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.

His Plan and His Purpose

My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure…truly I have spoken, truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. Isaiah 46:10 & 11

What a passage of assurance! For those of us who sometimes question whether God has a plan for our life and whether He will accomplish anything with us, these verses are meant for us today! Just look at God’s list! He promises, “I will accomplish it, I will bring it to pass, I will do it.” What is it He accomplishes, brings to pass, and does? His purpose!

I sometimes think of God’s purpose as being the same as His plan. But there is a difference! A purpose is an intentional, determined reason. A plan is the method for achieving an end. In other words, God has a plan to bring about His purpose. He has a way of accomplishing His design for my life.

Jeremiah encourages me with this reminder from God…”For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” I know that ultimately, God is on my side. This is not to say I will not suffer. But I must understand who or what is behind the suffering.

The discomforts of this life can usually be traced back to various sources. I live in a fallen world which includes sickness, loss, death, unfairness, etc… I am a recipient of other people’s wrong choices, motives, and actions against me. I face the consequences of my own intentional or unintentional sinful choices. The enemy of my soul is seeking to destroy me. While God may allow heartache and trouble to come into my life, He is not necessarily the perpetrator of such things. As long as I choose to blame Him I will avoid turning to Him for help, comfort, and strength.

But even those things will not thwart His purpose for me. He will use everything to accomplish and bring about His intentions. My part is to simply trust, follow, and cooperate. As His child, I am in good hands.

Father, I rest in the fact that You have a purpose and a plan. May I daily sense the fulfillment of both. Amen.

A Family Resemblance

To whom would you liken Me and make Me equal and compare Me, that we would be alike? Isaiah 46:5

Throughout Scripture, God proclaims He is God alone and there is no other. While people may claim He is one of many gods, He sets the record straight. There are countless false gods but only one true and living God. He alone created this world and He alone sustains it. He is the only One who deserves to be worshipped and will share His glory with no one else. He said He is a jealous God. So when I read His question in today’s verse I answer it with a resounding “No One”… as far as gods are concerned.

Yet I know that as His child He wants nothing more than to transform me into the likeness of His son. Jesus was the very likeness of His Father. He told His disciples, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” If we want to know what God is like we simply look at Jesus. His desire now is that we would be a picture of Him to others.

This is only possible as we spend time with Him. It is a daily process of getting into His Word, allowing His Word to get into us, and asking His Spirit to change us at the very core of our being. As we talk to Him throughout our day and allow Him to talk to us as well, we find a connection with His heart that is able to cause us to resemble Him.

My mother is in Heaven now but people tell me I am just like her. I enjoy hearing that! I know the character qualities they are referring to and the comparison is usually meant as a compliment. I inherited many traits from her and watched those traits develop as we spent time together.

I also know that when I admire people and spend time with them I tend to take on some of their qualities as well. They impact my life in such a way that I smile as I see resemblances of them in the way I think, speak, and act.

God is in the process of daily conforming us to the image of His Son. It brings Him great joy when we bear a family resemblance. When we become His through faith in Christ, we inherit many of His traits. As those traits are developed the likenesses become evident.
So who is like God? Hopefully it can be said, “His children!”

Father, You created us in Your image. While sin mars that image, You are restoring it. May I imitate You today. Amen.