February Reading List

      February

❏1 2 Kings 22-25
❏2 Obadiah, Jeremiah 1,2
❏3 Jeremiah 3-5
❏4 Jeremiah 6-8
❏5 Jeremiah 9-12
❏6 Jeremiah 13-16
❏7 Jeremiah 17-20
❏8 Jeremiah 21-23
❏9 Jeremiah 24-26
❏10 Jeremiah 27-29
❏11 Jeremiah 30-32
❏12 Jeremiah 33-36
❏13 Jeremiah 37-39
❏14 Jeremiah 40-42
❏15 Jeremiah 43-46
❏16 Jeremiah 47-49
❏17 Jeremiah 50-52
❏18 Lamentations 1-5
❏19 1 Chronicles 1-3
❏20 1 Chronicles 4-6
❏21 1 Chronicles 7-9
❏22 1 Chronicles 10-13
❏23 1 Chronicles 14-16
❏24 1 Chronicles 17-19
❏25 1 Chronicles 20-23
❏26 1 Chronicles 24-26
❏27 1 Chronicles 27-29
❏28 2 Chronicles 1-3


Bible Challenge Junior

   February

❏1 Song of Solomon 2
❏2 Isaiah 6
❏3 Isaiah 25
❏4 Isaiah 40
❏5 Isaiah 53
❏6 Isaiah 55
❏7 Jeremiah 2
❏8 Jeremiah 15
❏9 Jeremiah 31
❏10 Jeremiah 38
❏11 Lamentations 3
❏12 Ezekiel 1
❏13 Ezekiel 2
❏14 Ezekiel 3
❏15 Ezekiel 37
❏16 Daniel 1
❏17 Daniel 3
❏18 Daniel 5
❏19 Daniel 6
❏20 Jonah 3
❏21 Jonah 4
❏22 Micah 6
❏23 Nahum 1
❏24 Habakkuk 1
❏25 Zephaniah 2
❏26 Haggai 1
❏27 Zechariah 14

❏28 Malachi 3

JUST KEEP READING!!

Day 215 - Habakkuk

Daily Reading:  Habakkuk 1-3

Habakkuk

HABAKKUK WAS A MAN WHO SOUGHT ANSWERS.  TROUBLED BY WHAT HE OBSERVED, HE ASKED DIFFICULT QUESTIONS.  THE QUESTIONS WERE NOT MERELY INTELLECTUAL EXERCISES OR BITTER COMPLAINTS.  HABAKKUK SAW A DYING WORLD, AND IT BROKE HIS HEART.  WHY IS THERE EVIL IN THE WORLD?  WHY DO THE WICKED SEEM TO BE WINNING?  HE BOLDLY AND CONFIDENTLY TOOK HIS COMPLAINTS DIRECTLY TO GOD.  AND GOD ANSWERED......WITH AN AVALANCHE OF PROOF AND PREDICTION.

See he is puffed up;

his desires are not upright --

but the righteous will live by his faith--

2:4

Footnote:  The wicked Babylonians trusted in themselves and would fall; but the righteous live by their faith and trust in God.  This verse has inspired countless Christians.  Paul quotes it in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11.  The writer of Hebrews quotes it in 10:38, just before the famous chapter on faith.  And it is helpful to all Christians who must live through difficult times without seeing signs of hope.  Christians must trust that God is directing all things according to his purposes.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to go on the heights.

3:19

Footnote:  Habakkuk had asked God why evil people prosper while the righteous suffer.  God's answer: they don't, not in the long run.  Habakkuk saw his own limitations in contrast to God's unlimited control of all the world's events.  God is alive and in control of the world and its events.  We cannot see all that God is doing, and we cannot see all that God will do.  But we can be assured that he is God and will do what is right.  Knowing this can give us confidence and hope in a confusing world.

 Keep reading -- 150 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 214 - Zephaniah

Daily Reading:  Zephaniah 1-3

Zephaniah

She obeys no one,

she accepts no correction.

She does not trust in the Lord,

she does not draw near to her God.

3:2

Footnote:  Do you know people who refuse to listen when someone disagrees with their opinions?  Their root problem is pride -- inflated self-esteem.  God's people had become so proud that they would not hear or accept God's correction.  Do you find it difficult to listen to the spiritual counsel of others or God's words from the Bible?  Don't let pride make you unable or unwilling to let God work in your life.  You will be more willing to listen when you consider how weak and sinful you really are compared to God. 

At that time I will gather you;

at that time I will bring you home.

I will give you honor and praise

among all the peoples of the earth

when I restore your fortunes

before your very eyes,

says the Lord.

3:20

Footnote:  The message of doom in the beginning of the book becomes a message of hope by the end.  There will be a new day when God will bless his people.  If the leaders in the church today were to hear a message from a prophet of God, the message would probably resemble the book of Zephaniah.  Under Josiah's religious reforms, the people did return to God outwardly, but their hearts were far from him.  Zephaniah encouraged the nation to gather together and pray for salvation.  We must also ask ourselves:  Is our reform merely an outward show or is it changing our hearts and lives?  We need to gather together and pray, to walk humbly with God, to do what is right, and to hear the message of hope regarding the new world to come.

Keep reading -- 151 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 213 - I Have Heard Your Prayer

Daily Reading:  2 Kings 20, 21

".....This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says:  I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you........"  2 Kings 20:5

Footnote:  Over a 100-year period of Judah's history, Hezekiah was the only faithful king; but what a difference he made!  Because of Hezekiah's faith and prayer, God healed him and saved his city from the Assyrians.  You can make a difference too, even if your faith puts you in the minority.  Faith and prayer, if they are sincere and directed toward the one true God, can change any situation.

"He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists.  He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger."  2 Kings 21:6

Footnote:  Manasseh was an evil king, and he angered God with his sin.  Listed among his sins are occult practices -- sorcery and divination, and consulting mediums and spiritists.  These acts were strictly forbidden by God (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:9-13) because they demonstrate a lack of faith in him, involve sinful actions, and open the door to demonic influences . Today, many books, television shows, and games emphasize fortune-telling, seances, and other ocult practices.  Don't let desire to know the future or the belief that superstition is harmless lead you into condoning occult practices. 

21:16 Footnote:  Tradition says that during Manasseh's massive slaughter, Isaiah was sawed in two when trying to hide in a hollow log (see Hebrews 11:37, 38).  Other prophets may also have been killed at this time.

Keep reading -- 152 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 212 - Nahum

Daily Reading:  Nahum

Nahum

Nahum, like Jonah, was a prophet to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, and he prophesied between 663 and 612 BC.  Jonah had seen Nineveh repent a century earlier, but the city had fallen back into wickedness.  Assyria, the world power controlling the Fertile Crescent, seemed unstoppable.  Its ruthless and savage warriors had already conquered Israel, the northern kingdom, and were causing great suffering in Judah.  So Nahum proclaimed God's anger against Assyria's evil.  Within a few decades, the mighty Assyrian empire would be toppled by Babylon.

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power;

the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.

1:3

Footnote:  God is slow to get angry, but when he is ready to punish, even the earth trembles  Often people avoid God because they see evildoers in the world and hypocrites in the church.  They don't realize that because God is slow to anger, he gives his true followers time to share his love and truth with evildoers.  But judgment will come; God will not allow sin to go unchecked forever.  When people wonder why God doesn't punish evil immediately, help them remember that if he did, none of us would be here.  We can all be thankful that God gives people time to turn to him.

 Keep reading -- 153 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 211 - He Will Be Their Peace

Daily Reading:  Micah 5-7

And he will be their peace.

Micah 5:5

Footnote:  This chapter provides one of the clearest Old Testament prophecies of Christ's coming.  The key descriptive phrase is "and he will be their peace."  In one of Christ's final talks he said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).  Because of Christ's first coming, we have the opportunity to experience peace with God with no more fear of judgment and no more conflict and guilt.  Christ's peace gives us assurance even though wars continue.  At Christ's second coming, all wars and weapons will be destroyed (4:3-5).

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

6:8

Footnote:  People have tried all kinds of ways to please God, but God has made his wishes clear:  he wants his people to be just, merciful, and to walk humbly with him.  In your efforts to please God, examine these areas on a regular basis.  Are you fair in your dealing with people?  Do you show mercy to those who wrong you?  Are you learning humility?

Who is a God like you,

who pardons sin and forgives the transgression

of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever

but delight to show mercy.

7:18

Footnote:  God delights to show mercy!  He does not forgive grudgingly, but is glad when we repent and offers forgiveness to all who come back to him.  Today you can confess your sins and receive his loving forgiveness.  Don't be too proud to accept God's free offer.

In an age when religion was making little difference in people's lives, Micah said that God expected his people to be just, merciful, and humble.  He requires the same of Christians toay.  In a world that is unjust, we must act justly.  In a world of tough breaks, we must be merciful.  In a world of pride and self-sufficiency, we must walk humbly with God.  Only when we live according to God's way will we begin to affect our homes, our society, and our world.

 Keep reading -- 154 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 210 - Micah

Daily Reading:  Micah 1-4

Micah

Purpose:  To warn God's people that judgment is coming and to offer pardon to all who repent.

Blueprint:  Micah emphasized the need for justice and peace.  Like a lawyer, he set forth God's case against Israel and Judah, their leaders, and their people.  Throughout the book are prophecies about Jesus, the Messiah, who will gather the people into one nation.  He will be their king and ruler, acting mercifully toward them.  Micah makes it clear that God hates unkindness, idolatry, injustice, and empty ritual -- and he still hates these today.  But God is very willing to pardon the sins of any who repent.

Keep reading -- 155 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 209 - New Heavens and a New Earth

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 64-66

All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Isaiah 64:6

Footnote:  Sin makes us unclean so that we cannot approach God any more than a beggar in rotten rags could dine at a king's table.  Our best efforts are still infected with sin.  Our only hope, therefore, is faith in Jesus Christ, who can cleanse us and bring us into God's presence (read Romans 3).

Yet, O Lord, you are our Father.

We are the clay, you are the potter;

we are all the work of your hand.

64:8

New Heavens and a New Earth

......For as the days of a tree,

so will be the days of my people;

my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.

They will not toil in vain

or bear children doomed to misfortune;

for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,

they and their descendants with them.

Before they call I will answer;

while they are still speaking I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb will feed together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox,

but dust will be the serpent's food.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain.

65:22:25

Footnote 65:17-25:  We have a pictorial description of the new heavens and the new earth.  They are eternal, and in them safety, peace, and plenty will be availabe to all (see also 66:22,23; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).  Verses 20-25 may refer to the reign of Christ on earth because sin and death have not yet been finally destroyed.

66:22-24 Footnote:  Isaiah brings his book to a close with great drama.  For the faithless there is a sobering portrayal of judgment.  For the faithful, there is a glorious picture of rich reward -- "so will your name and descendants endure."  The contrast is so striking that it would seem that everyone would want to be God's follower.  But we are often just as rebellious, foolish, and reluctant to change as the Israaelites.  We are just as negligent in feeding the hungry, working for justice, and obeying God's Word.  Make sure you are among those who will be richly blessed.

Keep reading -- 156 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 208 - Grieving the Holy Spirit

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 61-63

Yet they rebelled

and grieved his Holy Spirit.

So he turned and became their enemy

and he himself fought against them.

Isaiah 63:10

Footnote:  Grieving the Holy Spirit is willfully thwarting his leading by disobedience or rebellion.  Isaiah mentions the work of the Holy Spirit more than any other Old Testament writer.  See the note on Ephesians 4:28-32 for more on grieving the Holy Spirit.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.          Ephesians 4:28-32

Footnote:  We can grieve the Holy Spirit by the way we live.  Paul warns us against unwholesome language, bitterness, improper use of anger, brawling, slander, and bad attitudes toward others.  Insead of acting that way, we should be forgiving, just as God has forgiven us.  Are you grieving or pleasing God with your attitudes and actions?  Act in love toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, just as God acted in love by sending his Son to die for your sins.

 Keep reading -- 157 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 207 - Covenant

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 58-60

As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord.  My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever, says the Lord.     Isaiah 59:21

Footnote:  When the Holy Spirit dwells within his people, they change.  Their former desires no longer entice them; now their chief aim is to please God.  We who are Christians today are the heirs of this prophecy; we are able to respond to God's will and distinguish between good and evil because the Holy Spirit dwells within us (John 14:26; Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 5:14).

 Keep reading -- 158 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 206 - Come, Listen, Seek & Call

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 55-58

Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does now satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;

hear me, that your soul may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander of the peoples.

Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.

Seek the Lord while he may be found

call on him while he is near.

55:1-6

Footnote:  Food costs money, lasts only a short time, and meets only physical needs.  But God offers us free nourishment that feeds our soul. 

How do we get it? 

We come (55:1)

listen (55:2),

seek, and call on God (55:6). 

God' salvation is freely offered, but to nourish our souls we must eagerly receive it.  We will starve spiritually without this food as surely as we will starve physically without our daily bread.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,

declares the Lord.

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

55:8,9

Footnote:  The people of Israel were foolish to act as if they knew what God was thinking and planning.  His knowledge and wisdom are far greater than man's.  We are foolish to try to fit God into our mold -- to make his plans and purposes conform to ours.  Instead, we must strive to fit into HIS plans.

Keep reading -- 159 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 205 - Beautiful are the Feet

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 52-54

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

52:7

Footnote:  God says that the feet of those who bring good news are "beautiful."  It is a wonderful privilege to be able to share God's Good News with others, his news of redemption, salvation and peace.  To whom do you need to give the Good News?

Chapter 53 Footnote:  This chapter continues to speak of the Messiah, Jesus, who would suffer for the sins of all people.  Such a prophecy is astounding!  Who would believe that God would choose to save the world through a humble, suffering servant rather than a glorious king?  The idea is contrary to human pride and wordly ways.  But God often works in ways we don't expect.  The Messiah's strength is shown by humility, suffering, and mercy.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

53:6

Footnote:  Isaiah speaks of Israel straying for God and compares them to wandering sheep.  Yet God would send the Messiah to bring them back into the fold.  We have the hindsight to see and know the identity of the promised Messiah who has come and died fo our sins.  But if we can see all that Jesus did and still reject him, our sin is much greater than that of the ancient Israelites who could not see what we have seen.  Have you given your life to Jesus Christ the "good shepherd" (John 10:11-16), or are you still like a wandering sheep?

Keep reading -- 160 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 204 - A Faithful Few

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 49-51

49:1-7 Footnote:  Before the servant, the Messiah, was born, God had chosen him to bring the light of the gospel to the world.  Christ offered salvation to all nations, and his apostles began the missionary movement to take his gospel to the ends of the earth.  Missionary work today continues Jesus' Great Commission, taking the light of the gospel to all nations.

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness

and who seek the Lord:

Look to the rock from which you were cut

and to the quarry from which you were hewn;

look to Abraham, your father,

and to Sarah, who gave you birth.

When I called him he was but one,

and I blessed him and made him many.

Isaiah 51:1-2

Footnote:  The faithful remnant may have felt alone because they were few.  But God reminded them of their ancestors, the source of their spiritual heritage -- Abraham and Sarah.  Araham was only one person, but much came from his faithfulness.  If the faithful few would remain faithful, even more could come from them.  If we Christians, even a faithful few, remain faithful, think what God can do through us!

 Keep reading -- 161 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 203 - Remember the Former Things

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 46-48

Remember this, fix it in mind,

take it to heart, you rebels.

Remember the former things, those of long ago;

I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me.

 I make known the end from the beginning,

from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say:  My purpose will stand,

and I will do all that I please.

From the east I summon a bird of prey;

from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that will I bring about;

what I have planned, that will I do.

Isaiah 46:8-11

Footnote:  Israel was tempted to waver between the Lord God and pagan gods.  Isaiah affirms the sole lordship of God.  God is unique in his knowledge and in his control of the future.  His consistent purpose is to carry out what he has planned.  When we are tempted to pursue anything that promises pleasure, comfort, peace, or security apart from God, we must remember our commitment to God.

So I have refined you, though not as silver;

I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Isaiah 48:10

Footnote:  Do you find it easy to complain when your life becomes complicated or difficult?  Why would a loving God allow all kinds of unpleasant experiences to come to his children?  This verse shows us plainly that God tests us in the "furnace of affliction."  Rather than complain, our response should be to turn to God in faith for the strength to endure, and rejoice in our sufferings.  For without the testing, we would never know what we are capable of doing, nor would be grow.  And without the refining, we will not become more pure and more like Christ.  What kinds of adversity are you currently facing?

 Keep reading -- 162 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 202 - Fear Not

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 43-45

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

when you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

Isaiah 43:2

Footnote:  Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to drown or force you to grow stronger.  If you go in your own strength, you are more likely to drown.  If you invite the Lord to go with you, he will protect you.

I, even I, am he who blots out

your transgressions, for my own sake,

and remembers your sins no more.

Isaiah 43:25

Footnote:  How tempting it is to remind someone of a past offense!  But when God forgives our sins he totally forgets them.  We never have to fear that he will remind us of them later.  Because God forgives our sin, we need to forgive others.

44:28 Footnote:  Isaiah, who prophesied from about 740 - 681 B.C. , called Cyrus by name almost 150 years before he ruled (559-530 B.C.)!  Later historians said that Cyrus read this prophecy and was so moved that he carried it out.  Isaiah also predicted that Jerusalem would fall more than 100 years before it happened and that the temple would be rebuilt about 200 years before it happened.  It is clear these prophecies came from a God who knows the future.

45:22 Footnote:  Salvation is for all nations, not just the Israelites.  Many times it seems as though Israel had an inside track on salvation.  But God makes it clear that his people include all those who follow him.  Israel was to be the means through which the whole world would come to know God.  Jesus, the Messiah, fulfilled Israel's role and gave all people the opportunity to follow God.  (See also Romans 11:11, Galations 3:28; Ephesians 3:6; Philippians 2:10).

 Keep reading -- 163 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 201 - Have You Not Heard?

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 40-42

Chapter 40:  The book of Isaiah makes a dramatic shift at this point.  The following chapters discuss the majesty of God, who is coming to rule the earth and judge all people.  God will reunite Israel and Judah and restore them to glory.  Instead of warning the people of impending judgment, Isaiah here comforts them.  Chapter 40 refers to the restoration after the exile.  Cyrus is the instrument of their deliverance from Babylon.  Secondarily, it looks to the end of time when "Babylon" -- the future evil world system -- will be destroyed and the persecution of God's people will end.

Judah still had 100 years of trouble before Jerusalem would fall, then 70 years of exile.  So God tells Isaiah to speak tenderly and to comfort Jerusalem.

The seeds of comfort may take root in the soil of adversity.  When your life seems to be falling apart, ask God to comfort you.  You may not escape adversity, but you may find God's comfort as you face it.  Sometimes, however, the only comfort we have is in the knowledge that someday we will be with God.  Appreciate the comfort and encouragement found in his word, his presence, and his people.

You have to read this next passage of scripture aloud!

²¹ Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
   Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
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.
²³ He brings princes to naught
   and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
²⁴ No sooner are they planted,
   no sooner are they sown,
   no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
   and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

 ²⁵ “To whom will you compare me?
   Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
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.
 ²⁷ Why do you complain, Jacob?
   Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
   my cause is disregarded by my God”?
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.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:21-31

Keep reading -- 164 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 200 - Pray, Pray, Pray!

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 37-39

They told him, "This is what Hezekiah says:  This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.  37:3

Footnote:  Judah is compared to a woman who is trying to give birth to a child but is too weak to deliver.  When the situation seemed hopeless, Hezekiah didn't give up.  Instead, he asked the prophet Isaiah to pray that God would help his people.  No matter how bad your circumstances seem, don't despair.  Turn to God.

37:4  Footnote:  Hezekiah did exactly what Isaiah had been calling the people to do (chapters 1-35).  He turned to God and watched him come to Judah's aid.  Turning to God means believing that God is there and that he is able to help us.

37:8-10 Footnote:  Although the answer to Hezekiah's prayer was already in motion because Tirhakah was poised to attack, Hezekiah did not know it.  He persisted in prayer and faith even though he could not see the answer coming.  When we pray, we must have faith that God has already prepared the best answer.  Our task is to ask in faith and wait in humility.

Chapter 38 Footnote:  The events of chapters 38 and 39 happened before those of chapters 36 and 37.

38:1-5 Footnote:  When Isaiah went to Hezekiah, who was extremely ill, and told him of his impending death, Hezekiah immediately turned to God.  God responded to his prayer, allowing Hezekiah to live another 15 years.  In response to fervent prayer, God may change the course of our lives too.  Never hesitate to ask God for radical changes if you will honor him with those changes.

Hezekiah is a good reminder to pray, pray, pray....about everything, anything and continually!

Keep reading -- 165 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 199 - Depend on the Lord Our God

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 34-36

You say you have strategy and military strength - but you speak  only empty words.  On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?  Isaiah 36:5

Footnote:  

Hezekiah put great trust in Pharaoh's promise to help Israel against the Assyrians, but promises are only as good as the credibility of the person making them.  It was Pharaoh's word against God's.  How quickly we organize our lives around human advice while we neglect God's eternal promises.  When choosing between God's word and someone else's, whose will you believe?

And if you say to me, "We are depending on the Lord our God" -- isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship before this alter"?  Isaiah 36:7

Footnote:  

The field commander from Assyria claimed that Hezekiah had insulted God by tearing down his altars and making the people worship only in Jerusalem.  But Hezekiah's reform sought to eliminate idol worship (which occurred mainly on high hills) so that the people worshiped only the true God.  Either the Assyrians didn't know about the religion of the true God or they wanted to deceive the people into thinking they had angered a powerful god. 

In the same way, Satan tries to confuse or deceive us.  People don't necessarily need to be sinful to be ineffective for God; they need only be confused about what God wants.  To avoid Satan's deceit, study God's Word carefully and regularly.  When you know what God says, you will not fall for Satan's lies.

Keep reading -- 166 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 198 - Let King Jesus Reign!

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 31-33

For in that day every one of you will reject

the idols of silver and gold your

sinful hands have made.  Isaiah 31:7

Footnote:  

Someday these people would throw their idols away, recognizing that they are nothing but man made objects.  Idols such as money, fame, or success are seductive.  Instead of contributing to our spiritual development, they rob us of our time, energy, and devotion that ought to be directed toward God.  At first our idols seem exciting and promise to take us places, but in the end we will find that we have become their slaves.  We need to recognize their worthlessness now, before they rob us of our freedom.

No longer will the fool be called noble

nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

For the fool speaks folly,

his mind is busy with evil:

He practices ungodliness

and spreads error concerning the Lord;

the hungry he leaves empty

and from the thirsty he withholds water.

32:5,6

Footnote:  

When the righteous King comes, people's motives will become transparent.  Fools will not be regarded as noble.  Those who have opposed God's standards of living will be unable to maintain their deception.  In the blazing light of the holy Savior, sin cannot disguise itself and appear good.  Christ's revealing light shines into the darkest corners of our hearts, showing sin clearly for what it is.  When King Jesus reigns in your heart, there is no place for sin, no matter how well hidden you may think it is.

 Keep reading -- 167 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 197 - A Cornerstone

Daily Reading:   Isaiah 28-30

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;

the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

28:16

Footnote:  

If you're building anything, you need a firm base, Isaiah speaks of a foundation stone, a cornerstone, that will be laid in Zion.  This cornerstone is the Messiah, the foundation on whom we build our lives.  Is your life built on the flimsy base of your own successes or dreams?  Or is it set on a firm foundation (see Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:8).

28:23-29 Footnote:  

The farmer uses special tools to plant and harvest tender herbs so he will not destroy them.  He takes into account how fragile they are.  In the same way God takes all our individual circumstances and weaknesses into account.  He deals with each of us sensitively.  We should follow his example when we deal with others.  Different people require different treatment.  Be sensitive to the needs of those around you and the special treatment they may need.

These people come near to me with their mouth

and honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship of me

is made up only of rules taught by men.

29:13

Footnote:  

The people claimed to be close to God, but they were disobedient and merely went through the motions; therefore, God would bring judgment upon them.  Religion had become routine instead of real.  Jesus quoted Isaiah's condemnation of Israel's hypocrisy when he spoke to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day.  We are all capable of hypocrisy.  Often we slip into routine patterns when we worship and we neglect to give God our love and devotion.  If we want to be called God's people, we must be obedient and worship him honestly and sincerely.

 Keep reading -- 168 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 196 - O Lord, You Are My God

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 25-27

O, Lord, you are my God;

I will exalt you and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

you have done marvelous things,

things planned long ago.

Isaiah 25:1

Footnote:  Isaiah exalted and praised God because he realized that God completes his plans as promised.  God also fulfills his promises to you.  Think of the prayers he has answered, and praise him for his goodness and faithfulness.

You will keep in perfect peace

him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3

Footnote:  We can never avoid strife in the world around us, but with God we can know perfect peace even in turmoil.  When we are devoted to him, our whole attitude is steady and stable.  Supported by God's unchanging love and mighty power, we are not shaken by the surrounding chaos (See Philippians 4:7).  Do you want peace?  Keep your thoughts on and your trust in God.

But your dead will live;

their bodies will rise.

You who dwell in the dust,

wake up and shout for joy.

Your dew is like the dew of the morning;

the earth will give birth to her dead.

26:19

Footnote:  Some people say there is no life after death.  Others believe that there is, but it is not physical life.  But Isaiah tells us that our bodies shall rise again.  According to 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, all the dead believers will arise with new imperishable bodies -- bodies like the one Jesus had when he was resurrected (See Philippians 3:21).  Isaiah 26:19 is not the only Old Testament verse to speak about the resurrection; see also Job 19:26; Psalm 16:10; Daniel 12:2, 13.

When its twigs are dry, they are broken off

and women come and make fires with them.

for this is a people without understanding;

so their Maker has no compassion on them,

and their Creator shows them no favor.

Isaiah 27:11

Footnote:  Isaiah compares the state of Israel's spiritual life with dry twigs that are broken off and used to make fires.  Trees in Scripture often represent spiritual life.  The trunk is the channel of strength from God; the branches are the people who serve him.  Tree branches sometimes waver and blow in the wind.  Like Israel, they may dry up from internal rottenness and become useless for anything except building a fire.  What kind of branch are you?  If you are withering spiritually, check to see if you are firmly attached to God.

Keep reading -- 169 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 195 - Hope in God

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 22-24

But see, there is joy and revelry,

slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,

eating of meat and drinking of wine!

Let us eat and drink, you say,

for tomorrow we die!

Isaiah 22:13,14

Footnote:

The people said, "Let us eat and drink," because they had given up hope.  Attacked on every side (22:7), they should have repented (22:12), but they chose to feast instead.  The root problem was that Judah did not trust God's power or his promises (see 56:12; 1 Corinthians 15:32).  When you face difficulties, turn to God.  Today we still see people giving up hope.  There are two common responses to hopelessness:  despair and self-indulgence.  But this life is not all there is, so we are not to act as if we had no hope.  Our proper response should be to trust God and his promise to include us in the perfect and just new world that he will create.

Keep reading -- 170 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 194 - Alliances Today

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 19-21

Isaiah warned Judah not to ally with Egypt (20:5, 30:1, 2; 31:1).  He knew that trust in any nation or any military might was futile.  Their only hope was to trust in God.  Although we don't consciously put our hope for deliverance in political alliances in quite the same way, we often put our hope in other forces.

Government - We rely on government legislation to protect the moral decisions we want made, but legislation cannot change people's hearts.

Science -  We enjoy the benefits of science and technology.  We look to scientific predictions and analysis before we look to the Bible.

Education -  We act as though education and degrees can guarantee our future and success without considering what God plans for our future.

 Medical care -  We regard medicine as the way to prolong life and preserve its quality - quite apart from faith and moral living.

Financial systems -  We place our faith in financial "security" - making as much money as we can for ourselves - forgetting that, while being wise with our money, we must trust God for our needs.

Keep reading -- 171 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 193 - Trust in God

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 16-18

In that day men will look to their Maker

and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.

They will not look to the altars,

the work of their hands,

and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles

and the incense altars their fingers have made.

Isaiah 17:7,8

Footnote:

God's message to Damascus is that it will be completely destroyed.  The Arameans had turned from the God who could save them, depending instead on their idols and their own strength.  No matter how successful they were, God's judgment was sure.  Often we depend on the trappings of success (expensive cars, pastimes, clothes, homes) to give us fulfillment.  But God says we will reap grief and pain if we have depended on temporal things to give us eternal security.  If we don't want the same treatment Damascus received, we must turn from these false allurements and trust in God.

 Keep reading -- 172 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 192 - God Loves the Whole World

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 13-15

She will never be inhabited

or lived in through all generations;

no Arab will pitch his tent there,

no shepherd will rest his flocks there.

Isaiah 13:20

Footnote:  

Even before Babylon became a world power, Isaiah prophesied that, though it would shine for a while, Babylon's destruction would be so complete that the land would never again be inhabited.  Babylon, in present-day Iraq, still lies in utter ruin, buried under mounds of dirt and sand.

The Lord will have compassion on Jacob;

once again he will choose Israel

and will settle them in their own land.

Aliens will join them

and unite with the house of Jacob.

Isaiah 14:1

Footnote:  

A prominent theme in Isaiah is that aliens (non-Israelites) would join the returning Israelites.  God's intention was that through his faithful people all the world would be blessed (Genesis 12:3).  Through the family of David, the whole world could be saved by Christ.  We must not limit God's love to our own people.  God loves the whole world.

 Keep reading -- 173 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 191 - A Useful Tool

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 10-12

Does the ax raise itself above him who swings it,

or the saw boast against him who uses it?

As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up,

or a club brandish him who is not wood!

Isaiah 10:15

Footnote:  No instrument or tool accomplishes its purposes without a greater power.  The Assyrians were a tool in God's hands, but they failed to recognize it.  When a tool boasts of greater power than the one who uses it, it is in danger of being discarded.  We are useful only to the extent that we allow God to use us.

 Keep reading -- 174 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 190 - Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 7-9

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Footnote:

9:1-7  This child who would become their deliverer is the Messiah, Jesus.  Matthew quotes these verses in describing Christ's ministry (Matthew 4:15, 16).  The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali represent the northern kingdom as a whole.  These were also the territories where Jesus grew up and often ministered; this is why they would see "a great light."

9:2  The apostle John also referred to Jesus as the "light" (John 1:9).  Jesus referred to himself as "the light of the world" (John 8:12).

9:2-6  In a time of great darkness, God promised to send a light who would shine on everyone living in the shadow of death.  He is both "Wonderful Counselor" and "Mighty God."  This message of hope was fulfilled in the birth of Christ and the establishment of his eternal kingdom.  He came to deliver all people from their slavery to sin.

 Keep reading -- 175 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 189 - A Vineyard

Daily Reading:  Isaiah 4-6

I will sing for the one I love

a song about his vineyard:

My loved one had a vineyard

on a fertile hillside.

He dug it up and cleared it of stones

and planted it with the choicest vines.

He built a watchtower in it

and cut out a winepress as well.

Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,

but it yielded only bad fruit.

Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah,

judge between me and my vineyard.

What more could have been done for my vineyard

than I have done for it?

When I looked for good grapes,

why did it yield only bad?

Now I will tell you

what I am going to do to my vineyard:

I will take away its hedge,

and it will be destroyed;

I will break down its wall,

and it will be trampled.

I will make it a wasteland,

neither pruned nor cultivated,

and briers and thorns will grow there.
I will command the clouds

not to rain on it.

The vineyard of the Lord Almighty

is the house of Israel,

and the men of Judah

are the garden of his delight.

And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;

for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

Isaiah 5:1-7

Footnote:

The lesson of the song of the vineyard shows that God's chosen nation was to bear fruit -- to carry out his work, to uphold justice.  It did bear fruit, but the fruit was bad.  This passage uses plays on words: the Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound very much alike, as do those for righteousness and distress.  Jesus said, "By their fruit you will recognize them" (Matthew 7:20).  Have you examined your own "fruit" lately?  Is it good or bad -- useful or wild?

Keep reading -- 176 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV