Isaiah 53:9 Really Amazes Me!

Isaiah 53 is a prophecy of Christ, and when I was reading it the other day, one verse really blessed me. I genuinely can’t understand why anyone doubts the validity of Christ’s atoning death when Scripture offers so many details of His life thousands of years before He came to earth.

For example, verse 9:

 

“He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.”

Not only does this prophecy explain that Jesus was “assigned a grave with the wicked”—crucified as a common criminal in a most evil way. It also prophesies that He would have a grave with the rich because the rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, gave Jesus his tomb (Matthew 27:57-60).

Christ fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies like this. (source)

One expert calculated that the chance of anyone fulfilling that many prophecies is one chance in 100,000,000,000,000,000, and he offered this analogy: 

 

If the state of Texas were covered with 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars, they would be two feet deep. If one coin were marked and a blindfolded person, without knowing where the marked coin was, found it on his first try, that would compare to someone fulfilling all the Old Testament prophecies Jesus fulfilled. (source)

 

Impossible! Unless you are the Son of God. 

Only a fool would claim there’s not enough proof to believe in Christ!

 

For more encouragement, see Why We Trust a Bible “Written by Men” and check out the wonderful symbolism of Jesus in the Old Testament.

 

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Gratitude Gives Us a Healthy Perspective

Gratitude is important for a healthy attitude toward God and others. These three one-minute devotions offer insights and encouragement! 

There Are Always Reasons to Be Thankful

Thankfulness prepares our hearts for true prayer, fellowship, and worship—and also makes us healthier. 

Gratitude Attitude 

Secular studies confirm what God has been saying all along. This one-minute devotion explains gratitude from a biblical perspective.

 

 

3 Steps That Can Change Your Life

When you start to judge God because of difficult circumstances, let these three verses change your focus.

 

 

Free Subscription to 1-Minute Bible Love Notes. Have a one-minute devotion like this one delivered to your email each weekday.

10 Reasons You'll Love the Book Wisdom for Life. A collection of 100 one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and a great gift for people who love God's Word.

Full Description of the Book Lies in Disguise. A much-needed book to uncover half-truths that misuse Scripture and weaken Christian faith.

 

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When "Interpretation" Means "Lie"

In Reject Propaganda About Salvation, I explained that it was a lie to claim salvation was based on good works. 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

But one reader wrote and mocked me for thinking that “my interpretation of the Bible is the only true interpretation.”

 

When someone says there are different interpretations of basic Bible truths, they are claiming that the Bible is like a puzzle that can be put together to form contradictory beliefs. 

 

Colossians 2:8 calls this “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” 

Because this “interpretation” excuse has grown in popularity, especially in the trendy “progressive/ex-vangelical” movement, it's important to understand how to respond. 

 

We can start by “agreeing” that there are some things in Scripture that can be interpreted differently. For example, Christians can hold different views about how communion is handled, how holidays are celebrated, whether people should drink alcohol, etc. (Romans 14).

 

But important doctrines and commands presented in Scripture are easily understood and non-negotiable. They aren't suggestions. They aren't optional. If we believe in the God of the Bible, we accept them. 

 

Redefining Bible truths isn't called “interpretation.” It’s called lying. 

 

So the next time you hear this excuse, graciously explain that when Scripture clearly presents truth, it needs no interpretation.  

To see how popular this claim has become with some well-known false teachers, see Wilderness Wanderers. 

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Don't Do These 3 Things When Someone Is Suffering!

 

When Christians face difficulties, we know that this earthly life will one day be over, and we can “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). 

But that doesn't mean suffering is easy for any of us. God wants us to be sympathetic, loving, and compassionate (1 Peter 3:8). 

Let's pray that we can help those who are suffering and avoid these three common mistakes:

1. Don't avoid people because you don't know what to say. 

We can mourn with those who mourn simply by being present and showing them we care (Romans 12:15).

2. Don't recite Romans 8:28 unless they bring it up. 

There may be a time to remind them of this wonderful truth, but immediately after a loss it can come across as if we're underestimating their pain.

3. Reject “Christian karma.” 

This is the belief that when something bad happens, the person must have done something to deserve it. But Christianity and Karma Are Not Compatible, and God rebuked Job's Friends for this unkind belief. 

When we “carry each other’s burdens,” we “fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). And the most important thing we can do—the thing that's always helpful and wise—is to pray for those who are suffering (1 Timothy 2:1).

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See Christianity and Karma Are Not Compatible and Job's Judgmental Friends for a deeper understanding of these errors.  

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Salt, Sword, and Grace

In our confused and troubled world:

 

We're called to be salty...

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13

 

Salt is a preservative, and sharing the salt of the gospel helps us preserve people's lives from the decay and spoilage of immorality and unbelief. Salt also seasons food, and we seek to season the world with Christ's wisdom and love. 

We're called to be armed...

Let's arm ourselves with the sword of the Spirit (Hebrews 4:12), correctly understanding God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15).  

 

We're called to offer grace...

 

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 

 

We never soften God's truth even though people might reject it, but we share it as graciously as possible. 

Our goal is to see people “come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

“In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16

Salt, sword, and grace!

 

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For more on this subject, see Are We Called to Seek Peace or Speak Truth? and Political Anger.

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Eat the Comb

Little yellow bees, flowers, pollen, hives, queens, and workers … have you ever thought about the marvelous process of honey-making? 

We serve a Creator-Designer who hardwired complexity and beauty into everything.

Honey is no ordinary substance. It’s sweeter than sugar and contains trace vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s used in some beauty products because it's a natural humectant that’s good for skin. Studies show it’s also effective in treating some cold and sore throat symptoms.

Natural, healing, nutritious, sweet, pleasant—what a great picture of God’s Word:

The decrees of the LORD are firm,

and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:9-10

When the psalmist compares God's decrees to the honeycomb, he is comparing them to the most natural and sweetest form of honey, straight from the hive.

Those who are hungry for truth understand the sweetness of God's Word, and lest we miss this truth in Psalm 19, we find it 100 chapters later with more praise for the way it guides and protects us:

How sweet are your words to my taste,

    sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I gain understanding from your precepts;

    therefore I hate every wrong path.

Psalm 119:103-104

Let's take time today to marvel at our Creator and taste the sweetness of His Word. 

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To read about another food compared to God's Word, see Collect It Daily.

Click the image to find out more about Wisdom for Life, a hardcover devotional priced lower than most paperbacks.

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Our Priorities Reveal Our Faith

True Christianity affects every area of our lives, giving us God's priorities. 

Whatever we do, we should work at it with all our heart, “as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23).

We should seek to do things according to His commands and values, making sure we spend time with Him in His Word and prayer (1 John 5:3; Proverbs 8:34).

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else...” Matthew 6:33 

God has ministry plans for all of us (Ephesians 2:10), but He never expects us to neglect our family's needs to serve Him (Matthew 15:1-9; 1 Timothy 5:8; Ephesians 6:1-4). 

The Lord also places importance on our spiritual family, the body of Christ. 

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 (emphasis mine)  

We should never underestimate the witness we have when we love our biological and spiritual family as God designed. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (emphasis mine)

So let's share the gospel, help the needy, and do good works in Christ's name, but let's never forget that how we treat our family and our fellow believers is an important part of our witness! 

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I encourage you to read Rolling Right – Determining Your God-Given Priorities for additional insights.

 

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Let Joy Fill You! — Part 5

Joy is such an important aspect of our faith in Christ. Let these three one-minute devotions add some joy to your day. 

 

Make a Joyful Noise

Do you know what it means to make a joyful noise daily? It's not always related to singing. This one-minute devotion explains. 

 

 

Secret Joy 

Check out this short devotion about a man who had incredible faith and changed the lives of thousands of orphans. 

 

We Need It: Joy

This one-minute devotion offers five wonderful truths about Christian joy. Read it and rejoice!

 

Don't miss these other collections. Each collection includes three one-minute devotions about joy.

Joy in Jesus Is Healthy – Part 1
Discover how biblical joy can make you healthier!!

Joy Is Healthy and Fun – Part 2
Ponder some of the fun and healthy aspects of biblical joy.

Joy in All Circumstances – Part 3
Biblical joy and worldly happiness differ greatly. These devotions offer insights to enjoy!

Joy and More Joy – Part 4
Spend a few minutes reflecting on the wonderful subject of biblical joy!

💙 If you enjoy one-minute devotions like these, please check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is for sale on Lifeway and Amazon.  

And please sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

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The Meaning of Biblical Courage

“Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s doing the right thing even when you’re afraid.” ~ Michael Purath

My husband and I were discussing courage when he offered this excellent explanation. I later discovered a similar “cowboy version” by John Wayne: “Courage is being scared to death … and saddling up anyway.”

At first I thought “scared to death” went beyond godly fear until I read 2 Corinthians 1:8, where Paul says, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.”

 
Then comes verse 9, the most important part:
“Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”

 

Fear can have a protective purpose, warning us of danger. But it will lead us down unhealthy paths if we don't take it to the Lord for comfort and guidance.

The book of Psalms offers hundreds of examples where the psalmists come to God to unload their fears and reload their faith. (See Unloading and Reloading.)

A common fear in our present age is fear to speak God’s truth boldly, knowing we may be hated for doing so. So, as Paul explained, let’s remember not to rely on ourselves but to put our trust in God. (See Truth with Love, Love with Truth.)

Courage is doing the right thing even when we're afraid. So, let's “saddle up” and speak truth.

 

If you want help in identifying false teachings and speaking truth, I encourage you to check out the book Lies In Disguise. It's packed with Scripture, and it addresses many of the false teachings that have crept into the church. 

 

I hope you will read this post about Halloween – Halloween: Pagan Celebration or Childlike Fun? 

 

 

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5 Ways Our Faith Is a Walk

We rest in the Lord, but we never stand still, turn back, or aimlessly stroll.

Faith is a step-by-step, day-by-day, minute-by-minute, deliberate walk in the right direction, choosing the narrow path at every crossroads.

It's not sitting or standing. It's walking.

1. A walk in humility

“What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

2. A walk in obedience

“Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him.” Deuteronomy 8:6

3. A walk away from immorality

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” Psalm 1:1

4. A walk in the good works God has prepared

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

5. A walk in fellowship with Christ

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

When we walk in faith, we go through the small gate and walk the narrow road “that leads to life” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Let's keep walking! 

See Narrow Road Scenery for more insights on this subject.

💙 Be sure to check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It's for sale on Lifeway and Amazon. 

And you can also sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes one-minute devotions HERE.

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