Something Greater

Lord, give me strength today...strength to trust you when circumstances are difficult and my emotions are troubled. Give me peace today...peace to obey your Word, to love you more than anything this world can offer, and to love my friends and neighbors the way you love me. Break down my pride, Lord. By your power, teach me to recognize my need for you. Bring me into situations today that reveal my selfishness, my lack of humility, my false sense of superiority over others. Open my mouth to clearly speak of your faithful love, your wonderful providence, your awe-inspiring strength and wisdom in creation, redemption and restoration. All of heaven and earth belong to you...you created them in righteousness and justice, in faithful love and truth. You have made Jesus to be the Rock of my salvation, the greatest of all kings. For the sake of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, forgive my sin and form my heart to love and obey you above all others. Halleluja...

Supervised, Supported and Purposed | Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus... (Eph 1:1) Father, all that you do is motivated by your pleasure and choice. Paul's life shows how you were in control throughout every circumstance and influence, to make of him an apostle of your Son. I rest now in that same control over my life. All that I've experienced, thought and acted in and upon, every moment of my life, has been supervised, supported, and purposed for good by you, in accordance with your pleasure and will. Continue, Lord God! Make it so, Lord God, however you desire and determine! Amen!

Isaiah 14, Part One: Punishment or Providence? Previously... God revealed to Isaiah the soon-to-come gathering of nations to war, resulting in the fall of the Babylonian empire to the might of the Medes. The arrogant and pompous Chaldean kingdom of Babylon had attempted to utterly conquer the weakened state of Israel. Now, in chapter 14... This chapter contains three separate oracles, or proclamations, concerning three different nations: Babylon (verses 1-23) Assyria (verses 24-27) Philistia (verses 28-32) Babylon The triumph of the Medes over Babylon would be a critical part of God's plan for Israel. Isaiah 14:1-2 (ESV) For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves. ...