Revelation 22:7
[7] “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Luke 11:28
[28] But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
John 8:51
[51] Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
Romans 13:11
[11] Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. (Philippians 3:1)
No one had ever taught me that God is glorified by our joy in him — that joy in God is the very thing that makes our praise an honor to God, and not hypocrisy.
But Jonathan Edwards said it so clearly and powerfully:
God glorifies himself towards the creatures also [in] two ways: (1) by appearing to . . . their understanding; (2) in communicating himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying the manifestations which he makes of himself. . . . God is glorified not only by his glory’s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. . . .
[W]hen those that see it delight in it: God is more glorified than if they only see it. . . . He that testifies his idea of God’s glory [doesn’t] glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
This was a stunning discovery for me. I must pursue joy in God if I am to glorify him as the surpassingly valuable Reality in the universe. Joy is not a mere option alongside worship. It is an essential component of worship. Indeed the very essence of worship — being glad in the glories of God.
We have a name for those who speak their praises of God when they have no pleasure in what they praise. We call them hypocrites. Jesus said, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me’” (Matthew 15:7–8). This fact — that authentic praise means consummate pleasure and that the highest end of man is to drink deeply of this pleasure for God’s glory — was perhaps the most liberating discovery I have ever made.
John Piper
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” REVELATION 1:1-3
PONDER THIS
When you truly see the Lord Jesus, when you truly worship Him as He is described here in the Book of Revelation, it will bring your full submission. When the Apostle John fell before Him prostrate, it was a sign that He is Lord, not man. Have you surrendered everything to Him? When you learn how to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, not only will it bring your submission, not only will it cause your reverence, but it will also give you a great assurance. As John was on his face, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.”
The fear of God is love on its knees. We must have right reverence. The person who truly worships the Lord won’t be afraid of much else. After John fell on his face, the Lord gave John a commission, following that time of worship. We can do more than worship after we’ve worshiped, but we can really do no more than worship until we’ve worshiped.
When is the last time you wholeheartedly worshiped and surrendered to God?
How can you make wholehearted worship a priority in your life? What is the impact when you do?
PRACTICE THIS
Worship God, seeking full surrender to Him.
LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers
Revelation 21:6-7
[6] And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [7] The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Isaiah 41:4
[4] Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD, the first,
and with the last; I am he.
Isaiah 43:10-11
[10] “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
[11] I, I am the LORD,
and besides me there is no savior.
Revelation 22:12-13
[12] “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. [13] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:16–17)
When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (Isaiah 46:4).
When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that “none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Romans 14:7–9).
When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promises, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6); and, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Join me in this battle! Let us make war, not with other people, but with our own unbelief. Unbelief in the promises of God is the root of anxiety, which, in turn, is the root of so many other sins. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God, Paul said in Ephesians 6:17. The shield by which we quench Satan’s fiery deceits is faith (verse 16) — faith in that very word of God. So take up the shield in your left hand and the sword in your right hand, and let us fight the good fight of faith.
Take up the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit for help, lay the promises up in your heart, and fight the good fight — to live by faith in future grace.
John Piper
“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and, ‘What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’” REVELATION 1:9-11
PONDER THIS
Sometimes we talk too casually about our Savior. Let’s suppose it’s Sunday morning. People are coming into the sanctuary. The ushers are at the door, greeting people and giving them a smile and a handshake. The call to worship is given and the pastor stands in the pulpit to intone the morning prayer. And suppose he prays something like this: “Lord Jesus, we’ve come today to give You glory, honor, and majesty. Lord Jesus, we pray that You’ll show up here today.” This type of prayer is not uncommon.
Suppose then, the back door opened, and down that aisle comes the same One John saw on Patmos. His hair is white and glistening, whiter than snow. His face shines with a shekinah glory, brighter than the sun. His feet glow as if in a furnace. His voice is deafening. He’s wearing regal robes, and He walks down the aisle.
What would you do? You’d fall on your face before Him, would you not? That’s what John did. John said: “When I saw Him, I fell on my face like a dead man.” May God forgive our irreverence! We do not take these matters seriously; we forget the majesty of God so quickly that we would be shocked if we truly beheld Him.
What are some things that remind you of God’s glory? What makes it easy to forget it?
What would change if you remembered God’s glory all the time?
PRACTICE THIS
Spend time pondering God’s glory and majesty. Praise Him for who He is.
LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers
Romans 4:14-16
[14] For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. [15] For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
[16] That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
Galatians 3:22
[22] But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Romans 3:23-26
[23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25] whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. [26] It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Acts 10:43
[43] To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
One common objection to Christian Hedonism is that it puts the interests of man above the glory of God — that it puts my happiness above God’s honor. But Christian Hedonism most emphatically does not do this.
To be sure, we Christian Hedonists endeavor to pursue our interest and our happiness with all our might. We endorse the resolution of the young Jonathan Edwards: “Resolved: To endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.”
But we have learned from the Bible (and from Edwards!) that God’s interest is to magnify the fullness of his glory by spilling over in mercy to us — to us sinners, who desperately need him.
Therefore, the pursuit of our interest and our happiness, even if it costs us our lives, is never above God’s interest and God’s happiness and God’s glory, but always in God’s. One of the most precious truths in the Bible is that God’s greatest interest is to glorify the wealth of his grace by making sinners happy in him — in him!
When we humble ourselves like little children and put on no airs of self-sufficiency, but run happily into the joy of our Father’s embrace, the glory of his grace is magnified and the longing of our soul is satisfied. Our interest and his glory become one.
When Jesus promises in Matthew 6:6, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you,” this is a reward he wants us to seek. He does not lure us with joy we shouldn’t have! But this reward — this joy — is the overflow of turning away from human praise, and going into our closet to seek God.
Therefore, Christian Hedonists do not put their happiness above God’s glory. They put their happiness in God himself and discover the glorious truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
John Piper
“But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?” 2 CORINTHIANS 3:7-8
PONDER THIS
When Moses spent much time with the Lord face to face, his face began to shine as a reflection of the Shekinah glory of God. In my fireplace, I have a poker. I can take that poker and poke around in the fire, then put it back, and it’ll hardly be hot. But if I take that poker when there’s a roaring fire, and I leave it in there long enough, do you know what’ll happen? It’ll begin to glow. Because not only will the poker be in the fire, the fire will be in the poker. When you spend enough time in the presence of God, the presence of God gets into you. Not only are you there in the presence of God, but the presence of God gets into you.
This is not just true in the Old Testament. Paul said if it was glorious when God gave Moses the Old Testament Ten Commandments, then how is the Spirit not even more glorious? When you spend time with God, it will not fall void, but you will start to look like Him! You will start to reflect Him more in your daily life.
Who is someone you know who spends a lot of time alone with God? How does that make a difference in that person?
What makes it hard to spend time alone with God? How can you talk to God about those challenges and ask Him to help you with them?
PRACTICE THIS
Talk to someone who spends a lot of time alone with God, asking for practical insight and advice on how to pursue God in that way.
LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers
Savior
Living Sacrifice
Blood of the New Covenant
Forgive
Faith
Paradise
Conquer
Justified
Sanctified
Redeemed
Spoken to the Shepherds who were searching for the Christ
Luke 2:11
[11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Spoken to the apostle and all souls who eagerly await the return of Christ for salvation
Hebrews 10:3-10
[3] But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. [4] For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
[5] Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
[6] in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
[7] Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
[8] When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), [9] then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. [10] And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Told to one of the criminals on the cross next to Jesus
Luke 23:43
[43] And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Spoken to believers all over the world
Revelation 2:7
[7] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Spoken to the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus and every believer
Luke 7:50
[50] And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Spoken to all believers
Revelation 21:7
[7] The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Spoken to all believers
Revelation 21:3-6
[3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
[5] And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” [6] And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
Spoken to Sinners and Saints
1 Corinthians 6:11
[11] And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Spoken to all the saved souls
Job 33:28
[28] He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’
Psalm 119:25-28
[25] My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
[26] When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!
[27] Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
[28] My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!
Psalm 119:37
[37] Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
Isaiah 33:15
[15] He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
Psalm 44:25-26
[25] For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
[26] Rise up; come to our help!
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!
I shall walk in freedom, for I have sought your precepts. (Psalm 119:45, my translation)
An essential element of joy is freedom. None of us would be happy if we were not free from what we hate and free for what we love.
And where do we find true freedom? Psalm 119:45 says, “I shall walk in freedom, for I have sought your precepts.”
The picture is one of open spaces. The word frees us from smallness of mind. “God gave Solomon . . . breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore” (1 Kings 4:29). The word frees us from threatening confinements. “He brought me out into a broad place” (Psalm 18:19).
Jesus says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). The freedom he has in mind is freedom from the slavery of sin (John 8:34). Or, to put it positively, it is freedom for holiness.
The promises of God’s grace provide the power that makes the demands of God’s holiness an experience of freedom rather than fear and confinement. Peter described the freeing power of God’s promises like this: “Through [his precious and very great promises] you become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:4).
In other words, when we trust the promises of God, we sever the root of corruption and sinful desire by the power of a superior promise.
How crucial is the word that breaks the power of counterfeit pleasures! And how vigilant we should be to light our paths and load our hearts with the word of God!
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
John Piper
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” MATTHEW 6:5-6
PONDER THIS
The best time your pastor spends for you is not when he’s with you talking to you about God, but when he’s with God talking to God about you. Did you know that? Do you know the best time you are for your children is not necessarily when you’re with your children, but when you’re not with your children, talking to God about them? There are problems that you face as a parent, neighbor, or Sunday school teacher that you need to isolate yourself from. You need to get alone with God.
Pastors need to get alone with God. Sometimes people are disappointed because the pastor is not always available. I want to tell you something. The man of God who is always available isn’t worth a whole lot when he is available. Whoever you are, wherever you are, if you have a relationship with God through Jesus, you need to spend time with Him.
What did Jesus say? When you pray, enter your closet and pray. He didn’t mean a clothes closet. He meant a closed place, a place where you shut the doors to the world and open the window to Heaven. Start a routine to get alone with God. It should be a regular rhythm if you belong to Christ.
Do you have a rhythm to get alone with God? Who and what do you pray for in that time?
How have you seen time with God make a difference in your life? What are some ways you can spend more time with God throughout the day?
PRACTICE THIS
Set aside time daily to get alone with God.
LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers
John 1:17
[17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:14
[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Philippians 2:5-11
[5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Isaiah 42:1
[1] Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
The immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe . . . (Ephesians 1:19)
The omnipotence of God means eternal, unshakable refuge in the everlasting glory of God no matter what happens on this earth. And that confidence is the source and power of radical obedience to the call of God.
Is there anything more freeing, more thrilling, or more strengthening than the truth that God Almighty is your refuge — all day, every day, in all the ordinary and extraordinary experiences of life?
If we believed this, if we really let this truth of God’s omnipotence get hold of us, what a difference it would make in our personal lives and in our ministries! How humble and powerful we would become for the saving purposes of God!
The omnipotence of God means refuge for the people of God. And when you really believe that your refuge is the omnipotence of God Almighty, there is a joy and a freedom and a power that spills over in a life of radical obedience to Jesus Christ.
The omnipotence of God means reverence, recompense, and refuge for his covenant people.
I invite you to accept the terms of his covenant of grace: Turn from sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ; and the omnipotence of God Almighty will be the reverence of your soul, the recompense of your enemies, and the refuge of your life — forever.
John Piper
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” JOHN 4:23
PONDER THIS
Many think worship is only singing praises to God at church, but worship is a lifestyle. Worship is more than just going to church on Sunday. Worship is letting Jesus Christ control every aspect of your life and spending time with Him doing what you know will please the Lord.
People have a lot of ideas about worship, don’t they? Worship is responding to all that God is in gratitude and praise. Can I worship in a church service? Yes. Can I worship with music? Yes. It is prayer, yes. But it goes beyond that. It is responding to all that He is with all that I am. Worship includes all of life. The more you worship God, the more godly you become. We become like what we worship and who we spend time with. God wants us to worship for what worship will do for us. It is how we were designed to live, reflecting His image.
How do you worship God? Is it a regular practice for you? Why or why not?
How has worship impacted you? What are some ways you need to be changed to look more like Christ?
PRACTICE THIS
Spend time worshiping God and thanking Him for who He is and what He has done.
LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers
Luke 24:45-53
[45] Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, [46] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things. [49] And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
[50] And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. [51] While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. [52] And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, [53] and were continually in the temple blessing God.
Hebrews 13:9-25
[9] Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. [10] We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. [11] For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. [12] So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. [13] Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. [14] For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. [15] Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. [16] Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
[17] Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
[18] Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. [19] I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.
[20] Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, [21] equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
[22] I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. [23] You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. [24] Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. [25] Grace be with all of you.
Proverbs 31
[1] The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
[2] What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb?
What are you doing, son of my vows?
[3] Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.
[4] It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to take strong drink,
[5] lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
[6] Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
[7] let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
[8] Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
[9] Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
[10] An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
[11] The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
[12] She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
[13] She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
[14] She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
[15] She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
[16] She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
[17] She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
[18] She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
[19] She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
[20] She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
[21] She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
[22] She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
[23] Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
[24] She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
[25] Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
[26] She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
[27] She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
[28] Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
[29] “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
[30] Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
[31] Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
Isaiah 65
[1] I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;
I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, “Here I am, here I am,”
to a nation that was not called by my name.
[2] I spread out my hands all the day
to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
following their own devices;
[3] a people who provoke me
to my face continually,
sacrificing in gardens
and making offerings on bricks;
[4] who sit in tombs,
and spend the night in secret places;
who eat pig’s flesh,
and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;
[5] who say, “Keep to yourself,
do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”
These are a smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that burns all the day.
[6] Behold, it is written before me:
“I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I will indeed repay into their lap
[7] both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together,
says the LORD;
because they made offerings on the mountains
and insulted me on the hills,
I will measure into their lap
payment for their former deeds.”
[8] Thus says the LORD:
“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
and they say, ‘Do not destroy it,
for there is a blessing in it,’
so I will do for my servants’ sake,
and not destroy them all.
[9] I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,
and from Judah possessors of my mountains;
my chosen shall possess it,
and my servants shall dwell there.
[10] Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
for my people who have sought me.
[11] But you who forsake the LORD,
who forget my holy mountain,
who set a table for Fortune
and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,
[12] I will destine you to the sword,
and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,
because, when I called, you did not answer;
when I spoke, you did not listen,
but you did what was evil in my eyes
and chose what I did not delight in.”
[13] Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
“Behold, my servants shall eat,
but you shall be hungry;
behold, my servants shall drink,
but you shall be thirsty;
behold, my servants shall rejoice,
but you shall be put to shame;
[14] behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,
but you shall cry out for pain of heart
and shall wail for breaking of spirit.
[15] You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,
and the Lord GOD will put you to death,
but his servants he will call by another name,
[16] so that he who blesses himself in the land
shall bless himself by the God of truth,
and he who takes an oath in the land
shall swear by the God of truth;
because the former troubles are forgotten
and are hidden from my eyes.
[17] “For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
[18] But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
[19] I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.
[20] No more shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the young man shall die a hundred years old,
and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
[21] They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
[22] They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
[23] They shall not labor in vain
or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,
and their descendants with them.
[24] Before they call I will answer;
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
[25] The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD.
Isaiah 66
[1] Thus says the LORD:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
[2] All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the LORD.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
[3] “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood;
he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
These have chosen their own ways,
and their soul delights in their abominations;
[4] I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and bring their fears upon them,
because when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, they did not listen;
but they did what was evil in my eyes
and chose that in which I did not delight.”
[5] Hear the word of the LORD,
you who tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate you
and cast you out for my name’s sake
have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified,
that we may see your joy’;
but it is they who shall be put to shame.
[6] “The sound of an uproar from the city!
A sound from the temple!
The sound of the LORD,
rendering recompense to his enemies!
[7] “Before she was in labor
she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
she delivered a son.
[8] Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?
For as soon as Zion was in labor
she brought forth her children.
[9] Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”
says the LORD;
“shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?”
says your God.
[10] “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her;
[11] that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious abundance.”
[12] For thus says the LORD:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
and bounced upon her knees.
[13] As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
[14] You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bones shall flourish like the grass;
and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants,
and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.
[15] “For behold, the LORD will come in fire,
and his chariots like the whirlwind,
to render his anger in fury,
and his rebuke with flames of fire.
[16] For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment,
and by his sword, with all flesh;
and those slain by the LORD shall be many.
[17] “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the LORD.
[18] “For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, [19] and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. [20] And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. [21] And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD.
[22] “For as the new heavens and the new earth
that I make
shall remain before me, says the LORD,
so shall your offspring and your name remain.
[23] From new moon to new moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares the LORD.
[24] “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
