Key events in today’s reading:

• God promises to restore Israel (Isaiah 43)
• The absurdity of worshiping idols (Isaiah 44:9-20)
• God will use Cyrus to deliver Israel (Isaiah 45:1-19)
• Babylon’s humiliation (Isaiah 47)

Verse that stood out: Those who hope in me will not be disappointed – Isaiah 49:23

This section had plenty to ponder including the futility of worshiping false gods and the Lord’s commitment to rescuing Israel from exile. What I perhaps noticed the most, however, was that when I looked at my Bible, I could definitely tell I’d crossed the half-way point. Seeing fewer pages to the right than to the left felt really good. As with most projects, it’s great to be able to see the end. Obviously, I won’t stop reading my Bible after these 90 days. I will probably stop reading 12 pages a day!

In the largest of projects, life itself, we know the end is coming, but we can never be totally sure of when it will come. In the last few months, I have officiated a number of funerals. Some of those who have died have been in their eighties. Some have been much younger than me. The truth is, none of us know how long we shall live. Some of us can be confident we’ve crossed the halfway point. All of us can safely assume we are closer to the end today than we were yesterday.

As believers, we can trust that while we may not know all the details of how tomorrow will play itself out, we can trust Isaiah’s vision. The day is coming when God will usher in his Kingdom of peace and provision and justice once and for all. If we’ll put our trust in him, the end of the story will not disappoint

For tomorrow:

• Cover to Cover: Isaiah 51:18-66:1
• Key Passage: Isaiah 65:17-25
• Verse of the Day: Isaiah 65:17