“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25 Israel is a mess. The kingdom is divided. The dual thrones have been weakened. Idolatry and wickedness are running rampant through a land that God had wonderfully, miraculously preserved and given to His people just a few short generations before. And yet, here is God promising forgiveness for all of their sin–not only forgiveness, but eradication of their sin. Notice that God does not forgive them for their sake. He forgives them for His own sake. Why would […]

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” I share with you these thoughts from a friend who is a long distance runner. Running a marathon is hard. It requires a huge amount of preparation and training just to be able to complete a race like that, let alone to finish well. Training starts months in advance to build endurance, strength and stamina. It includes many miles on the road as well as cross-training […]

Isaiah 43:1 “But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.” The prophet Isaiah ministered to the nation of Israel for close to 60 years. It was a time of great struggle politically and spiritually. Many fell away from faithfulness to God because of the difficulty and turmoil in the country. Isaiah spent his time, led by God, encouraging and challenging the people to return to God and trust that He would care for them. The verse above is from […]