Isaiah 38:1-8 -- It's about a relationship

Have you noticed that we can affect God's decisions, even after He's decided to do something.  It's like children who can affect their parents' decisions.  My dilemna with this is I don't really know what's best and I certainly don't know the future or the impact my decisions have on other people so who am I to tell God how to handle things.  I like the fact though, that God listens to us, to such an extent that He is even willing to change His decisions.  My challenge is, will I listen to Him, knowing that He knows best, and will I pray for His will to be done?

Lord, please take away my thoughts, other people's thoughts, satan's thoughts and leave me with Yours.

Amen

Isaiah 35:11-37:38 -- Every blessing we receive is only by God's grace

2 Corinthians 9:8
New International Version (©1984)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

And it`s only by His grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GimLTv99I54

Father, as people around us mock You, show Yourself and Your truth, in Jesus name.

Isaiah 35:8-10 We're on a journey

Travel along, singing a song, follow Jesus day by never
Never mind what lies before you
Never mind what others do or say
Just travel along, singing a song
On the King's highway

What's the journey like?  I find it interesting that folks are comparing "The Bible" series to the movie "The Way" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzFV1Ixof0Q

"The people the Lord has rescued will come back singing as they enter Zion.  Happiness will be a crown they will always wear.  They will celebrate and shout because all sorrows and worries will be gone far away."

Isaiah 35:5- 7 God will provide and heal

I must confess; when I read this section I thought of Mark 9:24 "Lord, I do believe, please help my unbelief"

A new Christian was telling me one day that she went to pray for someone who was sick and she told the sick person she was new at the whole Christian thing but she was willing to try to pray for the person's healing...and the Dr told the sick individual that there were significant improvements!

And this is why I love hanging out with new Christians.  They're like children discovering the world.  Everything is fun and exciting and they have an amazing honeymoon with Christ.

As a mature Christian I need to get back to the honeymoon with Christ.  To remember it's not my prayers that bring water to the desert.  It's just plainly God who does this.

Father, as I read the testimonies of 2001 I know you've been working in, through and around me all these years and I thank you for this.  Father, continue to teach me knew things and continue to bring Your people back to You so that we have wonderful fellowship with each other.  Please refresh the spiritual dessert with the water of Your Spirit and please open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind and heal the hurts of those who are spiritually limbing right now.  Father, I so love You and thank You for bringing us back to a heart of worship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5qx2eg_6U0

Isaiah 35:3-4 We can't but God can...handle it

If you're weak, scared or worried; relax and let God take it from here.  All we have to do is obey the next little thing He tells us to do.

Isaiah 35:1-2 A grateful heart -- stay plugged in

It seems that if we have a little and get more we are so much more grateful than if we have a lot and get more.

I have a plant from a dessert and without water it dries up and looks completely dead but when I add water to it it turns green.

I also have an itouch that when it's no recharged quits working.

These illustrations and verses are reminding me to stay watered by God's word and stay plug into the source of power and "Everyone will see the wonderful splendor of the Lord our God."

Isaiah 34:16-17 "The Lord brought togther all His creatures"

Father, I have to confess, I don't understand the violence in Isaiah 34.  I'm so fortunate to have been brought up in peaceful countries.  Father, thank you once again for answering our prayer and keeping our country "glorious and free" all these years. Lord, please help me not to take you for granted.  Father, as the College and Careers gather this week to pray, will You show up in the power of Your Spirit.  Father, as I look at my future I see what you've said "You have decided where each one of us shall live".  Lord, I know You led me into this neighbourhood.  Thank you.  Father, thanks for the treat of the recipe book project.  Would you bless it abundantly so that other will recognize Your kindness to Your people.  I love You.

Isaiah 33:22-24 -- The Lord is judge; and He knows best

I've heard it said that the law system in Canada has little to do with the relationships between victims and offenders; it's 2 lawyers and a judge deciding on the fate of an offender.

Restorative Justice however, is about victims and offenders figuring out how to help resolve the hurt that has been caused.

A judge told me once that if you're an offender and the public support you it's better to go with a jury trial but if the public doesn't support you it's better to go with a judge.

So here we have it, various options to solve a problem but none of them are perfect.  A judge looks at the law, lawyers try to bring out the truths that will help their clients, people have emotions and issues... 

If only we could have someone who understands us and our situation fully....and we do; He is the Lord, and He's asking for our lives.  Our whole life, with the good, bad and ugly and He's saying, let me control it; let me handle your responses; let me handle your guilt; let me.... just trust me enough so that you will obey the next little thing I tell you to do.

"The Lord will forgive your sins, and none of you will say, 'I feel sick'" Isaiah 33:24

Isaiah 33:17-21 -- The Lord is our King

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with people who are in authority over you?  God doesn't want you to feel this.  He wants to be Lord so that He can give us the best of life.  He wants us to feel safe, He wants to provide for us, He wants to love us....

It's like being a kid with God as our Abba (Father).  He wants to teach us things, He wants to provide for us, He wants us to join Him in His work and if He sees that we're heading for trouble He'll watch carefully and  only let us get in as deep as we can get out.  He won't always let us eat ice cream, many times He'll insist on vegetables and meat...because it's good for us, but at times He'll even give us some ice cream.

The bonus of God being Lord is He knows the hearts of each person, and the future so He can guide, and protect us far better than we could ourselves.

Isaiah 33:14-16 -- Love means there is discipline

Revelations 3:19
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."

A grade 8 student said to me one day "my parents don't love me; they don't discipline me all they do is give me stuff"

Galatians 6:1-9
"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently...."

Isaiah 33:15
"there will be rewards for those who live right and tell the truth..."

Father, please help me to learn from the lessons You give to me so that I can better serve You.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD2PJ0xbAdY

Isaiah 33:11-13 -- See what THE LORD has done

I believe one of the biggest show stoppers for us seeing God working in amazing ways is He starts to work through us and then we start thinking we're pretty amazing, Christians, and then pretty amazing in our wisdom and then pretty amazing with or without God and then....

God has give us abilities and circumstances so that we may join Him in His work; not because He needs us because He chooses to let us help Him.  The truth is, compared to what He can do, our "deeds are straw that will be set on fire by our own breath". 

Father, "every blessing I receive, is only by Your grace"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFsCV06rUTY

Thank You for blessing me in Your service.

Isaiah 33:7-10 -- Now God will do something great

...are you at your lowest?  are you a brave soldier screaming for help?  did you hope for peace and come home crying? are you no longer travelling?  have the treaties been broken? are people no longer respecting those who keep their promises, are the fields baren?  have the trees lost their leaves?....

Does this now mean you're poor in Spirit?  Then rejoice for this is what Jesus says
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

But what does God mean by this?  "Now I will do something and be greatly praised!" (V10)  Do we really have to have a miserable life before we cry out to God and observe Him doing something great?"

Lord this is my prayer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMn8vdlcwJE

Isaiah 33:1-6 God is the foundation for His people

"You always save us and give us true wisdom and knowledge"
"Nothing means more to us than obeying You."
"You are the foundation on which we stand today"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CoiPZtIxrI

Isaiah 31:5-32:20 -- Who do you say is good?

Mark 10:18

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.

There is so much to know and experience in this world and we are so human with our imperfections it's good to remember that even Jesus highlighted that only God is good.

Lord has you highlight once again that only You are God I asked that you take my life and make it fit for your service.

Refiners Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y8zP34AhuU

Isaiah 31:1-5 -- Trust God; not the power of people

God says we're in trouble if we are trusting in the army because both the people and the horses are only flesh which means they can't live forever. 

In contrast God:

• isn't stupid
• He does what he promises
• He can bring doom on people
• He is all powerful
• He can roar and attack like a fearless lion
• He protects His people like a mother bird circling over her nest

Isaiah 30:27-33 -- God is not mocked

When God is merciful sometimes it's easy to forget that He is God.  I'm reminded again that He is not to be messed with or taken for granted.

Galatians 6:1-10 comes to mind as I read this passage in Isaiah:

• If someone is trapped in sin, the right thing to do, as a Christian, is to gently lead that person back to the right path.
• Watch out, as you help others, that you're not drawn to the same trap.
• Focus on obeying the law of Christ as you're helping others.
• Do your own work well and only compare yourself to yourself. 
• We must all carry are own load.
• Share the good things you have with those who teach you what God says.
• Remember you can't fool God; you reap what you sow so follow the Spirit, not your selfish desires.  This way you'll harvest eternal life.
• Don't get tired of helping others.  You will be reward when the right time comes if you don't give up.
• We should help people whenver we can, especially other Christians.

Isaiah 30:19-27 -- The Lord will show mercy

We will again see the Lord, our teacher and our guide.  He will show us His road and if we miss it by going off to the left or the right He'll let us know and put us back on track. 

Then, as we follow this road money will no longer be a focus.  The Lord is sending rain to water the seeds that we have planted and even though there will still be violence around us the streams will flow.  The Lord will bandage His people's injuries and heal the wounds and everything will be brighter.

Father, help me to obey the next little thing you tell me to do so that I will see the Spiritual fruit in and around me.  Father, help me to delight in the salvation of souls. 

Lord, You know we start a new Alpha course on Sunday and we have no idea where the guests are coming from but You do.  Lord, as Eric and I go out on Tuesday please lead us to the people You want us to talk to and then use our bodies to do Your work.

In addition Lord, would you answer Deb's prayer for revival.  Father, would You show up in an incredible way this week at the officer's retreat.  Father, where there is hurt please bring healing.  Father, where there is bitterness, please do heart surgery.  Father, where there are needs please bring wisdom.

Father, in this passage you have promised to bless Your people and their animals and crops.  Father, whether this is physically or spiritually I claim this blessing for me and the rest of Your people.  Right now I think of the may who have made commitments to You through the Alpha courses I've been involved with.  Lord, please encourage them.  Please help them to find their spot in the Kingdom of God and please grow the fruit of Your Spirit in their lives.

Isaiah 30:16-18 -- God is waiting

The truth is there will always be someone smarter, wiser, faster, richer ... than us.  

But the goal is not for us to be the best, the goal is for us to
"Authentically love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and mind; and authentically love our neighbour as much as we authentically love ourselves" (Sherrill's paraphrase of Luke 10:27)

God knows us, and He knows us well and "He's waiting to show us how kind He is and to show pity on us".  He wants us to know that He always does right and blesses those who trust Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19KxKjhGhAo

Isaiah 30:15 -- Trust the Lord

We can strife, we can work, we can try to control we can....

but ultimately it comes down to this; we need to trust in the Lord.

This is was God stays:

"I will keep you safe if you turn back to me and calm down.  I will make you strong if you quietly trust me"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENtL_li4GbE

Isaiah 30:8-14 -- Are we listening?

Would you prefer to hear the truth and not like it or would you prefer to hear a lie?  It's reminding me of the guy whose boss told him to say he wasn't there when he answered the phone. At that the guy picked up the phone and said tell them yourself.  Afterwards is boss was really ticked and say don't you ever do that to me again to which the guy said "if I can lie for you I can lie to you".

When we know people have the fear of God in them we know that God will deal with them when they fall so it can add to our ability to trust them.  On the other hand, if His people aren't listening, or are refusing his teaching and only want to hear what makes them feel good we have little assurance that we can trust them.

Then we look at the situation when God is no longer listened too.   What do we have to protect us then?  Violence and more lies?  This is a slippery slope and soon we have nothing left.

I think the most obvious example of this is how we've eliminated bibles in schools and now we have shootings instead.

Father, I think of the comment I heard the other day...this is the Sherrill paraphrase  "it's second nature for people who haven't been brought up with a Christian foundation to lie and cheat.  It's as hard for them to change as it is for us to use our fork in the other hand"

Lord, forgive us for forgetting that You have given us a foundation to live by and Father, as other's reject You around us give us the courage to still hear the the truth and the wisdom to handle those who have surrendered to lies.  In addition Lord, we know You are Holy and we are so 'not there'; will you help us along, just one step at a time with the power and influence of your Spirit?  Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDOXfj9W0w