You who bring good news . . . lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; [saying] . . . “Here is your God!”

— Isaiah 40:9

The good news that must be announced with a shout is that the Lord has come to make himself known. Knowing and glorifying God is the reason for life itself. The prophet announces: “Here is your God!”Who is this God? This is the Lord who made covenant promises long ago with his people. This is the God who keeps promises, despite the failures and sins of his people for many generations. Though the people had to be disciplined, they remained the people of God. Similarly, the Lord does not give up on us, despite our unfaithfulness.This is the God of all grace. He is rich in forgiveness and abounding in mercy. He is the faithful God who keeps his word, for he has proclaimed restoration. He loves, and he disciplines. He disciplines, and he forgives. He forgives, and he restores. The prophet presents God to the people so that they may know him.The people who know God are strong and active. Our greatest need is to know God. He is eternal, unchanging, all-knowing, all-powerful, transcendent, and sovereign. He is holy and just, faithful and true, kind and merciful. God is our creator, provider, protector, redeemer, comforter, and reward. He is our joy, peace, righteousness, refuge, and strength. In him we have eternal security, full life, and a sure salvation.

Lord, help us to know you. Be our strength and joy. Reveal your holiness, mercy, and power, and anchor our lives in your unchanging love and salvation. In Jesus, Amen.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

— Isaiah 40:8

The prophet Isaiah contrasts the briefness of human life with the eternity of the Word of God. We are born, grow, mature, and die, but the Word of God remains forever. We come and go from history, but the Word of God remains alive, sovereign, and victorious from generation to generation.Many have tried to discredit the Word of God, but its truths endure. Many unbelievers and skeptics have tried to stand against the credibility of Scripture, shouting with arrogance and claiming it is false, but the Word of God is the anvil that has broken their hammer every time. The Word of God has overcome all the fires of intolerance and remained victorious. It is inspired, inerrant, infallible, and sufficient. It does not need to be updated or redefined.Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God will not pass away (see Luke 21:33). It is the truth. It is the sword of the Spirit. It is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105). It is more precious than much refined gold and sweeter than honey.The Word of God restores the soul, enlightens the eyes, gladdens the heart, and gives wisdom to the simple. It is living and active. It is powerful. God’s Word endures forever!

Lord God, remind us that although our lives fade, your Word stands forever. Plant your eternal truth in our hearts. May your Word guide our steps, strengthen our faith, silence our doubts, and anchor us in your unchanging victory. Amen.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.”

— Isaiah 40:7

Again we find the shortness of life compared to grass that sprouts in the morning, flourishes briefly, and is scorched by the sun in the heat of the day. Our life is brief, as fleeting as morning mist that disappears as the sun rises. Our life is as unstable as a cloud that dances with the wind in the heights. As Psalm 103:15-16 puts it, our life is like “a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”Even if we live long and reach a very old age, in the light of eternity our life is short and uncertain. We do not know the length of our days. We have no guarantee that we will be alive tomorrow. Our health does not guarantee us a long life. The strength of our muscles does not protect us from danger. Our intelligence does not shield us, and our academic achievements cannot hide us from death.The money we earn cannot lengthen our days or free us from death. We are vulnerable and powerless. We cannot stand on self-reliance. We are absolutely dependent on God. He must be our refuge. Only in him can we rest.Is God the refuge of your life? In what ways have you found peace in him?

Father, remind us of the brevity of life, and free us from self-reliance. In our vulnerability, be our refuge. Help us to rest in your eternal strength, trust in your care, and find peace in your faithful presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.”

— Isaiah 40:6

Our text today emphasizes two solemn truths that point to the same fact. There is no room for human vanity. Human pride is nothing but utter foolishness.Our bodies are as fragile as grass. We have physical weaknesses that cannot be disguised. Time carves wrinkles into our faces, and make-up cannot cover it. Our legs become weak, our knees wobble, our hands droop, our eyes blur, and every gray hair that sprouts on our heads is a reminder of the shortness of our lives.We also have emotional weaknesses. There are times when we despair of life itself. We cry, we moan, we sob, assailed by anguish. We have moral and spiritual weaknesses as well. We promise to walk in righteousness, and yet our feet often stray down winding paths. We are ambiguous and contradictory people. The good we want to do, we do not do; and the evil we hate, we practice.Besides being fragile like grass, all the glory we achieve has a fleeting beauty like that of the flowers of the field. The heat of the sun makes the delicate flower wither and dry. Our glory is fleeting, and our accomplishments pass away. Our achievements are lost in the dust of time. We are too small, too fragile, too young!But, thankfully, that doesn’t have to be our end. In the Lord we can trust that our destiny is safe with him.

O God, remind us of our frailty and free us from pride. In our weakness, be our strength. In your glory, fill us with your life. Anchor our hearts in you alone. Amen.

“The glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together.”

— Isaiah 40:5

As we noted yesterday, spiritual reformation happens before spiritual revival. First, with God’s help and grace, his people seek to live in his way, and then the Lord visits them with revival. Without valleys filled in, mountains leveled, crooked paths made straight, and rough places made smooth, there is no revelation of God’s glory or salvation for all people. Sin must be confronted, confessed, and forsaken before revival can come.Preaching about revival without urging people to turn from their evil ways is the same as putting the cart before the horse. It reverses the order of things. Revival is the demonstration of the glory of the Lord. It is the revelation of the presence of God. Of course, God is present everywhere, but he reveals his presence in glorious power when people seek him in repentance and faith, with the help of the Lord himself. And when God reveals himself and manifests his glory, hearts melt, knees bow, and lips confess to the Lord.How we need a visitation from God! We may enjoy prosperity and wealth, but is God still present among us? In many churches there are signs that God’s glory has departed. We need to seek God’s help in aligning our lives with his way. May we desire the unmistakable presence of God more than the air we breathe!

Lord, cleanse our hearts and straighten our paths. Confront and remove every sin that gets in the way of your glory. Visit us with true revival, melt our hearts, and fill us with your life, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.”

— Isaiah 40:4

This passage in Isaiah describes the content of John the Baptist’s preaching, as shown in Luke 3:1-5. It is not about the topography of the land; it is not about road construction, as found in the Roman Empire. The prophet is speaking of the profound changes that need to take place in our lives for revival to come. “Every valley” refers to the dark places in our lives, the secret archives of the heart. Those valleys of darkness and sin need to be filled in and brought up to the light.The mountains refer to pride, haughtiness of spirit, and arrogance. The arrogance of the human heart needs to be broken down by the plow of God’s Word. The crooked paths speak of double-lives, of people who are hypocrites. When people are two-faced, they are not who they claim to be. The winding paths of their twisted lives need to be straightened out.The rough paths refer to things that are out of place in our lives. These paths need to be realigned with the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. When spiritual reformation takes place in our lives, revival will come, as we will see in Isaiah’s words that follow.Spiritual reformation happens before spiritual revival. We need to repent and seek God’s help in aligning our lives with his way. Then powerful revival will come.

Lord, search our hearts and reshape us. Fill our hidden valleys, humble our pride, straighten our crooked ways, and realign all that is rough. May your transforming glory be revealed in us. Amen.

“In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

— Isaiah 40:3

The prophet Isaiah looks ahead, pointing to a prophet who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist was that prophet, and the Messiah was Jesus Christ.John presented the Messiah, Jesus, as the true light that comes into the world and enlightens every person. John also said of Jesus, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). John came baptizing with water, and he presented Jesus as someone greater than himself, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John did not feel worthy even to untie the straps of Jesus’ sandals. John lived by this principle: “[Jesus] must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).The church cannot produce revival; however, it is up to the church to prepare the way for the Lord so that he may transform lives. Revival is the work of God, and preparing for it is our responsibility. Revival is a supernatural work of God, and we need to make a way straight in the wilderness for our God. Our lives must be the unobstructed road by which the Lord reveals himself to the world.In what ways have you been a path through which the Lord has revealed himself? Prepare the way of the Lord!

Lord Jesus, make us a people who prepare your way with humility and faith. Help us to become less so that you may become greater among us. Clear our hearts of every obstacle so that your light may shine through our lives. Amen.

Proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for. . . .

— Isaiah 40:2

God’s people had ignored his law and had closed their ears to the words of his prophets. As a consequence, the people were taken into captivity and exile. Because they would not listen to the voice of grace, they heard the crack of the whip of discipline.But the same God who disciplines his people restores them by his mercy. God called Isaiah to speak tenderly and with assurance to his exiled people, proclaiming that their time of captivity was over and that their sins were forgiven. What a comforting message!Because God loves his people, he disciplines them. And along with disciplining his people, God also forgives them. God forgives his people, and he also restores them.There is no remedy for guilt except in God's forgiveness. No medicine can calm a heart tormented by guilt. No therapy can stifle the desperate cries of a conscience plagued with remorse for wrongdoing. Only God’s forgiveness can lift the heavy burden that crushes us.Have you been forgiven by God? Do you enjoy the peace that “transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7)?Now is the time of grace. If your heart weighs heavy with sin, now is the opportune time to turn to God in repentance and seek his forgiveness.

Lord God, speak to our hearts with your restoring mercy. Lift the weight of our guilt, forgive us, and lead us from discipline to renewal, bringing the peace that only you can give. In Jesus, Amen.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

— Isaiah 40:1

The book of Isaiah is sometimes called “the gospel of the Old Testament” because it announces the good news (gospel) of the coming of God’s servant, the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ. In chapters 1-39, Isaiah writes about history. And in the rest of the book he delivers a message of comfort, restoration, and hope.Comfort has its source in God. Only the Lord can bring peace to the human soul. Only God can forgive sins, and only in God do we find redemption.True comfort does not come from earthly things. It does not come from people. Comfort comes from God.We cannot find full comfort in various therapies or in self-help psychology. True comfort cannot be found on a couch or in a gym. We do not find our greatest comfort by enjoying the most splendid vacations or the most appetizing pleasures. Comfort cannot be acquired with money or inherited from parents. Real comfort is the work of God. God is both the source and the giver of this gift.Isaiah the prophet is ordered to comfort the people of God. But how? Not with flattering words or deceptive praise. True comfort can only be experienced when we turn to God, the inexhaustible source of grace. God alone can cancel our debt and forgive our sins. True comfort can only be found in God.

God of all comfort, only you can fill our deepest needs. Throughout this month, help us to find our only comfort in you by hearing from and living into your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“You have heard that it was said. . . . But I tell you. . . .”

— Matthew 5:21-22

In this passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, our Lord cites several references from the Old Testament Law, such as “Do not murder,” “Do not commit adultery,” and so on. Then he adds his own divine wisdom on the deeper meanings of those laws, insisting that even our thoughts and motives are subject to the Law’s commands. So if we think about killing someone, or committing adultery, or any other sin, we have actually committed that sin. Ouch!Jesus’ main message here is about life in the kingdom of God. He shows us that kingdom living goes beyond simply following God’s law. In the kingdom of God, even our thoughts must be pure, good, and truthful.Now, if we are saved in Christ, our sinful thoughts certainly won’t change that. Similarly in some ways, we can say that people do not go to prison for thinking of murder. So does it really matter if we revel in sinful thinking?It does matter. We are saved so that we will become more fitting, effective agents in God’s kingdom. When our thoughts align with Christ’s, we gain power and understanding into the ways of God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, more and more of our mind can become like the mind of Christ. And if our mind is like Christ’s, we will share in his compassion, confidence, hope, and power.Let the mind of Christ grow effectively in you.

Lord Jesus, make us effective servants in your kingdom. May even our thoughts and desires be worthy of you. Amen.