Isaiah 26 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:4 – Tomorrow morning I’ll be getting the blessing of preaching on the story of Simon the magician in Acts 8. In the beginning of the passage we are told how the people who witnessed Simon’s acts not only were amazed, but consider he was the power of God…Acts 8:10 - They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” Note they didn’t think he did things BY the power of God, but said that Simon IS the power of God. In our Isaiah passage we learn that it is the Lord God who is power. In the original language it ought to be read that God is the everlasting strength. The rock. The power. No other thing on earth is the power and strength of our God outside of Himself. It is him alone that can keep you into perfect peace. It is Him alone that can lay flat the enemies of this world. It is Him alone that can bring blessing to the righteous while bringing judgment on the sinful. Our world does a great job of lifting high many other sources of strength you could place your hope and trust in. All though will fail and all will crumble, especially when our God who is the everlasting strength, rock, and power steps onto the scene. Choose today who you will keep your mind stayed on. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Is there a source of strength you are leaning on more than the strength of God to sustain you?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+26/
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Isaiah 25 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:9 – As we read through Isaiah, know that we are seeing a mix of prophecies. Some that are for events that would have been in the near future for Isaiah (but past events for us in 2024), and some events that are still to come in the last days. Here we see the prophet speaking of what is to come in the future when God establishes His Kingdom once and for all. Sin will be no more, death will be no more, the enemy will be no more, and rejoicing will be on the lips of the faithful. Our passage then is intended to be what will come from the mouths of those that have faithfully served and followed the Lord. They will see God, the very one they waited for to save them will show up to save. Gladness and rejoicing will be on their lips for the God they proclaimed would come has come. Whether it is the future coming of our God and the victory He’ll bring in the end of days, or the current victories that God is providing today, or the past victories that God has won, our God has earned our praise. Our God has came for us and our God will come again for us. Our God has defeated death and our God will establish His throne over all one day. Let us then rejoice and give praise to our God, for He is worthy of all praise. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: What is something you can praise God for that He has provided in your past?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+25/
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Isaiah 24 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Isaiah 24:5 – We are seeing the whole of the earth being under God’s judgement. Rejoicing will cease, cities will be desolate, and the earth will be broken apart. Even our verse says the earth “lies defiled.” Yet what has defiled the earth? Are the judgements of God defiling it? No, it is the sinfulness of man. Man has transgressed the law, taken God’s established law and purposefully went beyond the boundary line. Man has violated the statutes, taken God’s word and changed it to be more appealing to him. Man has broken the everlasting covenant, taken the forever agreement between us and God to remain faithful to one another and broke it to chase after other things. The terror we see in our world today is a result of our choice of sin, and God has allowed such things to take place as a judgement on such sinfulness. Know today when we see the terrors in our world, it can be our eye-opening experience to our need to turn and live faithfully for our God. We all need to recognize the defiling nature of our sin, the destructive nature of our unfaithfulness to God, and the restoration our God can bring when we follow Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: How has the struggles others have faced in life as a result of their sin changed your outlook on sin?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+24/
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Isaiah 23 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
Who has purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? The Lord of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pompous pride of all glory, to dishonor all the honored of the earth. Isaiah 23:8-9 – Isaiah is now directing his prophecies towards Tyre. Tyre was a harbor city that was extremely important for shipping trade in that time. Because it was such a hub for trade, Tyre became a massively wealthy city. Merchants were considered princes and leaders, traders were considered honored in their midst. This fed into a deep sin for the people of Trye, pride. With more and more wealth coming their way, and more eyes looking to them as they grew successful, “pompous pride” grew. From Isaiah though we hear of a coming destruction of Tyre, of all this wealth being gone and the glory being stripped from Tyre. Who was the one to do such a thing? Who purposed this to happen? Who defiled such pride? It was the Lord. Our God will defile what defiles. For sin in our life defiles us, it makes us unclean and unholy. Yet God, when His righteousness comes into the mix, takes what defiles, and defiles it’s efforts. Know whether it’s pride like we see in our passage, or some other sin, God’s command is for us to live apart from such sin. He has spoken of sin’s defiling nature in our life, so Jesus came to defile the efforts of sin. While the enemy’s ultimate goal with sin of our eternal death has been forever “defiled,” let us not continue in the sin our Savior has defeated. Let us live holy and humbly before the Lord, and let us instead be tools God uses to defile the efforts of our enemy in our brother’s life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Why do you think pride was a sin that led so many people away from God in scripture?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+23/
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Isaiah 22 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21 and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Isaiah 22:20-22 – Isaiah is speaking against the leadership in Jerusalem. King Hezekiah was a faithful king, so this prophecy is directed to the unfaithful chief servant of the king, Shebna. While clothed in wealth and security, all that was to be taken away from Shebna due to unfaithfulness to the Lord and given to the faithful to the Lord servant Eliakim instead. As we read on in the chapter we also see the promise that any who followed Shebna, who “hung on the peg” that was Shebna, would also fall with him. As we then walk today, we must be sure to hang on the right peg. In Isaiah’s day, if something in the house was hung on a peg in the wall, it was thought to be safe and secure. What then are you hanging on today that is giving you safety and security? Is it Jesus? Or is it something else within this world? Know that if the “peg” you are hanging on in life is anything but Jesus, like Shebna it be removed and all that was hanging on it will fall with it. Be careful then what you hang your life on today, and know there is a safe peg that is Jesus that will never be removed and can provide safety and security for your life for eternity. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: What is something you see the lost world hanging their life on for safety and security? Have you ever found yourself hanging yourself on the wrong pegs?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+22/
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Isaiah 21 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!” And he answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.” Isaiah 21:9 – What we see here is once again a prophecy that speaks of events that would happen in the near future but also looking ahead and speaking of events in the end times. Babylon is a term used all throughout scripture to refer to the sinful world. It is term used when God is speaking of the spiritual darkness in the world and the powers of Satan. While Babylon the empire fell in history, we also see the spiritual Babylon have its demise promised in scripture. Satan, his forces, and all his plans will crumble and fall. God’s power will put an end to our enemy and shatter him to the ground. While it certainly can appear that the enemy and the sinful world around us is victorious, the victories are temporary. When God shows up on the scene, the battles will be done and the war will be won. Victory is always in the hands of our God and defeat will always be the future for Satan. So do not fear and do not be dismayed, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go. The enemy you see today will not win forever, for the Lord will fight for you. Praise Jesus we have a God as mighty as we do. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac
Question To Ponder: What is a passage in scripture that reminds you how strong our God is?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+21/
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Isaiah 20 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’ Isaiah 20:6 – God, through Isaiah, and through a very unique visual sermon example, made it clear to His people Judah that trusting in anything other than Him was a lost cause. Egypt and Cush were strong nations that in the midst of the Assyrian invasion Judah would look to for strength and rescue. Rather than turning to the Lord, who had demonstrated His power to them in mighty ways in their past, they would look for help from their surrounding nations. What though does God say will come about when these other “strong” nations come against Assyria? The would be taken captive and carried into exile naked and barefoot. Seeing the ones you were trusting in for rescue being treated as such would strip away any boldness and confidence you had against you enemy. If the enemy could do that to such a strong nation, what hope of escape do we have? Such is the reason we must place our hope in a strength stronger than anything of this world. We need someone to lean on and trust in that no power in their world can defeat. That someone is Jesus. No army can take Him down, no devil can hold Him down, and no death can defeat Him. When we trust in Jesus, our confidence will never be put to shame. Trust in the one that truly has the power over all. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Do you think if God were to ask you to do something so outlandish like He asked Isaiah to do in this chapter, would you be willing to follow His command?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+20/
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Isaiah 19 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” Isaiah 19:24-25 – God’s message through Isaiah is now for Egypt. It begins with a not so pleasant message for the Egyptians, one in which they will truly feel the powerlessness of their many idols and the powerfulness of the one true God. What’s special though is the future message for Egypt. God calls them His people. God brings them together with Assyria and Israel and calls them His own. Which is an astonishing message if you break it down. Egypt was a nation that was idolatrous and cruel for thousands of years, and even put Israel under harsh slavery for hundreds of years. Assyria was a superpower and was known for their uniquely high level of brutality, beyond that of other nations of war at that time. These two, alongside Israel, were being labeled His people, the work of God’s hands, and His inheritance. Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to determine who God would want as His people. We too could look at people, groups, or nations in our world and determine in our minds that God wouldn’t want anything to do with someone like them. God wouldn’t want that sinful leader…God wouldn’t want THAT nation to be His people…God doesn’t want THEM to be in His family. Except when we see the message of Scripture, we sure see God reaching out and chasing after the ones no one expected Him too. Praise Jesus that we have a Savior who doesn’t listen to us on who to save. If then God would be willing to offer them His salvation, grace, life, and acceptance into His family, why would we be so quick to discount them from such an offer? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac
Question To Ponder: What makes someone “good enough” to be with Jesus?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+19/
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Isaiah 18 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
At that time tribute will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 18:7 – Going into this chapter, I discovered a couple commentaries saying things like this is the “most difficult one of all 66 chapters,” and “most obscure prophies in the whole book.” Even who this prophecy is given to is debated, but it seems like most lean towards Ethiopia. What’s special though is how this chapter closes. This nation, Ethiopia or some other strong nation, will eventually come to the Lord. They will bring sacrifices to the Lord and worship Him. What a comfort that must have been to those listening to these words that were remaining faithful to God. That even the strongest of nations in their world at that time would find themselves bending the knee before the God they were trusting in. Let us remember this is our future too. Every knee will bow before our God. We can see some world powers in our day that seem so strong and so opposing to the Lord, that it doesn’t even seem possible that they would submit to Jesus. Yet we can trust the words of scripture that it is our God who reigns on high, not any worldly power. He will have the final word and He will receive all the glory. Know today that if you have placed your faith in Jesus and are choosing to serve Him faithfully within your life, you have made the correct eternal choice. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Think of a power in our world today that is in opposition to God. What would you think if you discovered they had changed their ways and were in submission to Jesus now? Pray for that to be.
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+18/
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Isaiah 17 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger Isaiah 17:10 – Isaiah now speaks against Syria and Israel. Due to their close proximity and united efforts to come against the southern kingdom of Judah, God lumps them together in this prophecy. In our verse, we see a major sin that is resulting in these two nations receiving God’s judgement. They forgot about the God of their salvation. They had welcomed His rescue from their previous times of struggle, yet their eyes and hearts did not remain on Him but turned to other things to worship and chase after. How often does this happen in our story? Where we in our past have turn to the Lord for help, possibly for a minor need in life, or even to save us from our sin. Our eyes were fixed on Him, our hearts were His, and our lives were being promised to be used for Him alone. Yet, life happened and things got busy, and that life that was given to God has been used for other things. By the way we talk and live, we’ve forgotten that we were the Lord’s to be used for the Lord. Know then this is something that God sees as a sinful action and something we ought to be cautious of not falling prey to. Let us not forget the God of our salvation. Let the busyness of life not blind us to Jesus. Let the ballgames, work projects, vacations, bills, medical issues, taxes, or TV shows be what consumes our life more than Jesus does. If any of those things created you, died on the cross for you, breathed new life into your lungs, is promising you eternal life in Heaven, and is the salvation for your soul, then you can worship it instead. Yet if the thing that consumes your life right now isn’t that, then look to Jesus who is all that. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: What may have your primary focus today other than Jesus?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+17/
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Isaiah 16 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
Give counsel; grant justice; make your shade like night at the height of noon; shelter the outcasts; do not reveal the fugitive; let the outcasts of Moab sojourn among you; be a shelter to them from the destroyer. Isaiah 16:3-4a – The prophecy spoken by Isaiah is still against Moab, and connecting with the previous chapter, the Moabites are on the run from their oppressors. After studying, I’m finding out that it is divided on the meaning for our verses above. Either its Isaiah speaking to Judah to help the Moabite refugees, or it’s the Moabites requesting help from Judah during their escape. Either way though, this passage opens our eyes to what help being given to those in need could look like coming from us. We can give counsel, pointing them in the right direction towards Jesus. We can show justice and mercy. We can give shelter and be a shelter for those who need it. We can protect from the enemy and let them exist in our life as they find their footing. As we continue to follow Jesus, know we will be called upon to help those who are hurting and who are seeking to turn from their sin. They will have the enemy on their tail, trying to bring them back into his grasp, but we can be the hands and feet of Jesus in their story protecting them and helping them stand firm for Christ. God is the power and strength, but we can be the avenue He uses in their life to bless and provide. How then would you respond today if God called you to be the shade for a sinner seeking to turn to Him? I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Why might a follower of Jesus refuse to help out someone in a situation like this?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+16/
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Isaiah 15 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
For the waters of Dibon are full of blood; for I will bring upon Dibon even more, a lion for those of Moab who escape, for the remnant of the land. Isaiah 15:9 – Isaiah’s prophecies now turn to the land of Moab, a nation with a complicated history with Israel. Beginning with familial connections with Abraham and Lot, Moab eventually turned to be an enemy of Israel. Now judgement is coming upon them and it’s heavy. The chapter speaks of the aftermath of the initial wave of judgment. People will be running to their idols, shaving their heads in mourning, and their weeping will be heard by the nations around them. The Moabites would run to escape the judgment, but everywhere they would turn they would only find more judgement coming their way. God was making it clear to the Moabites that escape from His wrath on their sin wasn’t an option. Something we too must understand is that escape from God’s wrath on our sin isn’t an option either. There is no speed we can run to escape it, nor can we be clever enough to outsmart God’s wrath. God’s wrath on our sin is a guarantee. Should we fear and tremble then knowing that our sin is going to be judged by God? Absolutely we should, unless we turn to Jesus and repent of our sin. For those who turn to Jesus and repent, Jesus Himself takes on the wrath of God’s judgment on our sin so we don’t have to. While there is no escape from the judgement on our sin, we have a Savior that will take the weight of that judgment on Himself instead. Which option then have you chosen? To take on God’s wrath on your sin yourself or will you follow Jesus and let Him bear the weight of God’s wrath on your sin for you? The invitation to a life of following Jesus is available to you freely today, make this choice to follow the Savior of the world. If you have already made this choice to follow Jesus, how are you living today that shows your gratitude for Jesus taking on the weight of God’s wrath for you? I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Why might someone turn to sin like a false god when they are being punished for sin?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+15/
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Isaiah 14 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. Isaiah 14:1 – We’ve all been there before, where we visit a new restaurant and pick something out on the menu to have for dinner. Yet after you take your first few bites, you come to your conclusion, you’d never choose that option on the menu again. Maybe it was the taste, the texture, or something else, but while you did choose it once, you’d never choose it again. That way of thinking can sometimes find itself in the way we believe God feels about us. That while yes, He did choose us, if though He had the option to choose again, He wouldn’t choose us a second time. Because of our sin and because of our unfaithfulness, we’ve made ourselves a bad choice on the menu. Hear though what this passage is saying about God’s people even after they turned away from Him. He will again choose them. God chose us to begin with, but He would choose us again and again and again. Our sin doesn’t sway His passion for us, and our unfaithfulness doesn’t trash His desire for us. Our sin and unfaithfulness are certainly not pleasing to the Lord and are things He longs to be far from our life, but they don’t altar that way God desires a life with us. For while we were still sinners, still enemies of God, God sent Jesus to die on the cross and pave a way for us to have eternal life with the Father. Know today, God still chooses you. Even if yesterday, this past week, or even this past ten years has been full of rebellion towards the Lord, He still loves you and still desires your heart. The question then isn’t if God is saying yes to you, its will you say yes to Him? I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: How does it feel knowing that God would still choose you today?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+14/
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Isaiah 13 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering a host for battle. Isaiah 13:4 – Chapter 13 begins a string of prophecies against many different nations, and Babylon is the first to be spoken to. Yet what’s unique about this is that at the time Isaiah gave this prophecy, Assyria was still in power, and it would be decades before Babylon was even a superpower to be taken down. Yet God, in His infinite knowledge and wisdom, was able to accurately speak about the fall of an empire that wasn’t even in power yet. Our God is able to see the future and speak the truth about what will take place with our enemies. Today, on Easter, we get to celebrate that what our God spoke on about the end of sin’s power and the sting of death and the grip of Satan has come to fruition. God said He would send His only Son to die the death for all mankind, and that He would create a pathway to Himself so we don’t have to spend an eternity in Hell. God said that His Son would rise from the grave three days later showing His power over death and the grave, and making it clear He has the authority to give life to any and all. What we celebrate today is that what God said has taken place. Our Savior lives, and He reigns over all! The powers of darkness has been defeated and our God reigns! Praise our risen Savior for the promise of Heaven, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life! Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone! I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Today is the day to share the good news of Jesus, who will you share it to?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+13/
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Isaiah 12 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 12:1-6 – Rarely do I use the entire chapter as the section we highlight for the devotion, but this passage was just too good all together. Chapter 11 is speaking about the wonderful reign of Jesus, now chapter 12 speaks from the heart of one of his followers who is enjoying the fruit of the reign of Jesus. This weekend for us is a special time for us to remember that our God reigns. God’s anger and wrath was turned away from us and onto the cross where Jesus hung. Now, fear no longer is our story, and we have salvation within our story because of our God. All the things we need in life we can draw like water from a well because of this salvation we have in Christ. Give thanks all you who follow Jesus, shout aloud His praise! Sing and shout for joy for our God reigns! Death has been defeated and our God reigns! Tomorrow as we enter into worship of our God on Easter morning, will He receive from you a half-hearted, apathetic, distracted worship or will He receive from you praise that understands the depth of sin you were saved from? Our God lives, let’s live a life of praise unto Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Where, and with whom, are you going to be celebrating Easter with tomorrow?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+12/
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Isaiah 11 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt. Isaiah 11:16 – Here the prophet is speaking of a beautiful time in the future when the Messiah will come and reign on earth forever. We see language of peace between nations and no need of fear when it comes to predators. Another wondrous aspect of the reign of Christ will be the bringing together of His people that have dispersed among the nations. In verse 16 we see God declare there will be a highway for their return, like there was for Israel through the Red Sea in the exodus from Egypt. Imagine driving to a destination, and all that lay in front of you is a perfectly straight, perfectly clear highway with no speed limit. Nothing to hinder you from getting to your goal, and that’s the picture God is having for His people to Himself. He will make a way to Him like a straight, clear, no speed limit highway. While this is a prophecy looking ahead even still for us, today we are celebrating Good Friday, a day where Jesus did create such a highway between us and God. Because of His death and resurrection, we now can approach the Father in ways we never could before. If this is a path you’ve taken already, be sure to spend some time today thanking the Lord for the highway to the Father the cross created. If though you have not taken a step into a relationship with God, know today the highway is open for you, and the path has been created. Through Jesus you can have life, forgiveness of your sin, and the promise of Heaven. Reach out if you’d like to know more. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: When was a time you enjoyed a perfectly clear highway? How does that compare to your idea of coming to Jesus?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+11/
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Isaiah 10 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images? Isaiah 10:9-11 – Context here is important to make sense of all this! The above verses were said to be spoken by the enemy nation of Assyria when they were about to begin attacking God’s people in Jerusalem. The unique names like Calno and Arpad were cities that the Assyrian’s easily conquered. In each of those cities were false idols that the people worshipped and hoped in to saved them from the hand of the Assyrians, but those idols provided no help. After many cities, and idols, being defeated, Assyria is now coming after Jerusalem and Jerusalem’s “idol,” which was the Lord. If no other idol could stop them, why would this God of Jerusalem be able to do any different? As history reveals to us, Assyria learned well that God is not like any of the idols of these other nations. He has breath and power and knows how to use them to bring Him glory and fulfill His purposes. With us today though, have we learned that God is different like this? That God is different than the flaky, untrustworthy things of this world? That God is different than the selfish, only seeking their pleasure sorts of things in this world? That God is different than the wicked, cruel things of this world? As with the Assyrians, we can view God like we see so many people and things in this world, but God is not like them. He is holy, good, loving, trustworthy, powerful, and kind. If then the option is available for you to choose whether to follow after a loving God or some unfaithful thing of this world, which will you choose? I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: Why do you think people still choose something other than God to follow?
Link To Full Chapter
https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+10/
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Isaiah 9 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
…For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. Isaiah 9:12b, 17b, 21b – When we find a phrase or verse repeated within a passage, it’s good to take note. Here this phrase is repeated three times in chapter 9 and once in chapter 10 verse 4. Within our chapter we get a glimpse at the stubbornness of the people of northern Israel. Their posture was one of pride, thinking they could withstand any sort of wrath of God that might come their way. That if God tears down, we’ll just rebuild with better stuff anyway. So God puts that pride to the test, and allows His anger and hand to be outstretched towards them. We see that despite His wrath, they continued in sin, causing God’s hand to be outstretched still bringing His wrath. Let us then remember in our own lives when we are experiencing the hand of God on our sinfulness, that His hand is on us not to destroy, but to guide us out of this sin. Sin is what destroys, and God’s heart is that none perish in their sin. He will use the might of His hand to open our eyes to the destructive nature of sin, and to provoke us to move away from sin and in a direction towards Him. If though, like this people in our passage, we remain in our pride and sinfulness, God’s hand, that is full of blessings, will be a hand of powerful judgment. While it’s not God’s desire, if we do not turn from our sin, He will allow us to be condemned by it. Let’s celebrate though that as a result of the events of Easter, we have a means in Jesus Christ to be free from the condemnation of sin. We can find freedom, life, and salvation from our sin all because of Jesus. Turn from your sin and begin a life of following Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: How has God used His hand in your story?
Link To Full Chapter
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Isaiah 8 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. Isaiah 8:17 – I love learning concepts about scripture that I never thought about before, and today was one of those days. Reading a commentary over this passage provoked me to think about the word “wait” differently than ever before. When I have heard “wait” used in scripture before, my understand has always related to stillness of activity, silence, and patience on the Lord. Which I do believe is still correct, yet what I learned today is that “wait” doesn’t mean just a passive inactivity. Think about a waiter who “waits” on your table. They are not being still, silent, or unresponsive. In fact, they are much the opposite of that. A good waiter will be always watching our table for whatever our need may be, and they will be immediately responsive to our call. Yes, sometimes in their efforts of waiting on our table there will be times where we aren’t calling on them and stillness from them is needed, but even in that they ought to still have their eyes on our table. We then are being called to wait upon the Lord. To have our eyes ever on His table. Whatever His command, whatever He asks of us, and whatever service we can provide for Him, we are ready to offer to Him. There may be times in our serving of the Lord where we need to be still and have a ceasing of activity, but our eyes ought to never be taken off of the One we are serving and His table. Let us then serve the Lord with honor, diligence, and maximum effort. For we have already received the “tip” of all time, the salvation of our soul and the promise of Heaven. God deserves a servant that is ever ready to wait upon Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more - Mac
Question To Ponder: What is one way you can wait upon the Lord this Holy Week?
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Isaiah 7 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO
And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. Isaiah 7:4 – Ahaz was the king of Judah at this time, and as a result of his unfaithfulness to the Lord, we see Israel and Syria teaming up to attack Judah. Scripture says Ahaz, “shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind” when he received word of the oncoming attack. God is inviting Ahaz to trust Him and His power, for God saw Ahaz’s enemy far different than Ahaz did. Ahaz saw these two armies as an unstoppable force that would utterly destroy them, yet God saw them as a smoldering stump of wood that makes more smoke than it does fire. We too must understand that God sees our enemies and problems far different than we do. Our financial issues look far different to the God who owns everything. Our health issues look very different to the Creator of the human body. Our marriage problems look fixable to the God who has witnessed every marriage in all of time. It is difficult to see God and trust Him when the problems in life are so visible and powerful in our life, but this is where God is calling us to place our faith in Him. Yes, the enemy sees closer than God, and yes the problems seem too grand for anyone to fix, but neither are true statements. God is closer and God can fix. While the movements of God may be different than we pray for or think is the correct way for God to move, seek to trust in His ability and presence with you despite the abilities and presence of your enemies. I love you, but Jesus loves you more. - Mac
Question To Ponder: What is something you trust in to help with problems in life before trusting in God?
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