Isaiah 16

I think the prophesy about Moab's destruction is an interesting backdrop for a brief comment about Messiah's reign (vss 4-5). Maybe it was the faithlessness and hatred of Moab that was intended to be a contrasting background for the faithful and loving rule of Messiah. Moab displayed speed is flouting their arrogance while God's anointed will be quick to act rightly. The focus of the Promised One will be on eternal justice while the people of Moab were a self-serving people. Maybe I'm missing God's point, but like I said this is an interesting passage in which to describe the traits of the Christ.
Stuart

Jeremiah 16-18

Central Indiana and Illinois are in a drought condition.  (Pray for God to send rain)  The grass in our yards is brown, the leaves of many trees hang limp from their branches.  Even the pesky weeds droop from the lack of water.  After a June of abundant rain July, August, and September have been virtually devoid of precipitation.  Every were I look the vegetation is wilting; except those that grow along the creeks, rivers, and ponds.  Those plants continue to flourish because the life blood of water is still available to them.  That is the same image that God explained to Jeremiah about the people of Judah in 17:5-8.  Most had abandoned God and walked out into the wilderness, the desert, of sin.  But some people, like Jeremiah, continued to stay close to God and his standards.  In times of rebellion against God the people of faith will continue to blossom and bear the fruit of grace.  The faithful are an oasis in the barren landscape ruled by sin.  An oasis that should be open for the penitent to enter and drink freely of God’s abundance.

Stuart

Jeremiah 15:10-21

As I was reading the portion of Jeremiah’s writings I caught a glimpse of the struggle that the prophet had with God’s assignment.  By this time in his ministry Jeremiah was not at all happy with either his mission or the “results” of his proclamations.  His was a life of quarrels with everybody.  He had no outstanding debts, but everyone was treating him as if he owed them the world.  As he walked down the street he was met with a continual string of curses.  In verse 18 Jeremiah asks four very emotional questions to God in hopes of understanding the purpose of his life.  From God’s response in verse 19 I believe Jeremiah had thrown in the towel.  He had already quit; giving up on being God’s spokesman; overcome by the grief of his divine assignment.  But God does not easily give up on his chosen spokesman.  As he calls his chosen one back to the task for which he was born he shows that the door is still open.  God promised his a life of protection as well as delivering a very heart-rending and difficult message.  I am so glad that Jeremiah took up the mantle again.

Stuart

Jeremiah 13-15

God gave Jeremiah two object lessons to set before the people of Israel.  The first was the rotten underwear and the second was the smashing wine jars. 

God had intended the people of Israel to cling to him like a pair of underwear (13:11).  Much like the linen under-garments that the priests wore when they ministered in the temple. When his people cling to him their actions and attitudes bring honor and praise to God.  This truth is timeless.  But Jeremiah was told to bury the underwear that he had wore.  After some time God told Jeremiah to retrieve the underwear, which was now rotten because of its contact with the earth, and said that Israel had become just as rotten because of their love of the things of this world.

God said that he was preparing to fill the wine jars of Israel.  But his intentions of filling them was not for their pleasure or through a bountiful harvest.  He would fill the vessels, which are the people of the land, with his wine until they are drunk.  Then he will ruthlessly smash those wine jars until they are totally destroyed (13:14).  Smashing empty wine jars would be messy enough, but there would be no waste of the years of labor.  Smashing the jars full of wine makes a bigger mess and also trashes the harvest for which the people had worked and toiled.  Not only was God describing the punishment but the harvest, i.e. the families, would also be caught in the destruction.

Both of these warnings can be taken corporately or individually.

Stuart

Jeremiah 9-11

In 10:15-16 God declares his pain because of Israel’s evil actions.  He asks the very pointed question; “Do they think they can prevent disaster by making promises and by offering animal sacrifices?”  It seems that the people of Judah were trying to following the letter of the Law, offering the sacrifices and speaking the words God had commanded, but not adjusting their lifestyles to reflect those traits God had intended the sacrifices and promises to create in their lives.  They were not loving God alone.  They had forgotten the meaning of dependence and grace that were imbedded in the temple sacrifices.  The people were so focused on earning their salvation, by living out God’s checklist, that they were rejecting that which God was seeking from them; a fellowship with God. They missed the very thing that he had intended those pious acts to create.

Stuart

Isaiah 13

What is it like when God reveals his anger. In one word Isaiah summarizes the experience; terrible. We have all felt earthquakes. The ground's violent shakes are terrifying to even the most tolerant of people. But who has experienced a heaven-quake? That is what God promises in verse 13. We have seen the impact on the physical world when an earthquake hits, but what will be the results in the physical realm when God shakes the heavens?
Stuart

Jeremiah 7-9

What does God tell his prophet that he wants his people to do to please his? In 9:23-24 he tells them to stop boasting in the things they have accumulated: wisdom, strength, or wealth. They should boast about the depth of their relationship with God. When they understand and act in line with God's faithfulness then their lives will be pleasing to God. I wonder if this is the passage Paul had in mind when he spoke about boasting in 2 Corinthians 13?

Stuart

Isaiah 11

This must have been a confusing sermon for the people of Judah. First Isaiah spoke about God's coming judgment, now he speaks of a kingdom of harmonious peace. How could Isaiah be speaking of a new king when a son of David was already sitting on the throne? Why would God refer to a road out of Assyria when none of God's people were in captivity? How would these words have been received?  No matter how hard you listen you won't understand (6:9). That was God's earlier message to Judah.
Stuart

Titus

Before giving Titus his final greeting Paul summarized how the lives of the believers whom Titus was shepherding should be focus. Doing good. With such a vague description Paul opens the door very wide. Our activities can consist of many number of expressions of ourselves as long as the focus and product are good. Something that builds up is good. Something that is creative is good. Anything the re-enforces the message of the Gospel; that's good as well. Living lives that produce good is not too hard. The challenge comes when self gets in the way.
Stuart

Isaiah 9

James writes in his letter that the tongue is like a wildfire (Jas 3:6). In this chapter Isaiah compares the wickedness of the people of Israel to a fire that is out of control (vs 18). He condemns their evil lives and explains that God's plan for their punishment is a back fire; fighting fire with fire (vs 19).
Stuart

Isa 6

What a message to be given to share with the church; "No matter how hard you apply yourself to living out my Law it will not make any sense to you!" That would not make for highly attended sermons. Sometimes that is the message God has for his church as well. Sometimes I wonder if that is God's message to me.
Stuart

Isaiah 5

What kind of vine am I? Do I produce the sweet grapes of grace or the sour grapes of selfishness? Am I thankful for all that God has given me or indifferent to his abundance? How do I show my faith to the world? How am I being used to advance God's kingdom around me but also inside of me? These are the questions that the song of the Vineyard inspire me to ask myself.
Stuart

Job 28-30

In 29:24-25 Job summarized his past expressions of compassion to the oppressed. It shows a dramatic contrast to the efforts of his "comforters". Job brought to them a face of cheer. I picture a sincere smile regardless of the suffering one's condition. The smell of death may have lingered near but Job sought to offer hope that would build confidence. In a time when death seemed closer to each illness and accident an unending smile must have been a very welcomed sight. The second expression of Job was leading the charge for comfort. I expect that when Job responded to a person in need he seldom came alone. His well run enterprise was probably a model of contemporary efficiency. Maybe his action where like neighbors joining together to plant or harvest a disabled farmer's fields. Or a group of women descending on the house of bedridden mother to cook and clean in her place. We often remember Job's patient endurances through his sufferings which we are challenged to imitate. Yet we should also recount his active compassion and seek way to incorporate those traits in our everyday lives as well.
Stuart

Isaiah 3

No one can say that God does not give warnings. I'm not sure how his message to Judah, given decades before it came to pass, could have been any clearer. With all of this history on God's side the warnings to modern people are equally as stark. I need to be sharing those warnings.
Stuart

Job 25-27

Bildad's proclamation in verse 7 that God hung the earth in emptiness makes complete sense to modern people. But I wonder how the people before telescopes and rocket ships understood this thought? They knew that the sky was immense and no matter how hard they tried they could not touch Its limits. But the sky was not empty. Even the least educate could witness the stars that filled the night sky. These looked no further away than the birds that replaced them during the day. The sun and moon which followed the same mysterious path never collided. I wonder what  those ancient believers might have understand this emptiness to be?
Stuart

Psalm 122

God's house has always been a place of order and harmony. It is interesting to note that the temple and the city of Jerusalem both seem to be displayed as God's house. But I wonder if we can move this forward to the church. For since Jesus' resurrection that has been set forth as God's house. I wonder we can replace the word "Jerusalem" in this psalm with "the church" and still be true to the message God sought to convey.
Stuart

Psalm 121

Psalm 121asks us to question the source of our help. Is it from the fortress or from God who stands behind his temple? I find myself often trusting in the fortresses around me rather than in God who established the fortress. I need God's help to overcome that failing.
Stuart

Psalm 120

I wonder if the psalmist knew someone from Meshech and Kedar? Or was he only speaking in terms of rumors. Were they a warrior people? Or were they like the first century Cretans; "Cretans are always liars, wicked beasts, and lazy gluttons." (Titus 1:13). What was it about those people from Meshech and Kedar that turned off this psalmist. In knowing their traits I have a better understanding of what I need to avoid.
Stuart

Job 18-19

In 19:23-24 Job stated his desire for someone to record hIs words. But he doesn't say why he wants them recorded. Was it from his fear that he would be forgotten? Or maybe that eventually God would display his innocence and prove his words justified. I wonder if this request came back to haunt Job?

Stuart

Job 11-14

Job lived in a time when people had forgotten who God is. Somehow Job and his friends had received bits and pieces of God's nature revealed. In spite of his limited knowledge of God Job had a great faith. His years of worship through humility and sacrifice had given him the confidence to speak to God, and of God, as his friend. So when he says his dispute is with God Job may have inflamed his friends' indignation God would not have been put off by such a comment. The Almighty was already preparing a new revelation for Job; as the God who hears and speaks with man.
Stuart

Psalm 119:145-160

In verse 147 and 148 the psalmist lays down a principle for the quiet times in our lives; surrender to God. Before the sun rises I need to declare my dependence on God. If I wake up in the night I should ponder God's revealed truths. These disciplines are exactly what we need to develop in our lives.
Stuart

Psalm 119:113-128

The psalmist declares God's sure defense and protection in verse 114. He reminds us that God's promises can be the foundation of our hope. If God's promises in the Law can anchor a lifetime of hope then what might his promises based on his grace provide?
Stuart

Job 1-3

Those trials that Job faced threatened to overwhelm him. He lost almost everything that came from his labor plus the children he had raised. He knew God was the great provider but he saw no divine provisions in these most recent events. Since he would not blame God he sought to find an end to his misery. And the only escape he saw was through death. But he knew that was God's domain as well. So he sought that release from his Lord. Job is an example to me; when trials seem to be overwhelming turn you attention to God our provider.
Stuart

Psalm 119:97-112

There are two paths of life that expose us to wisdom. The ways of age. Through the trials, failures, and victories in life we develop wisdom. Not complete wisdom but that which will guide through similar situations. The observance and submission to God's law (vs 100). The psalmist points out that because of his faithfulness to God's law he possesses greater wisdom than is available through age.  Because God's wisdom will guide us through experiences that we have never encountered before. By carefully adhering to God's revelation we will be made ready in ways we can never understand by human experience as wisdom.
Stuart

Psalm 119:81-96

The phrase of verse 96 is a wonderful picture regarding creation. Everything in creation is limited. Both secular and Christians scientists would agree with that statement. There is not one thing in creation that does not have a known limit; except time. Yet God's word escapes our understanding. Its wisdom is without end. And that baffles me. How could a limited vocabulary overflow with an unending fountain of knowledge and wisdom? I believer the author wrote it that way.
Stuart

Esther 8-10

The spiritual battles going on in the palace were hidden from most people.  In the same way the story of Esther neglects the details of the reactions of the Jewish population.  In 4:3 we are told  that the announcement of destruction led to fasting and mourning by all the Jew of the Persian empire.  But how would I have reacted to the announcement of a death sentence in 11 months?  Yet when we consider the time line as events unfolded it was less than a week between the first announcement and the second.  The reaction of the Jews to the second announcement is shared in 8:16-17.  How many realized that their prayers and fasting had moved God into action so quickly?  Would I have seen God’s hand at work?  In that year there were two feasts of Purim; one in the first month, and the second in the twelfth month.  God had turned a tragedy into his triumph.

Stuart

Esther 4-7

It was a queen that illustrates the risks and rewards of civil disobedience.  Because of her conviction to act on behalf of the Jewish people chapter 4 tells us that Queen Esther chose to violate the law of approaching the king.  She did not do this impulsively or with a proud spirit.  She prepared for her civil disobedience with 3 days of prayer and fasting and a call to the other Jews to do the same.  I wonder if many other Jews in captivity had approached their civil disobedience in the same manner.  I think this is an excellent example for Christians to follow as well.

Stuart