July 10–Isaiah 23-25

“The Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, and the kings of the earth. . .the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed. . .The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all the people. . .the Lord will wipe tears away from their faces”(24:21,23; 25:6,8).

With great steadiness, the prophets reported the approach the Day of the Lord. Two very different aspects of it. A Day of Wrath (destruction of the present earth for its sin) AND a Day of Reward (lavish Banquet for people of God). Looking into the future, Isaiah saw judgement and joy coming. Both.

Jesus believed and taught the same. In Matthew 24, our Lord spoke plainly of a coming day in which the “Sun will be darkened, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.” The glorious return of Christ will be anticipated by COSMIC DISTURBANCE. Please compare His words to Isaiah’s in 24:23. Jesus had great respect for the prophets. They saw the future with the same eyes.

God is no defender of the world in its present state of rebellion and corruption. The world is passing away. Sin will ultimately bring a day of final and irrevocable destruction.

Side by side with this dark prediction, however, is a picture of a BRIGHT BANQUET on the mountain of God. Food. Wine. Friendships. Tears wiped away from every face. When Jesus met with the disciples for the Last Supper, he talked openly about this coming celebration.

Does your mind conceive, and your heart receive, both pictures? Judgement and joy. These two outcomes are the plan and promise of a good and holy God.

“God’s justice and mercy are two parts in one holy symphony” (Marshall Segal).

“A god who is all love, all mercy, no sovereignty, no justice, no holiness, and no wrath is an idol” (R. C. Sproul).

“Behold the kindness and the severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness”(Romans 11:22).

July 9–Isaiah 18-22

” ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off,’ for the Lord has spoken”(22:23).

Part prophet, part poet, Isaiah used vivid picture-words to communicate Spiritual truth. In today’s reading, he refers to, “a peg in a firm place” (22:23, 25).

Can you imagine it? Will you? In your kitchen or garage, a nail firmly anchored in a wall, a peg on which you hang tools or bags of supplies?

It is a metaphor for trust. The picture refers to people in whom (on whom) we hang our hopes. Institutions we trust. Leaders we believe will hold the weight of our confidence.

It was a prediction of disappointment. After unworthy Shebna was replaced (22:15), Eliakim became a new advisor to Hezekiah, a “peg” for Judah. Good man. Stable. Wise. In the coming day of judgment, however, even the wisest, most trusted leaders would be confounded. “For the Lord has spoken”(22:25).

Ultimately, only God can carry the weight of our needs. He only is the peg that doesn’t give way, the peg on which we can hang our hopes.

For years, Isaiah declared this truth. Don’t trust Egypt! Don’t trust Damascus! Don’t trust yourselves or your leaders or the Temple! None will give you safety against the threat of Assyria. Turn to God! Trust God! Even the best leaders will disappoint. The worst even more so. Only God is stable. Only God is safe.

Have you been disappointed, dear one? Have you trusted people or organizations, only to have them fail you? Christ calls us to put our confidence in Him. With loving heart and indestructible life, He alone is worthy of our trust.

“And not only this, but we exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance brings about proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:3-5, italics mine).

July 8–Isaiah 14-17

“Surely, just as I have intended it so it has happened. . .to break Assyria in my land. . . This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all nations”(14:24-26).

God has a tense relationship with nations.

Governments are, without question, part of His plan for the world. See Romans 13. Believers are, therefore, to respect and honor the nations of our birth. “Tax to whom tax is due. . .fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor”(Romans 13:7). “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” taught Jesus, without any hesitation of conscience.

Nations, however, are also a significant part of the resistance of the human race to the rule of God and His Christ. Please read Psalm 2. This tension is clear in the Scripture. In our patriotic fervor, believers must never sugar-coat the truth. All nations, ours included, participate in the world’s fleshly resistance to God.

As Isaiah predicts the eventual fall of Assyria, he declares it to be the decision and deliberate choice of God. Assyria, and all governments, will eventually face the outstretched hand of God’s judgement. He will remove and judge them.

For the believer, this makes for a relationship that can be tricky. We are partial patriots. We honor the flag, obey laws and offer prayers. At the same time, we remember the temporary nature of this country and its tendency toward sin. Our ultimate allegiance must ever be toward God and His coming kingdom! We cannot be confused about our true citizenship and true passion. Our first love is God alone.

“Now abide faith, hope and politics; and the greatest of these is politics,” said George Grant with intentional sarcasm. Believers must never be confused on this point.

With July the 4th just passed, in a moment of divided politics, believers must check our hearts. Do we accurately perceive and embrace the purposes of God with the nations? Do we remain loyal to the clear teaching of Christ as we engage in political conflict? Do we refuse to be unequally yoked with those who are bullies or dishonest or immoral?

Patriotism is good, but only when it is rises from, is disciplined by, a singular love for Christ.

July 7–Isaiah 10-13

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him. . .He will delight in the fear of the Lord”(11:1-3).

The prophet Isaiah served God in a period of Spiritual disorder and decline. Judah was crumbling. Weak leaders and even weaker faith created instability. A new crisis every week. The future looked dark. Sound familiar?

Assyria was ascendant. Proud. Cruel in battle and governance. Nations in the ancient Middle East (from Persia to Egypt) lived in fear of these ruthless people. It was a narrative the Assyrians perpetuated. “By the power of my own hands and by my wisdom I did this,” they said of themselves. See 10:13. They were arrogant. Brutal, and proud of it.

Isaiah told a different story. The bible often calls prophets “seers” because they could see God at work. Shining above the dark headlines, Isaiah (having followed His own advice of “gaining strength by waiting on the Lord”) could see a bright future of hope.

He saw the birth and ministry of Christ. Chapter 11. Beautiful image! Even after the great tree (Judah) was cut down (dead by all appearances), a vibrant green shoot would grow out of it. The Branch of Jesse. Jesus! Under the Spirit-led government of this new king, Isaiah found assurance of the restoration of the world. See 11:4-10. He also saw a coming day of righteous world-wide judgment. See 12:6-16.

For all the uncertainty of his day, Isaiah was neither discouraged nor confused. He saw the future of God. Do you, friend? Do we? If faith is the assurance of things hoped for (see Hebrews 11:1), every believer needs a supernatural and confident vision of the future. Spending time with the Father, we must hear His hope and hold to it with enthusiastic courage.

“The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra. . .For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:8-9).

“Hope itself is like a star–not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only discovered in the night of adversity” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon).

July 6–Isaiah 6-9

“For a child will be born to us; a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace”(9:6).

“A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on”(Carl Sandburg).

True of every infant. Even more true of Christ. Babies bring hope. Their arrival causes us to dream possibilities. To rescue the human race, God sent a baby. His son. Our savior. A child was born to us.

Years before it actually happened, Isaiah predicted this amazing event. To a people under the judgement of God, a baby would be born. The child’s name (meaning, message, significance) would be, “God with us”. Jesus’ life means that we have not been abandoned. God is involved in our lives. A Baby’s birth was (is) proof.

In chapter 9, Isaiah calls the child, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” The words pose a huge logical and theological problem! How can a vulnerable infant be, at the same time, Mighty God? Paradox! Both things cannot be true, but they are! A baby with a birthday is also, in some inexplicable way, The Eternal Father.

Years later, when God came to Joseph to insure his faithful participation in the nativity story, the angel quoted these words from Isaiah! “Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son and she shall call His name, Immanuel”(Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14). Please note how aware the angels are of Scripture! How puzzled they must be as they observe our neglect and unbelief!

Friend, do you believe that God still loves the world and is powerfully involved in history? The proof of His great love is Christ!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

“Veiled in flesh the God-head see, hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel”(Charles Wesley).

July 5–Isaiah 2-5

“For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty. . .the pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of men will be abased; for the Lord alone will be exalted in that day”(2:12, 17).

Humans are future oriented. Consciously or unconsciously, we all have a mental picture of what is ahead. “Without a vision, the people perish,” says Proverbs 29. What we see on the horizon shapes us! Inspires us or makes us anxious. Influences our daily choices.

Isaiah faithfully predicts the “DAY of the Lord” as the ultimate horizon for all people. Fierce judgement for God’s enemies. Soul-satisfying reward for the righteous. The end of the story will not be human success or dominance. The last note of the great symphony will be of God, His vindication, His glory.

Other writers of Scripture affirm the same truth.

“For that DAY belongs to the Lord of hosts, a day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes”(Jeremiah 46:10).

“For behold, the DAY is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze”(Malachi 4:1).

“Many will say to me on that DAY, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name?’. . .and I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’ “(Matthew 7:22-23).

The Spirit and Scripture are certain! A great DAY of judgement (both wrath and reward) is coming. Do our children know this truth? Our grandchildren? Do our preachers help us to have and to hold this great vision? Dear one, may the Lord give us eyes to see the coming DAY of the Lord.

“There are two days on my calendar: This day and that DAY” (Martin Luther).

“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the DAY of God?”(2 Peter 3:11-12).

“One DAY the knees which were stiff and independent will bow before Him. . .This will be the moment when faith will see what it has believed and unbelief will see what it has not” (Helmut Thielicke).

July 4–Song of Solomon 7-8, Isaiah 1

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. . .’if you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ Truly the mouth to the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 1:18-19).

Sin is unreasonable. Sold to us with the promise of pleasure, it actually brings destruction. It is the worst decision! Makes no sense!

The Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, understood this truth. Through the reigns of four kings, with Spirit-opened eyes, he saw a sin-damaged nation. “From the soul of the foot even to the head. . .only bruises, welts and raw wounds”(v 6). Crisis after crisis, God was disciplining Israel. Encountering only stubbornness, He was running out of places for further spanking.

“How is that working for you?” asks a famous modern talk-show counselor. When consequences came (their nation overrun with foreign armies, cities burned with fire, hearts paralyzed with anxiety) shouldn’t Israel have considered the Spiritual cause?

They were unwilling to do so. “They have forsaken the Lord,” thundered the prophet in v. 4. Modern readers will recognize the similarity to our own nation.

With great kindness, the Lord summoned His people to a better path. “Come and reason,” He said. The Hebrew word is yakah, “to decide together, to judge.” With great patience and mercy, God called them (calls us) into union with Him. Into reverent conversation and agreement. The promised results for those who seek the Lord in this way are positive. Always.

What if the best way to celebrate July 4 is not a family picnic or fireworks show? What if the best way to celebrate our nation and to secure its future welfare is to prioritize God’s call? A prayer meeting! A revival!

Sin is unreasonable. The wise path is for us to seek the Lord, His will, His friendship. “Come,” calls the Savior, still. “Let us decide the direction of your life, together.”

“If a sparrow cannot fall without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”(Ben Franklin).

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”(Acts 3:19).

July 3–Song of Solomon 1-6

“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine”(1:2).

“My beloved is mine, and I am his”(2:16).

If you are puzzled reading the Song of Solomon, you are not alone.

It is a book with a long history. Many Jewish teachers regarded it as a picture and affirmation of conjugal love, a glorification of married sexual life, with all of its powerful attraction and satisfaction.

Through the centuries, however, other spiritually minded people have seen something different and deeper. To them, this book is primarily a narrative of God’s (the bridegroom) love for the church (His bride).

I recommend you view it both ways. Read it literally. Follow the story of a young shepherdess who catches the attention of King Solomon. Consider what it meant for her to accept/understand his attraction. To be loved by such a suitor! Listen as he promises to return to make her his bride. Learn to discern the various voices that tell the story. Sometimes the bride is speaking. Sometimes the bridegroom. Sometimes an unnamed chorus of observers.

Read it redemptively. Spiritually. Symbolically. Open your heart to a love (and a Lover) that you never imagined or deserved. What would life/eternity be if this great King loved YOU? Pursued YOU? Desired YOU?

At the center of the Universe is a LOVE STORY. God’s love for the human race. The Universe tells a story of great affection! Deep attraction! It is also a story of struggle as we learn to submit and trust. May the Spirit of God use this book to guide us to the life-altering LOVE.

“Do you love me because I am beautiful or am I beautiful because you love me?” (Kate McGahan).

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such things; but that it should be holy and without blemish”(Ephesians 5:25-27).

July 2–Ecclesiastes 9-12

Dear friend, thank you for your interest in threepagesperday. I am grateful to have you near as we consider His excellent word together. As a reminder and encouragement, please be certain to read the words of Scripture before you consider my comments. Nothing substitutes for your own encounter with God’s word. Nothing! Thanks for joining me on this journey.

“For I have taken all this to my heart. . .wise men and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him. It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked. . .this is an evil in all that is done under the sun”(9:1-3).

Two things seem unfair to Solomon. No matter how hard you work, or what you achieve, life can never be certain (there is no predicting or controlling it). The ONLY certainty is death. Solomon struggles to accept this truth. It is “evil” he mutters in frustration.

His is a common protest. An expression of pride, actually. Despite the malignant promises of the serpent, and the frenzied efforts of our own will, we cannot be like God. Not in what He knows. (See 11:5.) Not in permanence. (See 12:13.) We are not independent or self-sufficient. God is both.

‘He’s got the whole world in His hands,” says the much-loved children’s song. Peace, therefore, can never be found in striving to be “more” than we were created to be. Peace comes in the humble and joyful union with God. We are NOT in control. He is.

Years ago, I read the poem, Invictus, by William Ernest Henley. “Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul. . .It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

Pride is a hard road. For Henley. For Solomon. Claiming independence we find only anxiety. Humility is better. “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up”(James 4:10).

Dear one, are you struggling like Solomon or finding peace in the plans and hands of the Lord?

July 1–Ecclesiastes 4-8

“It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both”(7:18).

Some people don’t like Ecclesiastes. They avoid it. Life is depressing enough on its own. Who needs Solomon’s sadness?

Allowing our reluctance to engage in this emotionally complicated discussion, Solomon still urges us to listen. He calls himself “the Preacher” (1:1). It’s a name taken from a Hebrew word that means “to gather an assembly”. Similar to the Greek word for church (ecclesia, thus Ecclesiastes, the English name for this book). Solomon isn’t just griping and groaning. He has a sermon. Something he wants to say. Something of value.

Humans (all of us) have a difficult and glorious assignment. We are created to be both material and Spiritual. Made of dust AND animated by God’s breath (Spirit). Our lives make sense only when we embrace BOTH sides of our identity and hold them in proper balance/tension.

Material things matter! Family and friendship. Money and laughter. Professions and pleasures. All these give us context and joy. They are, however, insufficient reasons for life. Easily and often they become idols.

Our highest identity and assignment is Spiritual. It is a calling that requires focus and time. Solomon urges us to come into God’s presence with humility. “Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore, let your words be few” (5:2). Humble yourself. Wait. Do not rush this pursuit.

It is a beautiful balance we saw in our Lord. Up early to pray. Then later, the same day, out with crowds, teaching and healing. Spiritual pursuit, physical contribution. He did both, and He will teach us to do both, too!

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world”(Jesus, John 17:15-16).

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).