Jesus taught that all scripture testifies about him so that in him we might have life (John 5v39-40). King David taught that it is only by living according to God's word that we're kept on the right path (Psalm 119v9). What then could be better than reading the entire Bible? Click the menu to read about the program, choose a month or Bible book - or just work through the blog posts day by day.
BEGIN WITH PRAYER
"Lord open my eyes and my heart."
Read slowly so that you take in. And as you do, turn your heart to God, thanking him for the good you discover and praying his will home for you, your family, your church and the world.
Wisdom to chew on
Understanding to grow in
Again, the LORD promises restoration for Israel after experiencing exile because of his wrath at his people's sin. It comes with a promise that they will never have to drink the cup of his wrath again, and that their salvation will lead to the LORD being acknowledged as he goes before and behind them as they return. This is the context to the most famous servant song from 52v13. It hints that the servant may be the LORD himself as a man. What is more clear is that he is a king. Although despised and rejected, he is "a tender shoot," which refers to the beginnings of a new kingly tree (see 11v1). But this king will be marked out by suffering because he will win his victory by giving himself as a sin offering to be punished by God in the place of his people. Yet he will be satisfied in this, because by meeting the demands of God's justice in his death, he will make it possible for God to justify (declare righteous) the unrighteous, so that they can be accepted by him. And despite having died for sin, the king will be raised from death to see these people - "his offspring," administer God's will amongst them, and share his inheritance with them - a hint at all the blessing of life in the new creation. It's an astonishing prophecy, that clarifies that the ultimate return from exile comes through death and resurrection, by which the faithful, whether from 700BC, the time of Christ, or today, are delivered and brought into the kingdom of the Messiah. As you read, note what this salvation will mean for God's people.
Isaiah 51:17-53:12
Isaiah 51:17-53:12
Finish this reading by pausing to ask yourself:
1) What’s the main thing it teaches me about God or his purposes in Christ? Then praise him for this.
2) What’s the main thing it teaches me about his will for me or the world? Then pray that home.
Devotion to offer up
You could read this aloud and perhaps as a springboard to further prayer.