December 8 – Redeemed to be Heirs

“Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.” – Ruth 4:14 (NASB)

A short book of four chapters which recounts a beautiful story of God’s promise to watch and care for His people. Naomi, returns from Moab with her daughter-in-law to Bethlehem, her home town. With nothing left and having lost all in the death her husband and both sons. Ruth, now a believer in the God of Naomi is a Moabite and widow of Naomi’s son Mahlon. The story is one of redemption by a close relative named Boaz. Boaz takes the legal steps to claim the land belonging to Naomi’s late husband Elimelech. God provided this means of preserving a family who had lost all claim to the land through the death all their men. In the same way our Lord God has not left us by providing a redeemer for us in Jesus Christ. All who believe are now promised to be co-heirs with Jesus of all of that is His (Romans 8:17-18). Boaz marries Ruth and they have a son, Obed. It is Obed who cares for Naomi and Ruth in their old age and is the father of Jesse, the father of King David of Israel from whose line Jesus of Nazareth is born.

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July 26 – He Knows Best

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, 
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go.” – Isaiah 48:17 (NASB)

These words were delivered by God's prophet Isaiah and we apply them to our lives today because we believe that what is given to us in the Bible is for our edification, instruction, and correction. God wants to teach us what is best for us. When He says that, He reminds us that He knows what is best for us. We need to always remember that truth. It is true that God sent Isaiah the Profit to give these words to the people of Israel. They had difficult time obeying God’s Words. It was frequent that God had to discipline and hold them accountable and he was always do so to teach them the way He wanted them to go. Our God knows everything about everybody and He know what is best for each and every individual. It is so very encouraging to know that God is concerned enough about each one of us that He gets involved in teaching us what He knows is best for us.  He does not leave us to figure out the path of our lives on our own. So what do we do? We want to pay attention to His teaching.

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June 26 – When The End Is Not That

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God.” – Job 19:25-26 (NASB)

Yes, we are focusing a bit on suffering these past three days. But we should not be surprised to know that suffering for Christ’s sake is promised each believer. Our portion will be according to the will of God. Job suffered for God to a degree none of us could imagine. In Job 2:7 we read that Satan “smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” Yet in the circumstance of his skin peeling off and turning black from decay, Job held on fast that he would see God in his flesh – that means after his death he believed in his resurrection by God. He believed that God who was allowing him to suffer so severely was also his Redeemer God. Eventually He will rule all taking His stand on the earth. The scripture we have received from God is His inspired word and is perfect. Nothing that ever happens to God’s family of faith believers will last even if it brings death. When hope for life is no more, we have confidence that God will resurrect our bodies and conform them to perfection as His body is perfect.  

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June 29 – Teaching and Directing

”Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 (ESV)

If you are a regular follower of this blog, we thank you. If you are just finding it, we thank you as well.  The verse for today is a message through the prophet Isaiah from God to His people in ancient times. God was continually reminding the nations of Israel and Judah who He was and who they were. He redeemed them, brought them out of Egypt and gave them the Promised Land. The promise and truth are good for us today as well. Israel's God is also our God and He does not change.  His word is perfect and it lasts forever. His teaching benefits us, it is to our profit to listen and to follow. God knows what is best for us and the right way is for us to go. If we trust Him, He will teach us what is best and direct us where we should go. This is true no matter where we are, no matter what our situation, no matter what circumstances we are facing. God is actively involved in our lives and He knows what is best for us.  Look to him today for the guidance and direction we need.

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July 26 – Following His Lead

“Thus says the Lord,  your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.”  Isaiah 48:17 (ESV)

God, who is our God, is the only true God and is who we worship.  He has a real desire to be involved in the things which we do everyday.  When God promises, as He does in today's selected verse, to teach us what is best for us, we can be encouraged to trust Him to guide us each day.  God does know everything and He assures us that He does know what is best for us.  Therefore, let us be sure that we are putting our trust in Him to show us what is best and to give us the ability to trust Him for every thing in our lives.  Our specific promise today is that the Lord our God is leading and teaching us to profit – which means finding the benefits available to us from God and we end up with a better result than if we go it alone.  Every step we take following God's leading will be the very best for us to take today, tomorrow and whenever we follow where He leads us.

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July 26 – Follow the Leader

“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”  Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)

As we often reflect, we are so glad that our God has spoken to His people through prophets who could record His statements.  And, we are thankful that the words they recorded have been preserved and passed on to us in a form we can read and learn. The Lord tells us in today's verse that He has our welfare in mind in all His dealings with us.  He knows what is best for us.  He knows also how we should live and how we should act in order to arrive at what is best for us.  Not only does God know what is best for us. He is involved in showing us how to get where we need to be and to arrive at what is best for us.  He is also involved in showing us how to pay attention to His leading through what He is teaching us.  He promises to be our guide so let's let him lead and let's follow. 

July 26 – He Knows Best

“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God,  who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”” Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)

These words today were delivered by God's prophet Isaiah and we apply them to our lives today because we believe that is why they are in the Bible. God wants to teach us what is best for us. When He says that, He reminds us that He knows what is best for us. We need to always remember that truth. Our God knows everything about everybody and He know what is best for each and every individual. It is so very encouraging to know that God is concerned enough about each one of us that He gets involved in teaching us what He knows is best for us.  He does not leave us to figure out the path of our lives on our own. So what do we do? We want to pay attention to His teaching. 

June 29 – Teaches and Directs

”This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go” Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)

If you are a regular follower of this blog, we thank you. If you are just finding it, we thank you as well.  The verse we chose for today is again a message from God to His people in ancient times through the prophet Isaiah. The promise and truth are good for us today as well. Israel's God is also our God and He does not change and His word is perfect and it lasts forever. God does know what is best for us and what the right way is for us to go. If we trust Him, He will teach us what is best and direct us where we should go. This is true no matter where we are, no matter what our situation, no matter what circumstances we are facing. God is actively involved in our lives and He knows what is best for us.  Let's look to him today for the guidance and direction we need. 

April 4 - Able In Every Circumstance

“Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.” Jeremiah 50:34a (NIV)

There is so much in the Bible to give us encouragement as we live our lives and there is nothing that encourages us more than to be reminded what kind of God we have. The setting of this verse is from the perspective of those who were left to live in Jerusalem when all the rest were carried off in captivity to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. And though these words are about how God cared for His people in this time of the Old Testament, we can believe that these words also apply to the way God helps us who trust in Him these days. Yes, it is encouraging to know that our Redeemer is strong and that He is all-powerful. When we face problems in our lives and are unable to handle things by ourselves we learn that it is God who is able in every circumstance. When we trust him to do it, he will do it vigorously. That’s encouraging, isn’t it?

February 28 - Directs You in the Way

“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)

It is true that this promise was given to a special people, the people of Israel. We know though that when Jesus came he came to open the way for all peoples to join the family of God. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior we are now children of God and He deals with us as our verse today tells us. Yes, we can trust God to teach us what is best for us and to guide us in the way we should go. He does all this for us because He loves us. This promise is so valuable because we can trust God to know what is the best for each of us. If he knows what is best and then shows us what is best we don’t need to worry. We need only to look to Him to show us. He is the Lord our God who teaches us what is best for us and directs us in the way we should go. Let’s go the way He leads us. 

January 11

“Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name.” Jeremiah 50:34a (NIV)

These words were written to encourage God’s people of Israel during the time that is referred to as the Babylonian Captivity. Since Jeremiah was writing about the same God whom we serve we can take this message for ourselves. God has not changed and He never will. The God whom we serve has several names to express His character. The name in our verse today is Lord Almighty and it expresses His power and his ability. We need never wonder if God is able to keep His promises to us. So my friend, always remember that the God whom you serve is able to meet all your needs. Nothing is too hard for Him. If what you are praying for is in line with His will, He can and will do it for you.