When we read this passage from Isaiah 53, we immediately think of the crucifixion of Jesus. He was literally pierced, crushed, beaten, and whipped. Even more painful was the alienation he...
Chris Godfredsen was a high school quarterback once. He knows first-hand what intentional grounding is. Recently he reinterpreted that phrase in a very creative way. Check it out. ...
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a time set aside to remember what God has done for us and to offer thanks for his generosity and grace. Therefore, I thought we...
I love having fans. I don't have many (Have you ever heard of me?) but I'm always on the lookout for more. Over the years I've developed a knack for locating these people...
God works in amazing and surprising ways. Given his glory and power, we might well expect that his Servant would be equally glorious and powerful. In a sense, this is ultimately true. But Isaiah...
Israel was a small nation, one that had been an easy target for larger empires seeking expansion. The Persians overthrew the northern kingdom in the eighth century BC. The Babylonians invaded the...
L.L. here. Thinking about Thanksgiving. Remembering a book I just had to read. Because my cousin-in-law (is there such a thing?) did...
The people of Israel heard these words of Isaiah quite literally, and with deep yearning. They needed to be ransomed from their bondage in Babylon and brought back to Jerusalem. The verb translated...
Isaiah 50 begins with God’s word to the prophet. He responds by saying, “The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened.” This captures the meaning of the original Hebrew, which...
Jesus had a way with words. He spoke with authority and the "crowds were amazed" (Matt. 7:28-29). He talked a lot about himself, his mission, and God's kingdom, offering challenging, quotable...
I’m falling, plunging headlong into salt water. I surface sputtering and grabbing for my surfboard before it clobbers me on the head. As I hoist onto the board for the long paddle back...
This verse from Isaiah is doubly shocking.
Through his Word and by the Spirit, God teaches us what is right and what is wrong. Thus we learn to live our lives in a way that honors him. But when God...
My three children are now moving beyond childhood. My oldest is in college and the middle one in high school. I don't see much of them. Even the youngest one is in middle...
When life is easy, we tend to get caught up in trivialities: worrying about our appearance or passing on the latest gossip...
The bulk of Isaiah 47 consists of God’s taunting condemnation of Babylon. But verse 4 is an interjection by the prophet, speaking on behalf of Israel: “Our Redeemer,” he says, “whose name is the...
Red Letter Believers has a collection of High Calling blog posts about Sabbath. This is worth a read. Sabbath is so counter-cultural that the Church in America ignores it even though it is...
Throughout the Bible, God’s people are called to remembrance. We are to bring to mind God’s wondrous works in the past so that our faith might be renewed in the present. For the...
Throughout Isaiah 45, the Lord has proclaimed his uniqueness: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” The God who revealed...
There is a story I have told many times about four men, raised to serve God. At a young age, they are...
