Sunday (11/6)

This week we are transitioning to the Major Prophets section of the Old Testament of the Bible. These books in the Bible are called “Major Prophets” because of the length of them compared to the much shorter length of the writings of the “Minor Prophets.” For this week we will read portions of the book of Isaiah. The Introduction of Isaiah in The NIV Study Bible states, “Isaiah son of Amoz is often thought of as the greatest of the writing prophets. His name means ‘The LORD saves.’ He was a contemporary of” the minor prophets “Amos, Hosea, and Micah, beginning his ministry in 740 B.C., the year King Uzziah died…He probably spent most of his life in Jerusalem, enjoying his greatest influence under King Hezekiah.” It is widely believed that Isaiah wrote this book of the Bible, but many scholars claim that there were others who contributed to the finished work of the completed book. According to biblical scholar Tim Mackie in The Bible Project Overview: Isaiah 1-39 video, the book of Isaiah includes a repeating theme of judgement for “Old Jerusalem” where there is rebellion, idolatry, and injustice among God’s people, then a refining fire will remove what is “worthless in Israel,” and God’s promise of hope for a “New Jerusalem” will eventually be fulfilled when “justice and peace” for people of all nations is there.

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Ecclesiastes, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible. The video summarizes the scriptures of the ancient Jewish people that became the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is available on YouTube.

TaNaK/Old Testament by the Bible Project:

 

Below are some suggestions and questions to help you as you read scripture this week:

1. Approach scripture with humility. Seek to receive what the Bible reveals without trying to make it say what you want it to say.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak a message to you through the verses you read.

3. What do these verses reveal about God?

4. What do these verses reveal about humanity?

5. What do these verses teach me about myself?

6. How do you see yourself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

7. Read, study, and discuss the verses with another person or small group.

8. Use a Study Bible. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT Study Bibles are worth considering if you do not own one. There are a few available from the AUMC Library in the back of the Chapel. You can also purchase a Study Bible from ChristianBook.com, Cokesbury.com, or Amazon.com.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online for free.

 

 

Monday (11/7)

Read the verses from Psalm 1 that are below to begin your devotional time:

“Happy are those

who do not follow the advice of the wicked

or take the path that sinners tread

or sit in the seat of scoffers,

but their delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law they meditate day and night.” – Psalm 1:1-2 NRSV

 

You are encouraged to watch the Overview: Isaiah 1-39 video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube before reading the verses for the first few days of this week:

Overview: Isaiah 1-39 by the Bible Project

 

Read Isaiah 1:1-2:5. If you are using a Study Bible, it will be helpful to read the Introduction for this book. As you read the verses for today, invite the Holy Spirit to reveal a word, phrase, or verse from the biblical text that is specifically for you.

 

Pray that God “will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths” (Isaiah 2:3 NIV).

 

 

Tuesday (11/8)

Read Psalm 1:1-2 as a reminder to delight in God.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend a few minutes or more alone with God silently listening for the internal whisper of the Holy Spirit. If you struggle to listen, focus on the physical sounds you hear. The Spirit of the Lord can use the noises you hear to help you set your thoughts on the One who enables your to hear and perceive.

 

Read Isaiah 6. You may find it helpful to read the section headings in chapters 2 through 5 before reading the verses for today. Choose questions from the Sunday list of this devotional to wrestle with as part of your study time. If you are using a Study Bible, you may want to read the study notes to understand the chapter more clearly.

 

Pray the words of the seraphs/seraphim in verse 3, then confess your sins to God, acknowledging that we are an unclean people cleansed by the blood of Christ. After confessing, offer yourself to the Lord to go, say, and do whatever He tells you to do by praying the words of the prophet, “Here am I. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8b NIV).

 

 

Wednesday (11/9)

Read Psalm 1:1-2.

 

Read Isaiah 7:1-8:4. As you read the bible verses, invite the Holy Spirit to reveal a word, phrase, or verse from the biblical text that is specifically for you for today.

 

Pray through your day, including for the people you will be with or have been with, as well as what you will do or what you have done.

 

 

Thursday (11/10)

Read Psalm 1:1-2 as a reminder to meditate on God’s laws day and night. “And this is his command: ‘to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us’” (1 John 3:23 NIV).

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend a few minutes or more alone with God silently listening. Be still physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritual, knowing that God is in charge and in control (Psalm 46:10). Don’t let your mind drift towards to-do-lists or tasks, but stop long enough to let your thoughts cease so that your only focus is being with the Lord.

 

You are encouraged to watch the Overview: Isaiah 40-66 video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube before reading the verses for the remaining days of this week:

Overview: Isaiah 40-66 by the Bible Project

 

Read Isaiah 40:6-8, 29-31. You may want to read the section titles for chapters 8 through 39 to give you a quick overview of what has taken place between the verses you read yesterday and today. Consider choosing a question or questions from the Sunday list of this devotional to wrestle with as part of your study time.

 

Pray in response to God using the ACTS acronym as a guide:

Adoration (praise the Lord)

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication (share your needs & the needs of others)

 

 

Friday (11/11)

Read Psalm 1:1-2 as a reminder that our happiness comes from the Lord.

 

Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12, which are prophetic verses about Jesus, the Suffering Servant. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the words of scripture.

 

Pray in response to what God has done for us in and through Christ.

 

 

Saturday (11/12)

How are you going to remember and observe the Sabbath this weekend? The Sabbath is a day each week that is set apart from the others to stop, rest, delight in the Lord and what he has given us, and worship God. Because of our very busy culture and over-scheduled lives you may need to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each week beginning with an hour, then increasing it to multiple hours or part of a day the next weekend, and eventually designating an entire day for remembering and observing the Sabbath.

 

Read Isaiah 56:1-2, which is about the Sabbath. Verse 2 is a reminder that the Sabbath day is blessed by God, and those who keep the Sabbath “without desecrating it” are blessed (Isaiah 56:2 NIV). What blessings have you experienced in observing and remembering the Sabbath? If you do not have a practice, habit, or ritual of remembering the Sabbath, you may need to create a stop doing list and plan so that you have time each week to experience restoration through rest, delight in the Lord and in what he has given us, as well as to be able to truly worship God. Another questions to consider is, what is the top priority of your life? Why is that at the top of the list of your priorities?

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend ten, twenty, or thirty minutes alone with God seeking to rest in the peace that can only be found in and from the Lord. If you struggle to stop and rest, consider laying down, kneeling, or sitting on a very comfortable chair or seat. If you need a nap, then sleep so that your mind and body receive the rest that you need.

 

Read Isaiah 65:17-25, which is God’s message about a new heavens and a new earth. What stands out to you in regard to God’s plans for a new creation? If you feel overcome by the sorrows, problems, and hardships of our world and life here, you may find it comforting to re-read these verses about the future that God has planned for us and for creation anytime life becomes overwhelming.

 

Pray and live in response to our God. You may find it helpful to use the words from the verses you read today as a guide for your prayer.