Tag: Holy Spirit

Living A Pleasing Life, Thank You Jesus

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Psalm 37 verses 23-24 hold precious promises confirmed through Christ and His indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
    He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
    for the Lord holds them by the hand.

God promises to direct our steps, delight in our lives and uphold us as He holds our hand.

Jesus is seated in heaven at the right hand of God, a place of honor and preeminence. Romans 8:34 “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Jesus is looking out for us. We may slip or be overwhelmed but we can rise as our hope is in the Lord and He is always victorious. Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Satan may be temporarily victorious but Christ has overcome his power. John 10:28-29 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” We belong to God eternally and He wins!

Besides being safe this promise tells us that God delights in a life lived in a godly way striving to glorify Him. Scripture tells us what delights God in many places, here are just a few. Psalm 1:2 “but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Studying, revering His Word pleases God. Psalm 147:11 “the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Living in fear, reverence of the Lord and depending upon His unfailing love pleases Him. Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy  and to walk humbly with your God.” When we live acting justly, showing love and mercy towards other leaning upon Him, it pleases God. Jesus also told us in Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Loving God fully, obeying his commands and loving others pleases God.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can live lives pleasing to God through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus!

Linda

Prayer to Accessible God

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Psalm 27 comes straight out of David’s heart. He is concerned about what is happening around and to him but David remains confident in the Lord. He knows God is in control and no matter what He will be with Him in heaven. David is taking the long view of life and down the tunnel of time he sees God and knows without a shadow of a doubt that God will be there for Him. May we all ‘catch’ his view.

He begin with verses 1-3 with his high view of God and ends the psalm with confidence!

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
    so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
    when my enemies and foes attack me,
    they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
    my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
    I will remain confident.

David seeks heaven as He knows he will be safe and loved there. verses 4-6 The one thing I ask of the Lord—    the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
    delighting in the Lord’s perfections
    and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
    he will hide me in his sanctuary.
    He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
    above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
    singing and praising the Lord with music.

In verses 7-10 David pleads with the Lord to hear him as he prays-Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
    Be merciful and answer me! In verses 11-13 David asks the Lord to teach, guide and protect him. Teach me how to live, O Lord.
    Lead me along the right path,
    for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
    For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
    with every breath they threaten me with violence.

David concludes with a return to full confidence in verses 13 and 14.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
    while I am here in the land of the living. 14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

How much our prayers resemble David’s psalm. We begin praising God, knowing He is real and will answer, then petition Him and as we pull up the happenings of the world we get mired down. By the time we have finished pouring our heart out to God, we realize that He is in control and we will be victorious in Him. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can pour out my heart knowing the Holy Spirit will intercede for me before the Father. Romans 8:26-27 “ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” We can truly pray with confidence and hope waiting patiently for His response.

Linda

WOW! What Affirmation of God’s Word and Work in our Lives!

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Psalm 19 is like a balm to the soul as we are reassured over and over of the purity and rightness of God’s Word. Even though we are flawed and are prone to sin, we can seek God and depend upon Him. His Word is our guide and plumb line for actions and reactions as we dive into its depths and soak in its truths. David concludes with his declaration to follow God in words and deeds because God is his savior and Lord. I hope that we can claim the same for ourselves.

Psalm 19:7-14 God’s Words is…...

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, perfect
    reviving the soul. reviving
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, trustworthy
    making wise the simple. simply wise
8 The commandments of the Lord are right, right
    bringing joy to the heart. create joy
The commands of the Lord are clear, clear
    giving insight for living. insightful
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure, pure
    lasting forever. everlasting
The laws of the Lord are true; true
    each one is fair. just
10 They are more desirable than gold, desirable
    even the finest gold. refined
They are sweeter than honey, sweet
    even honey dripping from the comb. honey filled
11 They are a warning to your servant, give warning
    a great reward for those who obey them. rewarding

12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Man is… sinful
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults. in need of cleansing
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! willful
    Don’t let them control me. weak willed
Then I will be free of guilt God provides….. freedom
    and innocent of great sin. proclaimed innocence

14 May the words of my mouth David’s conclusion
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

David’s conclusion was that he needs God and desires to walk with Him. He realized that God’s Word is a great asset or resource and has the help he needs to walk with God. God’s Word is powerful and can change lives. I pray that I all have this same attitude. Look to God’s Word daily for strength, guidance, hope and encouragement.

As I look this list over myself, I am thankful for scripture and the great help it provides for my daily living. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we have help to understand and apply scripture to our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. If Christ had not died, the Holy Spirit would not have come. But He did and is now our Helper! John 14:25-26 “ “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 16:8-11“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” We can live confidently knowing that scripture is not beyond our understanding and that the Holy Spirit will teach us what we need to know to live godly lives.

Thank you Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit.

Linda

Realigned Focus during Adversity

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How do you deal with Nay Sayers or those that would desire to cast doubt on your faith? Believe it or not, the psalmist David had the same issues when he wrote Psalm 3. He did not want to listen his many foes who were telling him God was not going to rescue him or do anything to help him solve his problems. This was written when he was struggling with his son Absalom who was trying to take over David’s throne and kill him. David talked to the Lord about this, laying it before Him. Then, he set about remembering the times God had rescued him!

O Lord, I have so many enemies;
    so many are against me.
2 So many are saying,
    “God will never rescue him!” Interlude

3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
    you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
4 I cried out to the Lord,
    and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude

5 I lay down and slept,
    yet I woke up in safety,
    for the Lord was watching over me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
    who surround me on every side.

7 Arise, O Lord!
    Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face!
    Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
8 Victory comes from you, O Lord.
    May you bless your people. Interlude

David’s conclusion, after remembering who God is and what He had done for him during his lifetime, was that God holds the victory. Victory comes from Him. He can defeat any foe as He is sovereign. David was reminded that God will bring victory and blessing.

David is our example for how to react to those who would discourage our faith saying it is worthless, that God will not help us. We too can change our focus from the Nay Sayers to Jesus. The right perspective will bring us to Jesus. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we have a permanent advocate in Jesus. He intercedes for us and sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. Romans 8:27 “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Focusing on Jesus will put everything in perspective as it did for King David.

Let thanks be on you tongue and praises in your heart as you look to Jesus. Thank you Jesus.

Linda

A Song of Praise from Zachariah

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After 9 long months of not being able to speak, Zachariah’s silence ends with the naming of his son John, just as the angel had said. The Lord graciously gave Zachariah words of prophecy that burst forth along with his praises. What a wonderful confirmation to Zachariah and Elizbeth that their son John was to have a part in God’s plan for mankind along with the coming savior. They knew Mary, who was staying in their home, was carrying God’s child. I am dividing Zachariah’s prophecy into two days. Here is part 1 of   Zechariah’s Prophecy, Luke 1:67-75:

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy                          68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.          Praise God, He is accessible.
                                69 He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,  Praise God, Savior Jesus is coming.
70 just as he promised            Praises, God keeps His promises   
    through his holy prophets long ago.       from generation to generation.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.         Praise God, The Savior will bring salvation.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors
    by remembering his sacred covenant—   Praise God, He is merciful and faithful.
73 the covenant he swore with an oath
    to our ancestor Abraham.        Praise God He kept His covenant with Abraham..
74 We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,     Praise God, He removes our fears.
75 in holiness and righteousness       Praise God, He provides holiness and righteousness.
    for as long as we live.

Zachariah knew the Lord and his prophecy is filled with the character of God. He tells what God has done and will do in the future.

How long is your memory? Do you recall things God has done in your life and continue to give Him praise? What about your salvation, His precious promises to you that He makes in His Word, His mercy and faithfulness? Do you thank Him for providing Jesus and a way to be reconciled to Him in spite of your sin? Do you thank Him for answered prayer and the fact that you can go to Him 24/7? Do you thank Him that He is willing to hear about you and your struggles and that He cares for you and about you? What would your own song of prayer be like? What would you include? Both Zachariah and Mary were overcome with who God was and what He was doing that they burst into song. Think about your life. What excites you to praise and thank God? May this season of giving and loving others stimulate you to thoughts of praise to Almighty God! May you sing your own song of Praise to God.

Linda

Who can you tell about Jesus?

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John records what John the Baptist said about Jesus to two of his disciples in John 1:36  “When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” Andrew was one of these the disciples and after following and spending time with Jesus he went to tell his brother Peter.

John 1:40-42 “ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

I love this scene as it tells us so much about Jesus and His impact upon people. After meeting and spending time with Jesus, Andrew believed Jesus to be the Messiah. He could not wait to go and tell his brother Peter. Not only did he tell him, but he brought him physically to see Jesus. We also see Jesus meeting and telling Peter something about his future. He not only would believe in Him but would be a ‘rock’ in the church. As we know from the gospel accounts Peter was eager, impetuous and failed to claim Jesus as Lord on the night of the trials. However, we see a transformation after Jesus’ ascension and Peter’s work recorded in the book of Acts into the rock that Jesus proclaimed him to be in the early church.

As New Testament Christians, we need to ask ourselves, when was the last time we introduced someone to Jesus? Did you invite them to a service to hear more about Him? Did you invite them to join a Bible Study or volunteer to meet them and study the scriptures together? Our excitement over our Savior should be as compelling as Andrew’s was. If yours isn’t, pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit for an infusion of joy and purpose to tell others about our wonderful Savior.

What about your transformation? What do you see God doing within your character? As a believer you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and thus He is doing a work within you. Are you fighting Him or are you submitting and letting him mold and shape your character to be more and more like Jesus? We know that Peter’s transformation happened over time as he learned more about Jesus, his love and his ways of treating others, his hope for the future and what it meant to be a part of His forever family. It takes time. Take stock of your own growth and look at Galatians 5:22-24 where Paul describes the fruits of the Spirit. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Are you seeing more of these traits within your character? If not, make it a matter of prayer with a repentant heart. God will transform us if we are willing. Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:1-2 to take this seriously and commit ourselves being willingly transformed. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Go back and read the scripture above again. How are you like Andrew? How can you be more like Andrew in the days to come?

Linda

God seeks Justice. Therefore, Thank You Jesus!

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Have you ever considered what God sees from heaven? What must he think of our societies, loose morals, violence and injustices? We catch a glimpse of what God thinks about what He see in Isaiah 59 as the sins of mankind are discussed.

Isaiah 59:14-15 Justice is turned back,
    and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
    and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
    and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
    that there was no justice.

This is a very bleak scene. God’s response is to don his battle armor and set about righting the situation, in verses 16-17 “He saw that there was no man,
    and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
    and his righteousness upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
    and a helmet of salvation on his head;”
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
    and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

Those who have done wrong will receive their just punishment, in verses 18-20.

According to their deeds, so will he repay,
    wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
    to the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
    and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,
    which the wind of the Lord drives.

Isaiah ends this portion of scripture with the encouraging words from God in verse 20-21.

“And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
    to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord. 21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

What do we learn about God from this chapter of Isaiah? He is a just God and cannot tolerate sin. He is longsuffering but He has his limits. The Old Testament attests of God’s story of patience towards the Israelites as they continually worshipped other gods and would forsake God for long periods to ‘do their own thing’. The Old Testaments says ‘they did what was right in their own eyes’ repeatedly. God punishes sin, Biblical truth- sin has consequences always. God desires that we repent of our sins and turn to Him. We also learn that God is a promise keeping God who is always with us and will not forsake us. He will bless us with His Holy Spirit and redeem us so we can be with Him forever. God is eternal and desires we spend eternity with Him. I also see a merciful and forgiving God who wants to see us turn to Him.

May you be encouraged today to seek Him, adjust your attitude and heart and let Jesus cleanse and forgive you. Our hope is in Jesus and the power of His work on the cross to redeem us. Thank you Jesus.

Linda

Servant Song #1 Thanks Be to God for Sending Jesus!

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As we begin Chapter 42 of Isaiah we find one of 4 ‘Servant Songs’ within the book of Isaiah that speaks specifically of the Messiah to come. This first servant song is Isaiah 42:1-9

“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
    He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
    He will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout
    or raise his voice in public.
3 He will not crush the weakest reed
    or put out a flickering candle.
    He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
4 He will not falter or lose heart
    until justice prevails throughout the earth.
    Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.” Jesus was chosen by God to come and fulfill His plan of redemption for all mankind. He was filled with God’s Holy Spirit and walked justly and humbly during his time on earth spending his time healing, teaching, and reasoning. He ignites the light of life within us as he said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

5 God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.
    He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
    life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,
6 “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
    I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
    as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.
7     You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
    releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. Creator God had a purpose for having Jesus walk the earth. Jesus demonstrated God’s love and righteousness. He renewed the covenant with Israel and all believers as He is a guide and savior to all nations. Luke 20:22 “After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” He opened the eyes of the blind literally and spiritually. He freed those bound by the chains of sin and set us free. Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,”

8 “I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not give my glory to anyone else,
    nor share my praise with carved idols.
9 Everything I prophesied has come true,
    and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.” God reaffirms that He is Sovereign and will not share His Glory with anyone. All his prophesies and promises are true and will be fulfilled!

This beautiful song from Isaiah confirms for us that Jesus, the Messiah, did indeed fulfill all that the Father had said about Him. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, was humble and unassuming, reestablished the covenant in a new way between God and man through his sacrifice on the cross, brought light and righteousness to all mankind and made a way for us to be free from the bondage of sin. Praise God for our magnificent Savior! Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us.

Linda

Creator God Makes Himself Known

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Chapter 40 of Isaiah has been a treasure trove of insights into the character of God. The last attribute of God is mentioned in several verses. God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 proclaims this fact about God, “ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God existed before anything was created and there was never a time when God did not exist. He existed before time. No one made God. God as creator made everything from the smallest particle to the expanse of the galaxy. All that we see and experience- the heavens, the angels, the whole spiritual realm, all earth what is inside and on it were made by God alone. Genesis tells us that God spoke things into existence. Genesis 1:3 “And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” By the power of His Word He created all things. God alone brought something out of nothing. He is an amazing God!

Isaiah wants to remind us of God’s power and His ability as Creator God.

Isaiah 40:22 “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
    and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
    and spreads them out like a tent to live in.”

Isaiah 40:26 “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.”

Isaiah 40:28 “Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.“

In each verse we see a tender aspect of Creator God. Isaiah 40:25 speaks of God stretching out the heavens like a covering to provide us a place to live. God created our home with us in mind. He knew what we needed- water, air, sunlight, shelter, means to grow food, places of beauty to take in his grandeur. I am reminded of the verse in Romans about everyone knowing that God exists because of His marvelous creation. Romans 1:19-20 “ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Isaiah 40:25 talks about the expanse of the heavens that is filled with stars. God named each one when He made them. He watches over all creation and no stars go missing just like no sheep go missing either. The good shepherd, Jesus will seek us out. John 10: 14-15 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

Finally, Isaiah 40:28 explain the tirelessness of God. He never ceases to work for His creation. He has as long as it takes as He is eternal and filled with endless energy. His ways are beyond our understanding as His ways are not our ways. He is incomprehensible. There is no way we can totally understand our infinite God. Thank goodness, Jesus knew we would not be able to totally comprehend God so He made provision for us. John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” John 14:7 “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Knowing Jesus we can know the Father. Jesus will reveal the Father to us though the power of His Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus.

What a wonderful picture Isaiah paints for us in Isaiah 40, a treasure to be cherished, studied, prayed over and praised!

Linda

Roots that Go Deep Connecting Us with Jesus

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In yesterday’s passage from Isaiah 10, we saw a promise God gave to His people that there would always be a remnant of believers. That is encouraging to us today, as we can be assured that the world will never be without believers. God wants His people in the world witnessing to Him and telling others. Specifically, God was sending a message to the people of Israel that whether they were the remnant after an invasion or after return from exile, there was hope. The hope He was sending would be the Messiah who would come from the line of King David. Since David’s father was named Jesse, this descendant is known as coming from the root of Jesse. Isaiah 11:1-5, 10 gives a beautiful picture of the coming Messiah, Jesus.

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

In verse 1 it states this coming Messiah would be a descendant of David, shoot of Jesse. Matthew 1- 1″This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:,6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.”

The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him in verse 2 was fulfilled in Matthew 3:16 “ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.” This is recorded in all 4 gospels. John 3:34 adds the extent of Jesus indwelling “34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.”

The Messiah, Jesus, would be full of understanding and power, verse 2. Luke 2:42, 46-47 “When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.” 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Hebrews 1:3 adds to this “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Messiah, Jesus, would judge the earth with righteousness, verses 3 & 4. John 5:27 “And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.” 2 Timothy 4:1,8 “And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.” 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” This prophesy of Christ being the judge of all earth is still future to us and will be fulfilled when Christ returns.

Messiah, Jesus, would stand as a banner for all people, Jews and Gentiles, who would seek Him verse 10. John 12:20-21 “20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Romans 15:8-9 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”

This is a beautiful portion of scripture that speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was here on earth ministering and teaching and then later when He returns as judge and King. Seeing the prophesies fulfilled gives us assurance that all will be fulfilled in Him.

How can you apply this to yourself today? The ancient prophesies about Jesus add to our faith and give us hope and assurance that what God has foretold in His Word will indeed come to pass. It assures us that who Jesus said He was is true! It helps us know God as a promise keeping God who loves and cares for us. As we continue to see in Isaiah, Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us.

Linda