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April 21 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 111

You're probably going to recognize some of today's readings.  Some of these are used during Christmas time to anticipate Christ as the coming king.  We know what that means for us.  Think what it might have meant to the people first hearing from Isaiah.

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DAILY READINGS

Isaiah 9-12 & Psalm 111

DAILY NOTES

Isaiah 9
  • A righteous king is coming.
  • Notice the zeal of the Lord raises a righteous king.  Then the judgement of the Lord rests on the arrogance of the people.
Isaiah 10
  • Assyria will be used by God to judge the people.  The Assyrians will think it is because of their might, but God assures Israel that the foreign nation is still under God's control.  
  • Israel doesn't need to fear that the Assyrian oppression will continue forever. Once Israel has been judged, God will turn on the Assyrians (Everyone gets a piece of God!).
Isaiah 11
  • A branch will grow out of the roots.  It's more like a twig.  
  • From this one, peace will come, and a remnant of Israel will return.
Isaiah 12
  • A chapter of praise.
Psalm 111
  • A psalm of praise.  

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Churches would do well to remember the lesson of the remnant of Israel.  

We get so caught up in getting more people to church.  There's good reason to want to do that.  Of course, we want more people to know the love of God.  We want more people to know they're forgiven.  We want more people to live in the peace and salvation of God.  But even with our good intentions, we sometimes overestimate the value of the size of our crowds.

We don't need more people to be faithful.  And we don't have to wait until we have more people to be faithful or to reach out in new, creative ways.  Jesus changed the world with 12 people.  How many times have you heard me say that?

The remnant of Israel was to be the sure sign of God's promise that things would be restored for the people of God.  Judgement was to be enforced.  There was no way around that.  In judgement it can feel like the world is falling apart.  But God says there will be a faithful remnant that will persevere and rise as God's praise.

God's has always been good at making a lot out of a little.

Stay blessed...john


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