They Go Together

Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6,7

I love the “sandwich” imperatives in this passage. Forsaking our ways and thoughts is sandwiched between seek the Lord and return to the Lord. It is a packaged deal. Seeking the Lord and returning to the Lord entails abandoning my ways and thoughts that are contrary to Him. In other words, I cannot hold on to my own ways and thoughts when I am attempting to return to the Lord.

Returning implies doing an about face in my life. Picture a person leaving his home . If he stays on the road he is following he gets further and further away from his home. But if he were to simply turn around he would begin making his way back.

I find it interesting that ways and thoughts are both mentioned. Since my actions stem from my thoughts both need to be forsaken. What is neat though is that if I take care of one the other will automatically be affected. That is why Romans 13:2 reminds me that a transformation or change is brought about by the renewing of my mind. A change in the way I am living my life and the direction I am going requires a change in my way of thinking. Imagine starting each day with a prayer for God to renew, restore, refresh, renovate, and rejuvenate our mind. Talk about a make-over!

The result of all this is that God will have compassion and will pardon (forgive) us. Once again I picture the father who welcomes back the prodigal son. I must constantly be aware of how much God longs for me to come back to Him and the gracious, loving reception that awaits me when I do.

Father, there is such hope that forsaking my ways and thoughts to return to You is a rich and worthwhile experience. Thank You that You never grow tired of seeing me come back to You. Amen.

My Main Counselor

Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live. Isaiah 55:3

For decades I missed out on the experience of hearing God speak to me directly on a regular basis. At times when I should have been leaning over and listening to what God wanted to tell me I was constantly running to people. I was looking to certain individuals to give me wisdom, direction, and guidance for numerous situations and decisions. While it may have seemed easier to go to them, in the long run I was paying a high price in my walk with God.

Aside from always feeling needy, indecisive, and crippled, I was keeping myself from developing a close, intimate relationship with God. While the Bible certainly talks about the wisdom that can be found in many counselors, there is a danger when God is not my ultimate Counselor. When I am spending more time listening to other people’s voices rather than God’s voice I am missing out on so much.

I think of it this way. How well would I develop a friendship with someone if I had very little communication with them? If I chose someone who knew her well and I communicated with that person instead of the actual one I wanted to have a friendship with, there would not be a relationship at all. This person might be able to tell me things they know and experiences they have but none of that would help me to build my own relationship. How different though if I would pick up the phone or meet with the person directly.

It is the same way with God. If I want to really know how to live the Christian life and know His voice I must learn to go to Him and listen! I have been amazed in just the past couple of weeks at how much He will say to me because I am finally taking the questions to Him. Do I miss the human counselors? Sometimes. Will I ever again seek a person’s advice? Perhaps. But the experience of learning to seek His face, stand in His presence, and hear His voice is so much better!

Father, the day I learned to go directly to You was the beginning of a new way of life for me. May it always be Your voice I seek to hear and listen to. Amen.

Dealing With Shame

But you will forget the shame of your youth. Isaiah 54:4

I have a list of past sins, guilt, and shame that rears its ugly heard from time to time. The enemy of my soul loves nothing more than to remind me of past failures, deliberate sinful choices, and shameful acts. Sometimes the people in our lives do the same with looks and comments that let us know they haven’t forgotten what we did.

Freedom from shame and the ability to forget can only be accomplished when we see that it is not God who is condemning us. When we realize the truth of Isaiah 53 we begin to see it has ALL been paid for. Then Isaiah 54 replaces the image of a harsh, condemning God with a God of compassion and loving kindness. It is only as I see these truths side by side can I begin to discard the shame and walk in beauty.

It is occurring to me that from childhood I have struggled in the area of dealing with sin in the right way. Fear of disapproval, punishment, and anger was all it took for me to hide the truth about myself and my actions. At a young age I learned to dress myself in shame and the garments stayed on me well into adulthood.

What is the message shame gives me? It tells me because of my actions I am worthless, no good, ruined, disgusting, unlovable, and devalued. I then take that message and determine I will do everything I can to make sure no one finds out. It becomes a life of hiding and secrets.

It wasn’t until recently that I learned there is freedom when I come before God in honesty. As I admit what He already knows and longs to forgive, the prison door of shame swings open and I am free. While God does judge sin, He loves me with compassion, mercy, and grace. It is His heart’s desire to forgive, redeem, restore, and reconcile me with Himself. He is not wanting me to live my life in shame. Rather than walk with downcast eyes, slumping shoulders, and internal condemnation, He desires me to accept His forgiveness and live unashamed.

Confession is necessary but it is not the whole story. It is simply the first step in replacing shame with a song of freedom and deliverance.

Father, so often I forget Your heart. Sorrow over sin should drive me to You. Shame will cause me to hide. May I stop hiding. Amen.

Very Different Treatment

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Isaiah 53:3a

One of the most profound truths I have learned in the past couple of years is God’s delight of me. I drank in the truths that He valued, loved, and favored me. To think that to my heavenly Father I was special was profound. To this day I find it amazing and almost beyond comprehension.

Yet, when Jesus came to this world His reception was the exact opposite. He was regarded with disfavor and scorn. Instead of being embraced, people turned entirely away from Him. He knew personally and first hand the full depth of sorrow and grief. Not just sorrow over how He was treated but sorrow over what His creation had become. Ever since the Garden of Eden He has lost the hearts of the very ones He brought into existence.

I think of receptions and there is a world of difference between knowing I am going to be among friends who care about me, strangers who don’t know me, or enemies who dislike me. The knowledge of each group would affect the way I felt about meeting with them. I would look forward to seeing the friends. I would be shy but hopeful seeing the strangers. I would utterly dread approaching the enemies.

So I marvel that Christ came into this world fully aware of the reception and treatment He would get. Yet His willingness to come opened up so much for each of us. He faced rejection so we could be accepted. He faced loneliness so we could live each day in His presence. He was condemned so we could be forgiven. Everything we have in Christ He received the complete opposite of. And when I receive the ill treatment of this world, I can know that He knows just how I feel.

Father, help me to fully appreciate what it was like for Your Son to live here. Amen.

Courtroom Surprises

Even your God who contends for His people. Isaiah 51:22 (New American Standard Bible)

I cross referenced this verse and came across many legal terms. I picture a courtroom scene as I read words such as defend, vindicate, plead their case, executes judgment, has a case against, and maintains. When all seems lost and is stacked against us, it is Jesus who comes to our defense.

He fights against accusations, injustices, wrong perceptions, and judgments. The very One who could bring the most evidence against me is ready and willing to stand up for me. As Romans says, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” The very One who could condemn me justifies me. Over my life He has forever hung the banner “there is now therefore no condemnation.”
When a woman was caught in adultery and people were gathered together to stone her, they dropped their stones along with their agenda and left because Jesus made a point. He said the one who had never sinned could cast the first stone. The only One who was qualified to hurl that first stone was Jesus and He didn’t do it! Not only did He not hurl a stone at her, He didn’t hurl insults, disgust, or anger. He didn’t even condemn her. His condemnation was against her actions as He said, “Go and sin no more.”

This same Jesus stands in the courtroom of our lives and comes to our defense. He contends for us on a daily basis. He comes against the false accusations as well as the true ones. While our actions may not be justified, we are! He took our verdicts on Himself at Calvary.

It is my understanding that you cannot be tried for the same crime twice. Double jeopardy! So even when the accusations are true Jesus stands ready to remind our accusers He has already taken that charge on Himself. He took the sin, the guilt, the sentence, and the condemnation.
This does not eliminate the sowing and reaping principle. It simply means grace and forgiveness abound even in the midst of sowing and reaping.

Oh, if we could just grasp the ramifications of His courtroom statements. We too would drop our stones and embrace the ones He has embraced. Such actions would show the true meanings of His words.

Father, I understand so little of Your defense for me. When I want to hide in shame, You turn my face toward Yours to hear you say “neither do I condemn you.” Thank you. Amen.

Chosen With Joy

For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6

Each of us may well remember the selection of teams for a recess game. Selected among the first and you reveled in the glory! Selected last and it felt far from being chosen. It wasn’t that they wanted you as much as they HAD to pick you. At the start of the process the names were called with speed, excitement, and anticipation. As the choices progressed the calling out of names was slower with expressions of dread and a “have to” mentality. How sad that what should have been a simple playground game became a harsh lesson of acceptance and rejection. I cannot think of anyone who does not desire to be chosen, wanted, accepted, and valued.

Why do I choose, want, accept, and value the people in my life? It think of friends I want and it is usually initially based on how they make me feel when I am in their presence. It is out of a need that I have and that they can fulfill. Oh, the joy when the feelings are mutual and the heartache when they are not.

This morning, I am seeing God’s selections in Scripture. As His child, I can claim any verse that says He has chosen me. I am His object of choice and divine favor. I am selected for favor and special privilege. He sees me as a special treasure. A person of worth and value. One who is esteemed as rare and precious. There is joy in His voice as He calls me by name and says “you are Mine!”

Think of the people you highly treasure. They are on your mind and in your hearts often. You enjoy spending time with them. To think, the God of the universe feels that way about each of us. His thoughts toward us are beyond counting. They are too many! He delights when we just want to spend time with Him.

To be joyfully chosen, fully accepted, fully loved, fully valued, highly treasured, and wanted by the Creator is filling me with much emotion. I marvel at it and I accept it with joy! It is in His choosing of me that I am ready, willing, and able to choose Him.

Father, I will never fully understand Your choice of me but I take great pleasure in it. I choose You as well! Amen.

Head or Heart

Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You. Psalm 119:11

The church I attended as a teenager had two doors at the front of the auditorium ~ one at each side of the pulpit area. Above each door a Bible verse was displayed. Titus 3:5,6 was one and Psalm 119:11 was the other. Because I read them each week they became forever imbedded in my memory. I remember adults saying that memorizing God’s Word is the same as “hiding” it and will keep you from sinning. I found myself saying the same thing years later to students. “Memorizing God’s Word,” I’d say, “Is the way to avoid sin.” Funny how we all seemed to miss that little word “heart.”

You see, Psalm 119:11 does not say to hide God’s Word in our head. It says to hide it in our heart. There IS a difference!

I can store knowledge in my head but that won’t necessarily affect my actions. Knowing and doing are two very different things. Ask anyone who has gotten a speeding ticket if they know the rules of the road. Yet their knowledge did not deter them from speeding. Ask any students if they know the classroom rules, and they’ll recite them with ease. Yet the assigned sentences will reveal their knowledge did not hinder them from disobedience.

My point is we can know a lot about God’s Word. We can know the things God says to do and not to do. But until that knowledge gets into our heart we will not be affected by it. Our actions, words, and attitudes stem from our hearts. They reveal what is in our heart. God is so passionate about His law being in our heart that He says He will write it there. (Jeremiah 31:33)

An easy way to tell whether God’s Word has been hidden or treasured in my heart is to look for change in my thinking, words, actions, and attitudes. If I know a lot more than I show, this indicates my heart has yet to take it in. One word of caution though. The Pharisees were experts at knowing the law and living by the letter of the law but it completely bi passed their hearts. Of course when they did this they lacked in joy and love but abounded in criticism, judgment, and harshness.

So we must take it to heart ~ take it ALL to heart!

Father, I don’t want your words to stay in my head. I want them to make themselves at home in my heart and bring true change in my life. Amen.

A Trustworthy Source

Let Him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Isaiah 50:10

We put our confidence in many things and people. At first we may have to think about it but with time trust can be something we automatically do. Good experiences build our ability to trust more. Bad experiences are painful but they can give us wisdom and discernment for the future.

Confidence is only as strong as the ability of the object or person. If I place my trust in something or someone that is not safe, stable, or sound the foundation will prove unreliable with time. It will give way under the weight of my expectations. Being fully confident in my beliefs will not change the degree of reliability of that object or person.

While people and things can prove to be untrustworthy, Scripture reveals the truth about God’s character, ability, and strength. When I place my trust in Him and in what He has said I am positioning myself on a solid foundation. One reason for all the stories in the Bible is to help us realize God can be trusted ALL the time to do what is right, good, and loving.

I cannot allow circumstances or the actions of others to be the test for whether or not I can rely upon God. I must trust Him with abandon and allow Him to interpret the events of my life through His grid of truth and trustworthiness.

On a practical level, God has recently changed the dynamics of my journey. He has called me on to a path of individual time with Him. A mentoring relationship has been completed and God is calling me away from the shelter and security of this person’s influence. The relationship is still there but her role as a mentor has been changed.

Trust in the goodness and love of God is what helps me to see this as a good and necessary thing. It is being done FOR me not TO me. For unless I venture on to the trail He has designed for me I will begin to see my growth deteriorate. Unless I embrace Him fully and allow Him to shift my focus and dependability unto Himself, I will cease to hear His voice. I trust His heart, His timing, and His ways!

Father, You are trustworthy. Thank you for the seasons of my life that change in Your time and in Your way. I take Your hand as I step on to this trail You have prepared for me. Amen.
Father

He Opens My Ears

He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple (learner). The Lord God has opened my ear. Isaiah 50:4,5

I do not like the sound of an alarm clock in the morning. It jars me awake in the worst of ways. I actually have the radio alarm set to music which is more inviting for me. But there are many times God gently nudges me before the music comes on. I like to picture Him rubbing my back, stroking my head, and tenderly inviting me to come meet with Him.

I saw this verse yesterday and it came back to my mind this morning. I used it as my first prayer of the day to Him. I thanked Him for waking me up and asked Him to open my ears to His voice. I try to imagine and anticipate the many things He has to say to me throughout the day.

Spiritually speaking, God always desires to wake us up and open our ears. To arouse us and cause us to be active once again in our walk with Him. To make us conscious and aware of the things He wants to say and show us. Each day has an agenda and messages from Him. I do not want to miss one of them!

I think of the miracles in the Bible where God opened various things. He opened a path through the Red Sea so the children of Israel could escape the Egyptian army. He opened the wombs of women so they could conceive and bear children. He opened the rock in the wilderness to provide water for His people. He opened the eyes of the blind so they could see. He opened the ears of the deaf so they could hear. He opened His own grave so people could go in and see that He had risen from the dead.

Unless He opens my ears daily I will be unable to hear what He wants to tell me. Sometimes He wants to tell me He loves me. Sometimes He wants to remind me of His promises. He wants to tell me His desires for my actions and reactions. Last night He opened my ears to one phrase. It was a reminder to me that as long as I have significant people in my life to turn to I will not turn to Him to meet my needs. It was not said in a harsh way. It was said in a pleading, inviting way. That is how He woos me to Himself. It was one of His “come unto Me” moments.

Father, this morning, You have not only awakened my body but You have awakened my spirit as well. Brush Your hand across my ear so I can hear what You have to say to me. Amen.

Moving Past the Safe Prayers

Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame. Isaiah 49:23

Nothing feels worse than putting all your confidence, trust, and expectancy in a person or event only to find your source is unreliable. When significant people let us down (either intentionally or unintentionally) it hurts. If it is out of character for them, we can usually accept it and move on. But if it happens over and over, we eventually build up a protective wall and determine not to trust them again. Tragically, if a child experiences too much false hope, he can easily learn to stop trusting all together. He vows to play it “safe” rather than risk another disappointment. As a cynical adult he assumes no one can be counted on and he is completely on his own.

Since our view of God is often shaped by the people in our life, the same mistrust can be directed toward Him. We have so embraced Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when He said, ”Not My will but Thine be done,” that we hesitate to ask God for much of anything. I find it interesting that of all Jesus’ recorded prayers in Scripture this was the ONLY one that had those words.

When He multiplied the bread and fish to feed 5,000 people, raised people from the dead, healed people of numerous diseases, etc…. He asked with expectancy and a desire that His Father would be glorified. God honored every request!

I fear that many times my “safe” prayers are really based on faulty views of God. While I believe He can do anything I fear He is unwilling to do anything. I live in an age where the boldness of my Bible ancestors is rarely seen. I am reminded today of verses that give me permission to be bold in my requests. Verses like:

You have not because you ask not.
Let us boldly approach the throne of grace.
It is the Father’s good will to give you the kingdom.

So I must ask myself this morning, what hinders me from having radical prayers like Elijah, trusting prayers like a child, and effective prayers like Jesus?

Father, show me what prevents me from being hopeful, expectant, and trusting of You. Clear away the false perceptions I have of You. You are calling me out of hiding and showing me the truth about Your willing heart. I am moved. Amen.

He Feels It All

He who has compassion on them will lead them and will guide them to springs of water. Isaiah 49:10 (New American Standard Bible)

Jesus’ leading and guiding stems from a heart of compassion. It is so easy to feel no one notices and no one cares about the difficulties of our life. We each live in a fallen world that has many joys but many sorrows as well. What a difference it makes when we feel we are not alone in the hard times.

I am thinking of two friends this morning. They each carry their own particular burden. One friend struggles with infertility. For her, it is quite an emotional time. Many tears have fallen as she aches to bear a child. Waiting for God to open her womb is painful for her. But recently God has lead her to gather prayer warriors to intercede for her. She is finding the strength that comes from prayer support.

The other friend is dealing with hurts and disappointments in her life. These are causing her to become cynical and suspicious of people. As she hurts, she finds a way to comfort herself by writing letters of accusation and judgment to various people in her life. I have been the recipient of such letters and they hurt. But God is reminding me “why” she is doing it. She has not yet learned to connect with God’s heart and allow Him to give her what others cannot or will not. He wants her to know there is a better way for her to live her Christian life!

When life gets difficult we can rest assured that the Shepherd of our soul is compassionate. What a precious word. I looked it up in the dictionary and was struck by the meaning. Compassion is a sympathetic consciousness of another’s distress together with a desire to alleviate it. In other words, He feels our hurts and moves on our behalf. Those things that matter to us, matter to Him. Those things that affect us, affect Him.

Think of someone you love dearly. It is hard to watch them go through a hard time. Our emotions are affected greatly when they suffer. God is no different with us when we hurt. As long as we are in this world we will not escape the pain, loss, and disappointment of life. But eventually He will alleviate all of it for eternity. Heaven is the ultimate place of pain free living for those who know Christ.

Father, life is hard at times. I feel the effects of this world. Thank you for being my Shepherd. I follow Your lead and I drink at Your springs of living water today. Amen

The Only View That Counts

But I said, I have toiled in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with the LORD, and my work with my God. Isaiah 49:4

It is easy to judge the success or failure of something by the reactions or lack of reactions of the people in our life. We mistakenly think the things spoken to us and the results we see tell the whole story. If that were really the case our efforts would be vain and amount to nothing. But that is earth-centered thinking. God takes notice and makes good use of my labors. He has the only complete, true view of the whole story. The results, riches, and rewards are with Him. It is His response to my actions that are the litmus test.

When someone does not respond to something we say or do it is easy to get discouraged and say, “What good did it do?” We walk away feeling we accomplished nothing because we limited our interpretation and conclusion of the matter to the immediate, visible result. We forget that our words and actions are seeds that are being planted all the time. After all, how many times have you continued to think about a conversation or something you read long after it took place? When your heard it you took in that seed. Many times it lies dormant in the soil of your spirit but it possesses the power of life and potential of fruit.

This is much like a farmer. He sows his seed in the ground. He knows It won’t grow and produce fruit in one day but that does not mean it was all for nothing. As the seed lies buried in the soil the surface of the ground remains unchanged. But he knows and anticipates what is coming. The sowing, tending, and growing is not the harvest but it certainly leads to it. The harvest of our words and actions may not be seen for years. It might not be seen until eternity. But eventually it will be seen. My conclusion? Stay connected to God and keep doing what He desires.

If it is with Him, by Him, and for Him there will never be a crop failure. He will see to it that the whole picture becomes evident. It is not in vain and it does not amount to nothing. May we know that His view is the only one that really matters.

Father, keep me from limiting Your view and usage of the things I say and do. When I do not see the results and reactions I hoped for, help me remember that is not the full or finished picture. Amen.

The Material Is Immaterial

He said to me, you are my servant, Israel, in whom I will show My glory. Isaiah 49:3

It is easy to read a verse like this and have no trouble seeing the words as they apply to Christ. I find myself saying, “Of course God was able to show His glory and be glorified through Christ. He walked on this earth for 33 years without sin. He did everything right. He never needed healing or fixing. He was perfect!”

It is more difficult to accept the fact that He says the same words to me. That as His servant, He could be glorified and show His glory through me. I look at the “material” He has to work with and it is not always pretty. I know my own heart. I knew my propensity to sin. I know what I am capable of doing. I know my weaknesses and my wounds.

A couple years ago I remember feeling like my life did not give God much to work with. Anything He found in me seemed damaged and unusable. There came a point when I stopped pretending with God and admitted how I really felt. I told Him I did not feel like I was very good material for Him to work with. The list of failures and defects was long and just poured out of me. As I opened up I anticipated silence at best and condemnation at worst. I expected God to give me a list of things to start doing for Him so what He had to work with would improve.

None of that happened. Instead, God shared a truth with me that completely surprised me. The amazement is not in the wood, it is in the carpenter. It is not the instrument but the musician. It is not the paints, it is the artist . It is not the clay, it is the potter. In other words, the material is beside the point. When placed in His hands, He can work wonders with anything….and anyone! The more defective the material the more wonder over the finished product.

His glory is shown not in what He has to work with as much as in what He accomplishes from the material. My limitations do not limit Him. They showcase His abilities. So now I can rest in the fact that as the Carpenter, Musician, Artist, and Potter of my life, God will do wonders!

Father, You are able to do so much with the little I give You to work with. Glorify Yourself in and through me. I know You always finish what You start. Amen.