Category: Isaiah

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Trust & Wait

I woke up several times in the night and these words filled my mind every time I did, “Trust in the Lord and wait patiently on Him”. Over and over again the words came. When I woke and knew it was time to get up I laid there for a few minutes longer, pulling together my thoughts and everything left except “Trust and Wait”.

“Depend on the Lord. Trust in him, and he will help you. 6 He will make it as clear as day that you are right. Everyone will see that you are being fair. 7 Trust in the Lord and wait quietly for his help.” Psalm 37:5-7 ERV

Both the trusting and the waiting can be hard and they are only developed through experience. The word depend also means to commit. One version of the verse reads “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” (NLT)

Everything.

We are to involve the Lord in everything we do. He will prove Himself faithful. Some people are of the mindset that they won’t bother God with the small things; those they can handle themselves. It’s only the “big” things that they feel they should bother the Lord with.

Things that are big to us barely make a blip on heaven’s radar. What could we possibly bring to the Father that He considers big? When we fail to bring Him the things we consider small issues we will find that we lack the experience to trust Him with life’s larger challenges.

David, as a young shepherd, saw the Lord’s faithfulness while taking care of his father’s sheep. He depended on the Lord to help him keep the sheep safe and so when the lion and the bear came to attack his flock he knew God was with him to defeat them. When the time came to face Goliath David was ready. He had already experienced God’s faithfulness in smaller things.

“Sir, I have killed lions and bears that way, and I can kill this worthless Philistine. He shouldn’t have made fun of the army of the living God!” I Samuel 17:36 CEV

Answerrs to small prayers give us courage to face down the giants.

“But I trust the Lord God to save me, and I will wait for him to answer my prayer.” Micah 7:7 CEV

Waiting on the Lord for answered prayer isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of great strength. It takes strength to pray and ask God for the next meal to feed your family and not worry. It takes strength to wait on the Lord to bring you to the next job when the company you worked for closed. It takes strength not to crumble when the doctor gives you a bad report.

That strength comes from trusting, depending on, being committed to dependence on our heavenly Father and His word.

“Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.” Isaiah 40:30-31 NLV

Trust and Wait! It’s there we find strength.

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A Plentiful Crop

I grew up in the small agriculture-based town of Yuma, Arizona. When I was in school, we learned about the 4 C’s of Arizona: cattle, citrus, copper, and cotton. Three of those four were in abundance in Yuma County. My family was not involved with agriculture, but it was the passion of my heart.

About six years after Dave and I were married we had the opportunity to manage an alfalfa production farm for an absentee owner. We had over 900 acres in irrigated crop. The weather in central Arizona is perfect for growing hay. The river loam soil is rich with nutrients, water is plentiful and the weather during the summer had the crop ready to cut and harvest every 21 days. We were busy!

It was while we lived here that I learned to appreciate the parables Jesus taught about sowing seeds in a field. I understood the importance of planting good seed and making sure the ground was well prepared before planting. It needed to be well-watered and fertilized once the seeds began to grow…

Alfalfa is a crop that is planted every seven years. The plants need to be cut right before they flower to retain the highest protein content possible. You have heard the old saying, “Make hay while the sun shines” well in Arizona we say “you can’t make hay in the sunshine”. The highest quality of hay has the alfalfa leaves on the stem, if the hay is too dry when it is baled the leaves fall off and the quality decreases. So, we would wait for the evening dew before we started baling. The dew added just enough moisture to the cut hay and the leaves would stay attached during the baling process. Most of our baling time was between midnight and 3 am. Dave and I laugh now, forty years later, as we sit on the patio and feel the evening dew. We know it is almost time to bale.

This seed that is planted once every seven years will grow to the flower stage about every 21 days in the summer and every 28 days in the Spring and Fall. We would cut the hay about ten times per year; for seven years that makes seventy cuttings. That’s a very productive seed.

“Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5 And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6 And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.” II Timothy 2:3-7 NLV

This industrious agriculturalist is persistent day and night. If he does not tend to his crop there will be no harvest. His diligence not only benefits him and his family but is also a blessing for his neighbors and community.

God’s Word is like that alfalfa seed. When planted, watered and cared for it will produce an abundant harvest.

“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 10 ‘The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.’” Isaiah 55:9-11 NLV

May I encourage you to plant God’s word in the soil of your hearts. It will produce a bountiful harvest!

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No Two The Same

A couple of days ago we had our winter snow. It happens once, maybe twice, a year. It’s generally only here a day and then its gone. I really look forward to it.

This year I was able to capture some beautiful images of the mesquite trees in our front and back yards, flocked with white. I must admit that I spent a good portion of the day staring out my window at the beauty.

When I uploaded the pictures from my phone to my computer I paused again. I did take a couple of videos when the snowflakes were softly falling. They were so big and fluffy. Junior High Science class taught me that no two snowflakes are the same…

Imagine – no two the same. I had no way of counting the hundreds of thousands of snowflakes that fell that day. My front yard, my back yard, the neighborhood, the canyons and the mesas all were covered and no two were the same.

The State of Arizona was blanketed in white. Even Scottsdale got snow. How many millions or billions of snowflakes fell in Arizona in just that one day? How many trillions of snowflakes fell around the world and how many have fallen since the beginning of time?

No two are the same.

What an amazing God we have!

If He creates each snowflake with its own unique characteristics then how much time does He devote to developing our individual uniqueness? He knows how many hairs we have on our head – He has given us disintictive fingerprints and our DNA is one-of-a-kind.

No two of us are the same! God’s love and power in creating our individuality is almost unfathomable.

“Rain and snow fall from the sky and don’t return until they have watered the ground.
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow, and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat. 11 In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen.
They succeed in doing what I send them to do.” Isaiah 55:10-11 ERV

God’s purpose for the snow is to nourish the earth and He says the purpose of His word is similar. His word nourishes our lives and causes us to grow and succeed.

“‘I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.’ This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.'” Jeremiah 29:11 ERV

Just as the ground welcomes the moisture from the snow, we should keep our hearts open and ready to receive the good plans that God desires to bring into our lives.

No two of us are the same and that’s by God’s design. Each of us have unique, God-given talents and abilities. We each have a divine purpose. Like the snowflake, we are truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece of God.

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” Psalm 139:14 NLT

Next time you see the snow fall I hope it reminds you of how wonderful you are to our heavenly Father. There’s no one else like you.

No two are the same!

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Don’t Get Frazzled

Last night I was listening to a pastor preach. He had a very encouraging word on how to be strong in adverse circumstances. It reminded me of a blog I had written in October 2018. I want to share part of it with you this morning.

Do you know what tensile strength is? And why it’s important?

“Tensile strength is a measurement of the force required to pull something such as rope, wire, or a structural beam to the point where it breaks. The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of tensile stress that it can take before failure, for example breaking.”

It’s important to know the tensile strength of a rope, chain or tie down strap that is used  for towing. If someone is stuck in snow or mud and we’re going to try to pull them out, it’s essential that to know how much weight the tow rope can handle.  If it’s not strong enough it will snap before the vehicle is freed from its plight.

But what does all this have to do with us?

If we try to lift a load that is too heavy emotionally or we try to carry it for too long, we come dangerously close to reaching our maximum strength and we can snap.  Ever been to that point? Perhaps you’ve even said “that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back”, “you’re on my last nerve” – I’m done with you, I’m done with this. It’s over. I can’t take anymore!

What a horrible place to be? We weren’t made to carry those types of burdens or handle that kind of stress. That’s why God tells us all throughout His word that He is our strength.

“The Lord is my strength, the reason for my song, because he has saved me. I praise and honor the Lord— he is my God and the God of my ancestors. 3 The Lord is his name, and he is a warrior!” Exodus 15:2-3 CEV

This is part of the song that Moses and the Israelites sang on the other side of the Red Sea. They had fled Egypt in the middle of the night and pharaoh was pursuing them with the armies of Egypt. They came to the Red Sea and the Lord displayed his strength by holding back the waters so the people of Israel could cross on dry ground. When the Egyptians started to follow after them the Lord released the waters and all the Egyptians drown.  They were celebrating God’s strength and saving power.

What the Israelites couldn’t do on their own, the Lord did for them. He will do the same for us.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God Who lives forever is the Lord, the One Who made the ends of the earth. He will not become weak or tired. His understanding is too great for us to begin to know. 29 He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength. 30 Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.” Isaiah 40:28-31 NLV

When we feel like the rope or the cable that is holding our world together is beginning to fray, God is there! He gives strength to us when we become weary. When we come to our end, He is just beginning.

God wants us to lay down our rope or cable and let Him use his.

“I can do all things because Christ gives me the strength.” Philippians 4:13 NLV

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Direction for 2021

At the end of the day we’ll all be heading into a New Year. Many will be glad to leave 2020 behind.

We have a cowboy preacher friend who used to say “If God says go north He will provide, if you go south you’ll think you died”. Now that’s not in the Bible but it’s still good preaching.

Let me tell you about a man named Jonah. The Lord wanted Jonah to go to a town called Ninevah and preach a message of repentance. Jonah decided he didn’t want to go and so he hopped the first ship leaving town and went the other way. A storm came up and the ship he was on almost sunk. Jonah admitted to the sailors on board that he was running from God and told them if they threw him into the sea the storm would cease and they would be saved.

So that’s what they did and they survived the storm. Jonah on the other hand became lunch for a great fish. I refer to this fish as the first manned submarine. Three days later the fish arrived at the shores of Ninevah and spit Jonah out on the shore. Jonah preached to the people there, they repented and were saved.

It was Jonah’s choice not to follow God’s leading and it was his choice that nearly brought destruction to everyone aboard the ship. But when Jonah repented for running from God he had a personalized escort to where he needed to go.

The Lord told Abraham to leave his home country and go to a new land. That new area was the place where Abraham prospered in lands, sheep, cattle and he became a father. His decendants eventually became known as the Israelites, who were God’s chosen people.

I could give you story after story of people who did and didn’t follow God. Suffice it to say, it’s better to let the Lord do the leading. He has infinitely better foresight than we do.

“I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea…
18 But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland…Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed.” Isaiah 43:16-20 NLT

There’s a new year before us. Let’s forget the disappointments and discouragement of the past and move forward into 2021 looking for the path and the plans the Lord has for us.

“The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need. 2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass. He leads me beside the quiet waters. 3 He makes me strong again. He leads me in the way of living right with Himself which brings honor to His name.” Psalm 23:1-3 NLV

When we follow His leading we will always be going in the right direction. Now that’s the way to have a prosperous new year!

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Twas the Morning of Christmas

Twas the morning of Christmas and all through the house, the only creature stirring is me. The coffee is brewed and my cup is full but not nearly as full as my heart which is overflowing with love and appreciation for each of my family and friends who are reading this non-rhymning message.

A world changing event transpired over 2000 years ago when the sky was filled with an angelic chorus. A baby born affected the whole human race by introducing unconditional love in human flesh to reconcile us to a perfect and merciful God, the Father.

“A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 CEV

Our prayer for you and your families this morning is that you know Him personally and that you have allowed Him to change your life. You have certainly impacted our lives through the year and left an imprint of your love, your caring and your joy. Your friendship is dear.

Merry Christmas from the Wilson’s casa to yours!

“This is what God commands: that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ, and that we love each other as he commanded. 24 All who obey God’s commands live in God. And God lives in them. How do we know that God lives in us? We know because of the Spirit he gave us.” I John 3:23-24 ERV

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Thank God for Victory!

Last night I was talking with a friend about victory. We’ve been praying for each other and there are some situations that we have been praying over for a long time yet neither one of us is discouraged.

We know that God has given us the victory!

God’s faithfulness is not temporary or conditional. No, He is always faithful and worthy of our trust. Occasionally, we need to be reminded of that.

” But we thank God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.” I Corinthians 15:57-58 CEV

We give thanks to God, who gives us the victory over life’s situations. This victory is ours through our relationship with Christ Jesus. It may not always look like we are victorious but when we give Him thanks our Father gives us little glimpses into how He’s working.

Jesus didn’t look victorious when they laid him in the tomb. Peter didn’t look victorious when he was sinking on the sea of Galilee. Daniel didn’t look victorious when he was thrown into the lion’s den. Paul didn’t look victorious when he was stoned and left for dead.

Maybe your circumstances don’t appear very encouraging but God is working!

You still deal with the same situations at work, with your family, your health, your finances, your fears. But God is working. He has never lied, never broken a promise. When we come to Him with His word we aren’t being arrogant. We are being obedient.

“Rain and snow fall from the sky and don’t return until they have watered the ground.
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow, and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat. 11 In the same way, my words leave my mouth,
 and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do.” Isaiah 55:10-11 ERV

These verses create a powerful image in my mind. Did you ever plant some seeds in a garden or flower bed? Maybe you were young and impatient. Your folks told you to leave them alone, they were growing under the soil where you couldn’t see. Then one day the sprout popped through the earth, still you were instructed to leave it alone and let it grow. It seemed like ages before it was fully developed. Seed – sprout – stalk – leaves – fruit – harvest.

Victory!

That’s how it is with God’s word. It is planted in prayer, watered and germinating where no one sees but it always succeeds where God sends it. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory.

Stand strong in doing the work that God has called you to do. Don’t give in to the voice of public opinion or pressure of your peers. You have victory in Christ Jesus so stand strong and give thanks!

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Adding Strength

I don’t often stay in bed past 3 am. 3:30 is late but this morning it was 4:05! Yikes, the day is half gone – not really but that was the first thought I had when I saw the clock. The coffee was already brewing so that was a blessing.

I’ve come to realize when I do sleep in that my body obviously has a need for more rest and I am grateful. Grateful that the Lord has promised to provide the strength I need.

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” II Corinthians 12:9 NLT

Sometimes we have a mindset that we should be able to handle more things on our own. We should just buck up, push through and handle it. Whatever “it” is. But God doesn’t want us handling things on our own. He wants us drawing on His strength.

I do have days when I get weary. I end up getting grumpy. I don’t like it when that happens.

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 NLT

When I focus on me, I’m focused on a very small target and the world goes by around me. A world that I should be looking to impact, a world that I should be looking to bless! They need me – they need me to be loving and gracious, they need me to be an example of my Father.

How do we keep from becoming weary; how do we serve with the right attitude?

“Surely you know the truth. Surely you have heard.The LORD is the God who lives forever! He created all the faraway places on earth. He does not get tired and weary. You cannot learn all he knows. 29 He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it. 30 Young men get tired and need to rest. Even young boys stumble and fall. 31 But those who trust in the LORD will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:28-31 ERV

When we come to the Lord to be refreshed, He will renew our strength. When we see others the way He does, we serve gladly.

Lord, let me see others through your eyes today and renew my strength. I want to be used to touch others with Your love.

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Thankful for Memories

Dave and I are in the mountains. We came up to the Flagstaff area yesterday and will be here through Monday. My cell signal is really weak but I wanted to share with you a special memory from my high school years. One that I am thankful for!

The campground we are staying in is right near a lake I visited often the summer between my eighth grade and freshman years. My dad was working construction on a road job and so our family moved into a small, I mean twenty-one foot long small, travel trailer. On weekends we would go fishing as often as possible and one of the lakes we frequented was Lake Mary.

We also began attending a small Baptist church in Flagstaff and they had a great youth group. My sister and I made friends and we participated in quite a few of the youth group activities. One of those activities was water skiing at this very lake. It was here I learned to water ski.

Neither of these experiences – the fishing and the water skiing – were life changing but they were memory makers that make me smile and I am grateful for them. Focusing on these events kept me from dwelling on some of the less enjoyable moments and have etched joy into that summer.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

These memories were God’s kiss of blessing to me. I don’t dwell in the past but I am thankful for good memories, little ways that I now see were God saying “I’m here and I am bringing blessing into your life.

Now we are here with our daughter and son-in-law and maybe someday they will bring their grandchildren to this area and tell them this is where Besta learned to water ski and they will laugh when they think of me trying to do that.

What joyful, good and perfect gift memory is coming to your mind? Write it down, share it with a friend, a family member. Let them enjoy a little part of your heart. In doing so you will share a blessing and most of all you will share the Father’s heart, a heart of blessing and bringing good things to His children with someone you love.

“I will remember the kind things the Lord has done, and I will remember to praise him.
The Lord has given many good things  to the family of Israel. He has been very kind to us. He has shown us mercy.” Isaiah 63:7 ERV

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Weak, Trembling, Worried?

How many times have you awaken in the night heavy hearted? There’s something going on with family or work and you think you’ve got it under control and then there’s that middle-of-the-night awareness and your peace is destroyed.

Laying there, all the what-if scenarios run through your mind and you figure you will never get back to sleep. All there is to do now is pray for morning. But wait…

“Here is a message for all who are weak, trembling,  and worried: 4 “Cheer up! Don’t be afraid. Your God is coming to punish your enemies. God will take revenge on them and rescue you.” Isaiah 35:3-4 CEV

“Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble and tottering knees. 4 Say to those who are of a fearful and hasty heart, Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God He will come and save you. Isaiah 35:3-4 AMPC

The Lord has given us a promise of peaceful sleep. Our bodies were designed to rest. Daniel slept in the lions’ den, Peter slept in a prison cell, and Jesus slept in the bow of a boat on a stormy sea. Each one of them was surrounded by their problems but they were in a place of peace; they were trusting God.

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.” Psalm 4:8 AMPC

Our heavenly Father provides us with a place of safety, a place where we can trust in His protection and provision. He is there, always, during the watches of the night. Jesus knew this better than anyone and here is what he said:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” Matthew 11:28-30 AMPC

When we are burdened and we come to Jesus He will give us rest. He wants us to learn from Him; He trusted the Father implicitly. He knows that’s where we will find true peace and rest.

I woke earlier than usual this morning and here are the words that filled my heart and my mind. They are the words of an old hymn which was first published in 1878. These are the words of the chorus and the second stanza.

Glory to His Name,
Glory to His Name:
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!

I am so wondrously saved from sin,
Jesus so sweetly abides within,
There at the cross where He took me in;
Glory to His Name!

Jesus, abiding (living, making his residence) within our hearts replaces the worry, the fear and the weakness with His peace and rest! May you rest in peace.

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