Day 248 Bible Readings – Isaiah 9: 6 (ESV)

Isaiah 8-10, 2 Corinthians 8: 1-15, Psalm 127

Isaiah 9: 6 (ESV)

“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.”

Verse 6 from Isaiah 9 is another prophecy from the Old Testament about the birth of Jesus Christ. This verse has been used in Christmas music so it sounds so familiar. I love how the prophet Isaiah had these different names for Christ which describe what God can mean us. God is a wonderful counselor who we can turn to for advice. God is also a mighty God who shows us how his justice in the world. God is also our everlasting father, the person we can always rely on take care of us as a father does with his child. God is also the prince of peace, whom we rely on to bring peace to the world.

I also love how Isaiah tells us the government shall be upon the shoulders of God. If God has plans for each of us and the world, it makes sense that government would also fall under God’s plans. We have to pray to God that our government officials are led by God, either to mirror how God would treat us or to be used by God to bring us closer to him through trials and afflictions.

Day 247 Bible Readings – Isaiah 7: 14 (ESV)

Isaiah 5-7, 2 Corinthians 7, Psalm 126

Isaiah 7: 14 (ESV)

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Verse 14 from Isaiah 7 give us one of the most famous prophecies of the coming of Christ in the Old Testament. I love these prophecies of the birth of Christ in the Old Testament. It shows to me that God has a plan that sees far into the future what will be needed to save his people and save every one of us who has faith in Christ. I love signs. I know that we are not supposed to test God and look for signs, but I love signs. I always look for signs in my life of God’s guidance to me. They are almost all of the time small signs, but occasionally I will get a bigger sign. But to find the signs, I must always follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I have been doing intercessory prayers, and I’ve always wondered if I have been doing them correctly and prayed to God to give me guidance. I was invited to go to an event at my church this week, and while it wasn’t something that interested me the Holy Spirit told me to attend the event. When I went to the event, I found out that they are going to be studying a book on intercessory prayer. Was it a coincidence? Not for me. God heard my prayer, and I discovered inadvertently a book on intercessory prayer. Had I not followed the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I would never have found the book. God send me a sign and an answer to my prayer!

Day 246 Bible Readings – 2 Corinthians 6: 14 (ESV)

Isaiah 3 & 4, 2 Corinthians 6, Psalm 125

2 Corinthians 6: 14 (ESV)

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

Verse 14 from 2 Corinthians 6 is Paul’s reminder to the Church of Corinth to be careful to not themselves to be influenced by people who are not of the faith. This is a hard one for me as I have many friends who like Christ, but do not follow his teachings. They have nothing against Christ, but they have issues with religion and their own experiences with religion in their life. And it’s not just the Christian religion, it’s all forms of religion that are problems for them. You would need to have a very strong faith in God and know yourself very well to know if you are being influenced by a person who is not of the faith. I don’t think it makes sense to give up all your non-Christian friends, at least not for me. But there are ways to mitigate this issue that seem to work. Have many friends with your similar faith to balance out the non-believer friends. Rely on your friends of faith to advise you on the serious issues of your life. Most importantly, feel free to adjust your plans as needed. Don’t be stuck on any one way to do this. Finally, consult with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit first on any matter. Make God the compass of your life. God is your North Star and will always point you in the right direction for you and his plan for your life.

Day 245 Bible Readings – 2 Corinthians 5: 17 (ESV)

Isaiah 1 & 2, 2 Corinthians 5: 11-21, Psalm 124

2 Corinthians 5: 17 (ESV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

In verse 17 from 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reminds the Church of Corinth that anyone who believes in Christ has become a new person. The person they were before is gone, and with their faith in Christ they have become a new person. Pastor David Guzik from Enduring Word writes “However, being a new creation doesn’t mean that we are perfect. It means that we are changed and that we are being changed.”

I know for myself that I often forget that as a person of faith in Christ, I am a different person. I was born into the faith, so I have very few memories of not believing in God. Instead, I have memories of trying to forget God ever existed although it didn’t work seem to work for very long. So for me to think of myself as a new person, I need to forget that I was a person who had very little faith in God. I feel that Holy Spirit is training me, challenging me, to live my life as a person who complete faith in God. Faith that God is responsible for all things in my life, good and bad. Faith that everything in my life is from God and that it is all there so I can deepen my relationship with him. This idea is hard to grasp and will probably take the rest of my lifetime to understand. I always go back to the question most people ask, “Why did God allow bad things to happen me?” And I am trying to be okay with the answer that “all things word for my good.” I feel like the theme in my life is to always find the light in the darkness of my life, to always look for the positive side, benefit, in anything that happens to me. This is the new creation that God is working through me and in me.