May 16 – Isaiah

In April and May, we are reading through the book of the prophet Isaiah. Its major themes are judgment, comfort, and hope, applicable to Jerusalem then in the 8th century B.C. and to us now. Join our study by reading today’s scripture below and journaling about it using SOAP (click on the “What’s SOAP?” link above to learn more). Below today’s scripture is an example SOAP from our team. We love hearing from you! Please use the comment section of our website to share your SOAP, thoughts or questions on the reading, or prayer requests. Join us as we build unity and community through God’s Word!

Isaiah 53 Who has believed our message     and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,     and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,     nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,     a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces     he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain     and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God,     stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,     he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,     and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,     each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him     the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted,     yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,     and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,     so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.     Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living;     for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,     and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence,     nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,     and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days,     and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After he has suffered,     he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,     and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,     and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death,     and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many,     and made intercession for the transgressors.

SOAP Note

I Wanna Be Like You | Marianne Toovey

Scripture

Isaiah 53:11

Observation

So Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus, but what he’s saying doesn’t really sound any different from his prophesies of exile in the beginning of the book. The Jews were rejecting God despite all the evidence they had of Him being the only One worth following. And now he’s saying they’re going to do the same thing to God’s faithful servant! When will they ever learn?! But wait. Despite all his suffering, He’s satisfied. He gets to look back on that time and think it was all worth it. What an amazing God we serve!

Application

I’m horrible. I get comfortable in my sin and convince myself it’s not that bad. But it is. I have God’s Word right in front of me, telling me how I should live and what not to do. But I’m perfectly happy doing my own thing. I know how frustrating it is as a mom when my daughter does that to me. How much more frustrating when an entire population does it? But it’s all worth it. The suffering, the frustration, it’s all worth it because one day we’ll be in heaven with Him – free of sin and incapable of disappointing Him. It’s all about that end result.

Prayer

I’m not worthy to call You Father, but You chose me to be Your child. I consistently disappoint You, but You show me grace and mercy. I turn my back on You, but You never leave me. I give You so many reasons to give up on me, but You just hold on tighter, reminding me of that end result. I put You through so much, and You say it’s worth it. You are awesome, God. Help me to be more like You every day. With my family, my friends, and even in my thoughts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Discover One Thing main website follows a reading plan that goes through the entire Bible in one year. Click HERE to check out today’s Discover One Thing post.

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