Good morning,

God is trying to get Israel’s attention. Isaiah 55 exhorts them to do several things. He wants Israel to listen. The ultimate result is joy and peace.

Isaiah 55

Hearken diligently unto God (1-2)

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.² Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear and hear what God has to say (3-5)

³ Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.⁴ Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.⁵ Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Seek the Lord, call upon Him (6-7)

⁶ Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

God’s thoughts and ways (8-9)

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The Word of God (10-11)

¹⁰ For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Result: Joy and Peace (12-13)

¹² For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah 55:1-13)

We live busy lives. Slowing down and spending time listening to God is far down our TO DO list.

Yet as Israel found out, they needed to listen to God.

We do too!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Psalm 149 exhorts Israel to praise, rejoice, be joyful, dance, and sing to the Lord. Then they are told “To execute vengeance upon the heathen…”

“Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

² Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

³ Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

⁴ For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

⁵ Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

⁶ Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

⁷ To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

⁸ To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

⁹ To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.”

God is clearly telling His people to praise Him. He wants them to acknowledge who He is, what He has done, and how they have benefitted by His intervention in their lives.

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

So, then God gives Israel the authority to execute vengeance on the heathen.  To bind kings with chains and their nobles with fetters. We see this played out during the reigns of David and Solomon.

Today, we are still exhorted to praise God, but pray that God would take His vengeance, His way, on His enemies.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Jonah 2 reveals Jonah’s fate in the belly of the “…great fish…”

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Download (JONAH-2.docx, DOCX, 14KB)

Good morning,

What a blessing it is when believers in Christ live in unity.

Psalm 133 speaks of this unity as a “…precious ointment…” and “… the dew of Hermon…”.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

² It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

³ As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

Unfortunately, unity is not always the case in our local churches. We see division and strife instead of love and peace. Ephesians 4 brings unity into perspective.

“Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴ There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

⁷ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (Ephesians 4:3-7)

Understanding and believing these verses would bring unity among believers. Believers in Christ have a responsibility to know, understand, and practice the Bible’s clear teaching on the things mentioned in Ephesians 4.

Unity will only come when we are in agreement with what the word of God teaches.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Prayer is talking with God. When we pray, we are confiding our deepest need, hurts, and frustrations. Also, our adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to God.

Psalm 130 reveals the Psalmist’s tremendous confidence in God. He pours out his heart, knowing God hears and will answer his prayer.

“Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.

² Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³ If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

⁴ But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

⁶ My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

⁷ Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

⁸ And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

The Psalmist prays and asks God to hear his prayer. He acknowledges his iniquities (sins). He knows God forgives sin, is merciful, and will redeem Israel. He is willing to wait for the Lord and hope in His word. He believes God can do these things.

Do we believe God can do these things? Is the God we worship merciful, forgiving, and willing to redeem us? Are we waiting on the Lord and hoping in His word?

This Psalm is a challenge and encouragement to each of us. We then, should be sharing God’s mercy, forgiveness, and redemption with others. We should encourage others to read God’s word, study it, and apply it to their lives.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Psalm 125 tells of the protection of God’s people.

“They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

² As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

³ For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

⁴ Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

⁵ As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.”

God’s protection for those who trust in the Lord and live righteously. He will never leave me. This is an everlasting promise.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Psalm 122 tells us why David delighted in going to the “…house of the Lord.”

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.

² Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

⁴ Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.

⁵ For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

⁷ Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

⁸ For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

⁹ Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.”

The house of the Lord represented the place of worship. David was glad to worship God with others from Israel. Jerusalem was the center of this worship. People came from all over Israel to worship in Jerusalem. This would be the place to give thanksgiving and offerings to the Lord.

We should be praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Specifically, for peace and prosperity within its walls. Then to seek its good.

When Christ came, shed His blood on the cross for us, died, buried. and rose from the grave on the third day, we were offered salvation. If we have accepted Christ, we have a new place of worship, the local church. As David, we should be glad to be in church whenever the doors are opened.

We should bring our adoration, praise, and prayers to the Lord during this time of worship.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today we begin a study of the book of Jonah.

Download (Jonah-Introduction.docx, DOCX, 26KB)

Download (JONAH-1.docx, DOCX, 15KB)

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

“My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2)

It is a great comfort to me to know that the God of creation is the same God that helps me.

Psalm 121 is a Psalm of encouragement to Israel and to us. As we read the Psalm, make note of what the Lord will do for you.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

² My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

³ He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

⁴ Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

⁶ The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

⁸ The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

The Lord takes care of our every need. He never sleeps. The Lord is always ready to help when needed.

The Lord Jesus Christ can be counted upon in all situations. Trust Him today.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Today, we conclude our devotions on Psalm 119. It has been my desire that you have seen the importance the Psalmist placed on God’s word. His life was centered around trust in God and obedience to the word of God.

The application for us is to do the same.

The Bible is the greatest book ever written. It tells us how the world began, how it will end, and its complete history. It tells us about life and death. It tells us why there is so much wickedness in the world. It tells us of the love of God. It explains what sin is and why we need a Savior.

The greatest chapter of the Bible dealing with God’s word is Psalm 119. The 176 verses are divided into twenty-two groups of eight verses each. The first group of eight begin with the Hebrew letter aleph. The next eight verses begin with the Hebrew letter beth. This pattern continues throughout the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Psalm 119:169-176 The lost sheep

Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.

¹⁷⁰ Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

¹⁷¹ My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

¹⁷² My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

¹⁷³ Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

¹⁷⁴ I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵ Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

The Psalmist trusts God for understanding, deliverance, teaching, help, life, and being found. He expresses praise, witness, supplication, longing for salvation, and a sincere commitment to God’s word.

The Psalmist sees himself as a lost sheep. God is his shepherd. He desires to be in the comfort of his Shepherd.

This is a good picture of us. Many times, we, as God’s children, stray from our Shepherd, Jesus Christ. We cry to Him, to find us and bring us back into the fold. Jesus does because He cares for His sheep. He comforts us, heals our wounds, and encourages us.

This study in Psalm 119 has been about the importance of God’s word in our lives. Please consider spending more time reading, studying, and applying God’s word to your life.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001