ISAIAH 53:3-12 – He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

THEME OF THE DAY: PAUSE, PONDER, PRAY, PRAISE. Today’s nugget is top-heavy meaning there is a larger portion of God’s Word than the words of a mere man. It probably should be that way each day, but today it is so and that for two main reasons.

First, and obvious, the Word of God is paramount in all things. It is to be the chief element in our Lord’s Day gatherings and that means we should be hearing more of God’s Word read, prayed, sung, and preached instead of anything else. If our corporate gatherings are so filled with “human stuff” and the list is long of that stuff, leaving us more entertained and emotionally moved than humbled, filled with the fear of the Lord and determined to pursue holiness, then we have not worshipped, or worse, not encountered the Lord. Our goal in worship is to align ourselves with what God exalts above all things – I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word (Psalm 138:2). That means the Bible dominates the Lord’s Day gathering of His people.

The second reason for the supremacy of God’s Word above all else is because it is the only way to personally know, adore, and love the God who gave us His Word. And today’s scripture is one of the chief places to know, adore, and love this God for it reveals the length the love of the Father and Son went to prove such love for us.

So, application? Simple. It is the theme of the day. Get alone some place with an open Bible, turned to the Isaiah passage, pause, ponder, pray, and praise through it. It will be one of the most rewarding spiritual exercises we will ever do!

PRAYER: “Father, enable me to behold the beauty of Your Suffering Servant, my Savior with adoring eyes.”
QUOTE: “Pause, ponder, pray and praise the God who so loved us that He gave His Son for us.”

Because of Him,
Pastor Jim