Brett Hawthorn @BrettHawthorn@dingdash.com

*‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭28:16‬ ‭NIV* “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.”‬‬

*28:16* If you’re building anything, you need a firm base, Isaiah speaks of a foundation stone, a corner stone, that will be laid in Zion. This cornerstone is the Messiah, the foundation on whom we build our lives. Is your life built on the flimsy base of your own success or dreams? Or is it set on a firm foundation (See Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:8)?

*‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭28:23-29‬ ‭NIV* “Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain. All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.”‬‬

*28:23-29* The farmer uses special tools to plant and harvest tender herbs so he will not destroy them. He takes into account how fragile they are. In the same way God takes all our individual circumstances and weaknesses into account. He deals with each of us sensitively. We should follow his example when we deal with others. Different people require different treatment. Be sensitive to the needs of those around you and the special treatment they may need.

*‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭39:1‬ ‭NIV* ““Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal.”‬‬

*39:1ff* The story of the battle continues. The defeat of the evil forces will be final and complete; they will be destroyed by divine intervention. Because of his victory, God’s name will be known throughout the world. His glory will be evident, and the nations will understand that he alone is in charge of human history. God will clearly show his love for his people by restoring them to their homeland.

*‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭39:29‬ ‭NIV‬‬* “I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.””

*39:29* Both in this prophecy and in Joel 2:28,29, God promises to pour out his Spirit on mankind. The early church believed this began to be fulfilled at Pentecost, when God’s Holy Spirit came to live in all believers (Acts 2:1-18).

*‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:13-15‬ ‭NIV* “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.”‬‬

*139:13-15* God’s character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God’s Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us.

*‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭27:11‬ ‭NIV* “When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.”‬‬

*27:11* Isaiah compares the state of Israel’s spiritual life with dry twigs that are broken off and used to make fires. Trees in Scripture often represent spiritual life. The trunk is the channel of strength from God; the branches are the people who serve him. Tree branches sometimes waver and blow in the wind. Like Israel, they may dry up from internal rottenness and become useless for anything except building a fire. What kind of branch are you? If you are withering spiritually, check to see if you are firmly attached to God.

*Ezekiel 38:1ff* In chapter 37, Ezekiel revealed how Israel (God’s people) would be restored to their land from many parts of the world. Once Israel became strong, a confederacy of nations from the north would attack, led by Gog (See also Revelation 20:8). Their purpose would be to destroy God’s people. Gog’s allies would come from the mountainous area southeast of the Black Sea and southwest of the Caspian Sea (central Turkey), as well as from the area that is present-day Iran, Ethiopia, Libya, and possibly the Soviet Union....(cont)

(Cont)...:Gog could be a person (he sometimes is identified with Gyges, king of Lydia in 660B.C.), or Gog could also be a symbol of all the evil in the world. Whether symbolic or literal, Gog represents the aggregate military might of all the forces opposed to God. Many say that the battle Ezekiel described will occur at the end of human history, but there are many differences between the events described here and those in Revelation 20. Regardless of when this battle will occur, the message is clear. God will deliver his people - no enemy can stand before his mighty power.

*Ezekiel‬ ‭38:21‬ ‭NIV* “I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.”

*38:21* God will directly intervene in the defense of Israel, unleashing severe natural disasters on the invaders from the north. In the end, the stricken pagan nations will turn on themselves in confusion and panic. All those who set themselves against God will be destroyed.

*‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:3‬ ‭NIV* “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”‬‬

*26:3* We can never avoid strife in the world around us, but with God we can know perfect peace even in turmoil. When we are devoted to him, our whole attitude is steady and stable. Supported by God’s unchanging love and mighty power, we are not shaken by the surrounding chaos (See Philippians 4:7). Do you want peace? Keep your thoughts on and your trust in God.

*‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:7-8‬ ‭NIV* “The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”‬‬

*26:7,8* At time the “path of the righteous” doesn’t seem smooth and it isn’t easy to do God’s will, but we are never alone when we face tough times. God is there to help us through difficulties, to comfort us, and to lead us. God does this by giving us a purpose (keeping our mind centered on him, 26:3) and giving us provisions as we travel. God provides us with relationships of family, friends, and mentors. God gives us wisdom to make decisions and faith to trust him. Don’t despair, stay on God’s path.

*Ezekiel‬ ‭37:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬* “Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.”

*37:4,5* The dry bones represented the people’s spiritually dead condition. Your church may seem like a heap of dry bones to you, spiritually dead with no hope of vitality. But just as God promised to restore his nation, he can restore any church, no matter how dry or dead it may be. Rather than give up, pray for renewal, for God can restore it to life. The hope and prayer of every church should be that God will put his Spirit into it (37:14). In fact, God is at work calling his people back to himself, bringing new life into dead churches.

*‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭37:26-27‬ ‭NIV* “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.”‬‬

*37:26,27* God’s promise here goes beyond the physical and geographical restoration of Israel. He promises to breathe new spiritual life into his people so that their hearts and attitudes will be right with him and united with one another. This same process is described throughout God’s Word as the cleansing and renewing of our hearts by God’s Spirit (Titus 3:4-6).

*1 John‬ ‭3:17-18‬ ‭NIV* “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”‬‬

*3:17,18* These versus give an example of how to lay down our lives for others - to help those in need. This is strikingly similar to James teaching (James 2:14-17). How clearly do your actions say you really love others? Are you as generous as you should be with your money, possessions, and time?