For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter. – Isaiah 34:2 ESV

HEBREW
הֶחֱרִימָ֖ם/he·ḥĕ·rî·mām: prepared them for complete annihilation

CONSIDER
There’s a phrase that we enjoy using when we think we’re on the right side of justice: “the punishment should fit the crime.” When BP perpetrated the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, it was issued history’s largest criminal fine at $4.525 billion. And although that is a significant amount of money regardless of perspective, when it was first levied, there were many who thought BP’s fine should be far larger in order for the punishment to fit the crime.
Isaiah 34 is a sobering glimpse into the righteous anger of God against sin—a divine wrath that burns against injustice, pride, and rebellion. It’s a chapter that reminds us that sin is not trivial and that a holy God cannot overlook evil. In verse 2, Isaiah says this about God’s judgment on sinners: “he has he·ḥĕ·rî·mām (prepared them for complete annihilation), has given them over for slaughter.” Left to ourselves, we would stand among the condemned, helpless under the weight of our own guilt. But the gospel tells a different story. At the cross Jesus willingly placed himself in the path of God’s righteous fury that should have been doled out to humanity. The complete annihilation described in Isaiah was not dismissed, it was absorbed! Christ bore the wrath we deserved so that we could receive the peace we could never earn. In this collision of justice and mercy, we see not only the seriousness of sin but the breathtaking love of our Savior. Because of Jesus, the wrath once aimed at us became the doorway to grace, forgiveness, and life renewed.

APPLY
What area of my life will I bring under God’s authority?

For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. – Isaiah 34:8 ESV

HEBREW
שִׁלּוּמִ֖ים/šil·lū·mîm: of reckoning; of payback for someone’s actions

CONSIDER
Isaiah is often called the “Fifth Gospel” because of its many prophecies and connections to Jesus. Even in its darkest moments, the hope of the gospel can be seen on just about every page. Today’s verse is no exception, and it speaks of a moment when God will act decisively for justice, holiness, and the sake of his people. Isaiah tells us “For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year šil·lū·mîm (of reckoning; of payback for someone’s actions) for the cause of Zion.” This specific Hebrew noun is only used three times in the Old Testament, and it teaches us that God is not indifferent to sin or the suffering of his people. He sets a time when every wrong will be addressed and every injustice weighed. But this vengeance is not reckless anger; it is holy and purposeful, a response born out of God’s deep love for Zion, his covenant people. The year šil·lū·mîm is prepared specifically to enact payback on the enemies of God’s people. Isaiah’s imagery is fierce to be sure, but it sets the stage for a greater redemption.
The cross is the turning point where God’s vengeance fell not on us, but on his Son, who bore our penalty. And yet the story does not end in death. The empty tomb proclaims that the year šil·lū·mîm has actually become the dawn of renewal. What was once a warning of judgment for the cause of Zion becomes a promise of hope for all who belong to her through faith in Jesus. In his death, our debt was paid even while we were enemies of God. Now the cause of Zion has found its answer in the Risen One, who has turned vengeance into victory and wrath into everlasting joy!

APPLY
What area of my life will I bring under God’s authority?

But the hawk and the porcupine shall possess it, the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness. – Isaiah 34:11 ESV

HEBREW
בֹֽהוּ/ḇō·hū: of desolation; without raw material to create anything

CONSIDER
In Genesis 1:2 we see the earth was “without form and void.” There was nothing that could tangibly come together to bring creation about until God spoke the created order into existence. In the beginning, in other words, there was non-creation. This is how Isaiah describes God’s judgment on Edom, a reversal of creation, as if the land is being unraveled and returned to nothingness. Isaiah 34:11 says, “He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line ḇō·hū (of desolation; without raw material to create anything).” Why? Because Edom actively opposed God and his people. This is what sin ultimately does – it pulls apart the goodness God once formed, reducing life to confusion and emptiness. Yet this isn’t the final word in God’s story. Just as God once spoke into the void and formed a world full of light, beauty, and order, he has spoken again – this time through the resurrection of Jesus.
At the cross, sin tried its best to undo the Creator himself. Jesus entered the darkness, the spiritual ḇōhū, carrying the weight of humanity’s rebellion. But on the third day, the stone rolled away and God once more brought life out of emptiness. In Christ, the void is filled, chaos is calmed, and we are invited into a life renewed by grace. So what was once formless is now formed by his love. What was once lifeless is now alive with purpose. As we submit our lives to God’s authority we are no longer people ḇō·hū, we are the people of God!

APPLY
What area of my life will I bring under God’s authority?

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;  – Isaiah 35:1 ESV

HEBREW
וְתִפְרַ֖ח/wə·ṯip̄·raḥ: break open in flourishing abundance

CONSIDER
As the hottest, driest desert in North America, Death Valley can appear lifeless. Cracked earth, scorching winds, and swaths of brown and tan typically mark the terrain. But every so often, under just the right conditions (enough rainfall at the right time with little wind) a super bloom erupts. Fields of vibrant wildflowers cover the desert floor, transforming what was once desolate into a breathtaking display of life. Isaiah 35 paints a similar picture in the spiritual realm: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and wə·ṯip̄·raḥ (flourish abundantly) like the crocus.” It’s a vision of sudden, astonishing beauty in the most unlikely of places. And it’s more than poetic—it’s prophetic.
Isaiah reminds us that no heart is too dry, and no season is too barren for God’s renewing power. The Hebrew word used here for blossom is rich with meaning. Wə·ṯip̄·raḥ is not a passive bloom; this verb speaks of bursting forth, flourishing, and thriving with joy. It’s far from just survival in the desert—it’s transformation. In Christ, the promises of Isaiah find their fullest expression. Jesus’ teachings and ultimate sacrifice bring water to the wilderness of the soul, and as we surrender and submit to the grace of God our lives begin to wə·ṯip̄·raḥ, to break open with renewed purpose and joy. Just as Death Valley can become a garden, so our weary hearts can rejoice and blossom under the life-giving power of Christ. In him, we are not only restored—we are renewed.

APPLY
What area of my life will I choose to worship over?

Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” – Isaiah 35:4 ESV

HEBREW
לֵ֔ב/lêḇ: anyone entirely consumed with fear and worry

CONSIDER
One of our favorite Because and Therefore statements as Centerway reads, “Because of what Jesus has done… we value CELEBRATION… therefore we talk about Jesus a lot, rejoice over life-change, readily encourage and honor one another, and uplift our local communities.” We have a reason to rejoice because God is still changing lives! The people Isaiah addressed in chapter 35 knew all about change. They were either already suffering under the shadow of foreign oppression or soon would be. Their world was unraveling, their future uncertain, and fear had taken root in their hearts. But then comes a word like water in the desert: “Say to lêḇ (anyone entirely consumed with fear and worry), ‘Be strong; fear not!”. This word from the prophet conveys more than vague comfort. It’s the assurance that God sees what we often try to hide, and will change us from the inside-out. Those living in exilic dryness can anticipate a reversal of fortune as they rest in the promises of their Creator.
The road to this life change is not always quick, but Isaiah paints it as a “Highway of Holiness”—a clear path for the redeemed to walk in hope. At the heart of this vision is a promise of an about-face that mirrors their own transformation: deserts will bloom, the lame will leap, and sorrow will flee. For those with anxious hearts, this is not just poetic – it’s deeply personal. In Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise, God has come to save us. And he doesn’t just calm our fear; he reshapes our lives. What anxiety withers, God waters. What exile breaks, Jesus restores. The gospel declares that even hearts worn thin by worry can be renewed by grace and find cause for celebration because of what Jesus has done!

APPLY
What area of my life will I choose to worship over?

And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
– Isaiah 35:8 ESV

HEBREW
יִתְעֽוּ/yiṯ·‘ū: accidentally stray from the path

CONSIDER
In January 2019, an experienced solo hiker from Rochester lost her way while descending Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks. Though the trail was clearly marked and well maintained, a sudden snowstorm erased her visibility, and the once-familiar path vanished. Disoriented and afraid, she called for help, and a forest ranger braved the elements to guide her back to safety. It’s a sobering reminder: even the best paths can disappear when conditions shift, and even the most experienced can lose their way.
Life can feel like that too, can’t it? We face uncertainty and experience moments where we wonder which way is forward. But Isaiah offers a different kind of road. Today’s verse says, “And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not yiṯ·‘ū (accidentally stray from the path).” This Hebrew verb powerfully conveys the idea of unintentionally wandering, veering off course, or getting lost. But Isaiah says that on this holy highway, that will not happen. Why? Because this is not a path we must navigate alone; it is one prepared and guaranteed by the finished work of Jesus! He has cleared the way through his cross and resurrection, and for those who walk in him, the path home from exile cannot be hidden. Our strength may falter, and storms may come, but the road remains. In Christ, we are not just invited onto the path—we are kept on it. This is the beauty of grace: even in our weakness or confusion, we are not lost… we are being led home by the One who knows the way.

APPLY
What area of my life will I choose to worship over?

Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? – Isaiah 36:5 ESV

HEBREW
עֵצָ֥ה/‘ê·ṣāh: battle plans

CONSIDER
When the Assyrian Rabshakeh taunted King Hezekiah in Isaiah 36, he questioned Judah’s ability to stand against such a large army. Using the military wisdom of the day, he asked, “Do you think that mere words are ‘ê·ṣāh and power for war?” To the Rabshakeh (and often to the world), faith looks like a flimsy strategy; antiquated hope against overwhelming odds. And yet, throughout Scripture, God consistently calls his people to step out in faith, not because the odds are in their favor, but because he is. Taking a God-risk means placing more trust in divine wisdom than in human calculation. It means betting everything on the unseen hand of the Almighty rather than the visible strength of whatever we’re facing.
It’s been said that true courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s obedience in the face of it. When we follow God’s counsel, we aren’t gambling blindly; we are standing on eternal wisdom. The cross itself was the ultimate example of a divine ‘ê·ṣāh that seemed foolish to the world but shattered the power of death. So where is the Lord calling you to take a God-risk? It might be a conversation, a career shift, a bold act of generosity, or a choice to stand for truth. Whatever it is, remember: God’s ‘ê·ṣāh never fails. The odds may look impossible, but trusting him is always the safest move we can make.

APPLY
Where is the Lord calling me to take a God-risk?

But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar”? – Isaiah 36:7 ESV

HEBREW
בָּטָ֑חְנוּ/bā·ṭā·ḥə·nū: we place our confidence; we run for safety

CONSIDER
In Isaiah 36:7, the Assyrian envoy tried to shake Judah’s confidence by twisting their faith against them: “But if you say to me, ‘bā·ṭā·ḥə·nū (we place our confidence; we run for safety) in the Lord our God,’ is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed…?” Notice the enemy’s tactics: Hezekiah had faithfully torn down the high places to purify Judah’s worship, but the enemy spun it to imply that he had angered God instead. This isn’t a new strategy. Satan loves to take a thread of truth and weave it into a lie. Just like in Eden, when Satan asked, “Did God really say…?” He doesn’t have to invent new lies; he only needs to distort God’s truth enough to make trust feel more risky than right. The Assyrian envoy wanted Judah to believe that trusting God was dangerous, even foolish. But when ‘bā·ṭā·ḥə·nū in the Lord, our faith is rooted in God’s proven character. Trusting him will likely feel like a risk when circumstances argue otherwise, but it’s a God-risk, and that makes all the difference. When lies press close and fear sounds logical, remember: what feels safe isn’t always right, and what feels risky may just be the most faithful step we can take.

APPLY
Where is the Lord calling me to take a God-risk?

Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? – Isaiah 36:18 ESV

HEBREW
יַסִּ֨ית/yas·sîṯ: lure into a trap

CONSIDER
The band OK Go has long been known for its creative music videos. For one such video in 2010, they built a Rube Goldberg machine – that overly complicated device designed to perform a simple task, like popping a balloon or flipping a switch – and caused it to run in sync with the timing of their song “This Too Shall Pass.” It was an impressive feat, with the machine ultimately causing four cannons to spray the four band members with paint. The chain reactions seemed smooth, even effortless. But beneath the whimsy was a carefully hidden complexity. The video took months to design, two painstaking days to film and sixty takes to finish, reminding us that a Rube Goldberg machine only looks easy because of how much we don’t see.
In Isaiah 36:18, the Assyrian envoy warns, “Beware lest Hezekiah yas·sîṯ (lure into a trap) you by saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?” The Assyrians offered Judah a “straightforward” perspective: no god had saved the other nations, so don’t expect yours to. But as we exercise trust in the Living God, he promises to work in ways we sometimes cannot see or perceive, to work all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). We need look no further than the cross; what looked like a straightforward defeat was actually the precise point of victory. Jesus didn’t choose the most direct route to deliverance, he chose the most complete one. Christ’s work on the cross cuts through the illusion of our own ability to save ourselves. We can trust the simplicity and power of the gospel: Contrary to what sin and darkness would claim, the Lord will deliver us!

APPLY
Where is the Lord calling me to take a God-risk?

They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. – Isaiah 37:3 ESV

HEBREW
צָרָ֧ה/ṣā·rāh: constricting tightness, anguish

CONSIDER
In 2012, the Costa Concordia cruise ship struck submerged rocks off the coast of Italy when its captain misjudged how close he could sail to shores of the island of Giglio. Though he had maneuvered similar paths before, this time the narrowness proved deceptive and deadly. The ship tore open, capsized, and 32 people lost their lives. The catastrophe was born in a moment of false confidence. Captain Schettino tried to navigate tight waters without full awareness of the danger ahead.
Isaiah 37:3 records Hezekiah’s desperate words when he was hemmed in by danger: “This day is a day of ṣā·rāh (constricting tightness, anguish), of rebuke, and of disgrace…” The Hebrew noun used here literally refers to a narrow or tight space, the kind that makes us feel squeezed, confined, and vulnerable. When we find ourselves in ṣā·rāh it can feel just as precarious as the Costa Concordia or the news that Hezekiah conveyed. Our hearts race, our options seem limited, and we fear making a wrong move. But it’s in that constricting tightness that God can be heard! The good news of the gospel is that Jesus willingly entered the tightest and most uncomfortable space for us. He left the wide, unbroken joy of heaven to take on the confines of human flesh, the sorrow of our broken world, and the crushing weight of sin on the cross. He didn’t avoid discomfort – he walked straight into it, for our sake. And now, when we feel hemmed in by fear or uncertainty, we’re not alone. The One who endured the ultimate ṣā·rāh now speaks comfort and direction in ours. His voice still guides, even in narrow places.

APPLY
When will I spend time listening to the Lord?

It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ” – Isaiah 37:4 ESV

HEBREW
וְהוֹכִ֙יחַ֙/wə·hō·w·ḵî·aḥ: will correct falsehoods through truth

CONSIDER

Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.
– O God, Our Help in Ages Past

Isaac Watts knew how urgently people needed truth that could outlast the storms of life. Born in 1674 in England, he was a sickly child who spent much of his adult life in poor health. Yet in his physical weakness, Watts displayed deep spiritual strength. He wrote over 750 hymns, many of them designed to help congregations sing Scripture with clarity and conviction. His goal wasn’t emotionalism, but transformation – truth set to melody. One of his most enduring lines comes from the above hymn:

“Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God, to endless years the same.”

In the face of cultural upheaval and personal suffering, Watts wrote hymns that lifted people’s eyes from their distress to the eternal character of God.
Centuries earlier, Isaiah reminded God’s people of the same reality. When Jerusalem was gripped by fear, King Hezekiah sent messengers to the prophet with a desperate plea, trusting that “It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and wə·hō·w·ḵî·aḥ (will correct falsehoods through truth) the words that the Lord your God has heard.” This verb carries the idea of correcting, silencing, or exposing falsehood, and it’s what God does through his Word and his presence. Whether through ancient prophecy, a well-worn hymn, or the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, God gently but powerfully replaces fear with truth. He speaks into our anxiety with the enduring reminder that he is still with us, still speaking, and still stronger than every threat. When we are tempted to believe the noise of our enemies, may we listen instead for the voice that rebukes every storm we face.

APPLY
When will I spend time listening to the Lord?

Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? – Isaiah 37:11 ESV

HEBREW
לְהַחֲרִימָ֑ם/lə·ha·ḥă·rî·mām: preparing them for total annihilation

CONSIDER
It’s one thing to talk about God’s help; it’s another to sing because you’ve lived it. When David wrote, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side…[our enemies] would have swallowed us up alive” (Psalm 124:1,3) he was speaking from hard-won experience. David had lived through rivers of trouble and enemies rising like floods. And yet each time God delivered him. David’s song was not theoretical theology; it was lived grace. Contrast that with the voice of Sennacherib in Isaiah 37:11. His messengers mock God’s help, recounting “what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, lə·ha·ḥă·rî·mām (preparing them for total annihilation).” Likening their foes to something swallowed by fire or erased from existence, the enemies of God weren’t just threatening military victory, they were engaging in fear-fueled psychological warfare! Their goal was to convince God’s people that they were next in line for ruin, and that God would do nothing about it.
But what Sennacherib didn’t account for was the compassion of the Lord. God is not only mighty, he is present, willing, and able to help. He’s not like the inanimate gods of the destroyed nations; he’s the living God who acts. In Jesus, we see the ultimate proof: a Savior who entered our mess, absorbed our destruction, and secured our freedom. The lies of the enemy may whisper, You’re alone. God won’t help. But the cross and resurrection boldly proclaim, You are not forsaken! So when the enemy asks, “And shall you be delivered?”, in Christ, the answer is a resounding yes.

APPLY
When will I spend time listening to the Lord?

Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. – Isaiah 37:17 ESV

HEBREW
לְחָרֵ֖ף/lə·ḥā·rêp̄: taunt, blaspheme, defy, ridicule

CONSIDER
The valley was silent but tense as Goliath stepped forward again. For forty days, he taunted Israel – defying the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17:10). Day after day, Israel passively listened in fear. But David, arriving with plenty of bread and obedience, was stunned not by Goliath’s size but by the dishonor being hurled at the Lord. His first response wasn’t to fight but to ask, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (v. 26). David’s courage didn’t come from confidence in himself but from time spent in solitude with God as a shepherd, where prayer shaped his perspective. Faithfulness in public is often born from intimacy in private.
In Isaiah 37:17, Hezekiah echoes that same kind of dependence as he prays, “Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to lə·ḥā·rêp̄ (taunt, blaspheme, defy, ridicule) the living God.” The enemy’s words weren’t just directed against Judah, they were directed against God himself. But like David, Hezekiah took his fear to the Lord rather than reacting in panic. When others lə·ḥā·rêp̄ God, the first response of his people is to seek him. We may not be threatened by kings or giants today, but our need for God’s intervention in our lives is just as large. So our call is not to muster human strength, but to pause, pray, and ask ourselves: “When will I carve out time for solitude and petition this week?”

APPLY
When will I carve out time for solitude and petition this week?

Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, – Isaiah 37:18 ESV

HEBREW
הֶחֱרִ֜יבוּ/he·ḥĕ·rî·ḇū: have dried up completely; have shriveled up

CONSIDER
Water metaphors have been used to describe both survival and desolation, and for good reason. Simply put, without water life withers. Plants shrivel, rivers vanish, and civilizations become dust. Ancient cities, once thriving, are today buried under desert sand, abandoned all because wells ran dry. The Assyrian conquest had a similar effect: where they went, they didn’t just defeat enemies – they dried them out, leaving nothing of substance behind. Isaiah 37:18 captures this devastation with the phrase “the kings of Assyria he·ḥĕ·rî·ḇū (have dried up completely; have shriveled up) all the nations and their lands.” This imagery isn’t just about military victory, it’s about the complete removal of vitality, the choking out of life’s very source. Assyria’s campaign was so total that it resembled a physical and societal drought wherever they marched.
But in this verse, Hezekiah isn’t merely reporting the facts. He’s praying and confessing them before the only One who can bring life where there is none. The Assyrians may have dried up the nations, but they could not dry up the wellspring of hope that is the living God! Jesus, the living water (John 7:38), came into a world laid waste by sin and brought with him an overflowing grace that promises to revive even the most parched soul. The gospel reminds us that even when everything around us has been scorched or stripped bare, God’s presence can still saturate and renew. So when devastation feels total, may we do as Hezekiah did and turn to the source of our vitality. He alone can restore what our enemies he·ḥĕ·rî·ḇū.

APPLY
When will I carve out time for solitude and petition this week?

So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” – Isaiah 37:20 ESV

HEBREW
הוֹשִׁיעֵ֖נוּ/hō·wō·šî·‘ê·nū: preserve us, rescue us

CONSIDER
One of the 16 Fundamental Truths of the Assemblies of God is The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We affirm that Jesus was not merely a good teacher or prophet, but God in the flesh, fully divine and fully human. This core belief becomes all the more powerful when we trace the long arc of Scripture and find connections like the one between this week’s passage and the Gospels. Isaiah pleaded, “So now, O Lord our God, hō·wō·šî·‘ê·nū (preserve us, rescue us) from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” This Hebrew verb captures the desperate cry for divine rescue. It’s not a casual request; it’s an appeal that only a sovereign and holy God could answer. And notice that Isaiah’s cry wasn’t just for personal safety, but for all the kingdoms of the earth to recognize the Lord.
Centuries later, that same word echoed through the angel’s announcement in Matthew 1:21: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The name Jesus means “The Lord saves.” In Christ, God answered Isaiah’s plea in the fullest way possible, not just delivering from physical enemies, but from the deeper bondage of sin. Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophetic prayer, the living embodiment of salvation. In our own moments of fear or need, we don’t cry into the void, we call on a Savior who has already come. Our hope has a name, and his name means salvation!

APPLY
When will I carve out time for solitude and petition this week?

this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:
“ ‘She despises you, she scorns you—
the virgin daughter of Zion;
she wags her head behind you—
the daughter of Jerusalem. – Isaiah 37:22 ESV

HEBREW
לָעֲגָ֣ה/lā·‘ă·ḡāh: mocks by mimicking

CONSIDER
James Harrison, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was known as one of the most intimidating defenders in the NFL. As an undrafted rookie, though, he wasn’t taken seriously. In one practice, a veteran offensive lineman taunted and shoved Harrison repeatedly, treating him like a kid who didn’t belong. But Harrison didn’t retaliate with words – he waited. When the opportunity came during a scrimmage, Harrison unleashed a legal, bone-jarring hit that left the taunting player rethinking his life choices. Coaches and teammates recalled that from that day forward, no one underestimated him again.
The tell-tale sign of a bully is one who mocks their victims to gain control, even copying or mimicking them in a twisted show of dominance. But in today’s verse, we witness a divine reversal. “She despises you, she lā·‘ă·ḡāh (mocks by mimicking) you— the virgin daughter of Zion.” Sennacherib, the feared Assyrian king, is the one mocked – not by a rival army, but by the “virgin daughter of Zion.” This is a poetic image for seemingly defenseless Jerusalem, and it highlights a powerful irony. No matter how weak we feel, or how terrifying the enemy may seem, God is not intimidated. He delights in flipping the script. In Christ, the ultimate reversal was achieved through the cross, and what looked like defeat became victory. When we trust in the Lord, we can face life’s bullies with confidence, knowing that our defender delights in turning mockery into triumph.

APPLY
Where is God asking me to exercise my faith?

Because you have raged against me
and your complacency has come to my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth,
and I will turn you back on the way
by which you came.’ – Isaiah 37:29 ESV

HEBREW
וְשַׁאֲנַנְךָ֖/wə·ša·’ă·nan·ḵā: your disrespectful arrogance

CONSIDER
In military history, few moments of complacency are as devastating as the French reliance on the Maginot Line during World War II. After World War I, France built this extensive system of fortifications along its border with Germany, convinced it would deter any future invasion. But their supreme confidence blinded them to a critical flaw in their defensive strategy, they failed to adequately guard their border with Belgium. In 1940, the Germans simply bypassed the Maginot Line entirely by sweeping through the Ardennes forest and invading through Belgium. France’s nonchalance and false sense of security led to one of the most stunning defeats in modern warfare.
Isaiah conveyed a similar concept as part of God’s rebuke to Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. He prophesied, “Because you have raged against me and wə·ša·’ă·nan·ḵā (your disrespectful arrogance) has come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.” This adjective conveys a smug sense of ease, as if nothing could threaten him. But Assyria’s arrogance wasn’t just military, it was spiritual. Sennacherib mocked the living God, assuming he was just another regional deity. God doesn’t tolerate mockery. He declares that he will put his hook in Sennacherib’s nose and turn him around like livestock. This verse reminds us that complacency before God is not just careless – it’s dangerous. When we become spiritually nonchalant, treating God lightly or relying on our own strength, we risk a similar outcome. Thankfully, the same God that calls us to action is the One who promises to equip us as we trust his grace and power. Are we listening?

APPLY
Where is God asking me to exercise my faith?

And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. – Isaiah 37:31 ESV

HEBREW
פְּלֵיטַ֧ת/pə·lê·ṭaṯ: escaped through mercy, delivered

CONSIDER
Because he first loved us we value LOVE FIRST therefore we say “come as you are” and welcome people to belong before they believe. Because we truly love people, we will speak the truth in love. This Because and Therefore statement is essential for us as a church, because we deeply desire to live lives aligned with Jesus and the hope of his gospel. Loving others well can often be messy, but that didn’t stop God from demonstrating his love for us when we least deserved it (Romans 5:8).
In Isaiah 37:31, God speaks hope into another messy situation: “And the pə·lê·ṭaṯ (escaped through mercy, delivered) remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.” Isaiah relays an unexpected message of escape and survival – not by accident, but by divine mercy. It’s a word that pulses with promise: God delivers and preserves a people, not just to survive, but to thrive. And at the heart of that survival is God’s love, restoring his people when all seems lost. The remnant’s roots go down deep into grace rather than effort or tradition. And from that grace comes fruit: compassion, healing, and new beginnings. We believe that in every season – even the hardest ones – God is forming a people who are rooted in his love and reaching toward others with that same love. Because love is not the backup plan; it’s always been God’s starting point.

APPLY
Where is God asking me to exercise my faith?

and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. – Isaiah 38:3 ESV

HEBREW
שָׁלֵ֔ם/šā·lêm: properly and completely aligned

CONSIDER
There’s something powerful about an aligned life. When King Hezekiah faced a death sentence, his first response was to turn his face to the wall and pray, reminding God, “I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a šā·lêm (properly and completely aligned) heart.” This Hebrew word is translated “peaceful” in other contexts, and carries the sense of completeness, sincerity, and undivided devotion. So Hezekiah wasn’t claiming perfection – he was pointing to the posture of his soul. During a time of crisis, Hezekiah brought his full self before the Lord.
In our distracted, divided world, we can easily give God fragments of our attention, affection, and allegiance. But the Lord desires all of us, both for his glory and for our transformation. When we hold nothing back, we open ourselves to the deep work of confession and repentance. That’s where restoration begins. We may not face the same desperate circumstances as Hezekiah, but all of us need moments when we turn away from everything else and offer God our šā·lêm heart. That’s why it’s so vital to ask: What is God calling me to confess and repent of? As we answer, may we do so with sincerity, knowing that God meets wholehearted repentance with abundant mercy. He is eager to respond when his children come to him fully. No pretense, no partitions, just grace.

APPLY
What is God calling me to confess and repent of?

My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent; like a weaver I have rolled up my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end; – Isaiah 38:12 ESV

HEBREW
קִפַּ֨דְתִּי/qip·paḏ·tî: I have gathered together, I have rolled up

CONSIDER
In 1748, John Newton was certain his life was about to end. A violent storm in the North Atlantic battered his ship so fiercely that water poured in faster than the crew could bail it out. With each crashing wave, Newton prepared himself for an inevitable death at sea. Yet in desperation he cried out to God for mercy, a prayer that marked the beginning of his spiritual awakening. Against all odds, the ship survived the night. Newton would later look back on that moment as the turning point of his life, the day God spared him not only from the sea but also from the path that was leading him away from the Lord. Newton would go on to write 281 songs and poems, including his most beloved hymn, Amazing Grace.
In Isaiah 38:12, Hezekiah laments, “like a weaver qip·paḏ·tî (I have gathered together, I have rolled up) my life; he cuts me off from the loom; from day to night you bring me to an end.” This is the only verse in which this Hebrew verb is used, and it paints the picture of a craftsman cutting a tapestry off the loom before it is finished. Hezekiah saw his life being severed suddenly, its threads unfinished, and apart from the grace of God there was nothing to stop the blade. Yet the Lord intervened, adding fifteen more years to his life. Like Newton, Hezekiah’s despair was transformed into gratitude, not because he found hidden strength within himself, but because God, in mercy, extended his days. For all who feel they have yet to exercise their full potential, this passage whispers the same truth: our lives are in the hands of the One who can mercifully halt the blade and keep weaving a beautiful tapestry with the fabric of our lives.

APPLY
What is God calling me to confess and repent of?

Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins
behind your back. – Isaiah 38:17 ESV

HEBREW
מָ֑ר/mār: intense discontentment and sorrow

CONSIDER
When Naomi returned to Bethlehem after losing her husband and both sons, she said to the townspeople, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20). The Hebrew word she used means “bitter” or “sorrowful” and captures the raw ache of a heart that feels permanently wounded. Naomi’s identity itself became tied to her grief. A variation of that same word appears in today’s verse, where Hezekiah proclaims “Behold, it was for my welfare that I had mār (intense discontentment and sorrow).” Like Naomi, he knew the bitter taste of loss and the disorienting sense that God’s hand was pressing down hard. Both faced seasons when the future seemed emptied of joy and brimming with sorrow.
Yet in both stories, mār was not the end. Hezekiah continues, “but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.” God turned Hezekiah’s bitterness into gratitude by granting him more years and forgiving his sin. Likewise, Naomi’s Mara season gave way to joy when God restored her family line through Ruth and Boaz. This marriage led to the birth of Obed – the grandfather of King David. For the believer, discontentment may visit, but it is never the final chapter when God is the author. His grace can transform even the most bitter seasons into testimonies of his steadfast love.

APPLY
What is God calling me to confess and repent of?

And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. – Isaiah 39:2 ESV

HEBREW
וַיִּשְׂמַ֣ח/way·yiś·maḥ: with glee; with delightful rejoicing

CONSIDER
Unfortunately, some lessons are learned by discovering what not to do. This week’s pericope contains one such lesson. When an envoy from Babylon came to visit King Hezekiah of Judah, Isaiah records, “And Hezekiah welcomed them way·yiś·maḥ (with glee; with delightful rejoicing).” This verb is almost always used in the context of worship. But notice the object of Hezekiah’s joy: not in the Lord who had just healed him and delivered Jerusalem, but in the display of his own wealth, power, and accomplishments. Hezekiah’s heart swelled with pride as he paraded his treasures before the Babylonian envoys. Sin is not always rebellion in its most obvious form; more often it is the quiet shifting of our joy from the Giver to the gift.
The tragedy is that this misplaced joy wasn’t unique to the king. Isaiah implied that Hezekiah’s pride was illustrative of Judah as a whole, setting the stage for Babylon’s conquest and exile. In the same way, when our rejoicing turns inward, it ripples outward to those around us—families, friends, even generations to come. But the gospel offers us a better joy: one that humbles us before God and frees us from needing to prove ourselves through our own accomplishments. Jesus Christ, who had every reason to rejoice in his glory, emptied himself for our sake. In him, we find a joy that is unshakable because it is rooted not in what we have done, but in what he has done for us. The call, then, is not to stifle joy, but to redirect it from ourselves to the Savior.

APPLY
Where will I take God at his word?

Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. – Isaiah 39:6 ESV

HEBREW
אָצְר֧וּ/’ā·ṣə·rū: saved and treasured

CONSIDER
Where will I take God at his word? For many of us, the answer will involve a measure of trust. In Isaiah 39:6, the prophet declares, “Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have ’ā·ṣə·rū (saved and treasured) till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord.” Judah’s leaders had begun taking comfort in what was accumulated – their wealth, resources, and visible tokens of security. To them, these treasures seemed like a guarantee of stability. Yet God announced through Isaiah that all of it would be swept away. What they thought was their protection would not, in the end, save them.
This is the uncomfortable but liberating truth: anything we store up apart from God is fragile, vulnerable to loss, and ultimately unable to deliver us. Wealth, status, and influence all can vanish in a moment. But in the gospel, God gave us a treasure that cannot be plundered: his presence, his promises, his redemption in Christ. Jesus put it plainly in Matthew 6:19–20, commanding us not to lay up treasures on earth but in heaven, where they are untouchable. The exile revealed that Judah’s hope could never rest in their storerooms, but only in the Lord who rescues. For us, the same call remains: to shift our trust from what we have ’ā·ṣə·rū to the One who alone can keep us safe forever.

APPLY
Where will I take God at his word?

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.” – Isaiah 39:8 ESV

HEBREW
ט֥וֹב/ṭō·wḇ: pleasant, personally agreeable

CONSIDER
What the world calls good is not the same as what the gospel calls good. The Assemblies of God affirms in its Fundamental Truth on “The Fall of Man” that humanity’s nature has been corrupted, leaving us inclined to distort what is good and pursue self over the Lord. But God, in Christ, restores us to see rightly again, and to call good what God calls good. In today’s verse, Hezekiah responded to Isaiah’s prophecy of coming judgment: “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is ṭō·wḇ (pleasant, personally agreeable).” This is the same word God speaks repeatedly in Genesis 1: “God saw that it was good.” Here, ṭō·wḇ captures the beauty, order, and flourishing of creation as God intended it. But in Hezekiah’s mouth, the word becomes tragically self-centered. He calls the prophecy ṭō·wḇ, not because it reflects God’s design or leads to blessing, but because the disaster would not fall during his lifetime. His sense of ṭō·wḇ is distorted by selfish relief rather than rooted in God’s purposes. It is a sobering reminder that sin often masquerades as wisdom, finding “good” in what serves our comfort, even when others will pay the cost. However, in Christ’s redemption, God’s goodness is displayed at the cross, where he bore the judgment we deserved so that we could share in eternal life. True Biblical goodness, then, is never about temporary relief, but eternal redemption.

APPLY
Where will I take God at his word?

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. – Isaiah 40:2 ESV

HEBREW
נִרְצָ֖ה/nir·ṣāh: paid off, made acceptable

CONSIDER
Edward Mote, best known for writing the hymn “The Solid Rock,” grew up in 19th century London with neither parental guidance nor faith. He later admitted that his youth was marked by neglect and moral drift, far from the anchor of God’s Word. Yet when he encountered the gospel, he discovered a righteousness in Christ that he could never earn. Out of that transformation came the hymn’s central confession: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Mote’s testimony reflects the assurance that our standing before God rests not in our effort or stability, but in Christ’s finished work. All other ground, as he wrote, is sinking sand.
That same truth resounds in today’s verse: “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is nir·ṣāh (paid off, made acceptable), that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” This is the language of reconciliation, of God himself declaring that his people’s debt of sin has been paid off and our relationship with him is restored. Just as Mote found unshakable hope in the righteousness of Christ, Isaiah foresaw the day when our iniquity was not merely punished but pardoned, and in Christ we stand accepted forever.

APPLY
When will I rest and delight in the Lord?

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” – Isaiah 40:5 ESV

HEBREW
וְנִגְלָ֖ה/wə·niḡ·lāh: shall be exposed, uncovered

CONSIDER
Isaiah 40:5 declares, “And the glory of the LORD wə·niḡ·lāh (shall be exposed, uncovered), and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah is looking ahead to a day when God’s glory won’t be hidden in the temple or reserved for the few; everyone, everywhere, shall see it exposed and uncovered. Far from a merely abstract theological idea, wə·niḡ·lāh is a verb that indicates the glory of the kingdom of God will one day break into human history. And here’s the good news: that glory has already been revealed in Jesus Christ! John echoed Isaiah when he wrote, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory” (John 1:14). The eternal, glorious Word has been revealed in a person, and his name is Jesus.
Centerway’s mission statement reads like this: to “cultivate a movement in which people become Gospel-centered influencers in every sphere of life.” That’s Isaiah 40:5 in action. God’s glory has been revealed in Jesus, so our calling is to reflect that glory wherever we go – at home, at work, and in our neighborhood. Being “Gospel-centered” means we don’t just talk about Jesus on Sunday; we live our lives for him on Monday. We take his revealed glory and put it on display throughout the week. That’s the movement God is calling us to cultivate: a people who make the invisible God visible by selflessly revealing his glory as we live out the gospel.

APPLY
When will I rest and delight in the Lord?

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. – Isaiah 40:8 ESV

HEBREW
נָ֣בֵֽל/nā·ḇêl: loses its vitality and purpose

CONSIDER
When will I rest and delight in the Lord? To ask this honestly is to reorient our hearts away from what is fleeting and fading, and direct it toward the eternal. Isaiah 40:8 tells us, “The grass withers, the flower nā·ḇêl, (loses its vitality and purpose) but the word of our God will stand forever.” It’s a stark image: what once seemed full of color and strength eventually droops, dries, and dies. Isaiah’s point is not to diminish the real beauty and significance of created things, but to place them in their proper perspective. Our achievements, possessions, and even our biggest concerns can feel weighty in the moment, but compared with God’s eternal word, they lose their lasting purpose. To cling too tightly to what nā·ḇêl is to anchor our hope to something that simply cannot hold.
Isaiah’s invitation, then, is to shift our trust and delight to what truly endures: the God who speaks, and whose promises never fade. This certainly isn’t a call to despise the fleeting joys of life, but to see them as signposts pointing us to the One who gives them meaning. Everything else may wither and fade, but at the cross we see Jesus – the eternal word – secure our salvation once and for all. The beauty of creation speaks to the Creator’s eternal splendor. In the same way, our daily work, relationships, and desires can be embraced as gifts, yet not mistaken for the Giver. And in the rest earned for us on the cross, eternity begins to joyously break into the present.

APPLY
When will I rest and delight in the Lord?

Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” – Isaiah 40:9 ESV

HEBREW
מְבַשֶּׂ֣רֶת/mə·ḇaś·śe·reṯ: bearer or announcer of promising news

CONSIDER
We all know the power of good news to change the atmosphere of a moment. When Margo Symonds was a young woman she anxiously waited for the results of a biopsy, and every second felt like an eternity. Her mind raced toward the worst possible outcome until the doctor entered with a smile and said, “It’s benign—you’re going to be fine.” In an instant, her heaviness lifted, and relief flooded her soul.
Symonds relief begins to illustrate the hope that Isaiah expressed in today’s verse. “Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, mə·ḇaś·śe·reṯ (bearer or announcer of promising news); lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, mə·ḇaś·śe·reṯ; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” This command is not wishful thinking or uncertain possibility; it’s the definitive announcement that in the midst of fear, God himself has come near to rescue his people! Isaiah’s prophecy ultimately points ahead to the hope of the gospel. Christianity is not advice about what we should do; it is the proclamation about what God has already done in Jesus Christ. His life, death, and resurrection are all a declaration that sin is forgiven and death is defeated. It’s not up to us to save ourselves – the work is finished! That’s the kind of news that changes not just a moment, but an eternity.

APPLY
What will I do to celebrate the greatness of God?

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? – Isaiah 40:12 ESV

HEBREW
בְּשָׁעֳל֜וֹ/bə·šā·‘o·lōw: in the curve of the cupped hand

CONSIDER
In the 1970s, seismologists and other researchers began working with data from a fairly new technology called satellite to calculate just how much water is on Earth. Today we know the number is staggering: roughly 326 million trillion gallons of water cover our planet. It fills oceans that seem bottomless, carves rivers that never stop flowing, and sustains life in every corner of the globe. Just hearing that number can make us feel small. How could anyone truly comprehend or measure such vastness? For most of us, the oceans alone are beyond our ability to grasp, and yet they are only a part of the total.
Isaiah reminds us in today’s verse that what overwhelms us is not overwhelming to God: “Who has measured the waters bə·šā·‘o·lōw (in the curve of the cupped hand)…” This Hebrew noun is the tiny curve in your palm where a small amount of water can rest, and with it Isaiah is painting a picture of God’s majesty: the Creator is so vast and glorious that the oceans and rivers we cannot measure are like a drop resting in his hand. But this vision is not meant to make us feel abandoned in our smallness – it’s meant to reassure us. The God who holds the oceans effortlessly is the same God who sustains and knows each detail of our lives, and left the splendor of Heaven to draw near to us. God’s grandeur does not make him distant, it makes his nearness even more profound.

APPLY
What will I do to celebrate the greatness of God?

Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing. – Isaiah 40:26 ESV

HEBREW
וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֔חַ/wə·’am·mîṣ kō·aḥ: mighty in generative strength

CONSIDER
Because God gave us everything… we value GENEROSITY… therefore we are open-handed and happily go above and beyond with our time, our talent, and our treasure. We steward our spiritual gifts and serve. We are contributors not consumers. This Because & Therefore statement reminds us as a church that although God is omnipotent (infinitely powerful), he leveraged this power toward giving us his very best. Isaiah put it this way: “…by the greatness of his might and because he is wə·’am·mîṣ kō·aḥ (mighty in generative strength), not one is missing.” Even though it was penned hundreds of years before Jesus, this verse points to the heart of the gospel. God could have used his strength to destroy humanity in our sin without breaking a sweat. Instead, he used it to protect and sustain his people. The One who spoke galaxies into being with a word entered creation in the person of Jesus Christ. And at the cross, his immeasurable power was poured out in immeasurable love, defeating sin and death so that we would never be lost. The God who sustains the stars is the God who sustains us. He is both majestic and near, mighty and merciful. This is the wonder of grace: God displayed his infinite strength in order to rescue us, not to crush us. Even when faced with the reality that he is wə·’am·mîṣ kō·aḥ, the Lord’s generosity knows no limit.

APPLY
What will I do to celebrate the greatness of God?

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? – Isaiah 40:27 ESV

HEBREW
יַעֲבֽוֹר/ya·‘ă·ḇō·wr: is passed over, is passed through

CONSIDER
It’s human nature to feel at times that God has passed us by. Seasons of suffering, unanswered prayer, or prolonged silence can make us wonder if he sees or remembers us at all. Isaiah 40:27 captures this emotion: “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right ya·‘ă·ḇō·wr (is passed over, is passed through) by my God’?” The people of God feared that he had let their troubles slip past his attention, that their pain had gone unnoticed. This echoes Genesis 18:3, when Abraham uses a version of the same Hebrew word to plead, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.” To Abraham, as to Israel, the deepest fear was being overlooked by the God on whom everything depends.
But the gospel tells us that God never passes his people by! In fact, he proved it in the most definitive way possible – by sending his Son, Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus was forsaken so that we would never be. He endured the silence of God so that we could always be heard. The God who hangs the stars and calls them each by name will not overlook you, nor will he let your way slip by unnoticed. In Jesus, we have the assurance that God is near, attentive, and faithful. No matter the circumstance, his love guarantees that he will never pass you by.

APPLY
How can I take comfort that God is strengthening me?

but they who wait for 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. – Isaiah 40:31 ESV

HEBREW
יַחֲלִ֣יפוּ/‘ya·ḥă·lî·p̄ū: shall regenerate, will bloom again with

CONSIDER
Every year the earth preaches a quiet sermon of renewal. After the barrenness of winter, buds appear on trees, rivers swell with melting snow, and dormant seeds break open with fresh life. Scientists call this process regeneration – creation’s built-in rhythm of death and rebirth. What seems dead is never beyond the reach of new beginnings. Isaiah taps into this pattern when he writes, “but they who wait for the Lord ya·ḥă·lî·p̄ū (shall regenerate, will bloom again [with]) their strength.” In similar contexts, this Hebrew word means “to exchange” or “to change,” a picture of trading weakness for strength, fatigue for vitality. Just as the earth exchanges one season for the next, God promises to exchange our weariness for his inexhaustible power.
This is the heartbeat of the gospel and the theme of our Renewed series. In every season – whether a winter of sorrow, a spring of joy or a summer of strength – God remains faithful. He does not simply help us endure; he brings the miracle of transformation. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the ultimate exchange has already taken place: our sin for his righteousness, our mortality for his eternal life. Waiting on the Lord is not passive resignation but active trust that he will keep his promise to make all things new. The God who turns winter into spring will also renew our strength, lifting us up to run, to walk, and to soar in his unending grace.

APPLY
How can I take comfort that God is strengthening me?

Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing. – Isaiah 40:26 ESV

HEBREW
וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֔חַ/wə·’am·mîṣ kō·aḥ: mighty in generative strength

CONSIDER
Because God gave us everything… we value GENEROSITY… therefore we are open-handed and happily go above and beyond with our time, our talent, and our treasure. We steward our spiritual gifts and serve. We are contributors not consumers. This Because & Therefore statement reminds us as a church that although God is omnipotent (infinitely powerful), he leveraged this power toward giving us his very best. Isaiah put it this way: “…by the greatness of his might and because he is wə·’am·mîṣ kō·aḥ (mighty in generative strength), not one is missing.” Even though it was penned hundreds of years before Jesus, this verse points to the heart of the gospel. God could have used his strength to destroy humanity in our sin without breaking a sweat. Instead, he used it to protect and sustain his people. The One who spoke galaxies into being with a word entered creation in the person of Jesus Christ. And at the cross, his immeasurable power was poured out in immeasurable love, defeating sin and death so that we would never be lost. The God who sustains the stars is the God who sustains us. He is both majestic and near, mighty and merciful. This is the wonder of grace: God displayed his infinite strength in order to rescue us, not to crush us. Even when faced with the reality that he is wə·’am·mîṣ kō·aḥ, the Lord’s generosity knows no limit.

APPLY
How can I take comfort that God is strengthening me?