"thy children"

Isaiah 54

v13

And all thy children [shall be] taught of the LORD; and great [shall be] the peace of thy children.

We should have spiritual children by bringing people into new life in Christ.

a man of sorrows

Isaiah 53

v3

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

We should be willing to be like this, like the Lord was.

him that bringeth good tidings

Isaiah 52

v7

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

We should be excited about preaching the gospel.

joy and gladness shall be found

Isaiah 51

v3

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

We should take comfort in this promise about the good things the Lord is going to do for His people.

a word in season

Isaiah 50

v4

The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to [him that is] weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

We should listen to the Lord's word when we get up in the morning so we can have something fitting to share with other people.

wait for the Lord

Isaiah 49

v23b

...and thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

We should trust the Lord for the future, because we won't regret waiting for Him. He won't let us down.

Hearken unto me

Isaiah 48

v12

Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I [am] he; I [am] the first, I also [am] the last.

If we want to have peace, and much rightesouness, and be led the way we should go, we need to make sure that we're listening to the Lord.

"none else beside me"

Isaiah 47

v8

Therefore hear now this, [thou that art] given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I [am], and none else beside me; I shall not sit [as] a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

(I added the emphasis.)

The Lord is the one who rightly said about Himself, "I am." When you and I get to heaven to get rewarded, we won't be the only people there. We shouldn't be proud and think there's nobody else good like us.

Romans 5 - Key

v3

And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

We should rejoice even in difficult situations.

Application

I'll work on having a cheerful face and voice.

Romans 5 - Outline

v1-5

tribulation works patience (v3)

v6-10

Christ showed His love by dying to save us while we were still sinners

v11

joy in God

v12-19

like all sin and die because of Adam, all can receive the gracious "gift of righteousness" (v17) and live because of Jesus

v20-21

"where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (v20)

ye stouthearted

Isaiah 46

v12

Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that [are] far from righteousness:

We shouldn't be stubborn.

Luke 12:35-59 - Key

v42,43

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] lord shall make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of meat in due season?

Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

There's a reward for doing mundane services, so we shouldn't be weary in well-doing.

Application

I'll have a better attitude about serving.

Luke 12:35-59 - Outline

v35-40

be ready and watching for the Lord to come

v41-44

the faithful servant

v45-48

the servant who didn't prepare himself

v49-53

division because of Jesus

v54-56

we can tell the weather, can't we tell when it's time to turn to Jesus?

v57-59

be reconciled when you can, before the judgment

I will go before thee

Isaiah 45

v2

I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

We should preach the gospel to people who are in jail. The unsaved are "in jail" to sin anyway. The Lord will do the work to set them free.

return unto me

Isaiah 44

v22

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

Our sins were so bad and so many that they were like a thick cloud. The Lord blotted them out and redeemed us. We should be turning to Him.

don't continue in sin

Isaiah 43

v24

Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

We should make sure we're not continuing in sin.

Romans 4 - Key

v7

[Saying], Blessed [are] they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

We should examine ourselves, and repent from any sin we have.

we should speak meekly

Isaiah 42

v2

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

This makes me think of how we should have meekness. When we're telling people about Jesus, we usually shouldn't yell over the top of them and interrupt to make ourselves be heard.

Luke 12:1-34 - Key

v15

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

One of my friends, who was a missionary to a place where people didn't have very many things, said that she learned more about how we don't need stuff to be happy. There they have much less stuff than we have here, but in some ways, many of them are just as happy or more happy than some of us are.

Application

Sometimes I'll stop and think to make sure I'm being aware of covetousness.

Luke 12:1-34 - Outline

v1-12

don't be afraid to confess Jesus before men

v13-15

beware of covetousness

v16-21

be rich toward God

v22-30

don't take any thought for life needs

v31-34

store better treasure in heaven

deliverance from enemies

Isaiah 41

v11

Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

I don't have to worry about anything being against me if the Lord is on my side. I should make sure I'm right with Him, and then not be afraid.

iniquity pardoned

Isaiah 40

v2

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

When we need comfort, we can be comforted by knowing that the Lord has forgiven our sins.

Romans 4 - Outline

v1-5

Abraham was justified by faith, not works

v6-8

the blessing of forgiveness

v9-12

even Abraham got this blessing when he had not been circumcised

v13-16

the promise is by faith, not through the law

v17-22

the faith of Abraham

v23-25

this is for us also

discretion

Isaiah 39

v4

Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that [is] in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.

We should be discreet. For example, we shouldn't show all of our stuff to strangers, because we don't know what they're going to do in the future because of that.

v6

Behold, the days come, that all that [is] in thine house, and [that] which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

You cast my sin behind Your back

Isaiah 38

v17

Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul [delivered it] from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

When we get discouraged, we should consider how Jesus has delivered and forgiven us. That's encouraging.

Lk11:27-54 - Key

v53,54

And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge [him] vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

We shouldn't try to get people to say things so we can find reasons to accuse them. Also, when they did this, Jesus still wasn't provoked. We should take responsibility for our response to other people.

Isaiah 37:29 talks about rage. We shouldn't be angry or speak angrily. Even when other people are being provocative, we can be like Jesus and not respond the wrong way.

Application

If people try to provoke me, I'll consider that I'm responsible for whether I get angry or not, and I'll remember to not get angry.

Lk11:27-54 - Outline

v27-28

the blessing is supposed to be for us if we would only listen to the Lord's Word and follow it

v29-30

the sign of Jonah

v31-32

God sent the greatest to this generation and they still didn't repent

v33-36

let your eye be single like putting a candle on a candlestick

v37-44

the Pharisees liked to look good to other people but were full of wickedness inside

v45-52

woe to you lawyers

v53,54

seeking for something to accuse Him of

thy rage against me

Isaiah 37

v29

Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

We shouldn't be angry and speak angrily.

restraining speaking

Isaiah 36

v21

But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

This verse makes me think about restraint. Many times recently, I've been thinking about saying something, and then just gotten a bad feeling about it. I couldn't explain why I shouldn't say it, but I just didn't think I should. We should make sure we should say things before we say them, or we should restrain ourselves from speaking.

be strong, fear not

Isaiah 35

v4

Say to them [that are] of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come [with] vengeance, [even] God [with] a recompence; he will come and save you.

We should encourage each other in the Lord.

be ready

Isaiah 34

v2

For the indignation of the LORD [is] upon all nations, and [his] fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

The Lord does not just have love. He also has judgment. We should be ready for his return.