Key Verses: Isaiah 34:16a, 35:10
Search from the book of the Lord, and read:
Not one of these shall fail;
Not one shall lack her mate.
…And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Chapter 34 points out the desolation that will come upon Zion (Jerusalem) but the birds and animals will continue as usual. In Genesis chapter one, God created living creatures before He created man. To this day they find a mate and produce after their own kind. When we search the Book of the Lord, we find this to be a fact!

Chapter 35 is a beautiful promise of restoration. The words of our second key verse form a joyous song that we may have sung in the past (I unsuccessfully looked for a Youtube video of the song for us to link to).

Chapter 36 follows this promise with the terrifying threat against Jerusalem by Sennacherib’s mighty army. Sennacherib made two big mistakes. His messengers offended God by their over confidence in their own ability to conquer Jerusalem in spite of any intervention God might make. The Assyrian also overlooked a humble praying man, King Hezekiah. Sennacherib returned home leaving his dead army in the fields outside Jerusalem. In the temple of his god, his own sons murdered him as he worshipped. Click here for a poem by Lord Byron from 1815 that tells the Bible story.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, as I meditate on this story, I’m reminded that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10a). You are an awesome God! I rejoice in You with singing, and I am silent before Your all-powerful and eternally-wise judgments! Teach me more and more of Your ways, O Lord I pray! In the Name of the greatest Teacher ever, the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask these mercies. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Due to the misinformation that’s out there on the internet about Rick Warren (this month’s book offer from the 100 Huntley Street telecast is Rick’s book, The Daniel Plan), I’ve asked my son Ron, Spiritual Director for the Crossroads Ministry, to put at the bottom of this blog posting his answer to a person who wrote a message of concern about us associating with Rick Warren. Thank you Ron! True soul winners understand exactly why Rick does what he does.

Yours for the truth instead of the lies often found on the internet,

David