“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” —Isaiah 43:19

In the early 90s, I was preaching a series of youth rallies in West Virginia. As an adventure outing, some fellas from one of the organizing churches thought it would be a fun break to take me whitewater rafting. As we went down the Upper Gauley River, I was ejected from the raft and for many seconds I was trapped beneath a rock underwater. Those seconds felt like an eternity as I was overcome with thoughts that this was the end of my life. Then suddenly, beyond my control, the currents ripped me out of that helpless position and released me to the surface where I could catch my breath. I still have a group photo from our “special” adventure that day reminding me of my “near-death-great-exodus” experience.

Isaiah 43 is written to a people who knew about the “fear” of being “overwhelmed” while passing “through the rivers” of life (vv. 1-2). The prophet seeks to comfort the people of Judah as they “pass through the waters” of Babylonian captivity, suffering the debilitating effects of being a conquered people and living as exiles under pagan rule. They had been overcome physically, economically, culturally, socially, and for what must’ve seemed to them in the moment, a permanent spiritual defeat. Isaiah takes aim to reassure the people of God’s promise “I will be with you,” and encourages them that for God’s own glory, He will ensure their restoration. No matter how discouraging their present circumstances, the Almighty will indeed turn the tables and restore their fortunes.

God’s people will not remain in defeat.

Isaiah’s message is “Fear not,” for God will command the captors to “give up” the prisoners—“everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” (vv. 5-7). That’s right, a great big release party is coming! For God says, “henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” (v. 13). When Isaiah spoke of the Lord “who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters” (v. 16), he used present-tense verbs, implying that the great Exodus these people would’ve been all so familiar with from their past, was representative of what God does, and is therefore repeatable.

Isaiah didn’t say, “God made a way,” but that God “makes a way.” He told them, “Remember not the former things,” but “behold” the Lord is “doing a new thing.” The original Exodus did not exhaust God’s power but provided a pattern of new exodus-like deliverances. These exiles are not to live in the past but should look for God to bring about a new kind of “exodus,” in which He will “make a way in the wilderness.” Where there is no clear path forward, God surely creates one.

No matter what kind of rapids you face today, you don’t have to panic. He is not just the God who made a way, He is the One who makes a way from everlasting to everlasting. He makes a way in economic hardship, marital stress, and fractured relationships. He creates a path when there seems to be no way forward in your career, a ministry direction, or that opportune time to share your faith with a friend or neighbor. He says, “Fear not,” when passing through the waters of sickness or mental health challenges—not because they are small or trivial matters, but simply because He is still the great big God of exoduses. You are going to pass through, not be overcome.

Picture this, beloved; your great big release party is coming. That victory is not contingent upon your power and fortitude, but the very character and might of who your God IS. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, you are the God who makes a way where there seems to be no way. You are still performing exoduses in our lives today. We praise you for the new thing you are doing right now, and we will be sure to give you all the glory, as we perceive it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Application or Group Discussion:

1. What techniques do you use within yourself to deal with fearful situations?
2. Why did the Lord tell Israel not to be afraid? (Isaiah 43:1)
3. What could God’s people witness about Him that other peoples could not claim about their gods? (vv. 8-10) What is God’s final objective in “doing a new thing” of making a way in the wilderness? (vv. 19-21)
4. Where do you presently need an exodus-like deliverance?
5. How can you intentionally “declare” God’s praise in this moment, and continually as you perceive it unfolding?

The post The God Who Makes a Way appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter” —Isaiah 28:15

Have you ever had a misplaced trust in someone or something? We have probably all been burned a few times from this. What about taking refuge in a lie, or looking for comfort in a false hope?

In his sermon Refuges of Lies and What Will Become of Them, Charles Spurgeon expounds on the lies that people attempt to make their refuge. Among them are: the lie that we are good enough or can be good enough to save ourselves, the lie that one can have a saved soul and an unchanged life, and the lie that trusts an old religious experience instead of an ongoing relationship with God.

In Isaiah 28, God rebuked the scoffing foolishness of Judah’s leaders for having a misplaced trust. These rulers had a false hope in their alliance with Egypt for protection against Assyria, and were deceived into believing their “covenant with death” and Sheol (the grave) made them safe. They arrogantly believed the scourge of God’s judgment would not touch them. Yet, Isaiah gave a more fitting narrative in revealing the truth of their condition. They had made “lies” their “refuge,” and in “falsehood” they had taken “shelter.” The prophet urged them to forsake their deception and to turn back to the living God for real hope:

“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’” (Isaiah 28:16)

God’s sure foundation, embodied in Jesus Christ, is the good news that God saves as no one else can. The New Testament apostles, Peter and Paul, both pointed Isaiah’s prophecy to Jesus as being that “sure foundation” and “cornerstone” of truth, declaring “the one who believes in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:4-8, Romans 9:33). Unlike the nervous diplomats of Jerusalem, scurrying about to secure Egypt’s brittle promise of security, believers in Christ have a rock-solid guarantee of salvation that can never be shaken.

The bed of misplaced trust offers no rest, and the blanket of false hope is of no comfort. Isaiah preached that their rejection of God gave them no peace, no rest, and no warmth. Have you ever slept in a bed that was too short, or tried to keep warm with a garment that couldn’t cover you? That’s a picture of the world, working and striving feverishly to gain their bed, only to find out after they lay in it that it is too short and cannot sufficiently warm (Isaiah 28:20). In contrast, the child of God is afforded rest, peace, comfort, and covering by Jesus Christ.

Isaiah gave a final appeal to his people to repent of their scoffing, and to hear and respond to the word of the Lord. God has given us His Word for correction, and His abiding presence of the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts when we have given ourselves to misplaced trust in relationships, formed alliances with fleshly desires over spiritual truth, conformed to the pattern of this world by taking refuge in its lies, and fallen prey to the deception of those false hopes that tell us we can be the author of our own dreams rather than letting God “father” His dreams in our hearts.

God has His ways of rebuking our waywardness and turning our hearts back to the truth. He alone is our security for these unstable times—not political powers, not economic strength, not self-sufficiency or self-promotion, and surely not the reliability of man. Only God merits our trust. He alone is worthy of our dependence. Jesus is the sure foundation which can never be shaken. Think about that as you seek to confront your own refuges of lies and to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for being the only sure foundation in our lives. Holy Spirit, convict us of where we have given ourselves to falsehood, lies, or misplaced reliance. Bring our hearts back to that place of utter surrender and trust in you alone for stability in unstable times. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. Have you ever slept in a bed that was too small? What was that like?
2. Why did the rulers of Jerusalem think they had exempted themselves from the coming destruction? (Isaiah 28:14-15) What did God reveal as the true source of security for His people? (v. 16) What would the people of Israel discover about their supposed refuge? (vv. 17-20)
3. Why do people often feel there is security to be gained outside of God?
4. Where do you tend to take refuge in lies or have a misplaced trust? To what kind of falsehoods or deceptions have you given yourself lately?
5. What is one practical way you could place your sense of security in God?

The post Misplaced Trust and a Covenant with Death appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” —Isaiah 6:8

Have you ever been in a situation in which you felt so much out of place you just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible? In third grade I had one of those situations when my mother signed me up for youth soccer. It didn’t take long at all to know that I was entirely unfit for the occasion—it only took about thirty minutes into the first practice! I didn’t stay on the team too long after that, and I’ve never played “organized” soccer since!

In the sixth chapter of Isaiah, the prophet finds himself caught up in a vision where he feels utterly and entirely unfit for the occasion. As he beholds the awesomeness of the Lord’s throne “high and lifted up” and His glory filling the temple, Isaiah becomes undone by the sense of his own sin and unworthiness to be in such a holy presence. Feelings of uncleanness made him want to run and hide. But this awakened sense of being a sinner in the presence of a holy God is setting him up for something big. As Charles Spurgeon said, “God will never do anything with us till he has first of all undone us.” It’s what happened after that revelation that made all the difference.

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”

Isaiah’s experience with the coals of God’s grace leads him from “Woe is me!” to “Here I am! Send me.” He goes from being convicted of his sin, to being cleansed from its guilt, to being commissioned to serve God’s purposes for his life. He recognized his own sinfulness which exposed him as “unfit” before a holy God, but he also accepted the remedy the Lord Himself provided to make him fit for God’s service. Through the purifying transaction of burning coals from the altar, Isaiah’s “guilt was taken away” and his “sin atoned for.” God declared the remedy for Isaiah’s sin to be sufficient and instantly effective. Now Isaiah is qualified to proclaim the only hope of the world—the overruling grace of God.

This changed everything in Isaiah’s life.

A similar substitutionary transaction takes place in our lives when we confess our unfitness (sinfulness) to God, and accept the fitness of Christ (His righteousness) as a free and gracious gift that cleanses us from all our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 1:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-9). In the midst of that uncleanness and sense of unworthiness, Jesus steps in and declares that He is worthy on our behalf, having become our righteousness and our sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30). In that transaction, everything changes and we become ambassadors of this thing called Amazing Grace.

If we don’t allow God to turn our “woe is me” reality into a “here I am, send me” readiness, we can find ourselves timidly sinking in the mire of victimhood, where shame paralyzes us from walking out that full redemption that Christ’s death and resurrection have secured for our victory. Because Jesus has already conquered our sin through His triumph at the cross, our feelings of being “unfit” don’t get the last word. The coals of His grace still burn with refinement today. Those coals can cleanse you from sin. They can absolve your guilt. They can anoint you to face anxiety, fears, or depression. They can purge the shame and any notion of being unworthy as His child. Those coals can burn away your broken self-image and refine your heart to the image of Christ.

What if you allowed God to take the coals of purification to all of your sin, shame, failure, doubts, fears, sense of inadequacy, and trepidation today? What if you experienced a transaction like Isaiah did, exchanging your unfitness for the fitness of Jesus? What kind of spiritual boldness and missional readiness might the purging coals of the altar set on fire in your life? Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, give us a vision like you gave Isaiah—one that exposes our sin and the depth of our depravity, bringing us to repentance and cleansing. Magnify Jesus in us as being the all-sufficient Savior and Sanctifier, making us fit for every purpose you ordain for our lives. Thank you for this great exchange, Christ’s righteousness for our unrighteousness. In His name we pray, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. If you were a powerful executive and could design your own office, what would your office be like?
2. How did Isaiah describe the awe-inspiring sights around God’s throne? (Isaiah 6:1-4) What can we learn about the nature of God from Isaiah’s vision?
3. How did Isaiah see himself once he had been exposed to God’s glory? (v. 5) Why did he feel unfit in the presence of a holy God? What provision was made for Isaiah’s guilt? (vv. 6-7)
4. How did Isaiah respond to God’s call? (v. 8) What did God want Isaiah to do? (vv. 9-10)
5. With whom could you be accountable to revere the holiness of God in your daily life? How can you follow Isaiah’s example of availability to God, by making yourself ready to be His messenger to others?

The post From “Woe Is Me” to “Here I Am, Send Me” appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength…” —Isaiah 40:31

In my most exhausting days I find myself feeling a lot like Bilbo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring:

“I’m old, Gandalf. I know I don’t look it but I’m beginning to feel it in my heart. I feel thin… sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.”

Lord of the Rings

Maybe you’ve found yourself feeling that way sometimes… worn down, weary, and stretched much too thin. The demands of responsibilities and relationships outweigh the resources banked in your soul. Tiredness is natural, and our life’s work and God-given assignments will inevitably drain us at times (just ask all the mothers you know). But sometimes our fatigue can come from a place of not abiding in Christ’s sufficiency in the daily stuff of life.

We could be burning the candle at both ends for approval of others, misaligned ambition, fear of failure, or that lure of trying to match (perform) those “appearances” we are seeing in everyone else’s social media platforms. One of the surest ways to deplete yourself today is to get caught up in trying to run a race you were never meant to run.

Regardless of where the exhaustion comes from, there is good news for the worn down and tired. God has promised, “I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish” (Jeremiah 31:25).

Isaiah 40 was written to a weary people who likely had some trouble imagining a bright, hopeful, and energetic future. Isaiah’s call went out to comfort those who had been exiled from their homeland. The prophet ascribes the supremacy of God over every pagan religion to which many of Isaiah’s contemporaries had succumbed, and El Elyon’s sovereignty over the cultural gods with which the exiles were surrounded. The “Holy One” of Israel is declared incomparable in “the greatness of his might” (v. 26).

Such a God will never forget even one of his people, and Isaiah has a word for those who would question if their way is “hidden,” “disregarded,” or even forgotten by their God (v. 27)…

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

    the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

    his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

    and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

    and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

    they shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:28-31)

In verse 28, the statement that the Creator “does not faint or grow weary” suggests that there is more to come for the suffering exiles. God has not given up on Israel. He isn’t done yet. He will finish what He has started in her (Philippians 1:6), and those “waiting for the Lord” shall find endless supplies of fresh strength and vitality. The Hebrew phrase here means to hope, to anticipate, to eagerly look for with expectation, and to trust. Think about what that might look like for you as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Everlasting God, you are incomparable in your greatness and able to give strength to the weary and power to the faint. Holy Spirit, teach us to wait upon you for that daily sufficiency in running without getting weary, and eagerly expecting your presence always before us.

Questions for Reflection and/or Group Discussion

1. What sorts of circumstances cause contemporary people to become weak and weary?
2. What wonder of nature did the Holy One use as an example of His power? (Isaiah 40:25-26)
3. How did God respond to Judah’s assertion that He had forgotten them? (vv. 27-28) What were God’s special promises to the weak and weary? (vv. 29-31)
4. Why is it important for us to remember that God is infinitely higher than we imagine ourselves to be?
5. What will it look like for you to “wait for the Lord” this week?

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The post Bilbo Baggins and the Exhausted Soul appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” —Isaiah 7:9

Recent events in our world have left millions struggling with fear, anxiety, and instability. A deadly virus outbreak, political upheavals, violence on the streets, turmoil, broken families, illness, death of loved ones, as well as a pandemic of mental health issues. Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. hit the highest number ever recorded in the year 2020. It’s enough to make even the bravest of souls feel uncertain about the future.

Ahaz was an ancient king facing fear of the unknown and anxiety about what was coming next, as an alliance of adversaries were moving in on his city, Jerusalem. It says, “the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.” But God sent a message from Isaiah to reassure the king not to fear such an attack, for human threats are to be dismissed and divine promises are to be firmly trusted. The prophet bolsters the king with these words:

“If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.”

I’ve heard it said, “God isn’t moved by need; He is moved by faith.” “For the just shall live by faith,” and without such, “we cannot please God” (Hebrews 10:38; 11:1). God wasn’t going to show up for Ahaz simply because he had a need, or just because things had gotten really bad and it was His obligation to the human king; no, God was going to show up because of His own faithfulness—and the king of Judah does well to trust in God’s character (cf. 2 Chronicles 16:9, Luke 18:8). If his heart is aligned with God in faith, he shouldn’t fear any threat of invasion or any battle waged against him.

Scripture tells us that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. If Ahaz isn’t stable in faith, the premise is that every other aspect of his life will be characterized by instability. Even in the face of intimidating adversaries, the southern kingdom still has an opportunity to hold fast to God, but their faith must be firm. Yet when this human king fails to respond to God’s invitation to ask for a sign of hope (vv.10-12), we see the divine King taking initiative in declaring HOPE…

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” —Isaiah 7:14

God invites Ahaz to see beyond his visible circumstances and to trust in the promise of God’s not-so-visible sovereignty. The sign of hope that the Lord gives him is one of a future Messiah. “Immanuel,” meaning “God is with us,” is the message of the sign, and is one of the most famous prophecies pointing toward the birth of Jesus, about 700 years before the Savior was born in Bethlehem. The Lord’s invitation to Ahaz is the same invitation extended to us today: God invites us to trust in His sovereignty and faithfulness over every present hardship and societal uncertainty. He challenges us to see beyond our control and given circumstances, to a bigger picture of hope. That hope is found in the person of Jesus Christ. If you lack that hope today, find out more about how you can know this Messiah here.

One of the most beautiful aspects of God’s faithfulness is that even when we fail to take the initiative to ask for a sign of hope, God Himself takes that initiative for us. When we are feeling fragile and unstable in our faith, we are in a perfect place to receive His grace and His sufficiency. God doesn’t expect us to become firm in our own might; He wants to be our firmness! Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

God, when we find ourselves feeling unstable in this broken world, may your signs of hope and trustworthy promises continue to grant us the firmness we need to abide in you each day. You are the sufficiency in our insufficiency, the strength in our weakness, and the hope in our despair. Thank you for leading us in the way of stability, the firmness of a sincere faith in your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection and/or Group Discussion

1. To whom do people tend to turn when they face difficult circumstances?
2. How was the morale of Judah affected when they heard about the alliance of Aram and Israel? (Isaiah 7:2) What word of encouragement did God send via Isaiah and his son? (vv.3-9)
3. What did God invite Ahaz to do in order to reassure himself? (vv.10-11) Though Ahaz refused to ask for it, what sign did God promise? (vv.12-14)
4. What are some of your first instincts when you are overwhelmed by fear?What are some examples of how God accommodates our fears and weaknesses?
5. What can we learn about God from the fact that He gave a sign that wasn’t even requested? What fear do you need to surrender to God in order not to be controlled by it?

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The post If You Are Not Firm in Faith appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” —Psalm 118:8

I have a friend who likes to ask, “How are you faithing today?” I love that because the definition of “faithing” is the actual practice of a faith; it’s not just the static belief systems that might be attached to our faith, but the dynamic actions, expressions, or movements of our faith. It’s trust in action!

Maybe you’ve heard the story of the man who was walking next to a cliff when he suddenly fell over the edge. Managing to grab a hold of a tree limb hanging from the cliff, desperation is heard in his cry for help. Hanging hundreds of feet off the ground, he pleads repeatedly, “God, please help me” before a voice from the heavens replies: “Do you believe in me?” “Yes, yes,” says the man. “Do you trust me?”, the voice asks. “Yes, please, just help me.” “Then, let go,” the voice commands. Anxiously, the man looks up and says, “Is there anyone else up there I can talk to?” This guy obviously wasn’t faithing very well.

In Isaiah 31, we see God calling His people to stop trusting in man and to begin faithing by trusting in Him during a season of uncertainty. Judah is facing the severe threat of Assyrian invasion, while King Hezekiah’s counselor has recommended that he establish an alliance with Egypt for protection against such a threat. Egypt had a notable stature of military might and collective strength, but their help would only be a false sense of security—for “The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.”

The prophet Isaiah confronts Judah of two sins in particular. First being the sin of trusting in Egypt and their impressive resources, whose “chariots” were “many” and their “horsemen” were “very strong.” Secondly, they were rebuked for the sin of not looking “to the Holy One of Israel” for their salvation in such a time of crisis. How much better to have the heart of the psalmist in Psalm 20:7, when he said, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

Hezekiah’s response to the crisis in a secular approach rather than a spiritual approach would be incriminating. Leaning on human strength would be foolish, as God doesn’t need the help of earthly empires to bring about His wonders in our lives. There is no protection to be found in the mortal forces of Egypt. Trusting in the arm of flesh in a time of crisis will always leave us vulnerably deceived, exposed, and eventually disappointed. God longs to be our refuge, our protection, and our TRUST.

Isaiah assured Judah that “the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man.” Then we read in 2 Kings 19:35 how God simply sent the angel of the LORD and put to death 185,000 Assyrians in one night! It was a victory that had nothing to do with the arm of flesh or the sword of man. God was more than able to protect Judah and Jerusalem. The next thing it says is that the King of Assyria “broke camp and withdrew.” I love that imagery as it pertains to spiritual warfare in our lives.

You want to know how to break the camp of the enemy and put your spiritual nemesis to flight? James put it this way: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Sometimes this submitting and resisting can be interpreted as a two-step process, but I don’t think that’s the proper implication. I believe that both happen synchronously when we do one thing: TRUST in the LORD over our own understanding. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to serve you by “faithing” well during seasons of duress in our lives, to not just give you mental assent in our beliefs, but to truly let go of our inhibitions and fully trust that You will surely take care of us in these times. May that trust lead us into appropriate faith in action in the daily grind of our lives. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for personal reflection, small group discussion, or dinner table conversations:

1. When have you depended on someone only to discover that he or she has let you down? What are some examples of lessons that you have had to learn the hard way?
2. What did Isaiah insist would be the outcome of reliance on Egypt? (Isaiah 31:1-3) To what wild animal did Isaiah compare the Lord’s vengeance against Israel’s enemies? (vv4-9)
3. Why do people often feel there is security to be gained outside of God? How would you describe the symptoms of trusting in the arm of flesh rather than the arm of the Lord?
4. In what ways has God already proven His faithfulness over your life?
5. What is one practical way you could place your sense of security in God? What does “faithing” look like for you this week?

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The post Misplaced Trust: How Are You ‘Faithing’? appeared first on Jimmy Larche.