Coffee Break Devotionals: From Isaiah to Malachi of the Old Testament

This book is part of Pastor Scott's Coffee Break Devotionals series. Prior to writing these devotionals I had read through the Bible, often switching translations, several times. I started writing devotionals for my own benefit, forcing myself to slow down and think about what I was reading. Using this approach when reading this specific portion of the Bible was, I think, the most beneficial to me. I’d read these books but I often was reading around five chapters a day. I confess that after a while it all started sounding the same to me. By slowing down and writing my own responses I saw these books in a whole new light. For instance, I found some of the most wonderful promises to be found in all Scripture in these passages. Also, I realized just how connected the New Testament is to the prophets. I’m not just talking about the “future telling” but the practical this-is-how-God-wants-us-to-live teachings as well. Then I realized that there are many commonly used phrases that are first uttered by the prophets, like: “a drop in the bucket,” or “can a leopard change its spots,” or “there’s no rest for the wicked.” And Jesus liked Isaiah and quoted from that book several times, for instance, when he drove the money changers out of the Temple, his comment that “my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples” is a direct Isaiah quote.

I wrote these devotionals at a leisurely pace. Every morning I would get a cup of coffee and settle down in my favorite chair to read and prayerfully seek out a devotional thought for the day. These devotionals were written just one day at a time and I suggest that you read them as they were written: in a comfortable place with a cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer), and one day at a time. It’s my experience that when I make room for the Lord in my life that he is faithful to fill that space with his presence.