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Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:10; Psalm 46:1-11 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him. . . . — Isaiah 40:10 Having introduced the Lord to his people, Isaiah describes the majestic revelation of God. First, he is the Sovereign...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:9; John 1:15-18 You who bring good news . . . lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; [saying] . . . “Here is your God!” — Isaiah 40:9 The good news that must be announced with a shout is that the Lord has come to make himself known. Knowing...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 19:7-11 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” — Isaiah 40:8 The prophet Isaiah contrasts the briefness of human life with the eternity of the Word of God. We are born, grow, mature, and die, but the Word of God...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:7; Psalm 103:13-19 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.” — Isaiah 40:7 Again we find the shortness of life compared to grass that sprouts in the morning, flourishes briefly, and is...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:6; Psalm 90:1-6 “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.” — Isaiah 40:6 Our text today emphasizes two solemn truths that point to the same fact. There is no room for human vanity. Human pride is nothing but utter...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:5; Luke 3:6 “The glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together.” — Isaiah 40:5 As we noted yesterday, spiritual reformation happens before spiritual revival. First, with God’s help and grace, his people seek to live in his way, and then...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:4; Luke 3:1-5 “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.” — Isaiah 40:4 This passage in Isaiah describes the content of John the Baptist’s preaching, as shown in Luke 3:1-5...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1-10 “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” — Isaiah 40:3 The prophet Isaiah looks ahead, pointing to a prophet who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist was that...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:2; Ephesians 1:7-10 Proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for. . . . Isaiah 40:2 God’s people had ignored his law and had closed their ears to the words of his prophets. As a consequence, the people were taken into...

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:1, 9-11, 28-31 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Isaiah 40:1 The book of Isaiah is sometimes called “the gospel of the Old Testament” because it announces the good news (gospel) of the coming of God’s servant, the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ. In chapters...

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ. . . . 2 Corinthians 4:4 In this passage Paul speaks of people’s minds being blinded by “the god of this age.” This is a reference to Satan, the devil, who...

Scripture Reading — Psalm 96:1-13 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Psalm 96:1 Whenever my Aunt Rosemary was working in the kitchen, she would sing. I don’t remember whether the songs were popular tunes, hymns, or made-up melodies, but they were lovely. Whenever I...

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:15-23 [May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17 True knowledge is a gift from God. When we know God for who he truly is, that is the most important and basic truth...

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 6:10-18 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11 Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against hostile spiritual powers. These powers are organized but unseen, a truly diabolical enemy. Led...

Scripture Reading — John 8:42-47 “When [the devil] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 A lie led to the beginning of human sin. Back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve accepted Satan’s lie: “You will not certainly die. . . . You will be...

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 Neuroscientists have discovered that we average about 6,000 thoughts per day. What a challenge it is to “take captive every thought” for Christ! There are strongholds of...

Scripture Reading — James 5:13-16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 None of us likes to confess sin. The first step in confession is to acknowledge that we have done...

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:21-26 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24 Have you ever had a strange dream that woke you up in the middle of the night? Many of us have. Our subconscious is active even when we are asleep. In...

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 We sleep, but the Holy Spirit and the demons do not. So even our subconscious can be a battleground of spirituality. C. S. Lewis recommended the following steps in...

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 We sleep, but the Holy Spirit and the demons do not. So even our subconscious can be a battleground of spirituality. C. S. Lewis recommended the following steps in...