Attitude Adjustment (Isaiah 26-27 / Philippians 2)

Isaiah 26 is a picture of the inhabitants of Judah praising God for the establishment of his kingdom. God freeing Israel from her enemies was like a battle with Leviathan (Isaiah 27:1). A few of my favorite verses from the Bible come from Isaiah 26. 26:8-9 captures the essence of what it looks like when God comes in first place in our lives. 26:3 has been a big help for me in times of trouble while 26:12 may indeed be my favorite verse in the Bible. In 26:12, God is the One who receives the glory or who is credited with anything good that takes place in our lives. Just like God delivered Israel from her enemies, He can do the same for us. What enemies are you facing that you need God's help with? These enemies need not have to represent people but rather could come in the form of idolatrous desires of the heart such as unforgiveness, hatred, or lust.

There is much to say in the world today about "attitude." There are some who promote finding the positive in everything while we all know of those on the opposite end of the spectrum who advocate extreme pessimism. The real question we must ask ourselves is what does the Bible have to say about "attitude?" Philippians 2:5 teaches us what our attitude should be like while 2:6-11 shows us how this attitude looks in reality. Does your attitude resemble that which is found in this passage?

High Point (Isaiah 23-25 / Philippians 1)

Isaiah 23 mentions the defeat of one of Israel's historical enemies, Tyre. Tyre was the last nation mentioned in a long list of enemies whom God would defeat for the peace of Israel and for the peace of the nations. Isaiah 24 begins with an "apocalyptic vision of the destruction of all nations and humankind" (NIV Bible Compact Commentary, p. 365). These actions by God bring Isaiah to a point of high praise for his King (25:1-12). Isaiah 25:8 reminds me of Revelation 21:4. I think we all, like Isaiah, look forward to the day where there will be "no more tears." Have you allowed a future vision of what God says is to come (Read Revelation 21-22) bring you to a point of high praise?

Trip Lee sings a song that sums up well the book of Philippians. In his song, he raps the words, "Our life is nothing but Christ is all. So conduct yourself worthy of his righteous call." This is exactly what the apostle Paul is saying in Philippians 1:27. To watch the video by Trip, click on this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rny8qet-IQ

The Depth of His Love (Isaiah 5-6 / Ephesians 1)

In Isaiah 5, God appears upset with His people (v. 7, 13). I find it interesting to note that this passage identifies both partying (v. 11-12) and what we might label today as a bartender (v. 22). God's anger (v. 25) seems to be a result of both lifestyles being incongruous to the way His people should conduct themselves. Isaiah 5 makes sense after reading Isaiah 6 for in Isaiah 6, we learn of God's holy character (v. 1-3). After seeing God's holiness, Isaiah humbles himself (v. 5) and becomes hungry to do God's work (v. 8). Have you caught a fresh glimpse of God lately, humbled yourself, and told God, "Here I am, Send me"?

Re-read Ephesians 1:3-14. We have a lot to be thankful for! Here are three things I listed that the passage teaches that we have been given: every spiritual blessing in Christ (v.3), forgiveness and grace (v. 7), the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our salvation (v. 13-14). Besides this, the passage also teaches we have been chosen and predestined (v. 4-5) and that God has taught us the mystery of His will (v. 9). Have you thanked God lately that He cares so deeply for you?

Idyllic Relationship? (Song of Solomon 4-6 / Galatians 3)

It is commonly believed that Song of Solomon 4:1-7 represents the beginning of marriage between Solomon and his newfound wife. The aftermath that follows their wedding includes their love-life and their honeymoon. Song of Solomon 3:6-5:1 represents the "cleaving" aspect found in a man-woman relationship, which also was commanded by God in Genesis 2:24 (MacArthur Bible Study, p. 747). The "weaving" component of this new marriage begins in 5:2 and ends in 6:3 with the couple's first argument (MacArthur Bible Study, p. 749). Sound familiar to anyone? I am sure there are many couples who argue before the wedding or honeymoon arrive. But 5:2 is the first record we have of Solomon and his wife involving themselves in a major dispute. This passage should be a great reminder to us that there are no idyllic relationships.

Galatians 3 is an all out attack launched against legalism. When we forget we are saved by grace and instead find our worth in our good deeds, we have failed miserably (3:3). Left to ourselves, we are as good as "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). Only in Christ is the old made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). What areas in your life are you giving yourself too much credit for?

Taking a stand ( Song of Solomon 3 / Galatans 2)

Song of Solomon 1-3 represents the dating or courtship element of a man-woman relationship. The "beloved" (the Shulamite woman) and the "lover" (King Solomon) appear to be madly in love with one another and do not mind their "friends" knowing about it. Thus the "leaving" process has begun (MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 745, see also Genesis 2:24). It is important in dating or marital relationships to reflect the image of Christ for these relationships are an important witness to the world of Christ's relationship to His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:32). How are you doing in representing Christ through your dating or marital relationship?

In Galatians 2:11-20, Paul calls out Peter for his hypocrisy (2:13). On the surface, this seems incredible because these were two of the most influential leaders in the early church. Remember, Jesus told Peter that he was a rock and on him, He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). So how could Paul rebuke Peter? Because Peter was still a man. Peter was wrong in this instance and Paul's rebuke worked (2 Peter 3:15-16). The key doctrine at stake here was justification by grace through faith (MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1663). Are you willing to take a stand like Paul was able to take a stand for key doctrines within our faith?

We all will die (Ecclesiastes 7 / 2 Corinthians 13)

In light of the recent deaths in our community and church, Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 helps to keep our minds in proper perspective about what is important in life and what is not. Ecclesiastes 7:1 reminds us how difficult life on this earth is while 7:2 reminds us that we ought to think much about death and the afterlife since we all are destined to death. We should think much about the Bema judgment and the Great White Throne judgment that is to come. And we should remember that how we treat people is of great importance in the eyes of our Judge (Matthew 25:31-46). We will all be classified as either a goat or a sheep and we will all enter either into eternal punishment or eternal life. How much thought have you given to your eternal destiny? Though He did not have to, Jesus Christ came down from heaven to live a sinless life and to die in sinful humanity's place. Praise God for this free gift of salvation to those who would believe!

Paul was not weak in dealing with sin that was within the church (2 Corinthians 13:1-4) for it was the power of God and the Spirit of Christ who was working within him (13:3). Many churches today seemed to have all but lost the art of church discipline. However, it should be more important in today's postmodern culture than ever before. Pray that God will raise up more Paul's in today's church to carry out this all-important task.

Hand in Hand (Proverbs 27-29 / 2 Corinthians 10)

Much wisdom can be gleaned from Proverbs 27-29. The very first verse (27:1) reminds us that our life is in God's hand. Health comes from the Lord and without it, we would not be able to do the things we plan and look forward to doing tomorrow. The very last verse (29:27) describes the difference between the righteous and unrighteous. These two groups are worlds apart and always will be. Proverbs 27:21 also stood out to me in today's reading. Many men succomb to the praise of men rather than submit to the fear of God in times of peer pressure and various trials. However, if one's heart is set toward pleasing God, unpopularity is often a resulting means. Listen to these words spoken by Christ in Matthew 5:11-12: "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of taking every thought captive and making it obedient unto Christ. How has your thought life been of late? Do you find yourself grabbing each thought and submitting it unto God's Word? This verse becomes hard to put into action when we do not take the time to learn what God wants to teach us in His Word. Prayer and Scripture intake often go hand in hand.