Read: Isaiah 27-31

Today’s Passage: Isaiah 28:13 (ESV)

Have you ever heard the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”? At first it sounds almost backwards. How can things change and stay the same? But when you look closely at life, you see the truth behind it.

The world around us may look different than it did years ago—our technology has advanced, our schedules are busier, and our challenges seem more complicated—but the human heart hasn’t changed at all. We struggle with the same temptations, wrestle with the same questions, and need the same guidance people needed long before us.

This is one of the major themes in Isaiah 27–31. Israel was changing outwardly, but inwardly they were still drifting from God. The Lord had to use what we might call “tough love” to wake them up. Even so, He never stopped defending them. His discipline was not abandonment—it was a call to return, to trust Him again, and to listen to His word. In that way, not much has changed today. God still calls us back through His word, and He still protects those who turn to Him.

Isaiah 28:13 reminds us that the word of God is not something to take lightly. It is meant to be our most prized possession. No amount of money can compare to what the Scriptures give us. Houses, cars, savings, and all the things we count as valuable cannot bless our lives like the living word of God. Jesus described the heart that receives and understands the word as the one that “bears fruit” (Matt. 13:23). That is still true for us today.

Some people argue that the Bible is outdated, written for another time and another world. But ignoring Scripture doesn’t make it useless. It is like a lost sailor who refuses to use the map in his hand. The problem is not the map—the problem is the refusal to open it. God’s word will guide us, but only if we are willing to read it. As the psalmist writes, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).

Jesus often pointed to children as the model for a faithful heart. Children are open. They are curious. They do not carry the baggage adults tend to carry—baggage of past hurts, disappointments, or distrust. Adults often resist new ideas because we think we already know enough. Children, on the other hand, love to discover new things. If we approached Scripture with that same childlike openness, imagine what God could teach us.

There is always something new to learn in God’s word. And every time we discover truth and put it into practice, our lives change for the better. Our hearts grow softer. Our steps grow steadier. Our faith grows stronger. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me… for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). When we come to God’s word with that kind of heart, He shapes us into who we were meant to be.