In Isaiah 5:29 we find God telling Isaiah that his hand was poised to strike. In our text this evening we find him saying my hand is still poised to strike. Why? Because they refused to take correction, they ignored the admonitions of God. These passages written to warn the Jews is certainly relevant today. He is warning us. He is rebuking us. He is correcting us. But seemingly to no avail. His hand is still upraised.

Isaiah closes out chapter 8 with some very discouraging words: gloom and darkness. But then he gives a glimmer of hope. Actually much more than a glimmer; it is a hope for all the world. In the midst of the darkness, light would come to the earth.

Isaiah gives some very strong warnings about forsaking God and following the lead of others. He shares the need for building on the Solid Rock and not on the thoughts of man.

It is amazing who and what God uses to bring about the fulfillment of His will. Guess what: He can even use you and me.

Israel had many evil kings. One of the worst was Ahaz. Yet, even in his sinfulness, God encouraged him to ask for help. God has not changed; He is still asking, encouraging, even begging us to ask for help.

When God called Isaiah to ministry, Isaiah was more than ready to step up. Can you imagine his dismay when God told him he would prophecy and most would not head his words? In other words, he was called to a ministry of failure. We must understand that we are required to be faithful, not necessarily successful. We must remind ourselves that some people plant and some water, but it is God that gives the increase. We must remain faithful.

In the midst of Isaiah rebuking the nation of Israel for their sinfulness, he prophecies about the branch of Israel: the coming Messiah. With the coming of the Messiah we have the establishment of the church and the message of truth and grace.

I love the phrase: “But God”! Almost every time used in Scripture, it proceeds an awesome promise or statement. Yet as much as I like that phrase, there is another phrase that I don’t like as well. That phrase is “but if”, and it generally is an introduction to what will happen if we do or don’t do certain things. Isaiah issues a challenge. “come let us reason together” is another way of saying “let’s discuss it.”

Isaiah prophesied over 700 before Christ. He told Israel that God's hand was poised to strike. They totally ignored his warnings. God is still warning us today, and we can either ignore it or respond to his leading.

As we continue our study of Isaiah, it becomes very apparent that Judah is in a downward spiral. Sinfulness is permeating every aspect of society. The cost of sin? Separation from God.

God asks several questions in the first chapters of Isaiah: (1) Why Should you be beaten anymore? (2) Why do you persist in rebellion? (3) What more could have been done? All good questions. Let's look at the passage and see if we can find some answers.

Isn't it amazing how God has certain people at a certain time at a certain place? How can he do that? He is God, the great I am, not the I was, nor I will be, but the great I Am. He puts specific people in specific times for a specific purpose.

Living a blessed life is much more than material blessing, it is having the best of God's blessings and not settling for good or better, but receiving all that God has for us.

God desires us to live a blessed life. A blessed life does not always mean material blessings but rather blessings of God's favor. Those blessings often come through our choices. What we choose and how we choose to life. Let's look at part 4 of a blessed life.

Psalm 1 speaks of two men: the Godly and the Ungodly. We could say blessed and cursed. God's desire for us is to be content. He desires to bless us not curse us. What is the secret of living a blessed life?

God's blessings are so awesome! To live a blessed life is a Godly life. Like all of us, Abraham was not perfect, but he was greatly blessed. Three times in Genesis 24 it states he was blessed. Why was he blessed? Let's look and see.

God desires us to have a blessed life. What does blessings mean? Let's find out.

Regardless of who we are and how old we may be, there comes a time that we must man up.

We must be strong, be courageous, and be careful. It's time to man up!