Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Thirsty?

"Surely God is my salvation;
       I will trust and not be afraid.
       The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
       he has become my salvation."

With joy you will draw water

       from the wells of salvation.  Isaiah 12:2-3

The trouble with taking Isaiah a chapter at a time and spotlighting random verses is that sometimes you miss the flow.  But for now, we'll deal with it!  Isaiah has told the people that after the Messiah comes, they will praise God.  They will be saying the words above. 

You know, so often we go about our business, doing our stuff, and completely miss the things that God is doing around us.  We might scoff at how the Jews - both then and now - completely miss the Messiah, right in front of them.

But I know I do the same thing.  It's been a long time since I have had joy, and with that joy, drawn water from the well of salvation.  I miss God, even though He's right in front of me.  The good news is that Isaiah has told me exactly what to do!

Let's break it down, shall we?  Well (pardon the pun) . . . let's remember that water is life.  Nothing can sustain life without water.  No planet, no plant, no person --- everything needs water to survive.  And not just to survive, but to thrive! 

So to draw water from the well of salvation means to draw life.   And just as we, in our homes, had to find sources of water from which we could drill our wells . . . God is the same.  To draw water from the well of salvation means to constantly be returning to God, to drink in Him, to allow Him to restore us, to refresh us, to rebuild us.

But sometimes we're so busy, we just miss it.  And then we get tired, and sick, and run down.  We find ourselves searching for life, for meaning, and end up realizing that we had it all along, right beside us. 

Psalm 51 prays, "Restore to me the joy of my salvation."  Sometimes we lose it.  But all we have to do is return to the well, and find joy once again.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Seeing the True Gifts

 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
       from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
       the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
       the Spirit of counsel and of power,
       the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
       He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
       or decide by what he hears with his ears;
 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
       with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
       He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
       with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
 5 Righteousness will be his belt
       and faithfulness the sash around his waist.   Isaiah 11:1-5

Now obviously, these verses are talking about the Messiah, but can they also apply to our individual lives?  I think so.  I'd like to focus on verse two today.

"The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." 

You know, here is Isaiah, writing about the Holy Spirit 600 years before Jesus promised Him, long before that crazy day of Pentecost.  And I think this is really important, because our faith rests in the knowledge that God has always been God; the Trinity of God has always been the Trinity of God.  God said in Genesis 1, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness."

In other words, God has always - since the dawn of time - yearned to make us like Him.  And He has always been gifting the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit - the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and fear of the Lord.

I've had a lot of gifts in my life.  I've had plenty and I've had little.  And I know - in my ripe old age - (shut up Stephen) that there are no better gifts than the spiritual ones, the gifts that come from God.

Tonight we took our little one to see Toy Story 3.  (SPOILER ALERT!!!)  Towards the end of the movie, Andy's mother realizes that he really truly is leaving for college, and she gets emotional.  Cut to me, sniffling in my seat, thinking of myself there in 10 years. 

So I vowed right then and there to take all the time with Samuel I could, to enjoy the little things, to be the best darned mother in the world.  Patient, kind, understanding, sweet . . . you know, June Cleaver on valium and cough syrup . . .

Yeah right.  The truth of the matter is that I want to be those things . . . for me.  I want to be the best darned mother in the world for my own selfishness, not because of any deep or spiritual reason.  So that others will name streets after me, my child will grow up to become President of the United States and write speeches about me . . . ummm, excuse me.  Back to reality.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be the BDM (best darned mother, gotta love acronyms).  But I gotta quit trying to be the BDM, and just focus on God and learning and understanding Him and knowing Him - allowing His gifts to pour over me.  What kind of mother could I be if I have the gifts described above:  "The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."

That's right.  The BDM.  Because if I'm able to approach life and give to others as a wise and understanding woman, one who gives good counsel and is spiritually powerful, one who is knowledgeable and above all, who fears the Lord . . . I could be a BDM to many.

How about you?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

(I'm skipping Isaiah 9 because I did it a few weeks ago.  Moving on to chapter 10 today.)

For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding."  Isaiah 10:13a

It's funny how things work.  We were talking about just such a thing in Sunday School last week.  We are studying Genesis, and we're just in the first chapter.  Our discussions have been about how God's creation reveals God's character to us.

We were talking about how God sees the whole picture - not just the picture of the week of creation, but of how His creation would influence us 6,000 years later.

It's really all about Him, you know?  Look at the verse, above.  It's HIS strength.  HIS wisdom.  HIS understanding.

We think we have understanding, but we don't really.  In Sunday School, we were talking about how we plan something, and then ask God to bless it.  We're so smart, aren't we?  We have every opportunity to tune into God, to His strength, His wisdom, His understanding.  But too often we rely on our own, and then ask Him to come along and bless it.  And sometimes fix it, because of the mess we've made!

Remember this week that He has plans for you and is working around you all the time.  Look for it.  Look for His strength.  Look for His wisdom.  Look for His understanding.  And then go there, and join Him.  

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Got God?

Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.  Isaiah 8:18

Wow . . . chapter eight has so much meat in it!!  I've been reading and re-reading it several times today.  But I finally settled on verse 18 to share with you.

What courage it must have taken Isaiah during this time to say, not only am I a believer, but I am a symbol of God!  I like that he doesn't say, I want to be a symbol, or I'm trying to be a symbol.  He says, I AM a symbol.

Are you a symbol of the Lord Almighty? 

Some symbols are easily recognized.  We all recognize a circle with a slash through it.  That's the symbol for don't.  A red octagon is the symbol for stop.  We know the Coke logo and the Windows computer logo.  We identify certain sounds with their companies ("you've got mail!").  There are lines inked into our memories - Got Milk?  Where's the Beef?  There's even a symbol associated with Christianity - the fish.

But what about you?  Are you a symbol of God?

Let me rephrase - if you have spoken about your belief in God, you ARE a symbol of Him.  But are you the kind of sign He wants to be associated with?

How's your language?  How are you spending your time?  What do you spend your money on?

This is how you are a symbol of God.  It's what you do linked with what you say.

So think about it.  Your life is a symbol of something.  Is it a symbol of God?

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Stand Firm

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.  Isaiah 7:9b

What is the key word in this verse?  It's firm.  It's not just about standing, it's about standing firm.

To me, this verse means this:  it's not enough to believe in God.  Satan believes in God.  James 2:19 says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."   So obviously simple belief isn't enough to stand firm.

So what is enough?  It's taking that belief to heart and letting it change your life - letting it change everything!  It's taking responsibility for your past and making and receiving restoration.  It's being willing to live completely out of control - and loving it!

Because standing firm means that God is the one in control.  He becomes the one who directs your path and your heart, and it's only because of that that you can stand firm in the first place. 

So look at your heart and your life today.  Are you standing, or standing firm?  Because there's a difference!  One more reference from James - this time chapter one: "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."   (verses 6-8)

Standing firm is whole-hearted belief in God - in His character, in His ways, in His love.  And unless you have that kind of belief, life will always knock you down.  So stand!  Stand firm!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Holy. Holy. Holy. Holy.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
       "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
       the whole earth is full of his glory." 

Isaiah 6:1-3

Ah, I love scripture that is set to worship music.  This is one of those songs, and it has special meaning to me.

Two years ago in May I started having stomach pain and vomiting.  It started on May 1, actually, on my way home from the Vera Bradley sale in Ft. Wayne.  It started as just a knot in my stomach.  That was a Thursday.

The next day I was hugely uncomfortable, in a lot of pain.  On Saturday I was able to put on my happy face and attend my brother-in-law's graduation from Ball State.  I was still kind of sore, though, and my stomach just felt . . . weird.  But within a couple of days I felt mostly back to normal.

The next Friday my husband and I went on a date to see a movie and have Japanese food.  The next day I was in so much pain, I didn't think I would be able to stand it.  My husband laid in bed with me, and he could hear my stomach make the noises that were doubling me over in pain.  We finally went to the ER, and though they couldn't find anything with an X-Ray, they kept me overnight for observation and I was sent home on Sunday . . . which was Mother's Day.

By Tuesday I went to my doctor's office, pretty much begging for help.  She gave me a "vomit bag," which I used when the anti-nausea meds she gave me did. not. work.  So she sent me to the hospital, where they ordered CAT scans and such.

Wednesday morning the nurse rushed in, shooed everyone out (thank God for visitors, for their encouragement and mental stability in a time like this), and said that they were prepping me for surgery and the surgeon would explain everything when he got there.

I'll admit, I was scared.  Not of dying, but of the unknown, because we really didn't know what we going on.  I had a nasogastric tube inserted down my nose and a PIC Line sewed in my arm.  The NG tube suctioned out two pitchers full of bile from my stomach.  My friend Tammy was there; as an ER nurse she unofficially took over and led the charge - thank God for her!  She couldn't believe all that they took out of my stomach.  No wonder I had been so sick, she said.  I thought . . . great!  Let's go home!

But not so much.  The surgeon met us in the hallway as they were wheeling me to the O.R. to explain I had a bowel obstruction and everything in my body was . . . backing up.  I'm like, but they just got it all out, why can't I go home now?  His answer was that everything would continue backing up because the obstruction wasn't going away, and they had to do emergency surgery to repair my intestine.  (I hate saying bowel.  Intestine sounds . . . cleaner.  ha ha)  This was a serious situation that required immediate action.

As I'm lying in the bed, being wheeled down the hallway, watching the ceiling tiles go by above me, I started singing:  "I saw the Lord, seated on the throne, exalted.  And the train of His robe, filled the temple with glory!" 

I just kept singing the chorus over and over again, as they continued their preparations in the operating room, stopping to ask one question:  what time it was.  I wanted to be able to ask the time when I woke back up, to know how long it had been, to get maybe have an idea of the success of the surgery.  I didn't pray.  I didn't cry.  I didn't beg God for anything.  I just kept singing that song until I went to sleep:  "Holy.  Holy.  Holy.  Holy.  Holy is the Lamb."

When I woke up, hours later . . . I was still singing that song.  I didn't ask what time it was, I didn't really know what was going on . . . but I was singing that song, and imagining a room that the train of His robe could fill.  And singing, "Holy.  Holy.  Holy.  Holy."

Think you can't memorize scripture?  Sure you can.  Most of our choruses ARE scripture.  Think you don't need to memorize scripture?  Sure you do!  There are time when saying the words are all you can do.  And when you're scared, and you don't even know what to pray, the Holy Spirit does the praying for you:  " In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."  Romans 8:26-27

I just wanted to share that story with you today . . . I hope it encourages you.  Have a great day!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Call a Spade a Spade

Woe to those who call evil good
       and good evil,
       who put darkness for light
       and light for darkness,
       who put bitter for sweet
       and sweet for bitter.     Isaiah 5:20

This verse is so pertinent today.  I'm thinking of the oil spill in the gulf, and thinking . . . for crying out loud.  Why can't this just be (and I use the word "just" very loosely) about an oil spill?  Why does it have to be about politics and pointing fingers and blaming and naming?

In Matthew 5:37, Jesus said, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."  The blame game?  Not godly.  "Spinning" the bad news?  Not holy.  Changing the definition of  "is?"  Don't even get me started.

In this day, it can seem as if there is no absolute good or evil, no moral right or wrongs.  But you know what?  We as Christians just need to call a spade a spade and stand on the truth of the Bible.  There ARE things that are absolutely wrong!!!  Right?

We wonder why the world is such a mess today, and Isaiah tells us why.  It's because we try to pretend that bitter is sweet, and sweet is bitter.  No wrongs, no rights, everything is just blah.

But God IS sweet.  Obedience is sweet.  Sin is bitter.  Joy is sweet.  Sorrow is bitter.  Hope is sweet.  Despair is bitter.  EVERYTHING godly is sweet.  EVERYTHING sinful is bitter.  No matter what the world says, the news says, or even the president says.  God is the only way to true sweetness.

Which brings up sweetness as a personality trait.  You know, the only way to stay truly sweet is to stay faithful to God and His ways.  When other things substitute for Him, it's just like using sugar substitutes:  it gets really close, but it just doesn't taste the same. 

Praying today that God will bring about His sweetness in your life!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Sitting on the Branch

"In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel."  Isaiah 4:2

I'm so glad to be online today!  Last night I got home from church and my email had been hacked!  Yikes!  Then I couldn't get on here to post today's thoughts.  Ahhh, the digital age . . .

Anyway, on to the Word.  Let's tear this verse a part a bit, shall we?  It's a short one, but a really good one!

The "Branch of the Lord" is the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  I had never heard of this reference to Jesus, but it is found several times in the Bible:  Isaiah 4:2 (obviously), Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, Zechariah 3:8, Zechariah 6:12-13, to name a few. 

In other words, the fruit of God - the tree of the Lifegiver - the offspring of the Almighty ... His day will be glorious!  These words give such hope!

It's such a contrast to the previous chapter, where Isaiah is really letting the Israelites have it!  And really, that's the hope - that God doesn't just have high expectations of us, He has the way for us to achieve the expectations!  Just as He promised in Philippians 4:13 - we can do "all things through Christ who gives us strength!"

To me, the word "branch" is such an interesting choice.  Branches provide protection, shelter, and resting places.  Jesus provides those same things for us!  Jesus is my protection.  Jesus is my shelter.  Jesus is my resting place!

This is a good day to remember to just sit on the Branch!  Don't go, don't do - just sit there today!  Let Him protect you.  Let Him shelter you.  Let Him give you rest.

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Vineyard is Bad!

 13 The LORD takes his place in court;
       he rises to judge the people.
 14 The LORD enters into judgment
       against the elders and leaders of his people:
       "It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
       the plunder from the poor is in your houses.  Isaiah 3:13-14

Are you noticing a theme this week?  I am reading one chapter of Isaiah per day, and writing our devotional here about one verse that I learned something from.  Hope you like this format!  I may continue with it when we are done with Isaiah - but that will be awhile!

If you are reading along with me, you'll notice that this is not a happy time for Israel.  God is ticked!!  Isaiah is doing everything he can think of to get the people to see - this has gotta end!  God's gonna get sick of this and get sick of you and it will not be a happy time.

Look at verse 14, above:  "The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people . . . "  Notice who God is judging - not the "world," the "sinner."  God is judging HIS people.  The elders.  The leaders.  And why?  Because His people have ruined things!

So often the church takes the attitude that we can't wait until God judges the sinner.  They'll get what's coming to them, yesseree!!  But oh, that's a pretty presumptuous attitude.  Yes, God will do that one day.  And yes, the lost will get their judgment.  But get this - so will we.

I fear that there are some sitting in church pews and in church board meetings and in Sunday School classes who don't understand that.  And I truly fear for their eternity. 

Look, I'm not trying to judge anyone.  I'm just talking to myself here - I can get so frustrated with the world sometimes!  But I am reminded that God will judge us all - sinner and saint.  And I need to be humbled by that thought.  I'm no better than the murderer or thief.  I'm no better than anyone else.  And my salvation is as much a gift to me, the undeserved, as it is to anyone.

I can only hope that when my time comes, God will say, "Well done."

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Let's Go

3 Many peoples will come and say,
       "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
       to the house of the God of Jacob.
       He will teach us his ways,
       so that we may walk in his paths."
       The law will go out from Zion,
       the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  Isaiah 2:3

When was the last time you had the attitude of "come?" 

Let's go!  Let's do it together!  Hey, this will be fun - come with me!

When was the last time you had that attitude about God?

Have you been excited lately to learn His way?  Have you been interested in walking in His path?  Have you been hanging on to every word?

We have this excitement about ball games, birthday parties, and cookouts.  Because they're fun, right?  When did we learn that being with God isn't fun?  When did we decide that coming to His house was a burden, not a joy?  When did we let go of the delight for Him that He created in us and substitute it with short-lived festivities?

What would it take for you - and for me! - to go to our houses of worship this Sunday and be excited - simply to be in His presence?  Or more - to be in His presence in the presence of others! 

Come on, let's go!!  Let's go to the mountain of the Lord and learn His ways and hear His words!

Let's go!!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Come!

"Come now, let us reason together,"
       says the LORD.
       "Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool."  Isaiah 1:18

I recently had a conversation with someone that left me so upset.  And from conversations they have had with others, I was able to piece together his philosophy on God:  God is judgment.  God hates sin.  Therefore, God hates sinners.

I urge you to read the entire first chapter of Isaiah here, because it gives much more of a total picture than one little verse.  (Just stop right now and go to biblegateway.com.)  At the beginning of the chapter, Isaiah - sometimes in his own words, and sometimes quoting God - calls the Israelites wicked, evil and sinful. But God doesn't just walk away, washing His hands of the nation, of those He loved.  No . . .


Can't you see this verse as a pleading?  First, "Come."  As I have written so many times, this great big God of the Universe begs us to come to Him, to accept Him, to accept His everlasting love.  Then He says, "let us reason together."  Synonyms for "reason" include words like "contemplate."  "Examine."  "Reflect."


If God hates sin so much that He hates the sinner, too, why would He invite sinners to the table?  It's almost like He's calling us to a treaty table, inviting us to examine Him and His offer of mercy, goodness and eternal life.  The only condition?  Complete surrender.  The result?  Eternal life!


This person I talked to has said, "You think that God just loves everybody!"  Oh yes!  Amen!  I truly do!!


But I don't think that because God loves everyone, there's no judgment.  No wrath.  No punishment.  In fact, that doesn't even make sense!  Because I love my son, there are times when He is punished.  That's what a good parent does.  And that's what my good God does.  Just because I think God loves us passionately, pursues us endlessly, and entreats us continuously . . . that doesn't mean that I don't understand that God's patience with the sinner will come to an end one day.


That will be a terrible day, and it should motivate us to join God in His invitation.  To my neighbor - Come!  To my friend - Come!  To my family - Come!


To the world!  Come!


And reader, if you haven't eaten at his table yet . . . come.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Coming Out Of The Dark

The people walking in darkness
       have seen a great light;
       on those living in the land of the shadow of death
       a light has dawned.  Isaiah 9:2

When you read Isaiah as a whole you see that the people referred to here are the people of Israel and Judah, and the darkness could refer to both the physical and the spiritual; it could be either their captivity and sufferings or their decision for spiritual distance from God.

However, what I love about the Bible is that even "history" verses apply to us today.  Our world has been walking in darkness for an awful long time - maybe you have, too.  But the great light that Isaiah refers to is the Messiah.  He longs to trade out your sin-darkness for His life-light.

John 1:4-5 says this:  "In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

John is talking about Jesus, of course, and how His light - just simply the radiance of His being - lights up the world.  Satan tries to surround us with darkness, so that we will be afraid.  Alone.  Ashamed.  Satan uses shadows to make the little things bigger than they are.  Satan - the angel of darkness - works to create a world around us that keeps us inept, insipid, and inefficient. 

Do you have shadows in your life today that you are not allowing God to shine through?  I can almost guarantee that the stuff you have buried back there won't seem so intimidating when you bring it out into the light.

Gloria Estefan has a great song called, "Coming Out of the Dark."  It's a deeply moving spiritual, whether or not she intended it for that purpose!  Here are the lyrics:

Why be afraid if I'm not alone?
Though life is never easy, the rest is unknown
Up to now, for me, it's been hands against stone
Spent each and ev'ry moment
Searching for what to believe

(Chorus:)
Coming out of the dark
I finally see the light now
And it's shining on me
Coming out of the dark

I know the love that saved me
You're sharing with me
Starting again is part of the plan
And I'll be so much stronger holding your hand

Step by step, I'll make it through; I know I can
It may not make it easier
But I have felt you near all the way

(Bridge:)
Forever and ever, I stand on the rock of your love
Forever and ever, I'll stand on the rock
Forever and ever, I stand on the rock of your love
Love is all it takes, no matter what we face
  

I'm making a commitment to God today to do everything I can to not hide things in the dark.  To be brave enough to let His light shine through my whole life, and to have the courage (this sounds kind of stupid!) to take my hands off and let HIM do all the work.  I just have to be obedient.  I just have to be willing.  I just have to be ready.

Will you commit with me?