Isaiah 59 - 10.15.25
Scripture
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. (Isaiah 59:1)
Observation
God says my arm is not too short that I cannot help you, and my ear is not short of hearing that I cannot hear your prayer. The arm of the Lord is a metaphor for God’s mighty power. The Lord made the heavens and the earth by His outstretched arm (Jer 32:17). He brought the Israelites out by His outstretched arm (Ex 6:6, Deut 26:8). There is nothing that the Lord cannot do through his mighty power.
The ears of the Lord are not too dull to hear. This expression shows how the Lord is always listening to our every prayer. The psalmist says He inclines his ear to me and hears my cry (Ps 40:1). This shows how the Lord is attentive to our prayers.
Application
The Lord is mighty, and the Lord always hears us. He is not short of resources to help us. Then why do we sometimes feel that the Lord is not seeing us, and that our prayers are not answered?
Sometimes the reason we haven’t received is simply because we have not asked! James 4:2 says “You do not have because you do not ask God”. Sometimes we do not receive even when we ask. This is because we ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend what you get on our pleasures (James 4:3). So if our prayers are not answered, let us examine our heart, and correct our motives if we need to.
Let us draw near to the Lord, knowing that He is our Father. He has all the power needed to solve our problems. He hears every cry of our heart. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, (Heb 4:16), calling Him “Abba Father” (Gal 4:6).
Prayer
Father, I thank you because I am your child. I want to join with Jeremiah and say, “Oh Lord God, you have made the heavens and the earth by your power and outstretched arm, and nothing is too difficult for you (Jer 32:17). Your hand is not shortened so that it cannot help me, and your ear is not too dull that it cannot hear (Is 59:1). There is nothing impossible for you (Luke 1:37). And you have said that all things are possible for me when I believe (Mark 9:23). Lord, you are my confidence, and you keep my foot from getting caught (Prov 3:26). I put my trust in you, and you do not let those who put their trust in you to be put to shame (Rom 10:11). You are the glory and the lifter of my head (Ps 3:3). You are my God who performs all things for me (Ps 57:2). I can do all things through you who strengthen me (Phil 4:13). I trust in you. I rest in you (Ps 37:7). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Asha Chacko George
3 John 1 - 10.14.25
SCRIPTURE: 3 John 1:4 - “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
OBSERVATION: John, who was one of Jesus’ disciplines, wrote this letter to Gaius, commending him of the faithful way he was walking in the truth. Some of the believers had gone to John to testify about Gaius’ faithfulness, and being Gaius’ spiritual father, I’m sure it made John bubble up with joy to hear about this great report! John loved Gaius, and because of the great leader that John was, he covered Gaius in prayer. He prayed for good health and for his soul to get along well. Gaius used his gift of hospitality to bless the traveling missionaries. (The ones he didn’t even know). He welcomed them with open arms into his home.
APPLICATION: I can relate with John about that great feeling I get when I hear that my children AND grand-children are walking in faithfulness to the truth! It attests to the faithfulness of God, that He hears and is answering my prayers. And, my heart swells with joy when I hear that my past Sunday School students are living for Jesus! A few of the children I used to teach went on to be missionaries.
How important it is for me to pray for them, asking the Lord to help them continue to walk in God’s truth.
PRAYER: I’m so thankful for the mentors and encouragers God has brought in my life, and I’m so grateful for the teachers, Pastors, and for all those who have held me up in prayer throughout the years. I have been blessed by each and every one of them! I pray for me, and for all my brothers and sisters in Christ, that we will not only be faithful to walk in God’s truth by applying His Word, but that we will make disciples, be good mentors, faithful prayer warriors, and great encouragers along the way.
- Robin Orefice
Isaiah 57 - 10.13.25
Scripture
Isaiah 57:13 NIV
“When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.”
Observation
In this passage, God is speaking through His prophet Isaiah and He is condemning His people’s foolishness and their sinfulness. The people of Judah have turned their backs on God. They chose to live adulterous lives, filled with serving their own man-made idols and doing detestable things in the sight of God. The people of Judah have forced God’s mighty hand to show them that their idols are worthless. But God, the One True Living God, will forgive those who repent. His anger won’t last forever. He will allow those who trust in Him to inherit the land and possess His holy mountain.
Application
Ain’t nothing like the real thing.
That’s not just the title of an old 60’s song by Marvin Gaye. It’s the truth when you put it into context with this passage. You see, the people of Judah were trying to substitute The One True Living God, with false gods and idols in their lives. They were about to find out that the fake idols they were worshipping and all the hideous sacrifices they were making, were making God very angry. God was about to show them that these things they were putting in their lives didn’t hold any weight and were NOTHING compared to Him!
What were they thinking?! God’s people literally witnessed firsthand, or were told stories passed down from their ancestors, of God’s mighty hand and faithfulness for His people. So why question it?!
But the more I think about it, we could be just as guilty of doing that sometimes. God has been faithful with providing for our every need. He has healed us or a family member. He protects us in times of danger. He may not always get us out of difficult situations, but He is always faithful to sustain us and see us through them. But, how soon we forget! We allow our lives to be too filled with other things/idols where we forget about Him. We turn to anything but God, that is, until we hit rock bottom. Why do we have to wait until we hit rock bottom though? Is it because these other things/idols that we put our faith in instead of God don’t really hold any weight and can’t really help us? Whether it’s our own physical strength, our homes, our finances, or even our friends and family, they will eventually fade away and fail us. But God will never fail us. His love for us is never ending. We read in this chapter that as angry as God was with His people, God yearns for them to repent and come back to Him. He yearns to heal and restore them. He yearns to give them peace.
So why put our trust in anything or anyone else when we have a God who is real, who is mighty, who loves us unconditionally, and who is alive today! 🎵Ain’t nothing like the real thing baby!🎵
“But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.”-Jeremiah 10:10
Prayer
Father God, You are The One True Living God. There is no one like You. You are my God, my Lord, my Savior, and my friend. Please forgive me for putting idols (other things in my life) that replace my time that I should be spending with You. Help me to seek You and trust You in everything that I do. Keep me on the right path…Your path today. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽
-Moses Gaddi