Isaiah 40
1 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
says your God.2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
Tell her that her sad days are gone
and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over
for all her sins.”
3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
for our God!
4 Fill in the valleys,
and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
and smooth out the rough places.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
The Lord has spoken!”
“Clear the way through the wilderness
for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
for our God!
4 Fill in the valleys,
and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
and smooth out the rough places.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
The Lord has spoken!”
6 A voice said, “Shout!”
I asked, “What should I shout?”
I asked, “What should I shout?”
“Shout that people are like the grass.
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the Lord.
And so it is with people.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the Lord.
And so it is with people.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
9 O Zion, messenger of good news,
shout from the mountaintops!
Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.
Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
“Your God is coming!”
10 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
He will rule with a powerful arm.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
Thought for the Day
The prophesy in Isaiah Chapter 40 is one of hope, which crosses over thousands of years. Up to this point Isaiah had called for Judah, Israel and the surrounding nations to repent of their sins. He warned them of God's judgment and punishment. Then suddenly in Chapter 40 Isaiah begins to unfold God's promise of blessing and redemption as he prophesies the coming of the Sovereign Lord. While this was written to the nation of Judah, it's message still holds truth for us today.
In the first part of this Chapter, Isaiah speaks of making the path straight in the wasteland, reminding the people that even through trial and suffering, faith is not to be hindered, but to find comfort in God's unending love and compassion.
In verses 8 and 9 we are reminded of our mortality. We are like the flowers and grass...here for a short time and then gone.
Our grief and suffering, our mortality...all encompassed in the arms of a loving Shepherd who holds us close...protecting and loving us.
All of this done through the birth of a tiny baby come to earth...
Today's ADVENTure
Today as you drive through town and see the dead leaves along the street, think of your mortality...what legacy do you want to leave this world? WHAT will be your legacy to God's Kingdom?
shout from the mountaintops!
Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.
Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
“Your God is coming!”
10 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
He will rule with a powerful arm.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
Thought for the Day
The prophesy in Isaiah Chapter 40 is one of hope, which crosses over thousands of years. Up to this point Isaiah had called for Judah, Israel and the surrounding nations to repent of their sins. He warned them of God's judgment and punishment. Then suddenly in Chapter 40 Isaiah begins to unfold God's promise of blessing and redemption as he prophesies the coming of the Sovereign Lord. While this was written to the nation of Judah, it's message still holds truth for us today.
In the first part of this Chapter, Isaiah speaks of making the path straight in the wasteland, reminding the people that even through trial and suffering, faith is not to be hindered, but to find comfort in God's unending love and compassion.
In verses 8 and 9 we are reminded of our mortality. We are like the flowers and grass...here for a short time and then gone.
Our grief and suffering, our mortality...all encompassed in the arms of a loving Shepherd who holds us close...protecting and loving us.
All of this done through the birth of a tiny baby come to earth...
Today's ADVENTure
Today as you drive through town and see the dead leaves along the street, think of your mortality...what legacy do you want to leave this world? WHAT will be your legacy to God's Kingdom?
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