Please read Jeremiah 5:20-31, Jeremiah 6, 2 Kings 22:3-20, and 2 Chronicles 34:8-28. Big day!  Do you have any thought to share? Here’s mine:

I have never connected Jeremiah to King Josiah – have y’all? I love that Hilikiah finds the Law that God gave to Moses and Josiah responds.

“While the money that had been given for The Temple of God was being received and dispersed, Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of The Revelation of Moses. He reported to Shaphan the royal secretary, ‘I’ve just found the Book of God’s Revelation, instructing us in God’s way—found it in The Temple!’ ” (2 Chronicles 34:14 MSG)

God’s word is IMPORTANT and POWERFUL.  Years after the law was delivered to Moses, generations later, Josiah turns back to the same law because God has never changed. What a comfort!

We are reading in Jeremiah today.  Let’s read Jeremiah 2:23-37, Jeremiah 3, 4, and Jeremiah 5:1-19.  God is so kind, and I’m reminded of that over and over again, every day.

In chapter 2, what stood out to me was that God said FIRST: “I remember you” before recounting their history. He was saying, “I know who you really are, even though your behavior reflects differently – I remember YOU.”

“I remember you,
The kindness of your youth,
The love of your betrothal,
When you went after Me in the wilderness,
In a land not sown.
Israel was holiness to the Lord” (Jeremiah 2:2, 3 NKJV)

Further on down, 2:19 God tells them that their own wickedness and backsliding corrected them.

” ‘Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your backslidings will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitterthing
That you have forsaken the Lord your God,
And the fear of Me is not in you,’
Says the Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 2:19 NKJV)

Wouldn’t it be better to be corrected by the Lord than by our consequences? Israel chose to rebel and reject relationship with God, bypassing the benefits of correction and teaching from Him. God is not harsh – people CHOOSE to learn from consequences rather than relationship. 

Let’s choose relationship with our Heavenly Father!

Today is one of those days where the YouVersion app or the one-year chronological bible would be a help for sure! Here we go: 2 Kings 21:1-9, 2 Chronicles 33;1-9, 2 Kings 21:10-17, 2 Chronicles 33;10-19, 2 Kings 21:18, 2 Chronicles 33:20, 2 Kings 21:19-26, 2 Chronicles 33:21-25, 2 Kings 22;1-2, 2 Chronicles 34;1-7, Jeremiah 1, and Jeremiah 2:1-22. Got all that?  🙂 Lots happening, but I’ll just pick one thought.  It’s hard to narrow it down some days!

Sad day. After Hezekiah, I’m discouraged that his son strayed so far. In 2 Chronicles 33, there’s a couple of verses that say he prayed and turned back to God, but the people didn’t change as a result of his repentance. Actions do speak louder than words, and he had spent a lifetime on evil.

Josiah is a relief! It stands out to me how many times age comes up and doesn’t matter to God. Josiah was only 16 when he turned to the Lord (8 when we became king) but made wise and right choices (unlike Manasseh who also became king very young).

Faithfulness to God is what is important.

Let’s read Isaiah 63:15-19, 64, 65, 66, 2 Kings 20:20-21, and 2 Chronicles 32:32-33 today.  What stands out to you? 

”Oh that You would rip open the heavens and descend” (Isaiah 64:1 MSG)

I always think about this verse meaning that the people were so ready for communication from heaven, whatever it was and whatever it took (but I’m not sure  that’s what it really was. I just like the idea of being desperate for a Word).

“But there is something I’m looking for: a person simple and plain, reverently responsive to what I say.” (Isaiah 66:2 MSG)

How’s that for a bottom line, huh? Lord, let me respond to You! “Reverently responsive” –  love that. Simple and plain – that’s a relief, because I am simple and plain!

I’m sad to see Hezekiah go – he was a good one, generally.  But, sadly, he didn’t stay faithful until the end.  

We are making tremendous progress through the Bible – 208 days, can y’all believe it? Let’s read Isaiah 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, and 63:1-14.  Every day, try to find at least one (if not more) piece of truth that you can keep in your heart.  What stands out to you today?

Fasting is such an important discipline – but the motive of our heart in fasting is even more important. I love Isaiah 58:

“I will always show you where to go.
    I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
    rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
    restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
    make the community livable again” (Isaiah 58:11-12 MSG)

While Jesus fulfills all of the law (and I certainly don’t mean to make one more important than another), fasting is one of the disciplines He clearly brings into our relationship of grace. So important – we’ll visit it again in the New Testament.

59:15-21, I love it – when God doesn’t see any person offering correction or help, He does it Himself – restoration restoration restoration. He loves His children and wants us in right standing. If you get a chance to read 63:7-9 in the Message, wow, it’s beautiful. Oh, let’s read it together now:

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    His great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
    love extravagant.
He said, “Without question these are my people,
    children who would never betray me.”
So He became their Savior.
    In all their troubles,
    He was troubled, too.
He didn’t send someone else to help them.
    He did it himself, in person.
Out of His own love and pity
    He redeemed them.
He rescued them and carried them along
    for a long, long time” (Isaiah 63:7-9 MSG)

I want to always be overwhelmed by God’s compassion and love and grace. Even in the OT, He loved.

Staying in Isaiah today!  We are reading Isaiah 52:13-15, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57.  The Lord is always generous, always kind.  Search for His kindness in the Word and in your life – find reasons to be grateful!  

“This is what God’s servants can expect. I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best” (Isaiah 54:17 MSG)

That can be my best expectation: that God will work everything out. That makes my problems turn into possibilities.

I like the reminders in 56:1-3 (and beyond) about the importance of the Sabbath – it’s funny that I have to be reminded to rest, but I do get busy with “things” and checking off lists that I forget to rest in His presence.

“When I looked again and saw what he was doing,
    I decided to heal him, lead him, and comfort him,
    creating a new language of praise for the mourners.
‘Peace to the far-off, peace to the near-at-hand,’ says God—
    ‘and yes, I will heal them’ ” (Isaiah 57:18-19 MSG)

Once again in 57, we see how patient and kind the “Old Testament God” is – He looks at us  in our rebellion and still comforts us and loves us.

Here we go!  Let’s read Isaiah 48:12-22, Isaiah 49, 50, 51, 52:1-12 together today.  Here’s my take-a-way:

“For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children.” (Isaiah 49:25 NKJV)

God is always consistent — what concerns us also concerns Him. If we allow Him to, He will protect us and defend us. Imagine your difficulties becoming God’s difficulties – the ultimate big brother to help us!

Because we are in Christ, our problems are in Christ as well – trust the Lord to work in your favor.

Okay, here’s what we’re reading today: Isaiah 44:6-28, Isaiah 45, 46, 47, and 48:1-11.  Do you have a highlight to share?  Here’s mine:

“Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22 NKJV)

He’s always ready to save us! Praying to idols or looking to any other source is worthless.

“Now listen to me: You’re a hardheaded bunch and hard to help. I’m ready to help you right now. Deliverance is not a long-range plan. Salvation isn’t on hold. I’m putting salvation to work in Zion now, and glory in Israel” (Isaiah 46:12-13 MSG)

We might think that we are the ones who wait, but really it is God Who is waiting on us to turn to Him – salvation is not on hold, He is READY!

Today we’re all in Isaiah.  Please read Isaiah 40, 41, 42, 43, and 44:1-5: I love all of this and I want to highlight everything.  What is your take-a-way today?

“Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made ^[b]straight
And the rough places smooth;
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 40:3-5 NKJV)

Know what I think about exalting valleys and bringing low mountains?  I think that what God made possible for Jesus is what He’ll make possible for you as you serve Him. What mountain is in your way?  As you serve the Lord, He’ll make your impossible possible!

In Isaiah 40:6-8, in the middle of being comforted, the instruction was to “cry out”.  Cry out about the Word of God, make God valuable and more important than anything else – that will put everything else in perspective. So many benefits to being His child throughout these chapters. I’ve adopted Isaiah 44:1-5 as a promise about my children, many years ago.   Today was lots of comfort!