Today I’m sharing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 app. Here’s a preview . . .

Isaiah 19:20b (ESV) “When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them.”

A few years ago, someone broke into my parents’ house while they were at work. The thief didn’t steal much, but the violation still had an impact. Their home had been a refuge, but now their security felt threatened.

Maybe you’ve had a similar feeling of sudden insecurity in your work, finances, family or friendships. When the safety net you trusted is pulled out from under you, how do you move forward?

When Isaiah proclaimed Egypt’s demise in Isaiah 19, the people of Judah saw their safety net vanish. Judah’s king, Hezekiah, hoped an alliance with Egypt would protect them from the threat of Assyrian invasion. But God wanted the people of Judah to stop looking to Egypt for security. He wanted them to place their hope in Him — the One who holds all the nations securely in His hands.

To read the rest of the teaching, head over to First 5. And while you’re there, be sure to download the First 5 app so you can follow along through the rest our study of Isaiah with the First 5 team!

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Today I’m sharing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 app. Here’s a preview . . .

Isaiah 2:11 (ESV) “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.”

Ever since the tower of Babel, people have been striving to be the best. We seek to align ourselves with those who are powerful, victorious or wealthy. We chase after beauty, success, possessions or the perfect family, trying to elevate ourselves in others’ eyes. We’re sometimes tempted to stake our claim in the highest tower and look down on others.

But in Isaiah 2, we see the highest position permanently occupied by a party of one: the Lord our God.

In Isaiah’s time, people found their security in political alliances, military might, wealth and the favor of pagan gods. (Isaiah 2:6-8) God, through His prophet Isaiah, wants His people to know that none of these will last. (Isaiah 2:11) The repeated image of men cowering in caves gives a sobering picture of the end of our worldly achievements. (Isaiah 2:10, 19, 21)

When human pride encounters God’s power, God alone is exalted. All our reasons for boasting will come to an end. Trust in idols, alliances and riches ends in complete devastation. (Isaiah 2:17-21)

The Hebrew word translated in Isaiah 2 as “exalted” is שָׂגַב (sa. gav) and carries the connotation of being raised up to an inaccessible and unattainable level. God is elevated far above everything else in the heavens and the earth. Here are a few of the ways we see God exalted in Isaiah 2 . . .

To read the rest of the teaching, head over to First 5. And while you’re there, be sure to download the First 5 app so you can follow along through the rest our study of Isaiah with the First 5 team!

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Today I’m sharing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 app. Here’s a preview . . .

Daniel 6:27 (ESV) “He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

I’m often in awe of people who do what I can’t do. I can’t quiet a classroom of kindergarteners with a rhythmic clap of my hands. I can’t cook fancy French cuisine and serve it with style. I can’t do brain surgery or a back handspring. When others tackle these seemingly-impossible tasks, they gain my attention and admiration.

In our previous passage, King Darius came face-to-face with a task he couldn’t complete: He couldn’t rescue Daniel from the den of lions. Trapped by the legality of his own decree, he worried and fasted through a sleepless night. (Daniel 6:14-18)

When morning dawned and Daniel was unharmed, Darius proclaimed praise to the eternal King who accomplished what the earthly king could not. (Daniel 6:20, 25) He used his royal dominion to point people to the superior dominion of Daniel’s God. (Daniel 6:26) Darius called not just his own kingdom, but all the nations of the earth to respond to the pervasive and personal power of God.

To read the rest of the teaching, head over to First 5. And while you’re there, be sure to download the First 5 app so you can follow along through the rest our study of Daniel with the First 5 team!

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