Conclusion of Isaiah

We (my entire family) finished the study of Isaiah this year in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF.org), Praise God! For those of you who have not studied Isaiah it is a wonderful book but also very challenging and at times very hard to understand and so I can't tell you how proud I am of my entire family. We have spent the last 30 weeks in Isaiah. My wife was a trooper this year as she only missed a couple weeks when Rylen was born. I'm so proud of you honey for setting such a great example for me and our girls. I'm so proud of you Tristyn for reading all 66 chapters and answering questions each week about what you were learning and memorizing a new verse each week. And Maelyn, I'm so proud of you for listening to your stories each week and learning truths that will last for all eternity.

For me, God used Isaiah to grow me and my faith in so many ways. I learned and re-learned so many things and yet at times I feel like I understand less of God's Word now than when I started. A few things God showed me this year are:

1) He showed me what kind of person I am when compared to Him. I am in so many ways wretched but yet at the same time so loved and so special to God.
2) He showed me his amazing love and grace.
3) He showed me His revelation to Isaiah regarding future times in the New Testament, in particular, moments in John and Revelation.
4) He showed me that the God of the Old Testament is exactly the same as the God of the New Testament. I used to think the God of the OT was a God of retribution and mercy (not getting what one deserves) and the God of the NT was a God of grace (not only not getting what one deserve but getting something they don't deserve) but I learned that God is as much of God of grace in the OT as he was in the NT.
5) He showed me that He is a God of 2nd chances. When the people repented God was always there to forgive them.
6) He showed me that His wrath is real
7) I learned that there were many prophecies of Christ 1st and 2nd coming in Isaiah
8) He showed me that His discipline is redemptive and restorative, giving us what don't deserve, His love, mercy, grace and salvation.
9) He showed me the many attributes of Himself. His love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, compassion, discipline, wrath, justice, holiness, sovereignty, and righteousness.
10) He showed me that He wants me to be humble, contrite, and fear his Word.
11) He showed me that His promises are true and that he keeps everyone of them.
12) He showed me Jesus passion for me.
13) I saw how the message of hope is spread throughout the whole book.
14) He showed me that their is no extent to which He won't go for his chosen ones.
15) He showed me that He has a plan and that he uses all people through all their circumstances of life to accomplish his plan.

I learned so many more things but most of all I was reminded this year that my God is a God worth following and giving my entire life for. If you haven't given your life to Him, its worth it, I promise.