Daily Bible Encouragement

Isaiah 42:9

See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.’

So far, we’ve seen that the promised Servant will be gentle, just and faithful. He will bring hope and light to all the nations, by being the one who makes possible God’s covenant with his people. He will free the captives and make the blind see. Doesn’t that sound exactly like the life and ministry ...

Isaiah 42:8

I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.

Back in verse 5 we were reminded that God is the creator and sustainer of all things. He is the covenant LORD who has committed himself to care for and protect his people. As we remember those things, it would be fitting to praise him. In fact, the next section of this chapter is all about the praise and glory which a God like th...

Isaiah 42:7

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness

Over the past few years we’ve got used to retailers using our order history to target us with offers for things that they think we’re likely to want. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work so well for families like ours...

Isaiah 42:6b

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles

Yesterday we remembered that God is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God. He chose for himself a people to be his very own, and committed to blessing them. He proved himself to be faithful to that promise even when they were repeatedly unfaithful to him. So it seems natural when we read about ‘a covenant for the people’ to...

Isaiah 42:6a

I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people

So far in this chapter, God has been speaking to the people about the Servant. It’s as if he is standing on a stage in front of his people, with the Servant next to him, introducing him to them. But here in verses 6 to 7 God turns to speak to the Servant himself.

It’s a bit li...

Isaiah 42:5

This is what God the Lord says – the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it

So far we’ve seen that the promised Servant will be just, faithful, gentle and will bring hope to the world. That sounds amazing! He’s exactly what our unjust, fickle, hostile, cynical world needs. But maybe it’s jus...

Isaiah 42:4b

In his teaching the islands will put their hope.

What are you hoping for today? This month? This year? Our hopes may be huge – an end to the pandemic, a miracle cure for us or someone we love, world peace. But we all also hope for all kinds of smaller things – making it through the day without losing our temper, finding a parking space when we’re running late. Most of our hopes are pretty flimsy. They’re things we WAN...

Isaiah 42:3b-4a

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.

If at first you don’t succeed … try, try again. Why do we have a proverb for that? Presumably it’s because most of us are inclined to give up rather than to persevere. Faced with a simple task, and few obstacles, we might be willing to do some hard work to achieve a goal. But throw in some setb...

Isaiah 42:3a

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.

We thought yesterday about how we often associate loudness with power. In a similar way, the world often expects an effective leader to be somewhat ruthless, interested only in strength and achievement and dismissing the weak and needy. In Isaiah’s time, God’s people were a tiny nation, helpless in comparison with the likes of Assyria, Babl...

Isaiah 42:2

He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.

The World Record for the loudest shout was set in 1994 by a Belfast Primary School teacher. At 121 db, her shout of “Quiet!” was as loud as a chainsaw! We may not often hear shouts that loud. But we probably all hear – and do – more shouting than we’d like. We live in a world where gaining an audience can be less about what you are saying and more abou...

Isaiah 42:1b

I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

Justice. We all want justice. From #MeToo to #BlackLivesMatter, we all recognise the anger that comes from injustice. The frustration of seeing wrong-doing left unpunished. We have a deep-seated instinct that tells us that justice should be done.

God agrees. In Isaiah’s day, injustice is one of the clear indications that God’s people have turned ...

Isaiah 42:1a

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;

In Isaiah chapter 41, God addresses his people – the nation of Israel – as his servant. He reminds them that he has chosen them and is with them. He has committed himself to help them and be their God.  But they are an unfaithful people; a rebellious servant. Much of Isaiah’s ministry is spent warning them of great upheaval and suffering which is to co...

Psalm 62:11-12

One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: ‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’; and, ‘You reward everyone according to what they have done.’

I don't know about you, but as I reflect on my past week I don't much like the idea of God rewarding me according to what I have done! It hasn't been as bad as it could have been. But I've still been selfish, impatient, mor...

Psalm 62:10

Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

Back in verse 5, we thought about some of the things that we might put our hope in. I doubt that 'stolen goods' were top of your list! But riches (or, at least, 'things') probably come quite near the top for most of us. Are we confident because the cupboard and the fridge and the bank a...

Psalm 62:9

Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

Who do you rely on? When the going gets tough, who do you look to to sort things out? The government? The scientists? Or closer to home, a husband or parents? Perhaps many of us rely on ourselves. We’re told that if we simply believe in ourselves we can do anything.

David knows tha...

Psalm 62:8

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Do you ever 'pour out your heart to God'?  We often come to God with our lists of requests, or our thanks. We praise him. We confess our sins.  But do we pour out our hearts? Just telling him what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling. Unedited. Unpolished. Even when we’re too upset or ashamed or confused to pray ‘properly’,...

Psalm 62:7

My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

What does your honour depend on? It's not a word we often use, but we recognise the idea. It's like 'reputation'. What do people think of me? What am I recognised, valued, appreciated or praised for? Does my 'honour' depend on other people's opinions? Do I need ‘likes’ on my social media posts in order to feel significa...

Psalm 62:6

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall not be shaken.

Do these words sound familiar? They should do! Verse 6 is an exact repeat of verse 2. Why? Why does the psalmist repeat himself? I imagine it's because he is like us, and needs to keep hearing the same truths over and over again because his mind wanders. He is easily distracted. He quickly turns his attention away from the God who saves, ...

Psalm 62:5

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

What are you hoping for right now? Back in March we were hoping to find pasta and toilet rolls in the supermarket. By May we were hoping for an end to home-schooling. In June we were hoping for the rain to stop so we could meet a friend outside. For months we’ve been hoping for a vaccine. What we hope for tells us something about where our confidence is. If we'...