Caffeinated Crunchy Christian Moms

Read: Isaiah 7–11

There is a lot to read today and honestly a lot to unpack, so brace yourselves.

As a quick reminder, the book of Isaiah was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus. That alone is pretty incredible, especially when you realize how clearly Isaiah speaks about the coming Messiah. God’s timing is wild, but also steady and trustworthy.

Isaiah uses a lot of symbolism, but he’s also very real and very direct.; all of it matters.

Back in Isaiah 6, Isaiah has this moment where he becomes deeply aware of God’s holiness and his own sin. If you need a refresher, I suggest going back and reading Isaiah 6. After a seraph touches his lips, he hears:

“See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
— Isaiah 6:7

Grace didn’t come from Isaiah fixing himself, it came from God. It is not something that can be earned, only given. And God has blessed all of us with His grace.

In Isaiah 7, God is very clear about how important faith is:

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” — Isaiah 7:9

Honestly, with the looming idea of Hell, I don’t know that I would want to stand if not with God.

Then comes a prophecy; so incredible when you stop and think about it:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” — Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel = God with us.

That name Immanuel shows up again in Isaiah 8, along with this important reminder:

“The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy.” — Isaiah 8:13

No one else. Nothing else. THE LORD ALMIGHTY.

In Isaiah 9, we read words that most of us recognize right away:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” — Isaiah 9:6

And then in Isaiah 11, Isaiah uses the image of a tree:

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” — Isaiah 11:1

I believe that the word Branch is capitalized for a reason. After all, God doesn’t make mistakes. The word Branch points to Jesus, coming from the family line of King David. Isaiah goes on to say:

“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him; the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.”
— Isaiah 11:2

That Spirit is capitalized to show the Holy Spirit.

Throughout these chapters, there is a clear contrast between light and darkness. When people choose to live apart from God, they don’t find freedom, they find more confusion and darkness. In the world we live in today this may feel like “following your heart” or “just having fun”. While living this way may sometimes feel good in the moment, moments are fleeting. The gift of God is eternal.

“Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom.”
— Isaiah 8:22

This made me think about people who believe God exists but choose not to have a relationship with Him. Knowledge alone isn’t enough. After all, even Satan believes in God. Relationship matters.

We don’t know when the Lord is returning. But we do know He is returning. So why not choose faith? Why not do our best to follow God’s commands?

As a mom, this really hits home. What we teach our kids matters. How we live in front of them matters. God keeps His promises; and that is a rock we can stand on, even when the world feels uncertain.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
— Matthew 7:24

Isaiah believed these promises so strongly that he prophesied them knowing he would never live to see them fulfilled. And yet, every single one came true. God said it would happen, and it did. That gives me so much hope. God is faithful. He always has been. And He always will be.

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think God chose to reveal the coming Messiah so far in advance?
2. Where is God inviting you to trust Him more right now?

Respond below!

A Note from the Author