For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.
Isaiah 9:6-7a ESV
“This Child would be a man, but more than a man. He is also the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Godhead. Theoretically, the Messiah didn’t have to be God. He might have been a sinless angel, or merely a perfect man like Adam. But in reality, neither of those options would have qualified the Messiah to be our Savior and High Priest as Jesus is. The Son had to be given…. We needed a perfect, infinite Being to offer a perfect, infinite atonement for our sins. We needed Immanuel, God is with us.” (David Guzik)
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – FormerAtheist58
Handel Messiah Unto Us a Child is Born
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In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
Isaiah 6:1-6 ESV
David Guzik, in his commentary on Isaiah 6 writes,
“Holiness, at its root, has the idea of apartness. It describes someone, or something, which is set apart from other people or things. An object can be holy if it is set apart for sacred service. A person is holy if they are set apart for God’s will and purpose.
What is the LORD set apart from? He is set apart from creation, in that the Lord GOD is not a creature, and He exists outside of all creation. If all creation were to dissolve, the Lord GOD would remain. He is set apart from humanity, in that His “nature” or “essence” is Divine, not human. God is not a super-man or the ultimate man. God is not merely smarter than any man, stronger than any man, older than any man, or better than any man. You can’t measure God on man’s chart at all. He is Divine, and we are human.”
The seraphim have “four [wings] to conceal themselves, and two with which to occupy themselves in service; and we may learn from them that we shall serve God best when we are most deeply reverend and humbled in his presence. Veneration must be in larger proportion than vigor, adoration must exceed activity. As Mary at Jesus’ feet was preferred to Martha and her much serving, so must sacred reverence take the first place, and energetic service follow in due course.”
Charles Spurgeon
God is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY but I’m NOT, NOT, NOT – FormerAtheist58
Holy, Holy, Holy (We Bow Before Thee) – Shane and Shane
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O you that profess to be his people, what more could Christ have done for you? What more could the Holy Spirit have done? What richer promises, what wiser precepts, what kinder providences, what more gracious patience?
Charles Spurgeon
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
Isaiah 5:1b-2 ESV
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:19-23 ESV
Beware! Are you Bearing Worthless Wild Grapes? – FormerAtheist58
God of Every Grace – Matt Boswell
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The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.
Isaiah 1:3 ESV
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
Isaiah 1:11 ESV
The Ox (and Dog) Knows Its Master. Do We? – FormerAtheist58
Run and Run (Christ is All my Righteousness) Matt Boswell
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 130, Galatians 3
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of faith, the grace given to me through Jesus Christ, the righteous for the unrighteous. Thank You for the example of Abraham who was counted righteous by his faith, not by his works.
Thank You for the gift of the law as a tutor and guardian to protect us until our eyes might be opened by Your grace to the beauty of that Savior hanging on the cross.
Please help me to be a good steward of Your Word. Let me not breed little Pharisees who take pride in their own good deeds. I don’t want to raise better liars and hiders and sin-concealers. May I diligently and faithfully point my children to the perfect Lamb who kept the Law in every point, teaching them to be quick to repent, to run toward reconciliation with Jesus, with their parents, and with others.
I pray that my children would indeed be made sons and daughters of Abraham, being recipients of Your blessings because of their faith in Your Son. Protect them from believing the lie that they can be good enough to deserve Your mercy or merit Your grace. Help them to recognize that this is a lie sent from that liar, tempter, and accuser, Satan, who tempts us to sin and then accuses us when we fall.
I pray that my children would receive the gift of redemption found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. May they receive that matchless inheritance which is found not in the blood running through my earthly body, but in the blood of Jesus Christ poured out on the cross.
Grant my children the faith to believe that we are each sons and daughters of God by faith in Jesus Christ, that when we are baptized into Christ we are clothed in Christ and made one in Christ.
Help my sons take joy in being boys, and help my daughters take joy in being girls. Protect them from the sin of pride, from thinking they know better than You do.
May they humbly recognize that their eternal inheritance begins and ends in You.
Read Through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 126, Hosea 11-12
Have you ever had those days when you want to say to your adult children, “Honey, don’t you forget, it was me who changed your dirty diapers. It was me who nursed you in the middle of the night, and it was me who bathed your naked little body. It was me who sang to you and rocked you to sleep. It was me who washed your skinned knees when you fell down in the driveway. It was me who brushed the knots out of your hair. It was me who taught you to sing the ABC’s and count to ten. Honey, trust me. You should listen to me.”
God has those days with us, too.
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
Hosea 11:1-2
God hasn’t given up hope for His children, and we shouldn’t either.
Heavenly Father, please, draw our hearts back to You. Discipline us with Your rod of kindness and woo us with Your love. Lead us with the cords of kindness and hold us fast with Your bands of love. And Father, please, draw our children back to You. Discipline them, too, with Your rod of kindness and woo them with Your love. Lead them with the cords of kindness and hold them fast with Your bands of love. Teach us how to parent them with love and grace and humility and gentleness and courage and firmness and truth. Make us parents after You. Teach us how to be godly mommies because You are the perfect daddy. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Our Perfect Example of all things we pray. Amen.
Read Through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 125, Hosea 9-10
Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars.
Hosea 10:1 ESV
God has given us every good gift to enjoy. He has blessed us with heat and sunshine and air to breathe. He has given us homes to live in and children to fill them. He has blessed us with abundant food and wealth. He has given us eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to comprehend. Yet, what do we do with all of these gifts?
Do we enjoy them or neglect them? Do we praise Him or take credit for them? Do we use them for good or for evil?
When was the last time you thanked God for the children sitting around your table or clinging to your legs?
When was the last time you thanked the Lord for dirty dishes and floors littered with clothes and toys?
When was the last time you took a leisurely walk outside and thanked God for the blue sky and warm sun?
It seems that the more full our homes and lives become, the less interested we become in the Lord. Why is that? Why would the Lord bless us with more if it will just turn our hearts away from Him?
His mercy keeps us begging for our daily bread. His mercy makes us hunger for the gift of a child. His mercy keeps us dependent on Him for a roof over our head and money in our bank account.
Sunday night I flew home after spending six long days and five short nights with my daughter and her three children under five. It was hard. It was messy. It was exhausting. But, oh, the memories it brought back.
Like all good farmers, this soil-preparing, seed-sowing, plant-tending work requires rising early and working late, but oh does it bear GREAT FRUIT.
“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” Proverbs 14:4 ESV
Last week, while I sat on the floor building trains with the 4.5 year old and 2.5 year old, we listened to “Sing the Bible” Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4 by Slugs and Bugs on Pandora. “The Ox Song,” based on Proverbs 14:4, croons, “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” How true!
The Ox Song – Sing the Bible Vol 4 – Slugs and Bugs
No children = no legos to step on, no trains to pick up, no diapers to change.
But no children also means no little ones to put a smile on your face and joy in your heart and no older ones to help care for you in your old age.
One day I’ll be alone with a hot fresh cup of Joe Wishing that someone would just drop by And I’ll sit and reminisce, the times that I sure miss Scattered toys and a baby on my hip I thought finding peace in the quiet’s what I wanted But I’d give anything to go back to being needed
String Cheese – Hannah Harper
Heavenly Father, Help me to be faithful in the little things that You might entrust to me more things. Help me to be thankful for every single little gift, the birds that sing before the sun rises, the wind that blows gently through the trees, the sound of trickling water. Thank You for giving me eyes that see and ears that hear. Thank You for giving me a mind and heart that know You. And thank you especially for the children and grandchildren that you have blessed me with. May I be grateful for every day and every memory. The days are indeed long, but oh are the years so short. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 121, Hosea 3-4
If I asked a class of third grade students, “Raise your hand if you love ice cream.” I bet every hand would shoot up. 🙋🏿♀️🙋🏻🙋🏽♂️🙋🏼♀️🙋🙋🏾♂️
But if I then said, “Raise your hand if you love Brussel sprouts,” I’m quite sure I’d get a very different response. Even if I followed it up with words like, “They are really good for you! They’re high in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.” Still, it’s a no. 🙅🏽♂️🙅🏼♀️🙅🏻🙅🏿♂️🙅🏻♀️🙅
It is only logical to love ice cream. It’s sweet and creamy and delicious.🍦😋 But Brussel sprouts … They are more of an acquired taste, suited for a more refined palate. 🥬 😝
I’m afraid I think of myself as ice cream, naturally easy to love, rather than Brussel sprouts, good for you but a little bitter, stinky, and hard to digest.
When we read the book of Hosea, I’m afraid we tend to picture ourselves as the faithful prophet, when in reality we’re much more like the wandering prostitute. Please, sisters, don’t forget that we are Gomer, that woman who abandons her true love to pursue idols, and God is Hosea, the faithful One who again and again chases after His bride, pulling her out of the pig slop. 🥴🐖
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10 ESV
Don’t forget 1 Corinthians 13.
Love covers a multitude of sins.
Love is not irritable or resentful or rude.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love forgives.
Love never ends.
Love is steadfast and patient and faithful.
Praise God that He loved us while we were yet sinners, and now He calls us to go and do likewise.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your steadfast, patient, faithful love toward me. Thank You for pursuing me, though I didn’t deserve it, though I don’t deserve it still. I’m not worthy, but You are. You deserve better. You deserve chocolate, chocolate chip ice cream with whipped cream and sprinkles and a cherry on top. And yet You have demonstrated Your love by sending Your own Son to be the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice, the substitutionary offering, for my sin. Praise Your Name forevermore. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 120, Hosea 1-2
When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.”
Hosea 1:2 ESV
How had the Israelites forsaken the Lord? Had they stopped making sacrifices and offerings? Had they stopped observing the feasts and Sabbaths?
No, they had forsaken Him by making Him one god on a buffet of gods. They had forsaken Him by worshipping both Him and Baal. They had forsaken Him by offering themselves to other lovers in addition to the Lord God.
Friends, we can have a dozen coworkers, a dozen children, and a dozen friends, but we can only have ONE husband and he can only have ONE bride.
A good husband refuses to share his bride with other men, and our good God refuses to share His bride with other gods.
It is not enough for us to make God the biggest god in our life, or the most valuable idol that we have. He can’t be our “favorite” husband. He wants to be our ONLY husband. He wants ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He wants to be our everything. He is either Lord of all or He’s not Lord at all.
God despises adultery of all forms, especially adultery toward Him. God wants our whole heart. He is a jealous God. He will not share His glory with another.
Exodus 34:14 ESV — (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
Deuteronomy 4:24 ESV — For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Isaiah 42:8 ESV — I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
Heavenly Father, You are a good husband who loves His bride and refuses to share her with another. I pray that we would be a loving bride, rejecting all other things who vie for our attention. I pray that You would be the apple of our eye, the center of our attention, the singular focus of our lives. May we be found pure and faithful as You, O Lord, are pure and faithful to us. In the Name of Jesus Christ, our redeemer and bridegroom, Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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