Category: Isaiah

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Love and Beauty

I saw this picture many years ago and I was awed by the beauty of it. It was taken by a photographer from Federal Way, WA, Sarah Alston. Sarah is a friend of my daughter Kim’s and her artistry with a camera is wonderful.

As I looked at this picture and the others in the wedding album, I thought of the preparation, months and months of preparation, that go into planning a wedding. Everything has to be perfect. Every detail complete. The venue, the gown, the rings, the guests all require time and planning but most important are the two people who are preparing their hearts for a lifetime of love and commitment.

Is it any wonder that I relate this to our time of preparation as we await the return of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ? He says that He has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us and when it’s perfectly prepared He will come back and take us to our new home.

The prophet Isaiah paints this picture for us approximately four hundred years before Christ was born.

“The LORD makes me very happy. I am completely happy with my God. He dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He put the victory coat on me. I look like a man dressed for his wedding, like a bride covered with jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 ERV

The Apostle Paul writes about the marriage relationship a few years after Christ was crucified and ascended to heaven. He uses that union as an example of the relationship Christ aspires to have with each one of us. He desires to be our loving husband and provide for us, protect us and see to our well being. It’s our place to accept His proposal.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish…32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:25-27, 32

Some day, in the not to distant future, we are told there will be a heavenly banquet. The Bible tells us it’s called the marriage supper of the Lamb. Our bride groom is taking care of all the details. We are all invited to be there; His love leaves no one out.

I hope you are excitedly waiting for His return. What a wonderful day that will be!

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Casa de Paz

I wanted to continue on with yesterday’s teaching on peace. Can we ever have too much peace? I don’t think so. As I said in my post script to yesterday’s blog, I just about lost my peace when I went to post what I had written.

My computer was acting strangely and since I’m not skilled in trouble shooting computer situations I figured it was best to save my work, exit the document, refresh the screen and return to it. Before I did that, I saved a copy of my writing and then proceed with the steps I just mentioned.

Coming back to the post I found the original work there but none of my recent edits. I “paste” the copy I had saved to the clipboard and nothing happened. The document had not saved and I had none of my changes. It was so frustrating! Why? Where did it go? I had no answers and realized the more I messed with it the more my frustration increased. So I prayed, committed it to the Lord, as is, and posted it for all of you to read.

Just moments after I clicked on the publish button another Scripture verse on peace came to mind. It is one I knew I needed to share with you. One that I pray every morning. I pray it over my children, grandchildren and now my great grandchild.

“I, the Lord, will teach your children, and they will have real peace. 14 You will be built on goodness.  You will be safe from cruelty and fear. So you will have nothing to fear. Nothing will come to hurt you.” Isaiah 54:13-14 ERV

My words each morning are these “Lord, thank you for always being with my children. ‘Great is the peace of my children this day because they are taught by You, Lord’. Teach them today. Let them know that You love them and You are there for them in every situation.”

We never really know what our children, grands and great grands need throughout the day but the Lord does and He is always there to teach them and protect them. I trust Him to do that because He says He will and He doesn’t lie!

When we moved to our current home we named it Casa de Paz, house of peace. We want it to be a place of peace for our friends and family. God wants our lives to be filled with peace also.

The message that the angels proclaimed on the night of Jesus birth was one of peace. Peace on earth; good will to men. Jesus also declared peace, peace with God, and that message still continues today.

I encourage you to pray for your families – children, grands and great grands. Pray that their lives are covered with peace. Let peace reign and rule in every situation that you face – small and large. The Lord wants us all to live in a house of peace. Remember some of the final words of Jesus, this was part of His last will and testament – it is our inheritance.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 NLT

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Sleeping Like A Baby

With everything that has been in the news lately about the coronavirus and the stock market some have found it very hard to sleep well and maintain their peace.

Peace of mind – tranquil thoughts – going to your happy place! Generations have sought peace, inner peace, as if it were some sort of illusive butterfly! This isn’t something that is unique to the American populous and it has a been a problem for thousands of years; the prophet Isaiah talked it about long before Christ was born.

There is only ONE place where we will find real and lasting peace. When we focus our thoughts and attentions on God and His love; His provision and His strength, we find peace.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:” Isaiah 26:3-4 KJV

Some key words in this verse; keep, stayed, trusteth. Keep – to hold on too; to preserve; to value. God is the one who does the keeping. Stayed – fixed; focused on; established; single-minded – we are the ones who are responsible for the staying. Trust – to believe in; confidence; hope; assurance; intimate knowledge – we are also the ones who do the trusting. However, the trusting part comes easier the more we keep our minds stayed on the Lord.

Another translation puts it this way:

“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. 4 So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].” Isaiah 26:3-4 AMP

The long and short of it is this – is our mind at peace? Then we’re trusting God. Is our mind worried or in turmoil – then we’re not trusting God. It’s an easy thing to ascertain. The more we walk with God the easier it is to trust.

Maybe today we need to say like the man who wanted Jesus to heal his son. Jesus asked him if he believed and he answered “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” This father had so many years of “experience” with his son’s illness that he found it hard to believe but He also knew that Jesus was able to do miracles so he CHOSE to KEEP his mind STAYED on what God could do.

Peace is God’s gift to us. Once we receive it I guarantee we will be sleeping like a baby!

P.S. Just as a side note – I had this all written and ready to publish and it disappeared! I had a wonderful opportunity to “stay in peace” and I almost failed. Don’t let circumstances steal your peace – stay focused. God is faithful!

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Clear Direction

I was visiting with a dear friend yesterday and we were talking about how important it is that we hear clearly. If we don’t have good, concise communication we can be misled and taken off course.

The words “but I thought you said” can be disastrous. Years ago I had two friends who were visiting a large city for the first time. This is in the days before GPS. They were looking for a sports arena where a hockey game was going to be played. After stopping at a store and getting directions from the clerk, they got back in their car and headed out the way they had been told, or at least that’s what they thought. “I thought he said turn right” and so they did.

Very shortly they were in the wrong part of town and they were frightened by their surroundings. It was not good! They were able to get out of that situation with a few more turns that took them back to the main road and they arrived late, but unharmed, at their destination.

When we decide to follow the Lord he will give us the direction we need.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice saying, “This is the road! Now follow it.” Isaiah 30:21 CEV

King David wrote in Psalms 23, that even if our path takes us through the valley of the shadow of death, we can live free from fear because we know that the Lord is with us. The important word here is “through”. God does not take us down a road and abandon us. He leads us through, which means we come out on the other side.

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 AMP

The verse above is one of my “go to” verses. It is like true North on a compass. I know that when I follow the instructions in this verse I will receive clear direction. Remember yesterday’s devotional on trust? We can trust the Lord with every area of our life; He only wants what’s best for us. He isn’t out to harm us or to punish us, He is a loving Father who wants to add what’s beneficial and remove what’s harmful.

“We praise you, Lord God! You treat us with kindness day after day, and you rescue us.
20 You always protect us and save us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 CEV

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins  and heals all my diseases.” Psalm 103:1-3 NLT

Listen for the Father’s voice; follow His leading and He will cause us to succeed.

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Natural Beauty

Yesterday I had a bit little of time so I went out and did some pruning. A few weeks back we had a cold snap and some of my flowers and plants were frost bitten. They needed my attention.

I took my pruning shears and nipped off the ends that were damaged, loosened the soil and applied a little TLC. As I was getting ready to come in I saw that the hyacinths were beginning to bloom. I love the smell of hyacinths and their rich color makes me smile.

As I sat here with my computer in my lap I was reminded of the beauty that the Lord has placed in my life. Family, friends and even strangers add a touch of color and beauty to my days. Some are likes roses that need regular attention and others are like wild flowers that grow vicariously when their seeds are transported by the wind. But their blossoms bring color and a fragrance that I am grateful for.

“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…All this will happen to make the Lord known, to be a permanent reminder of his goodness and power.” Isaiah 55:10-13 ERV

God has made my life a well-watered garden. Seeds of family and friendship have been planted, taken root and grown strong. He has added those who are temporary and have a seasonal purpose. They are all reminders of God’s goodness and His power.

God’s word is like a seed and when its planted causes strength, wisdom, faith, joy, love and kindness to grow in my heart. The word of God not only nourishes my soul but it also brings beauty to my life.

I never want to become immune to the goodness of God. I never want to take it for granted. “Lord, let me always see your goodness and power in the beauty of nature and let me see Your marvelous plan in the lives of those you bring to fill my life”.

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Oceans of Love

Not everyone enjoys celebrating Valentine’s Day. We need to try and make the day a little easier, a little brighter for them.

Some have been betrayed by someone who said they loved them. That kind of betrayal brings a deep kind of hurt. Some have been hurt too many times in life and have no desire to go on. While others have lost the love of their life to death.

I’m sorry, truly sorry, for those who have experienced this kind of pain.

Jesus knows that kind of hurt too. He experienced the worst from those He loved and His heart broke when He lost someone he loved to death. He was betrayed, despised, rejected and abandoned. He experienced these things while in His earthly body so He could be a comfort to us.

“He heals those who have a broken heart. He heals their sorrows. ” Psalm 147:3 NLT

He promises to never leave us, never forsake us! He has promised to heal the broken hearted! If you’re having a hard time with Valentine’s Day, go to Him. Give Jesus your heart and let Him bring healing and wholeness. Then celebrate the day with your forever Valentine.

“The Spirit of the Lord God has taken control of me! The Lord has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives. 2 This is the year when the Lord God will show kindness to us and punish our enemies. The Lord has sent me to comfort those who mourn” Isaiah 61:1-2 CEV

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. God’s love is big enough for all of us. It is a deep and wide as the oceans and it will never run dry.

“I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.” Ephesians 3:17-19 ERV

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Coat of Many Colors

One of my favorite Old Testament characters is Joseph. There is so much that we can learn from him.

It seems life dealt him an unfair fate. He had ten older brothers but he was his father’s favorite and he knew it. There was definitely some sibling rivalry going on in this family. Joseph told his brothers and his father that he had dreamed they would all bow down to him one day.

Joseph’s brothers were so angry with him that they were tempted to kill him. Cooler heads prevailed and they sold him to slave traders. He was transported to Egypt. His brothers concocted a story of finding Joseph’s coat covered in blood and they told their father they believed he had been killed by wild animals.

Joseph was bought by the official in charge of the palace guard and served him well. Everything Joseph did had a sense of excellence. His master’s wife was a flirtatious woman and she tried continually to get Joseph to go to bed with her. He refused. Frustrated by his constant refusal, she accused Joseph of rape and he was thrown into prison.

Once again, Joseph excelled in his duties and became the servant of the captain of the guard. He was imprisoned for twelve years before he was brought before Pharaoh. Pharaoh recognized that God’s hand was on Joseph and that he was a man filled with wisdom. Pharaoh appointed Joseph to the highest position in Egypt, no one except the Pharaoh had more authority.

Never once do we read of Joseph complaining about the fate that had befallen him. Not once is it recorded that he spoke evil of his brothers. Repeatedly we read that Joseph served God, God blessed him and he was faithful to God.

A famine came to the entire region. Because of Joseph’s wise counsel Egypt had stored grain and had surplus to sell to its people. This is where we encounter Joseph’s brothers again. They came to Egypt to buy grain for their family.

The brothers didn’t recognize Joseph when they came to buy grain. Through a series of circumstances the brothers came before Joseph several more times before Joseph revealed his true identity. Now the brothers were scared; they were frightened Joseph would retaliate by taking their lives or imprisoning them. Look at Joseph’s reaction:

“Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.

3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.” Genesis 45:1-8 NLT

Joseph treated his brothers with loving kindness. His focus was to provide for the well being of those who hated him and had lied about him. He didn’t hold the hurt that such a betrayal would foster. Joseph used each situation to honor God. (I encourage you to read Joseph’s life story in Genesis from chapters 37-50.)

Everyone of us have probably experienced some sort of betrayal from loved ones, maybe not as severe as what Joseph did but betrayal all the same. We can spend our days looking back in bitterness or looking up with gratitude for God’s provision.

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 NLT

Joseph’s coat of many colors was a sign of his father’s love. We have been given a robe of righteousness; it too is a sign of our Father’s love. Let’s be like Joseph.

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Fear Not!

Here we are only a few days into this new year and I am sure that some of you have had to face circumstances or situations that are less than favorable. Some may have even received bad news that left you reeling. This isn’t God’s design or plan for you. His word is very plain – fear not!

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” Psalm 23:4 NLT

Like a good shepherd, Jesus walks with us through the darkest times and He brings protection and comfort where our enemies would like to infuse fear and unrest.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NLT

God, our Father, is loving and gracious. Any situation that we face doesn’t surprise Him; He has seen it coming and He has the answer. We need to press in to Him and let Him show us what it is.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,  all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 NLT

To have our thoughts fixed on the Lord is to be focused on Him. It’s like looking through the lens of a camera, everything on the peripheral blurs while we concentrate solely on what’s right before us. Look at every detail of the Father’s character, see His wisdom, His love and compassion. See His words of promise and stay in a place of peace.

Our emotions and imaginations can lead us down the path of “what if’s” if we allow them too. That’s why it’s so important to keep our minds filled with God’s word. When God makes a promise He keeps it.

“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” Numbers 23:19 NLT

Give any worry or fear over to the Lord. Let Him carry the load and fear not!

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I Peter 5:7 NLT

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Coming to An End

This year I have been following a regimented plan of reading through the Bible in one year. I’ve read the Bible through many, many times but this is the first time that I have been on a designed reading plan. Each morning the unread pages decrease and my excitement increases.

There are particular themes of continuity that run from Genesis to Revelation. These are just a few that come to mind; forgiveness, restoration, relationship (salvation), God’s goodness and love, provision, protection, joy and peace.

Amazing – God’s word is amazing! It has stood the test of time and though many have tried to destroy it, no one has

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise,
then he will do what he promised.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

The verse above is my favorite in the Bible. If that one verse isn’t true how can I possibly have confidence that any of the others are true. And since it is true, I can believe all the rest of the Bible. I can know, really know, that God’s word will sustain me all my days and that it will also be a source of truth and light for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” Psalm 139:17-18 NLT

It’s so encouraging to know that God spends His time thinking about me. Planning what’s best and protecting me through the storms.

“Don’t be discouraged or grow weak from fear! 17 The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.” Zephaniah 3:16-17 CEV

As the year comes to “The End” and I read the last chapters of the Old Testament I have great anticipation for 2020. I will begin to read the familiar stories again. I will learn more and find that God continues to be just who He said He is.

“This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” 7 His power will continue to grow, and there will be peace without end. This will establish him as the king sitting on David’s throne and ruling his kingdom. He will rule with goodness and justice forever and ever. The strong love that the Lord All-Powerful has for his people will make this happen!” Isaiah 9:6-7 ERV

He is all I need – The End!

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“With” Is Better

Where are you going today? Doing anything special? I always find that even the mundane is more fun when I have someone along to share it with. Yesterday, Dave and I had lots of errands to run and we enjoyed it more because we were “with” each other.

We are never alone even in the dullest or most difficult moments. We have a promise that God is with us. That’s what His name means:

“Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].” Isaiah 7:14 AMP

Immanuel, God with us!

God came to walk with Adam in the cool of the day; then He came and walked and talked with Abraham and Moses, David and Daniel, Enoch and Elijah, you and me. God loves being with His people. It’s only fitting that one of His names should mean God with us. That was His goal – to have relationship with us, to walk and talk with us, friend to friend, Father to child.

Do you recall the first time your child didn’t want you around? I remember hearing our toddlers say “I do this”. It was cute but then when they were in their teens, they got too big to need my presence or it wasn’t cool to have their folks hanging out with them. It hurt. I can only imagine how much it must hurt the Father when we exclude Him from our activities, not wanting Him around, taking the attitude “I’ve got this”.

He’ll let us try to handle things, sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail but He’s always there. He never leaves us alone – that’s who He is, that’s what He does.

“God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Hebrews 13:5b ERV

Friends may come and go; relationships change. Death may separate us from the ones we love. But the Lord will be with us forever and when we have Him, He takes care of the rest.

What’s on your list of things to do today?

Take Him along. Lunch with a friend, bring the extra guest. Need some down time, the two of you can sit quietly together, after all He IS Immanuel! He’ll be excited you’ve included Him in your plans.

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