“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken.
9 And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out his soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:1-12
Today’s Christian daily devotional
Oy vey. Living in a large metropolitan city such as Chicago has its unique challenges. They go much deeper than hailing a cab during rush hour, muddling through snide interactions with postal employees and finding enough quarters to cover parking–while still having enough change left to pay off your college tuition.
In a city this big, it is rare to find a heart that seems to be genuinely searching for God. A quick stroll down Michigan Avenue will give you a very clear snapshot about the state of where most of our hearts are at today.
Sadly, this epidemic is not only contained within city limits; the whole nation has been swiftly declining toward this materialistic trend. Our god can be found at the mall or can even be purchased over the phone with a credit card. America, as a whole, seems to worship whatever makes us feel good at that particular moment.
Whatever we chose to worship with our time, love and life; it is vital to keep this truth in mind: If it isn’t God, it still isn’t GOD.
If you have had the rare pleasure of finding a person who is bold enough to actually claim that he or she believes, worships, loves and prays to God without shame; I can guarantee that a few people will be snickering behind this individual’s back, if not to their actual face! It is an uncommon quality to make a public stand for God these days.
No matter how many times Moses, Abraham or Elijah warned the Israelites, nothing seemed to quell their desire to merge. In sad irony, those very people also seemed to be set on conquering, oppressing and even annihilating the Jewish nation altogether.
Much like the Israelites who escaped Egypt to follow God into the unknown shelter of the barren desert; God’s people today seem share in this all-too familiar struggle with this insatiable need to “blend in” with pagan idol worshipers.
Many justify this treason by soothing themselves with the notion that God does not need defending. It is true that God doesn’t need man for anything. But, man certainly needs the protection of Him. When we deny God we actually short ourselves; because we are denying the protection that only God is able to provide.
God promised in His word that His people would always be a “peculiar people”. This title can be a bit uncomfortable and seem unflattering to anyone who refuses to look past its immediate knee-jerk-negative-connotation. Let me gently remind you–the label of being “God’s people” is always a blessing, it is never a curse; no matter what “peculiar” paper it is wrapped in.
God made it very clear to the Jewish people that He would be sending the Messiah in human form to be birthed out of the lineage of King David. In Isaiah 53, the Bible paints a very vivid picture of what the Jewish people should be looking for in their expected Messiah.
I challenge you to read Isaiah 53:1-12 with an open mind and heart. Whom do YOU think matches this profile in Jewish history? (Please take into consideration that this Messianic prophecy was written about 700-750 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.)
What is the name of the god that you worship? When your life is finished, you alone will be accountable for your answer. I recommend giving this very serious matter some very serious consideration on this side of eternity. No one who has ever lived has escaped the cold reality of the grave. There is, of course, one exception—His name was JESUS.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I have always claimed to believe in a god, but the devil says the same thing and we all know where he will end up for eternity.
I know that you are a just God, a righteous judge. There is no corruption in you, and you cannot be “bought” or “sold” with good deeds or money. Those temporary trinkets are useless to you.
You are a God of hearts. You see past the exterior of a man, and look straight into his heart. Lord, you know I have been trying to quiet that nagging feeling in my heart. The one that has been telling me that I am just not good enough. I know I am not the worst of sinners, but I certainly am not the best of them, either. At any rate, you require perfection.
This idea of perfection scares me so much. I know I will never be able to attain it. But, I see by reading Isaiah 53:1-12 that you sent Jesus the Messiah to suffer and atone for the sins of humanity.
If He paid for my sins with His suffering, then I will accept it. I know a gift that is not received is not mine. So, today I am claiming my salvation. I am calling Jesus my Lord. I am asking Him into my heart.
Lord, I know I am a sinner beyond human repair. The only thing that can heal me is God Himself. Jesus came as Jehovah Rappha, the God who heals. I accept His sacrifice on my behalf.
Let the blood that Jesus shed pour out over my life of sins, and atone for them. Help me to feel the cleansing power of that blood, and give me a conscience that is so clean with forgiveness that I will never doubt the work that God has done to me through Jesus.
Thank you for my salvation. His name is Jesus. He is the Messiah that so many are still in search of. Help me to lead others to the light. Let the scales fall off the eyes of all who have not seen yet that Jesus is the Messiah. In Jesus’ name, let my light shine brightly, Amen.”
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we behold His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” John 1:17-18
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25
“But whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But, whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verses: Isaiah 53:1-12, Isaiah 53, John 11:25, John 1:17-18, John 1:14 and Matthew 10:32-33.
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan