, rest and regather. Through all of those times, we have a refuge of peace and confidence in Christ, as we place our faith on Him, take on His yoke to walk with Him, and abide in Him at all times. As we remain in Him, His purposes for our lives will be fulfilled.

Proverbs: “The fear of the Lord is what wisdom teaches, and humility comes before honor.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:33‬ ‭CSB)

Humility and the fear of the Lord. That is the opposite of the world’s way. The world says to get ahead, you fear no one and portray strength in every situation. The way of the Lord is to fear Him and walk in humility under Him. By doing that, you will receive His wisdom and His honor. The defiant and arrogant will eventually get cut down, while those who fear the Lord and walk in humility before Him will be blessed.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that as I hope in and take refuge in You, even the most discouraging things don’t have to be discouraging. You are faithful to Your promises and You will fulfill Your purposes for me as I abide by faith in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on the one who struck them, but they will faithfully depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God. Israel, even if your people were as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction has been decreed; justice overflows. For throughout the land the Lord God of Armies is carrying out a destruction that was decreed.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭10:20-23‬ ‭CSB)

Isaiah prophesied that God would use the nation of Assyria as a tool to bring about the rebuke and correction that Israel needed – but Assyria wouldn’t get off scot-free. A time would come when Assyria would be judged for their evil acts and a remnant of Israel would be allowed to return to the land. God said that though Israel was as vast in number as the sands of the sea, once God’s discipline was fully meted out, only a small fraction of faithful people would remain. Unfortunately, throughout all of scripture, that is often the case.

Many people may start out following God, but after time, only a few remain faithful. During the time of Moses, 12 spies were sent to spy out the land, but only 2 were full of faith. Of the million plus people that were saved from bondage in Egypt, only those two men were able to enter the promised land. Gideon’s army started out with over 22,000 troops, but only 300 men were of the right heart to go into battle. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that many will say, “Lord, Lord,” but only those who were faithful to obey will enter the kingdom of heaven. Though many people may hear the word of God and initially respond to it, only a few become fully fruitful (Matthew 13:18-23). Those statistics can seem discouraging, but God isn’t as concerned with quantity as He is with faithfulness. God is able to do a lot through a little, provided that the little is full of faith and faithfully obedient to Him. God’s new world that gets established at the end of this age won’t be populated with everyone. It will be populated with the redeemed and faithful few out of every people group on the earth. Many people start out well, but sadly most go the way of the crowd – the way of popular opinion – instead of remaining faithful to the word, will and ways of the Lord. God is not willing to compromise on righteousness to keep the numbers high. He is looking for the few faithful that will trust Him fully and obey Him completely by grace through faith. The important question is who will you be? Who will I be? Will we be of many who fall out of faithfulness, or will we be of the faithful few that remains faithful to God until the end?

Proverbs: “One who listens to life-giving rebukes will be at home among the wise. Anyone who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever listens to correction acquires good sense.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:31-32‬ ‭CSB)

Righteous discipline and life-giving rebukes are not bad. We are prone to walking away from righteousness… following the majority opinion even when it is wrong… falling for temptations. The way that we get back on track is through righteous discipline and life-giving rebukes. One of the reason why those who are found among the righteous are merely a remnant is because so few people receive correction when it is needed. God doesn’t correct because He hates us. He brings correction because He loves us. Life-giving rebukes will make us wise if we listen to them. Listening to godly correction will give us good sense and set us on the path to righteousness, that we may be counted among the redeemed and faithful.

Prayer: Lord, it is much easier to compromise and go the way of popular opinion than it is to remain steadfastly faithful to Your word, will and ways. Though it is hard, Your word promises that there is grace by faith to keep us rooted in You and walking in obedience. I want to be ever faithful to You. Work in me to will and do Your good pleasure. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian. For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9:1-7‬ ‭CSB)

In the midst of the dilapidated spiritual state of Israel and Judah, God allowed Isaiah to see beyond the current time to a time to come. The northern nation of Israel, which would soon be conquered by Assyria and carried off into exile, would one day see a great light. The land of darkness would eventually experience the dawn of a new and joyous day. The oppressive yoke of their captors would be shattered and replaced with rejoicing.

In Isaiah’s vision, he saw a child that was born and a Son that was given. The Son would be given from above and would be born into humanity. That child would be of the lineage of King David and would eventually reign as King over His Kingdom. That Son would not just be a mere human being, but would be God Himself – the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. All authority on heaven and earth would rest on His shoulders and his reign of righteousness and justice would never end.

That prophecy of Isaiah had an initial fulfillment, but the ultimate fulfillment has not yet occurred. The initial fulfillment occurred at Christ’s first coming. Jesus Christ, the Son of God was given by God to humanity and was born as a human child. Jesus grew up and began His ministry in Galilee. He brought light to those who dwelt in darkness and broke the oppressive yoke of sin and shattered the rod and staff of the devil. However, Jesus did not establish His physical and eternal kingdom of righteousness and justice. The oppressor still oppresses. Unrighteousness and injustice are still very prevalent in the world. Isaiah’s vision has not yet been fully fulfilled. The ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy will occur at Christ’s second coming, when Satan, sin and death are destroyed forever, the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and Christ, all is made new and Christ establishes His eternal earthly rule in the New Jerusalem.

Now, in this age of history, we live in the middle between the already and the not yet. When we come to faith in Christ, we are transferred into a spiritual kingdom that is established in peoples hearts that will one day be established on earth and rule over all. We live in the reality of what has already happened and faithfully hope steadfastly in what is yet to come. Isaiah’s prophecy will be fully fulfilled. It is only a matter of time.

NT: “Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:7b-10‬ ‭CSB)

Paul, just like us, lived between the already and the not yet. Because of what Christ accomplished during His first coming, Paul was dead to sin and living in new resurrection life to Christ. The devil was a defeated foe and had no authority or power over Paul as He abided in Christ. However, Satan was still allowed, at some level, to torment Paul so that Paul would remain humble and not allow his heart to be lifted up in pride. Satan is a defeated foe, but as he is the father of lies, he refuses to acknowledge that truth – so he still wages war on blood-bought believers everyday, attempting to wear them down and pressure them out of faith and into fear, doubt and dismay. Though we live in a world that is still ravaged by sin and ruled by the devil, as we abide in Christ and remain in faith, we can experience the “not yet kingdom to come” in the midst of our trials and tribulations. The efforts that Satan uses to destroy us can actually make us stronger and bring glory to God, if we abide in all that Christ has won for us. That is what Paul did. Did Paul enjoy being tormented by Satan? No, He didn’t. He even pleaded with God to end the suffering. The Lord’s simple response was, “My grace is sufficient for you…” That is the answer to all of the trials that we face on this side of Christ’s eternal reign. While we are alive in the middle of the already and the not yet, God’s grace that is in full supply through faith in Christ is sufficient for all that we endure – and as we embrace the hardships and boast in our weakness, Christ, through our weakness, is proven strong… to us and to the rest of the watching world.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for all that You accomplished and afforded to me during Your first coming. However, the reality of life is that my enemies have yet to be completely destroyed. Help me to bring the peace and joy of the not-yet to bear on my current situations as I rely on Your sufficient grace for everything by faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “For this is what the Lord said to me with great power, to keep me from going the way of this people: Do not call everything a conspiracy that these people say is a conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not be terrified. You are to regard only the Lord of Armies as holy. Only he should be feared; only he should be held in awe. He will be a sanctuary; but for the two houses of Israel, he will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many will stumble over these; they will fall and be broken; they will be snared and captured.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭8:11-15‬ ‭CSB)

In chapter 8 of Isaiah, the Lord listed out several things that He had against the people of Judah. One of the things that the Lord had against Judah was that they were trusting in the popular opinions of the day instead of trusting in the Lord. Apparently, there were popular conspiracy theories that the people of Judah were believing instead of believing the word, will and ways of the Lord. So the Lord warned Isaiah to not fall prey to the same conspiracy theories as the rest of the people, nor be drawn into fear the way the people of the land were. The Lord told Isaiah that the only thing he should fear is the Lord and Him alone. Isaiah was to hold the Lord in awe and trust in Him. Because the people chose to  be led into baseless fears and trust conspiracy theories instead of the Lord, their rejection of the Lord would become a stumbling block and their acceptance of conspiracies would become a trap.

I have read the book of Isaiah many times over the years, but this is the first time that this section of Isaiah stood out to me. It stood out to be because of the year that 2020 was and the state that many believers have allowed themselves to be led into. Throughout 2020 and even into 2021, scores and scores of Christians have allowed themselves to be led away from the word, will and ways of the Lord by baseless fears and conspiracy theories. If I have seen it once, I have seen it a thousand times: believers behaving badly on social media and running the character of Christ through the wringer. As a fellow believer, it has been embarrassing – and their acceptance of fears and conspiracy theories over the word and ways of the Lord has led them into a trap. The only way that they will be released from the snare they have fallen into is through profound humility and total repentance. There are plenty of conspiracies out there at any given time that can be tempting to believe. The way that we safeguard ourselves from falling into their traps is by fearing the Lord and Him alone. As we fear the Lord and trust in His wisdom and leadership. He will lead us through all the pitfalls of the culture and keep us safe from embarrassment and harm.

Psalms: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭55:22‬ ‭CSB)

During Absalom’s rebellion against David, it wasn’t merely challenging for David because his son had risen against him. What was probably more challenging was that one of his close friends and advisors had betrayed him. As emotional and infuriating as that was, if David allowed himself to be overcome with anger and sadness, he wouldn’t be able to lead the nation out of the current calamity. So instead of dwelling in the hurt, David cast his burden on the Lord and trusted God to sustain him.

I know for many believers over the past year and a half, as they have stood for righteousness and have refused to get swept up in all the fears and conspiracy theories of the times, they have been accused with numerous charges by people they once considered friends. Sometimes standing for righteousness and following the ways of the Lord will bring rejection and pain. It is definitely not enjoyable and at some level can be quite torturous. If we dwell in the disappointment, sadness, and rejection, we will be rendered ineffective. While it is good to grieve loss – in the midst of the grieving, we need to cast our burdens on the Lord. The Apostle Peter gave the same advice as David in 1 Peter 5:6-9. In fact he went a little further than David by saying that the Devil will use those cares to devour us if we don’t make the decision to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand and cast our cares on Him. The Lord can be trusted, and the Lord will sustain us, not allowing us to be shaken by the rejection and accusations that come our way because of our stand for righteousness and the word, will and ways of the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, there are so many theories flying around. It can be so easy to fall prey to the fear that they generate and get my eyes off of You. But I thank You that I can always trust you to lead me through the pitfalls of the day and sustained me when the going gets rough and painful. I choose to trust You and place my fear in You and You alone. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses.” (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭11:24-30‬ ‭CSB)

The Judaizers and false prophets that had infiltrated the Corinthian church were quick to tout their spiritual resume and boast in all their qualifications. By doing that, they were attempting to undermine Paul’s authority and negate his influence. Paul responded by writing that he could easily boast in the same things… in fact, he could boast in even more – but he had something else to boast in that the Judaizers and false prophets could not.

As a servant of Christ, Paul had not jockeyed for position in the new movement by flaunting his credentials. He had fully counted the cost and paid the cost of servanthood. He had taken up the cross and drunk the cup of suffering. He would not boast in his strengths. Instead, he would boast in the Lord’s grace of strength that he experienced as he greatly suffered for righteousness sake.

It can be tempting to boast in your strengths, but in the end, that merely draws attention to yourself and promotes you. Earlier in this letter, Paul wrote about God’s glory being poured into fragile jars of clay so that His strength would all the more be glorified. Here, Paul detailed how he lived out life as a “jar of clay” that was pressed on every side but was not broken because of the grace and glory of God within him. Paul’s suffering undoubtedly drew attention, but as he endured by the Grace of God, God ultimately received glory. Are we willing to endure suffering for righteousness sake and allow our challenges to ultimately boast in God?

Psalms: “God, listen to my prayer and do not hide from my plea for help. Pay attention to me and answer me. I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint, because of the enemy’s words, because of the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down disaster on me and harass me in anger. My heart shudders within me; terrors of death sweep over me. Fear and trembling grip me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, “If only I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. How far away I would flee; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah I would hurry to my shelter from the raging wind and the storm.”” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭55:1-8‬ ‭CSB)

Many scholars believe that this psalm was written during Absalom’s attempt at overthrowing David’s reign. If so, David’s suffering was not for righteousness sake. Absalom’s rebellion was a direct consequence of David’s sin with Bathsheba. Even still, good could still come from David’s suffering. David had since repented from his sin and had been restored to right relationship with God. In the midst of this suffering, David had a choice. He could either become overwhelmed by his circumstances and run away and hide, or he could stand fast in faith and allow God to use David’s circumstances to grow him even more into maturity. The challenge that David faced would give him the opportunity to boast in his weaknesses and boast all the more in his merciful and powerful God.

Prayer: Lord, while it is tempting and so much easier to boast in my strengths and qualifications, what brings You the most glory is to boast in how Your strengths have overcome my weaknesses and made me capable of things that I could never have done on my own. Help me to not hide my weaknesses, but to boast in them so that You receive all the glory through my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for. Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:1-8‬ ‭CSB)

I have served as a worship leader going on twenty-one years. Several years before I began serving in that capacity – when I initially sensed a call to that role – the Lord led me to this passage of scripture and used it to show me what an expected outcome of worship should be.

One important thing to note in Isaiah’s telling of his encounter with God is that Isaiah didn’t see the Lord high and lifted up until King Uzziah died. The story of King Uzziah can be found in 2 Chronicles 26. Uzziah started out well and became a very blessed and successful king. However, in his success, his heart was lifted up and he became arrogant and prideful – to the point that the Lord struck him with leprosy. King Uzziah died as a leper, separated from fellowship with his people – and nowhere in the Bible is there mention of him humbling himself and repenting. Somehow, Uzziah’s unrepentant arrogance had released a spiritual curtain over the nation and Isaiah wasn’t able to see the Lord until that pride and arrogance died. What does that say for our worship experience in the current age? Are we unable to see the Lord clearly? If we are lifted up, or are attempting to lift ourselves up, we get in the way (and get in other people’s way) of seeing God in His rightful place.

After King Uzziah had died and Isaiah was seeking the Lord, Isaiah had, what we call today, an open heaven experience. He had a vision of the throne room of heaven with God sitting on the throne in awesome and frightening glory and splendor. Isaiah’s reaction to that revelation of God is quite interesting. Isaiah didn’t bask and frolic in the God’s glory. He didn’t soak in God’s presence. He was cut to the heart and became acutely aware of his sinful and unworthy state. When Isaiah was free from the blinders of pride and able to see God high and lifted up, God’s glory exposed Isaiah’s desperate need for salvation and redemption. As Isaiah stood there completely broken, undone, and fearing for his life, God responded to Isaiah with mercy and grace. God cleansed Isaiah of his iniquity and atoned for his sin.

Once Isaiah’s sin had been dealt with and Isaiah was able to stand once again as a new and free man, God had a question and a call. God needed someone to go to the people of Judah and speak to them on His behalf, and He wanted to know if anyone would be willing to go. Having seen the Lord in exalted glory – having come face to face with his own sin and inadequacy – having been newly cleansed, forgiven and set free by the mercy of God, Isaiah said, “Here I am. Send me.” The phrase “Here I am” comes from the Hebrew word hineni. Hineni is an offer of total availability. It basically means, “here is all of me, ready and willing to do all that you ask of me.”

Once pride was out of the way and Isaiah was able to see God rightly, Isaiah became aware of his sinful state, responded humbly, received God’s mercy and responded completely to God’s call. That is and should be the outcome of the sincere worship of God. The goal of a worship leader should not be to lead people to a euphoric feeling or an amazing experience. The goal of a worship leader should be to lead people to a high and lifted God. Jesus said, “If I am lifted up, I will draw all people to me” (John 12:32). As a worship leader, I don’t lead people to a feeling – I lead them to the exalted Christ, that they may come face to face with their need for a savior and experience the Holy Spirit’s conviction and drawing to the Lord. If they respond to the Lord’s call, they will be saved, set free, and willingly sent out with a call. That is the outcome that worship leaders should be after as they humble themselves and lift up the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the privilege You have given me of leading people to worship You. Help me to never be about lifting myself up or drawing attention to myself. Instead, grace me to lift You up above all that people may be drawn to You and changed forever. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.