SCOTTISH CHARITY NUMBER SC006235                                        THE CHARITY’S LEGAL NAME St Andrews Church of Scotland: Dumbarton

Learn more about the Bible day by day

3^rd February: Isaiah 8:1-22

'Immanuel...God is with us' (8,10). Jesus Christ has come to be with us so that we might go to be with Him. He has come from heaven to earth so that we might go from earth to heaven. He died for us that we might live with Him. He does not return to heaven alone. He 'brings many sons to glory': 'Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me' (18; Hebrews 2:9-10,13). Jesus speaks to us of the glory of the Father's House'. He shares this glory with us: 'I go to prepare a place for you...I will come again and  will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also'. He invites us to enter this heavenly glory. He is 'the Way, the Truth and the Life'.  Without Him, we cannot enter heaven: 'No one comes to the Father except through Me'. Through faith in Him, we receive 'eternal life' (John 14:1-3,6; 6:40).

4^th February: Isaiah 9:1-10:4

The prophecy has been spoken - 'To us a Child is born, to us a Son is  given...'. The prophecy has been fulfilled - 'Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord'. Jesus Christ is our great Saviour. He is our 'Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace' (9:6: Luke 2:11). Jesus Christ has brought to us a great salvation. Through faith in Him, we enter God's heavenly and eternal 'Kingdom' (9:7: Luke 1:30-33). This is 'Good News of great joy' - for 'all the people', for 'all  generations'. Let us rejoice in the Lord, as Mary, the mother of Jesus, did - 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour...for the Mighty One has done great things for me...'. Let us  join with the angels in saying, 'Glory to God in the highest...' (Luke 2:10; 1:46-50; 2:14).

5^th February: Isaiah 10:5-34

'A few, the remaining  few of Jacob, will return to the Mighty God...' (21). So few people take time to worship the Lord. Are we to become discouraged? No! We must  take encouragement from God's Word: 'The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame'(17). We must continue to pray for God's blessing. 'Let the flame burn brighter in the heart of the darkness, turning night to glorious day. Let the song grow louder as our love grow stronger; let it shine! let it shine!'. 'Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory; blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire. Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy; send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light!' (Mission Praise, 743,445). May God give us grace to 'truly rely on' Him, 'the Lord, the Holy One of Israel' (20).

6^th February: Isaiah 11:1-12:6

The family tree of 'Jesse, the father of King David' has a very special 'Branch' - Jesus Christ (11:1; Matthew 1:1,6,16). Jesus Christ has raised 'a banner for the nations'. He is 'the Saviour of the world'. He has died 'for the sins of the whole world'. The 'Good  News' is to be preached to 'all the world'. Christ calls 'all nations' to 'turn to Him'. He calls 'all nations' to receive the 'forgiveness of sins'. He calls 'all nations' to become His 'disciples' (12; John 4:42; 1 John 2:2; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Matthew 28:19). May our personal faith - 'I will praise You, O Lord...God is my  Salvation...The Lord is my Strength and my Song...' - become our public testimony - making Christ 'known among the nations', telling 'all the world' what the Lord has done for us (12:1-2,4-5).

7^th February: Isaiah 13:1-22

'The Day of the Lord is  near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty...The Day of the Lord is coming - a cruel Day with wrath and fierce anger...' (6,9).  Christ's Return will be a Day of salvation - 'the Day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who  have believed'. It will also be a Day of judgment - 'When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven...He will punish those who do not know God and  do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with  everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord...' (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Don't let the Day of the Lord 'surprise you like a thief'. It can be a  Day of 'salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ'. Trust 'Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath' (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4,9; 1:9-10).

8^th February: Isaiah 14:1-23

We look beyond 'the king of Babylon' (4). We see Satan, full of pride - 'I will climb to the  highest heavens and be like the Most High' - , fallen - 'How you are  fallen from heaven, O Lucifer...' - , and brought to nothing - 'you will be brought down to the pit of hell...' (12-15). We look also at 'the king of Tyre'. Again, we see Satan - 'you were on the holy mountain of God...you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of  God...your heart was proud... you have come to a dreadful end...' (Ezekiel 28:12-19). Satan (the devil) wages war against the Lord and His people. The final  outcome of this war is certain - defeat for Satan. Christ has won the  victory: By 'the authority of Christ', Satan 'has been thrown down'. In Christ, we have the victory: 'they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb ...' (Revelation 12:7-12).

9^th February: Isaiah 14:24-15:9

'My heart cries out for  Moab' (5). Here, we see the loving heart of God. He takes 'no pleasure in the death of the wicked'. He does 'not want anyone to perish'. He longs for 'everyone to come to repentance' (Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9). We see the loving heart of God in our Saviour, Jesus Christ: 'O  Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are  sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!'. We see the loving heart of God in Paul. He sees the nation of Israel turning away from God. He is filled with compassion: 'I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart' (Matthew 23:37; Romans 9:2). May God help us to feel for the lost, to look upon them with His love, to long for them to be saved.

10^th February: Psalm 84:1-12

'How I love Your Temple, Almighty Lord! How I want to be there! I long to be in the Lord's Temple. With my whole being I sing for joy to the living God' (1-2). This is much more than paying lip-service to the Lord.This is real. Worshipping the Lord meant everything to the Psalmist: 'I long for You, O God. I thirst for You, the living God; when can I go and worship in  Your presence' (42:1-2). He found great joy in worshipping the Lord:  'Let Your light and Your truth guide me...to the place where You dwell. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight...'  (43:4). He worshipped God with his whole heart: 'O God, You are my God,  and I long for You. My whole being desires You...my soul is thirsty for You' (63:1). This is real worship, joyful worship, heartfetlt worship.  May God help us to worship Him like that!

11^th February: Hebrews 1:1-2:9

From the heights of heaven and the depths of suffering, 'God...has spoken to us by His Son' (1:1-2). Jesus Christ is God's  'Word' to us. He is 'the Word' who came from heaven: 'In the beginning  was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God'. He is  'the Word' who came to earth: 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among  us...' (John 1:1-14). In heaven, He is worshipped by angels: 'Let all God's angels worship Him' (1:6). On earth, 'He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death  for everyone' (2:9). We see the greatness of Christ in both His heavenly glory and His saving grace. None can compare with Him. He is our Lord. He is our Saviour. We consider all that He has done for us - 'the nail marks in His hands...' - and we worship Him - 'my Lord and my God' (John 20:19-20,24-28).