Brett Hawthorn @BrettHawthorn@dingdash.com

*Isaiah 18:* Is a prophecy against Cush and it makes me think of the scripture *Romans‬ ‭14:11‬ ‭NIV* “It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ””‬‬
No matter what we go through, what hardships; tribulations and judgements we face, at the end of the day: ‭‭*Isaiah‬ ‭18:7‬ ‭NIV* “At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers— the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.”‬‬
These gifts brought came from the very people the prophecy was against, the Ethiopians of Cush.

*Ezekiel‬ ‭29:9-10‬ ‭NIV* “Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord. “ ‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I made it,” therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush.”‬‬

*29:9,10:* The Nile was Egypt’s pride and joy, a life-giving river cutting through the middle of the desert. Rather than thanking God, however, Egypt declared, “The Nile is mine; I made it.” We do the same when we say “This house is mine; I built it,” or “I have brought myself to the place where I am today,” or “I have built this church, business, or reputation, from the ground up.” These statements reveal our pride. Sometimes we take for granted what God has given us, thinking we have made it ourselves. Of course, we have put forth a lot of hard effort, but God supplied the resources, gave us the abilities, and provided us with the opportunities to make it happen. Instead of claiming our own greatness, as the Egyptians did, we should proclaim God’s greatness and give him the credit. (Migdol is in the north of Egypt as Aswan in the south. Thus, this meant all of Egypt.)

*Proverbs‬ ‭11:24-25‬ ‭NIV* “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”‬‬

*11:24,25:* These two versus present a paradox: that we become richer by being generous. The world says to hold on to as much as possible, but God blesses those who give freely of their possessions, time and energy. When we give, God supplies us with more so that we can give more. In addition, giving helps us gain a right perspective on our possessions. We realize that they were never really ours to begin with, but they were given to us by God to be used to help others. What then do we gain by giving? Freedom from enslavement to our possessions, the joy of helping others, and God’s approval.

*Prayer:*
Dear God, when I think about all the resources You’ve given me, I can’t help but give You thanks. You are so generous to me, and it makes me want to live generously. Please show me how I can wisely invest my time and money so that I can glorify You and bless others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭17:8‬ ‭NIV* “They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.”‬‬

*17:8:* The Asherah poles were images of Asherah, a Canaanite goddess who was the female consort of Baal. Queen Jezebel may have brought the worship of Asherah into the northern kingdom. The cult encouraged immoral sexual practices and attracted many people. The Bible warns against worshiping Asherah poles (Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 12:3; 16:21), and Manasseh was condemned for putting up a Asherah pole in the temple (2 kings 21:7). Asherah poles are not a problem in our world, but a religion based on sexuality is. Pornography has become an addiction for many people. Media and entertainment industries feed our society’s obsession with sex. The runaway desire for stimulation and gratification often comes from an empty, lonely heart. God offers real joy and lasting love. Be on the alert for how sexual images divert us from God.

*Ezekiel‬ ‭28:2-3‬ ‭NIV* ““Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “ ‘In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.” But you are a mere mortal and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?”‬‬

*28:2,3:* Daniel, an important official in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom (14:14), was already renowned for his wisdom. Daniel proclaimed that all his wisdom came from God (Daniel 2:20-23). By contrast, the king of Tyre thought that he himself was a god. When truly wise people get closer to God, they recognize their need to depend on him for guidance.

*John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭NIV* “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”‬‬

*1:14:* “The Word became flesh” means becoming human. By doing so, Christ became (1) the perfect teacher-in Jesus’ life we see how God thinks and therefore how we should think (Philippians 2:5-11); (2) the perfect example-as a model of what we are to become, he shows us how to live and gives us the power to live that way (1 Peter 2:21); (3) the perfect sacrifice-Jesus came as a sacrifice for all sins, and his death satisfied God’s requirements for the removal of sin (Colossians 1:15-23).

*Isaiah‬ ‭16:12‬ ‭NIV* “When Moab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail.”‬‬

*16:12:* When the people of Moab experienced God’s wrath, they sought their own idols and gods. Nothing happened, however, because there was no one there to save them. When we seek our own ways of escape in order to get through our daily troubles, the effect is the same: no pleasure, pastime, or man-made religious idea will come to save us. Our hope lies in God, the only One who can hear and help.

*Ezekiel‬ ‭27:3-4‬ ‭NIV* “Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “ ‘You say, Tyre, “I am perfect in beauty.” Your domain was on the high seas; your builders brought your beauty to perfection.”‬‬

*27:3,4:* The beauty of Tyre was the source of its pride, and Tyre’s pride guaranteed its judgment. Unwarranted conceit or pride in our own accomplishments should be a danger signal to us (see James 4:13-17). God is not against our finding pleasure or satisfaction in what we do; he is against arrogant, inflated self-esteem that looks down on others. We must acknowledge God as the basis and source of our lives.

*Matthew‬ ‭6:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬* “Give us today our daily bread.”

*6:11:* when we pray “Give us today our daily bread,” we are acknowledging that God is our sustainer and provider. It is a misconception to think that we provide for our needs ourselves. We must trust God daily to provide what he knows we need.

Another prayer from You Version Bible App that spoke to me.
*Prayer:*
God, I am so grateful that I can bring every request before You. Thank You for caring about my physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. You know exactly what I need right now, and You’re not worried about providing for me. So please help me not to worry. Instead, give me the courage to worship You as I wait for You to answer me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.