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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 6 July 2026:
Isaiah 64:1-4 — Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence — as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil — to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.
Isaiah’s prayer is one of the most passionate cries in all of Scripture. The prophet longs for God to intervene with unmistakable power. Israel’s greatest need is not a change in political circumstances but the manifest presence of God Himself. The prayer is not merely that God would send help, but that He would come. Throughout Scripture, the greatest blessing has never been God’s gifts apart from Himself, but God dwelling with His people. This longing ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is “Immanuel” — God with us (Matthew 1:23), and will reach its consummation when God dwells with His redeemed forever in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:3).
- Revelation 5:9-10 — And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” - Revelation 22:3-5 — No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
- Revelation 21:1-5 — Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
- 2 Timothy 2:12 — …if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us….
“The mountains might quake.” The imagery recalls God’s awesome appearance at Mount Sinai, where the mountain trembled at His presence (Exodus 19:16-20).
- Exodus 19-60-20 — On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled….
Yet Isaiah longs for something even greater. He desires a fresh revelation of God’s holiness that would cause the nations to tremble, His enemies to recognize His glory, and His people to rejoice in His salvation. Every true revival throughout history has begun with this same desire — not merely for better circumstances but for God to reveal Himself. The greatest need of every generation is not better leaders, stronger economies, or greater human wisdom, but a fresh vision of the majesty and holiness of God.
“When you did awesome things that we did not look for….” Isaiah remembers that God has repeatedly acted in ways His people never anticipated. Again and again, throughout Israel’s history, the Lord accomplished deliverance far beyond human imagination. The Exodus, the fall of Jericho, Gideon’s victory with only three hundred men, David’s triumph over Goliath, and countless other acts of divine intervention all demonstrated that God’s plans consistently surpass human expectations. Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of this truth. No one expected God’s promised Messiah to conquer sin through a cross, defeat death through His own death, or establish His kingdom by laying down His life for His enemies. God’s wisdom infinitely exceeds ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
This truth should profoundly shape the believer’s life today. We often pray with limited expectations because we think within the boundaries of our own understanding, and sometimes we pray without genuinely expecting God to answer at all. God not only answers prayers; He frequently answers them in ways that accomplish far more than we imagined possible. Paul echoes Isaiah when he reminds believers that God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Likewise, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard… what God has prepared for those who love him,” which God now begins revealing through His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). We may not understand His timing or methods, but we can trust His wisdom completely because His purposes are always better than our own.
In Acts, the believers gathered to pray earnestly for Peter while he was imprisoned, yet when God miraculously released him and he stood knocking at their gate, they initially refused to believe that their prayer had been answered (Acts 12:5-16). We can do the same. We ask God to act, then remain so fixed on the answer we expect that we fail to recognize the better work He is already doing. Opportunities for obedience, relationships, closed doors, unexpected difficulties, and circumstances we would never have chosen may be part of God’s perfect answer, yet we miss what He is giving because we are still waiting for something else. Isaiah reminds us that God does “awesome things that we did not look for.” Paul likewise declares that God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). This does not mean God promises to give us everything we request, but that His sovereign wisdom and perfect love are always accomplishing purposes beyond our limited understanding. For those who love God and are called according to His purpose, He works all things together for good, conforming them to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). When we truly believe that our Father is sovereign over every circumstance and perfectly loves us, we can stop measuring His faithfulness by whether events unfold according to our expectations. We become free to receive His answers with attentive faith, looking for where He is already working and joining Him in obedient dependence. Such confidence produces love instead of fear, joy instead of disappointment, peace instead of anxiety, gratitude instead of complaint, and boldness instead of hesitation. We may not understand His timing or recognize His answer immediately, but we can trust that the God who gave His own Son for us will withhold nothing necessary to accomplish His good purposes in us (Romans 8:32).
This passage also exposes our tendency to settle for God’s blessings while neglecting God’s presence. Isaiah’s deepest desire was not simply relief from suffering but renewed fellowship with the living God. The gospel invites believers into this same relationship. Through Christ we have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18), the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the privilege of abiding continually in His presence (John 15:4-5). The Christian life is not merely waiting for heaven but enjoying communion with Christ now while eagerly anticipating His glorious return.
Isaiah 64:5-7 — You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.
Isaiah first presents a beautiful picture of life in genuine fellowship with God before turning to the tragic contrast of humanity’s sinful condition: “You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways.” The Lord’s presence produces more than outward obedience; those who know Him, walk in His ways, and live consciously before Him increasingly delight in righteousness – with genuine joy regardless the circumstances or apparent outcomes. This is the life of union with God for which Jesus earnestly prayed — that His people would share in the oneness of the Father and the Son and know God not merely intellectually but personally, intimately, and experientially (John 17:3, 21-23).
Their joy does not depend upon comfortable circumstances or visible success but flows from “remembering” God in the moment: living continually aware of His presence, trusting His sovereign goodness, resting in His perfect love, and valuing fellowship with Him above immediate comfort or earthly desires. Jesus perfectly embodied this life. “For the joy that was set before him,” He endured the cross and despised its shame, not because suffering was pleasant, but because His love for the Father, delight in doing His will, and anticipation of bringing many sons to glory outweighed the suffering He endured (Hebrews 12:2; 2:10). This moment-by-moment remembrance of God is the practice of His presence, the abiding life in which obedience increasingly becomes the joyful expression of love rather than the burdensome performance of duty (John 15:9-11; 1 John 5:3). It explains Paul’s contentment even in chains and severe hardship because Christ Himself had become his sufficient treasure (Philippians 4:11-13), and it illuminates Jesus’ invitation to take His yoke and discover that life under His gracious rule is easy and His burden light (Matthew 11:28-30). In one sentence, Isaiah describes how image bearers were created to live: enjoying God, remembering Him in all our ways, and joyfully expressing His righteousness through lives united with Him. The tragedy that follows is therefore even more devastating. Rather than remaining in the presence of the God who alone can satisfy us, humanity has turned from Him, become enslaved to sin, and discovered that even our best efforts cannot restore the fellowship we have lost.
Genuine repentance never begins by pointing to the failures of others but by honestly confessing our own need for God’s mercy. Before the holiness of God, every excuse disappears. The prophet makes one of the clearest declarations in Scripture concerning the depth of human sinfulness: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” Isaiah is not saying that every outwardly good deed is worthless in its earthly benefit. Acts of kindness, justice, compassion, and generosity still bless others because all people bear God’s image. Rather, he is teaching that even our very best efforts can never make us righteous before a perfectly holy God. Sin has so thoroughly corrupted the human heart that even our noblest works remain insufficient to remove our guilt or restore our relationship with Him. Paul draws directly from this truth when he declares, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-23). Salvation must therefore come entirely by God’s grace, not by human effort (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This passage also exposes the futility of humanity’s continual attempt to fix itself apart from God. Ever since Adam and Eve believed they could determine good and evil for themselves (Genesis 3:1-7), mankind has sought salvation through greater knowledge, stronger governments, improved morality, technological advancement, political power, or personal achievement. Yet despite remarkable progress in many areas of life, the human heart remains enslaved to sin. The more we trust our own wisdom, the more we discover the limits of our understanding. Our efforts often produce unintended consequences because finite, fallen people cannot fully comprehend the complexity of God’s world. Apart from Christ, we remain like leaves blown helplessly by the wind of our own iniquities.
Isaiah’s statement that “there is no one who… takes hold of you” reveals that sin is not merely outward behavior but spiritual inability. Left to ourselves, we neither seek God rightly nor possess the power to restore ourselves to Him. This prepares the way for the gospel. The good news is not that humanity finally reaches God, but that God comes to humanity. Jesus entered our uncleanness, bore our sin upon the cross, clothed us with His own perfect righteousness, and reconciled us to the Father (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through union with Christ, believers no longer stand before God clothed in their own polluted garments but in the spotless righteousness of His beloved Son.
Every believer should ask: Am I trusting, even subtly, in my own goodness rather than the finished work of Christ? Do I honestly acknowledge the depth of my need for God’s grace each day? Is my confidence rooted in what I have done for God or in what Christ has accomplished for me?
Isaiah 64:8-9 — But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people.
After confessing humanity’s complete inability to save itself, Isaiah immediately anchors his hope in the character of God. The turning point is found in the words, “But now, O LORD, you are our Father.” Israel’s confidence rests not in its repentance but in the covenant faithfulness of the One to whom it belongs. Throughout Scripture, God’s fatherhood is never presented as sentimental indulgence but as loving authority, faithful provision, wise discipline, and unwavering commitment to His children. In Christ, this relationship reaches its fullest expression as believers are adopted into God’s family and taught to cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15-17).
Isaiah’s image of the potter and the clay beautifully illustrates God’s sovereign work in the lives of His people. Clay possesses neither the wisdom nor the ability to shape itself. Its beauty depends entirely upon the skill of the potter. Likewise, believers are not self-made Christians but continual works of God’s transforming grace. The Father not only justifies His people through Christ but patiently sanctifies them, shaping them into the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29). Even seasons of suffering, discipline, and uncertainty become instruments in the Potter’s hands to produce greater Christlikeness. What appears to us as painful pressure often becomes the very means by which God forms His children for eternal glory.
Isaiah’s appeal for mercy rests entirely upon God’s covenant relationship with His people. He does not bargain with God or attempt to earn forgiveness. Instead, he pleads for the Lord to remember His covenant promises rather than their sins. The gospel reveals how God answers this prayer perfectly. At the cross, God remembered our sins by placing their full penalty upon His Son, so that He now remembers them no more against those who are in Christ (Hebrews 8:12). Justice and mercy meet perfectly at Calvary, allowing God to remain both just and the justifier of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
Ask yourself: Am I resisting the Potter’s shaping work in areas of my life, or am I yielding to His loving hands? Do I trust that my heavenly Father is using even difficult circumstances to conform me to Christ? Is my assurance of forgiveness rooted in God’s covenant faithfulness through Christ rather than my own performance?
Isaiah 64:10-12 — Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become ruins. Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?
Isaiah closes this prayer by describing the devastating consequences of sin. Jerusalem lies in ruins, the temple has been destroyed, and the places once filled with joyful worship now stand desolate. The destruction is not merely political or military; it is profoundly spiritual. Everything that reminded God’s people of God’s covenant blessings has been stripped away. Yet even in this devastation, Isaiah’s greatest concern is not the loss of buildings but the apparent absence of God’s manifest presence. His prayer reveals that true worship values fellowship with God above every outward blessing.
These closing verses intentionally leave the tension unresolved. Isaiah asks whether the Lord will remain silent, preparing the reader for God’s gracious answer in the chapters that follow. This pattern anticipates the greater hope found in Christ. Humanity’s sin had left creation spiritually desolate, but God refused to remain silent. “In the fullness of time” He sent His Son into the brokenness of the world (Galatians 4:4-5). Jesus became the true Temple where God’s presence dwells among His people (John 2:19-21). Through His death and resurrection, He established a new covenant in which believers themselves become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Isaiah’s prayer also points beyond Christ’s first coming to the final restoration of all things. One day every effect of sin will be removed. The desolation caused by rebellion will give way to the new creation where God dwells with His people forever, every tear is wiped away, and righteousness reigns eternally (Revelation 21:1-5). The believer therefore lives between these two great realities: redeemed already through Christ’s finished work, yet still longing for the day when every consequence of the Fall is completely undone.
Isaiah 64 reminds believers that humanity’s greatest need has never been greater human effort but greater dependence upon God. Left to ourselves, we cannot cleanse ourselves, reshape ourselves, or rescue ourselves. Yet the Father sent His Son to accomplish what we never could, and through the Holy Spirit He continues His gracious work, patiently conforming His children to the image of Christ until the day He completes what He has begun (Philippians 1:6). This dependence, however, is never passive. Jesus taught, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), but He immediately calls His disciples to abide in Him so that they will bear “much fruit.” The gospel does not free believers from labor; it frees them from self-reliance. Our confidence no longer rests in our own wisdom, strength, or ability to produce lasting change, but in the power of Christ working within us. Because His promises are certain, believers can pursue what would otherwise be impossible — loving enemies, persevering through suffering, serving sacrificially, proclaiming the gospel boldly, and pressing forward in obedience—not to earn God’s favor but because His grace is already at work in them. As Paul testified, “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10; see also Colossians 1:29). Far from becoming “so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good,” those whose hearts are most captivated by God’s kingdom become His most faithful servants in this world. As C. S. Lewis wisely observed, it has been those who thought most of the next world who accomplished the most in this one. Resting in God’s sovereign goodness therefore does not produce inactivity but joyful, courageous obedience, knowing that the God who begins the work also supplies the strength to finish it.
Do you grieve over sin because it disrupts your fellowship with God, or merely because of its consequences? Are you longing above all else for God’s presence, both now and in the coming kingdom? Are you trusting the Potter to complete His work in you, believing that He who began a good work will surely bring it to completion?
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 6 July 2026: Identify one area of your life where you have been striving to accomplish in your own strength what only God can accomplish. Surrender it to the Lord in prayer, then take one concrete step of obedience today that demonstrates your trust in His wisdom rather than your own.
Pray: “Father, thank You that when I could not save myself, You sent Your Son to accomplish everything necessary for my redemption. Forgive me for trusting my own wisdom, righteousness, or strength more than Your grace. Continue Your work as the Potter, shaping me into the likeness of Christ. Teach me to long for Your presence above every earthly blessing and to rest confidently in the promise that You will complete the work You have begun. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 