Lessons On Living

[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Matthew 13:23 Ephesians 2:1 Isaiah 35:1-2

A Desert Rose

Isaiah 35:1-2

The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God.

A Desert Rose

Boulder Dam was built in order to bring water to areas that had been desert. During the building of this dam, several workmen lost their lives. After its completion, a plaque was placed on the dam with the names of those who had been killed, with the following inscription: "These died that the desert might rejoice and blossom as the rose."

God revealed to Isaiah that Israel also would one day be restored. The land that had been devastated and destroyed until it was nothing more than a desert would be revived and become a place of beauty and fruitfulness.

To a certain degree, this prophecy has been realized. With the aid of technology and significant irrigation, Israel has restored many areas of the land to fruitfulness. Ultimately, however, Isaiah's prophecy will find fulfillment during the millennial reign of the Messiah. Then, not only will the nations beat their spears into pruning hooks (2:4) and the lion eat straw like the ox (11:7), but Israel will become an agricultural paradise. God promised it, so you can believe it.

Yet in a spiritual sense, this fulfillment can take place now. If your life has been a spiritual desert, Jesus can make it blossom. When you receive Him as your Savior, you become spiritually alive (Eph. 2:1). With the cultivation of the Holy Spirit, you will produce spiritual fruit a hundred times over (Matt. 13:23). Don't put that day off to some future time; do it now. Your life can blossom in the grace and mercy of God.

A surrendered heart is always a fruitful field.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Isaiah 40:8

The Eternal Word

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

The Eternal Word

Very few things are permanent, no matter how solid they seem to be. Japanese scholar Chikaosa Tanimoto is now saying that the Sphinx, which has stood immovable on the Giza Plateau outside of Cairo, Egypt, for more than 4,500 years, is destined for destruction within the next 200 years. Because of erosion created by pollution and the forces of nature, the structure eventually will disintegrate into a heap of rubble. Other ancient monuments such as the great pyramids—Cheops, Chephren and Myceriuns—which were supposedly built to last forever, are also showing signs of crumbling. Given sufficient time, they also will return to the dust from which they came.

The same, however, cannot be said of God's Word. Even though portions such as the Book of Job and the five books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) are nearly 4,000 years old, they are as relevant today as the day they were written. Because the Bible deals with the nature of man and the love of God, it will always be applicable to man's need. Technology changes, cultures vary, fads come and go. But human nature stays the same, and the Bible always has the answer for man's deepest need.

Nor will Scripture ever lose its validity. The Bible is absolute truth, and truth doesn't change with time. Just as two plus two is four today, it was a thousand years ago and it will be a thousand years from now. The sins that offended the holiness of God when the Bible was written, such as adultery, homosexuality, lying and stealing, are just as sinful and offensive to a holy God today.

Other things may last a long time, even thousands of years, but only God's Word is forever. Every word of Scripture that you make a part of your life is an investment in eternity. Study it, memorize it, apply it—and your life will never be out of date.

Only the eternal Word can meet the needs of an eternal soul.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10 Isaiah 11:6-9 Isaiah 9:2 Isaiah 44:28 Isaiah 40:31

Those Who Wait

Isaiah 40:31

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Those Who Wait

People in the United States hate to wait. Some define a split second as the time between the traffic light turning green and the person behind you blowing his horn. Fast-food chains have sprung up everywhere because many people don't want to go to restaurants where they have to wait for their food. Grocery stores have express lanes so that those with only a few items will not have to wait long. Patience is certainly a dying virtue in our culture.

God knew that Israel would have to wait a long time for fulfillment of the many promises He gave through the prophet Isaiah. Nearly 150 years would pass before "Cyrus . . . My shepherd" would restore the people from captivity (44:28). It would be more than 700 years before the "people who walked in darkness" would see the light of the Gospel (9:2). And many promises have yet to be fulfilled (11:6-9; 35:1-10).

We may not like to wait, but God attaches a promise to waiting. In patiently trusting Him, He assures us, we will find a new strength. When the right time comes, we will have wings like eagles and supernatural endurance.

Many Christians wear themselves out because they are running ahead of God rather than waiting for His perfect time. If you're prone to do this, let God not only have His will in your life, but also let Him accomplish that will in His time. Use the waiting time as an opportunity to renew your strength and prepare for what lies ahead. Waiting doesn't have to be a drag; it can be a surge.

It's better to be renewed by waiting than ruined by rushing.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Isaiah 34:1-2 Isaiah 7:3 Isaiah 41:10

Fear Not

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Fear Not

As an old farmer sat on his front porch, a stranger came along and asked, "How's your cotton coming?" "Ain't got none," he replied. "Didn't plant none. 'Fraid of the boll weevil." "Well, how's your corn?" "Didn't plant none of that either. 'Fraid o' drought." "How about your potatoes?" "Ain't got none. Scairt o' tater bugs." The stranger finally asked, "Well, what did you plant?" "Nothin," answered the farmer. "I just played it safe."

Isaiah was not called to "play it safe." Instead, God called him to confront kings (7:3) and denounce mighty nations (34:1-2). All around him vast armies were on the move, and political scheming was rampant. Yet in the midst of all these intimidating situations, God said, "Don't be afraid. I am with you."

There are many things that cause fear; in fact, someone has estimated that the average person has at least 200 fears. Yet the answer to all of them is the same—God. As the hymn writer so aptly put it, "Fear not, I am with thee—O be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand."

If God has called you to something, don't be afraid. If He has called you to be single, don't be afraid. He will stand in the gap. If He has called you to live alone, don't be afraid. His company will comfort you. If He has called you to serve Him far from family and friends, don't be afraid. He will be there for you. God has not called us to play it safe; He has called us to trust Him.

Where God has called us, He will keep us.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Galatians 6:9-10 Isaiah 42:3

Compassion Fatigue

Isaiah 42:3

A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.

Compassion Fatigue

An Irishman was down on his luck and was panhandling on Fifth Avenue before the annual St. Patrick's Day parade got underway in New York City. As a couple strolled by, he called out, "May the blessing of the Lord, which brings love and joy and wealth and a fine family, follow you all the days of your life." There was a pause as the couple passed his outstretched hand without contributing. Then he shouted after them, "And never catch up to you!"

Perhaps we can identify with that couple. Our mailboxes are stuffed with appeals from various organizations; our phones ring with individuals seeking pledges; some people even come right to our doors with solicitations. After a while, we can fall into an attitude that sociologists call "compassion fatigue." It simply means we turn our back even on worthy causes because we can't handle another request.

Fortunately, God never suffers from such an ailment. No matter how often we go to Him with our needs, He never turns us away. His compassion is always available. He treats us as one who is as tender as a bruised reed or as fragile as smoking flax.

Christians need to take care that we do not become fatigued in our compassion. The apostle Paul exhorts us, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:9-10).

With limited time and funds, we must prayerfully ask the Lord what He would have us do when we are presented with an opportunity to give. Once we know His will, however, let nothing keep us from showing compassion. Succumbing to compassion fatigue can squelch the work of God.

Duty makes us do things well; compassion makes us do them beautifully.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Psalm 61:2 Psalm 62:7 Psalm 31:2 Psalm 95:1 Isaiah 44:6-8

The One and Only

Isaiah 44:6, 8

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: "I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. . . . Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."

The One and Only

Michel Lotito of Grenoble, France, is one of the most unusual individuals in the world, at least when it comes to his culinary tastes. Since 1959, at the age of nine, Mr. Lotito has daily dined on metal and glass. According to The Guinness Book of Records, he consumes two pounds of metal per day. So far he has eaten, among other things, ten bicycles, a supermarket cart, seven TV sets, six chandeliers, a low-calorie Cessna light aircraft and a computer. Few have cared to match his record.

Michel Lotito is unusual, but God is more than unusual; He is unique. There are no others like Him. The God of all knowledge declares, "Is there a God besides me? Indeed there is no other rock; I know not one." No one is able even to come close to matching His deeds.

Yet in spite of his uniqueness, this singular Person of the universe has declared His love for you and me. He offers Himself as our rock, a place of safety and stability. He is the rock of our salvation (Ps. 95:1), the rock of refuge (31:2), the rock of our strength (62:7) and the rock that is "higher than I" (61:2). He is the one and only Person able to meet all our needs.

If you do not know this one and only God, you can. He has revealed Himself in many ways, most especially in His Son, Jesus Christ. When you come to know Jesus as your Savior, you come to know God as the One and Only God. Why not surrender your life to Him today?

There are many pebbles, but only one Rock.

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Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Isaiah 45:1

Held by His Hand

Isaiah 45:1

Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.

Held by His Hand

A pastor once shared that when his son was small, they often walked together through the fields and neighboring pasture behind the parsonage. At first the little fellow would hold onto his father's finger, but he found that when he stepped into a hoof print or stumbled over something, his grip would fail and he'd fall to the ground. This happened quite frequently until one day he looked up at his father and said, "Daddy, I think if you would hold my hand, I wouldn't fall." The pastor reflected, "You know, he was right. He still stumbled many times after that, but he never hit the ground."

Cyrus the Great, the one whom God would use to return His people from Babylon, had the same experience. As a leader he would face many challenges. It was first necessary that he weld two peoples, the Medes and the Persians, into a united kingdom. Accomplishing that, he then set out on a path of conquest that ultimately brought him to Babylon, the city thought to be impregnable. Ingeniously, the river Euphrates was diverted and Cyrus' army slipped into the city through the dried-up river bed and conquered it. Through it all, although Cyrus didn't know it, God held his hand.

The future is sure to contain trials and difficulties for you. Maybe you've already encountered some of them. If you try to hold on to God's hand, the likelihood is great that you will slip and stumble. The better solution is to let God hold your hand. Instead of striving and straining, let go and let God hold onto you. Surrender yourself to God and trust Him to keep you secure.

Let Him who holds everything else hold your hand as well.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Hebrews 13:8 Isaiah 46:4

In Old Age

Isaiah 46:4

Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

In Old Age

The U.S. Census Bureau has declared the year 2020 as the beginning of the age of the elderly. The 65 and older segment of our population will increase from one in eight Americans today to one in six by that date and one in five by 2050. By the beginning of this new era, the nation's elderly will total 53.3 million—a 63 percent increase over the current elderly population of 33 million. It would appear that the United States is destined to become a nation of the aged.

Yet the very thought of old age strikes fear in the hearts of many people—perhaps with good reason. Old age brings with it health concerns as the body deteriorates, financial concerns with the onset of retirement and even social concerns as friends and relatives die. Just the thought of such dramatic changes is a terrifying prospect to some.

In the midst of all this, however, God promises that He will never change. Even though you experience many changes as you grow older, He will stay the same. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). Just as He saw you through the crises of youth and middle age, so He will see you through all the challenges of growing old. When your strength fails, just remember that He promises to carry you. When you feel trapped inside an aging body, remember that He who sustains you today will continue to bear you throughout all your days.

The God of the ages is also the God of the aged.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Isaiah 49:15-16

Never Forgotten

Isaiah 49:15-16

Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.

Never Forgotten

I can empathize with the man who said, "I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it on." Most of us are able to forget much better than we remember.

Yet God assures us that He will never forget us. Not for a second are we ever out of His thoughts. In fact, Isaiah tells us that we are inscribed on the very palms of His hands—the part of our body we use to reach out and demonstrate our love and concern through the ministry of touch. And the palms are the most tender part of those hands. So it is with compassionate and tender love that God has engraved us on His divine palms.

Sometimes in the midst of our troubles it may seem as if God has overlooked us. We pray and God doesn't seem to hear us. We read our Bibles, but the verses all seem lifeless and meaningless. We look for solutions, but God provides no answers.

Despite your circumstances, remember where your name is engraved. Be assured that God has not forgotten you. The forgetfulness that is so common with humans can never afflict Him. Jesus' nail-pierced palms are vivid reminders of our infinite value and His unending love. Give God time to accomplish His purpose in your life. Have confidence that your situation is only temporary. Stand firm on God's promise, "Yet will I not forget you." You're in good hands with God.

God always oversees; He never overlooks.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Hebrews 4:15-16 Isaiah 53:3-4

Man of Sorrows

Isaiah 53:3-4

He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

Man of Sorrows

Ted Turner, founder of Cable News Network, spoke in Orlando, Florida, a few years back and told a very moving story. Turner mentioned that he was raised in a God-fearing family and had a sister who was ill. Her illness progressed; she became critical. He prayed desperately for the Lord to spare her life and make her well. But she died. Then Turner told the audience that from that point on he knew, even as a kid, there was no God. What kind of loving God would have allowed his sister to suffer and die? Since that experience, he said, he has depended upon himself, not on an unfeeling, phantom-being that does not exist.

It's sad that Turner's perspective on God became skewed. Isaiah gives us a much different insight. The prophet does not say that God removes our sorrows; instead He sent someone to bear them with us—the Lord Jesus. He is acquainted with our griefs because He experiences them along with us. For reasons beyond our comprehension, God chose to link His happiness to ours. When we hurt, He hurts.

What a great blessing this is! The writer of Hebrews says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:15-16).

How can you be sure you will find mercy and grace? Because God experiences your pain right along with you. He understands how you feel. So come boldly, not with the expectations that God will always remove your pain, but with the assurance that He will bear it with you.

The sorrow and grief that Christ bore were not His but yours.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: John 14:4 Isaiah 55:1-2

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Isaiah 55:1-2

Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money; come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

An anonymous author who had lived for the fleeting things of this world penned the following lines: "How foolishly I have employed myself! In what delirium has my life been passed! How I've wasted my life while the sun in its race and the stars in their courses have lent their beams—perhaps only to light me to perdition! I have pursued shadows and entertained myself with dreams. I might have grazed with the beasts of the field, or sung with the birds of the woods, to much better purposes than any for which I have lived."

What a contrast to those things which God has to offer. Not only are the portions from His table free and abundant, but most important, in the end they satisfy. Instead of regret, they result in joy and satisfaction.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 14:4).

Israel had to learn this truth the hard way. In spite of Isaiah's pleas, the people chose to chase after material well-being and political security rather than turn their hearts to the Lord. In the end, they lost everything as they were carried away to Babylon.

Are you looking for satisfaction? Then open your Bible and partake of the feast that God has spread for you. His promise is that when you reach the end of your life, you will never regret a moment that you have spent at His table. With God, satisfaction is always guaranteed.

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Isaiah 6:1 Isaiah 44:17 Isaiah 55:8-9

Gotcha' God

Isaiah 55:8-9

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Gotcha' God!

A young boy at the dinner table asked, "Dad, is God everywhere?" "Yes," his father assured him, "God is everywhere." "Is He in this room?" the boy wanted to know. "Of course," his father said. "If God is everywhere, then He is in this room." Eyeing the sugar bowl on the table, the boy continued, "Well, is God in that sugar bowl?" "Yes," his father replied, "if God is everywhere, I guess we'd have to say that He's even in the sugar bowl." Reaching for the lid, the boy quickly slipped it over the bowl. "Gotcha', God!" he said.

The Israelites also wanted a "sugar bowl" god, someone they could control. Isaiah rebuked them for cutting down a tree and using part of it to warm themselves and with the rest making it "into a god, his carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, prays to it and says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god!'" (44:17). Israel wanted a god who could be contained in their temples and manipulated by their worship—but the God Isaiah had seen (6:1) was not that kind of a God.

How wonderful to know that the real God is so much greater than anything we can imagine or create. His ways and even His thoughts are so far beyond our finite minds that we can't begin to comprehend Him. When we come to Him with our problems and our difficulties, we never have to worry about whether He's big enough to handle them.

Don't try to put God in a sugar bowl. You won't be successful, for He is an awesome God. Rejoice that though you may not be able to understand Him, you will always be able to trust Him.

God will be God regardless of what we do!

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Colossians 1:13-14 Isaiah 59:2

The Living Link

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear

The Living Link

Great Britain's King George V was to give the opening address at a special disarmament conference with the speech relayed by radio to the United States. As the broadcast was about to begin, a cable broke in a New York Radio station and more than a million listeners were left without sound. A junior mechanic in the station, Harold Vivien, solved the problem by picking up both ends of the cable and allowing 250 volts of electricity to pass through him harmlessly. He became a living link.

Sin causes the same problem as a broken cable. It interferes with our ability to communicate with the King of the universe. In fact, Isaiah goes so far as to say that sin separates us from God.

Fortunately, a provision has been made to bridge that break. Just as Mr. Vivien became the means for communication to be restored with King George V, the Lord Jesus Christ has become the link to reconnect us to God. The apostle Paul wrote, "He [God] has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:13-14).

When our sins are covered by the blood of Christ, God can communicate with us through His Word. Instead of being dull, lifeless words on a page, they are infused with spiritual vitality that can change our lives. Furthermore, our own communication with God—prayer—becomes unfettered. We have the assurance that He hears us and will respond to our needs.

If you feel like you aren't getting through to God, maybe the link is broken. Ask Him to show you any sin in your life that might be hindering your ability to communicate with Him. Then confess it, forsake it, and get back in communication with the King.

The Living Link is the only solution to the broken link.

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Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Isaiah 65:24

Before You Call

Isaiah 65:24

It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Before You Call

Dr. Helen Roseveare, a missionary to Africa, told about a mother who died at the mission station after giving birth to a premature baby. An incubator was set up to keep the infant alive, but the only available hot water bottle was beyond repair. During devotions that morning the children were asked to pray for the baby and for her young sister, who were now orphans. One of the girls responded, "Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely."

That afternoon a large parcel arrived from England. Eagerly the children watched as it was opened. Much to their delight, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to delve deeper, exclaiming, "If God sent that, I'm sure He also sent a doll." And she was right! Five months earlier, God had led a group of women in England to include both of those items in response to a prayer that had not yet been uttered.

That's the promise God gives us through Isaiah. As the One who knows what lies ahead, the Lord works even in the past to bring about blessings for His children's future.

As you consider your situation today, it may seem that the Lord is asking you to do the illogical. You may think, Why should God prompt me to do this? I see no need. But remember, what you do today could be the answer to someone's prayers tomorrow. Trust God, and let the One who holds both the past and future be your Guide for the present.

With God, the past and future are simply part of the eternal present.

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[nChrist]

Author: Warren Wiersbe
Source: Lessons on Living From Moses
Scripture: Exodus 15:21-22

Living in the Valleys

Exodus 15:21-22

And Miriam answered them: "Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!" So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

Living in the Valleys

Mountaintops are great places. As you stand on some lofty peak it seems as if you can see forever. But most people don’t live on mountains. The demands of reality require that life is generally lived in the valleys.

The Israelites had just come through one of the high points of their nation’s history—a mountaintop experience. Pursued by Pharaoh’s army, they crossed the Red Sea with dry sandals and then saw the waters rush together again upon their enemy’s horses and chariots. With tremendous joy, they sang God’s praise. Then they hit the valley—from the fresh air of the mountaintop to the dry, oppressive air of the wilderness. For three days they traveled without finding water. Compared to the mountaintops, the valleys are real spiritual challenges.

But that’s the way real life is. Spiritual mountaintops are wonderful. You feel particularly close to God during your devotional time; you return from a weekend retreat knowing the living Lord has met with you in a special way; you come home from church after the pastor’s sermon has met a deep spiritual need in your life. You revel in the warmth of these marvelous mountaintop experiences.

But that’s not where you live. You live in the valley, where there are dirty dishes to wash, lawns to mow and children to raise. Often real life isn’t much fun.

Fortunately, Israel discovered, as will you, that God is with you both on the mountain and in the valley. He never leaves you, never allows you out of His loving care. We all appreciate those times when we encounter God in a special way, but we know that God is also with us when we sink to spiritual lows and feel a little dry. The God you meet in the good times is the same God who meets you in the hard times.

The God who dwells on the mountains also inhabits the valleys.

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