Worship Experience at Highlands Community Church. Asking God for a Sign

August 3, 2025. Renton, Washington. Day 73 of 170

Today, we had the pleasure of worshiping with our brothers and sisters at Highlands Community Church in Renton, Washington. We had a wonderful worship experience, as Highlands provided a great mix of contemporary worship and old-school hymns. We felt welcomed and loved and enjoyed communion at the end of the service.

Pastor Nathan’s message was from a series called “Learning from the Faithfulness and Failures of Judah’s Kings.” This particular message was about King Ahaz, a young king who took the throne at age 20 and quickly fell into idolatry. Ahaz went so far as to sacrifice his own son to a pagan god. Despite his disobedience, God reached out to him. God instructed Isaiah to tell Ahaz: “Then the Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart…’” (Isaiah 7:3-4).

God even spoke directly to Ahaz: “Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.’” (Isaiah 7:10-11). But Ahaz refused to ask. The sign that would have been given is the greatest sign of God’s love for us, one that he offered to Ahaz and to all of us. Isaiah 7:14 records it, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

What a story! God let us in on his plan of redemption and salvation hundreds of years in advance. He worked hard to change Ahaz’s heart, to turn it toward worship of the true and only God. I have read through Isaiah many times but have never been more encouraged than I am today. Ask God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights, and he will give it to you.

Once again, we’ve had a wonderful experience of worship as we travel. May you learn as we have to surrender to His will and remove any idols from your life to give room in your heart to worship Jesus!