Isaiah's View of Himself

Most Christians are familiar with Isaiah 6:8, where Isaiah says, “Here am I. Send me!”

He’s responding to God’s call, but it’s important that we understand the context in the whole sixth chapter of Isaiah.

When God first speaks, Isaiah feels unworthy. This is an important element of true faith. Isaiah wasn’t involved in the sins that were destroying the nation, or God wouldn’t have appeared to him. But Isaiah understood that he was still a sinner. Humility and awareness are needed to faithfully do God’s work. If we genuinely understand the purity and perfection of our Lord and genuinely understand the principles in His Word, we’ll be serious about dealing with our sins. 

After God symbolically showed Isaiah that his sins were covered and his heart was right, Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!”

 

There are many pastors and teachers who start out on a good foundation, but along the way, they become proud, lose their concern for their personal sins, and damage their ministry.

 
Those who are qualified to teach and share God’s judgments against sin are those who first judge themselves biblically (Matthew 7:1-5), carefully and prayerfully dealing with their sins. Philippians 2:12-13 puts it this way: “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

 

Let's never lose our desire to please God with our lives as well as our words. 

Tomorrow I’ll share some additional truths from Isaiah 6.

 

 

 

Are You Awesome or Broken?

The 1970s book I'm OK—You're OK was a best-selling psychological self-help book which most Christians would recognize as psychobabble.

Over the next few decades, as psychology increasingly promoted self-esteem philosophy, our culture shifted from “I'm OK” to “I'm awesome.”

And when someone believes they're awesome, they expect to be treated that way.

No wonder we see so many divorces, family estrangements, church splits, and workplace difficulties. 

The truth is this: I'm not awesome and you're not awesome. I'm broken and you're broken, and we need God to fix us. 

When we become Christians, we recognize this and realize our need to renew our hearts and minds in Christ (Ephesians 4:20-24; Philippians 2:12-13). You could say we are in recovery and making progress, but we're not perfect yet. That won't happen until we see Christ face-to-face.

We learn to have a realistic view of ourselves (Romans 12:3) and a deep desire “that [our] love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that [we] may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).

Most importantly, we understand that God is awesome and we aren't: 

“For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.” Psalm 47:2  

 

And we make it our goal to honor Him, not ourselves: 

 

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17

 

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For more insights into this subject, see Jesus Rescues Junk Like Me and Awesome, Really? 

 

Lies in Disguise offers insights into the self-esteem movement and how it has promoted false teachings in the church. And that is just one of the subjects addressed in this helpful book. Find out more about it here: Lies in Disguise. 

 

 

 

 

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Have You Dropped Any Hints Lately?

I was talking to a sweet twelve-year-old young lady the other day, and she said, “I hint about Jesus to my friends quite a bit,” meaning she shares little things about her relationship with the Lord with her unsaved friends. She admitted some of them ignore her, but she keeps doing it (Romans 1:16). 

 

💙 Gail shares some thoughts on this devotion in the one-minute YouTube video HERE.

 
She’s letting her light shine, and I love her way of expressing subtle evangelism (Matthew 5:15-16). Sometimes God has us share the whole gospel all at once, but I think most evangelism starts with “hints,” especially when it involves friends and family members. 
 

Many years ago, I had an unsaved friend surprise me by quickly agreeing to join my Bible study. Later she explained that she’d seen me greet another lady in the study with a friendly hug, and it made her envious of the joy we shared. I was giving her a “hint” about the blessing of Christian fellowship without even realizing it (John 13:35).
 

One “hint” I’ve found especially productive is offering to pray for a friend when she shares some difficulty. It lets her know I believe in prayer. 
 

“Hints” can also include sharing my own answers to prayer, things the Lord has taught me, ways He’s helped me through a difficulty, or how He's helped me overcome a problem.
 

What kinds of “hints” have worked for you in sharing the love of Christ with others? 

 

For other insights into evangelism, see We're Not All Gung Ho Evangelists and Listening for Opportunities. 

 

One way to encourage a friend's faith is to help them find a good devotional. 

 

Wisdom for Life is a great choice because the devotions are short and easy to read, but packed with Scripture!

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Trusting God in Every Situation — Part 1

These three one-minute devotions offer wisdom for trusting God in every situation in our lives. 

Man Says Show Me and I'll Trust You 

Man says, "Show me and I'll trust you." Do you know what God says? This devotion shares some good thoughts about trusting God. 

 

Can Your Trust in God Be Tested? 

Do you trust God in the same way you would trust your husband? You can measure your trust in God using this interesting analogy.

Trust Your Heart? 

"Trust your heart" is a popular slogan. Read this devotion and learn why it isn't a biblical statement.

 

 

If you enjoyed these devotions and you'd like to get a one-minute devotion delivered to your email each weekday, check out our free subscriptions. If you already have one, tell your friends and send them this link: Stay Connected. 

   

 

 

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Popular Methods To Promote False Teachings

It's interesting how false teachings so often use the same arguments. Egalitarian arguments for approving female pastors are based on claims similar to gay revisionist arguments for approving LGBTQ lifestyles:

1. False Claim: Scripture contains examples to disprove the command.

It's become popular to claim that when Jesus told Mary at the tomb to tell the disciples He was risen, he was approving female pastors (John 20:1-18).* 

Women have meaningful ministry in Scripture, but none are equivalent to pastors. 

Listen to my two-minute explanation on YouTube: No! Mary Did Not Become a Female Pastor!

2. False Claim: Some commands are temporary and cultural.

Nothing in these biblical commands reflects a cultural practice. In fact, male leadership is linked to creation design and the Fall (1 Timothy 2:11-15).

3. False Claim: Paul was writing about abuse.

Egalitarians claim Paul's rules for male leadership were meant to counter female dominance in Ephesus caused by the Artemis cult. 

✔ If so, why did he also limit church leadership to men in his letter to Titus in Crete (Titus 1:5-9)? 

✔ If he wanted to promote equality instead of female dominance, why promote male dominance? 

To believe these claims, you must believe God is a poor communicator, allowing the majority of genuine Christians throughout history to misunderstand church leadership. Or you have to believe Paul’s letters aren’t Scripture. See Paul's Letters Are Scripture.

If we are offended by God's rules for leadership, we don't know how beautifully God has designed mankind. As a woman, I'm not the least bit offended that I can't be a church pastor.

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* Using this line of reasoning, we could claim that Christians are supposed to get our tax money from fish mouths (Matthew 17:24-26). Instead, these passages about Mary and Peter, like many other passages in Scripture, explain an event, not a doctrine. And in some ways the claims about Mary are even more bizarre. than claiming we should get our taxes from fish because telling the disciples about Christ's resurrection in no way resembles leading a church. Women in Scripture shared their faith and talked about the Lord with men and women. Some offered their homes for fellowship. But none of them did anything that would be described as leading a church and having authority over men.

Rick Warren used Mary at the tomb as one of his arguments to change his doctrine about female pastors. See A Well-Known Pastor Changes His View about Women Pastors. 

To understand how we can easily discern if a command is cultural, see Should Women Wear Head Coverings?

Got Questions has a good overview of women's and men's roles in the church.  

To show you that false teachings use similar excuses, check out these Gay Revisionist arguments:

1. They claim these examples disprove the command:

Eunuchs

Kindred Spirits—Jonathan and David's Friendship 

2. They claim the commands are cultural:

Responding to Revisionist Theology: Don't Overlook Verse 11

3. They claim only abuse is prohibited:

Natural and Unnatural Interpretations

I highly recommend Lies in Disguise, which carefully explains errors in gay revisionism as well as errors in other false teachings. 

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Cookie Thieves

She bought a magazine and a small pack of cookies and sat at a crowded airport lunch counter. 

To her disbelief, the man next to her opened her package of cookies and ate one!

Indignant, she shoved the remaining cookies into her purse, got up, and left. 

When she looked back, she couldn't believe the man was actually smiling!

Thirty minutes later when her plane took off, she reached into her purse for the cookies, proud of how restrained she'd been with the cookie thief. 

But instead of one package of cookies, she found two identical packages, one opened and one unopened. 

To her horror she realized she'd just stolen cookies from the smiling man at the counter. He was the one who'd shown incredible restraint, not her. 

This story illustrates a good point: Jumping to conclusions is foolish. We need to get our facts straight before judging ourselves or others.

Many relationship problems stem from misunderstandings and hasty conclusions.

“The one who gives an answer before he listens-- this is foolishness and disgrace for him.” Proverbs 18:13

“The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.”  Proverbs 18:17

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For more on this subject, see: Don't Bother Me With the Facts and Clouded Mirrors and Wrong Conclusions.

You can find this story with various differences in numerous articles and videos. I heard it years ago and first wrote about it in 2015. I'm not sure of the source or whether it actually happened, but it's a great illustration for our need to be careful about judging people or situations. This is especially true now that AI is so widely used. I've read news stories or watched a YouTube video that I thought was real, only to find out it was fake news. And the same is true about gossip and misunderstandings in relationships. If we aren't sure of our facts, we can be guilty of slander.

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Don't Underestimate God's Word!!

We often talk about the importance of Scripture, but do we really understand the power God’s Word has in our lives?

God’s Word is not like human words.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20

In Isaiah 55:10-11, the Lord explains that just like rain waters the earth and seeds produce plants, His Word achieves His purposes.

Feeling low? Nothing can change your heart and mind like God’s Word with passages like John 14:27:
 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” ~ Jesus 

Seeking direction? God’s Word is filled with principles for making wise choices.
 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6
 

If you haven’t read about the 3x5 card method that has helped me, please check it out. It can help you, no matter what is troubling you.
 

Don’t take God’s Word for granted. If you aren’t reading it daily, and memorizing and reciting it throughout the day, you are like a starving man who refuses a delicious meal sitting right in front of him.

 

 

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3 Unique Ways God Rescued His People

In Psalm 73, the psalmist Asaph talks about his discouragement when bad people are rewarded and when good people have troubles, feel confused, and even doubt God's plans and purposes. 

I've felt this way myself at times, and it makes me think of some Old Testament examples when God rescued his people in very unusual ways: 

1. Jericho Rescue - Sometimes God breaks down our enemy's “support walls” and gives us victory while protecting a handful of people in a most unusual way.  Proverbs. 3:5-6

2. Big Fish Rescue - Sometimes God rescues us from our selfish plans. Jonah 1

3. Red Sea Rescue - Sometimes we only see options A and B, when God has a plan C. Psalm 77:19

(Each of these rescues is linked to an insightful one-minute devotion.)

In Psalm 73, Asaph refused to stay discouraged. He “turned the corner” by reminding himself of God's past faithfulness. Perhaps these examples were some he remembered.

When we're feeling confused and discouraged, we can consider ways God has rescued us or our loved ones in the past. We can remember ways it strengthened our faith. God's goal is to strengthen our faith, and He can do it in easy, difficult, obvious, or mysterious ways.

Asaph put it this way:

“You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.” Psalm 73:24

Jesus put it this way: “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

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If you would like to do a short Bible study on this devotion and take a closer look at the three ways God rescues His people, check out today's Bite Size Bible Study. 

 

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How Music Affects Your Spiritual Health

According to research, music is “deeply personal, and it can reveal something about our very identities.… It's part of our identity—how we define ourselves and how we identify friends.” (source) 

Music strongly influences society and human behavior. “Songs have the power to change the world in unexpected ways, challenging preconceived notions.” (source) 

Music is God’s creation, and Scripture is filled with wonderful purposes for it. 

🎵 “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:18-19

🎵 “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1

🎵 “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” Psalm 104:33

Studies show that music has healing power, helping people recover from both physical and emotional problems. (source)

But Satan also uses music in powerful ways to deceive people and draw them away from God. Because I wasn’t saved until I was twenty-four, I admit that I listened to music indiscriminately. And I’ve learned to be careful, not only about the words, but also the attitudes and beliefs of the recording artist. 

Music can be used for good or evil. Let’s make sure we are filling our minds with that which is healthy for our spirits. 

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Part of discernment is understanding that the beliefs and character of musicians matter. They affect us in positive and negative ways. For some warnings, see:  

🎜 Steven Furtick's Metallica Obsession 

🎜 The Chosen & Jars of Clay: Mocking God  

🎜 Trendy Apostasy: Marty Sampson  

🎜 Amy Grant Explains the Ex-vangelical Definition of Love 

 

If you want to know if the rock music you listen to is healthy, please check out Good Fight Ministries. Their research offers helpful insights and warnings. My husband and I got rid of some of the “oldies” we used to listen to after finding out the spirit behind them.

 
 

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God's Creation Is Delicious and Nutritious — Part 5

I pray these three devotions will give you a deeper understanding of the delicious and nutritious aspects God has built into His creation. These are but a tiny glimpse of this aspect of God's healthy environment. What other examples can you think of?

 

Peeling Back the Blessings in Life—They're Everywhere! 

The humble banana is one of millions of little blessings God has scattered in our lives. This one-minute devotion offers some interesting insights.

Sweet Lemons
Did you know that the lemon reveals some wonderful truths about God's creation and His ability to use something sour for our good? 

 

Find Out if a 2000-year-old Seed Can Produce Fruit

This one-minute devotion shares a true story of some 2000-year-old palm seeds and a true story of faithfulness. 

 

Don't miss:

God's Creation is Fun! Part 1

It offers fun insights about our Lord's creation of fireflies, bugs, and dogs!  

God's Creation is Interesting! Part 2

It offers interesting insights into our Lord's creation of ants, sharks, lions, and the color green!

God's Creation Brings Us Joy! Part 3

It discusses the joy of 14-ers and ladybugs, and offers suggestions for enjoying God's creation. 

God's Creation is Loving -- Part 4

Consider the way the Killdeer bird reflects God's love and the way creation brings us health and well-being. 

If you enjoyed these devotions and you'd like to get a one-minute devotion delivered to your email each weekday, check out our free subscriptions. If you already have one, tell your friends and send them this link: Stay Connected. 

 

 

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