“Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:21-22 ESV Reflection: how are we to interpret and understand the Bible?  Growing up in Norway, the subject of History was significant in school. And, in my senior year of High School, my final exams included an oral exam in...

“Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ”” Isaiah 44:8 NKJV Reflection: what things do you do to extend your life expectancy?  You probably noticed that the government decided to basically turn the food pyramid upside down. What they have been recommending to the citizens for decades was basically wrong, according to the current “science”. To live...

““Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV Reflection: how can we know if we have been “born of God”?  There are many names used to describe a Christian, such as “Follower of Christ”, “Saved”, “Believer”, “Elect”, “Born Again”, “Child of God”, “Disciple”, “Brother”, etc.. You might have a favorite, and...

““You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.” Isaiah 43:10-11 ESV Reflection: what makes a witness credible and believable? Last year my son and I were traveling to Philadelphia, where my son had an important meeting, a presentation before a committee. And soon after arriving, my son...

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 ESV Reflection: why are we fearful at times?  Have you ever found yourself in a “dry patch” in life, where nothing seems to work out as you had planned? Or perhaps in a place feeling totally overwhelmed with the towering demands of life, even the people around you? You wonder how in the world you got to this place, as...

“Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.” Isaiah 42:10 ESV  Reflection: when is it right to give praise to the Lord?  Last weekend, we had a poor service experience. The company we visited asked me for feedback from our visit, and I decided to provide some thoughts on their request. I tried to be generous and fair with my feedback, to make it as helpful as I could. And, I was...

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1 ESV Reflection: how are you serving the Lord?  Today we have to wrestle with a difficult topic for us – namely that of “service”, or being a servant. Perhaps partially, as being a servant might seem so degrading, even associated with slavery. As humans, we naturally resonate with the ideas and ideals of freedom, of independence,...

“Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come.” Isaiah 41:21-23 ESV Reflection: what investment strategy do you follow, especially now as the world seem to be in a crisis?  With all the turmoil in the world, crazy weather all over, climate changes, wars and rumors of wars, mass migration, high energy and oil prices, high inflation, high lending rates,...

“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 ESV Reflection: to whom do the promises, the covenants of the Lord belong to?  The focus verse today is such a beautiful promise, often quoted within the Christian communities. They are words that encourage, in the midst of life’s difficulties, of “storms” that eventually come to most people. And, for many, the current world events,...

“Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.” Isaiah 41:1 ESV Reflection: why should we be concerned with righteous judgments?  One of my favorite movie genre is a legal case argued before a courtroom; in particular when the final judgment is righteous and fair. Often the story and drama involves an innocent being accused, with lack of, or even deceptive information being presented...