Just finished VBS. Memorable quotes:
"You may now marry your lovely wedded husband."
"God made man upside right"
"God gave his only forgotten son."
Referring to a verse saying "Therefore God exalted him..." a child said, "For there God exasperated him."
And the best one...
Did you know that Jesus died for our starvation?
So, to sum up a first-grade theology God made man upside right, but we sinned, so he gave his only forgotten son. For there, God exasperated him, so that he would die for our starvation.
Yep. I had an awesome week. =D ♥
Showing posts with label witnessing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label witnessing. Show all posts
Friday, July 19, 2013
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Some things I want to do in my lifetime...
...possibly in this order.
-Become proficient at singing and piano and perhaps one or two other instruments
- Go to a God-honoring college and major in English and/or History, with possible minors in Music, Education, Physics, and/or Government.
-Become fluent in Latin and possibly Greek
-Consider going to Law School (but most likely, don't actually attend unless I love the prospect)
-Run long-distance
-Work in the political world
-Attend the University of Oxford for at least one term for the experience, or possibly longer for a MA in History
-Somewhere in between the above steps, or shortly thereafter, get married to a Godly, intelligent man, and love him well
-Be a missionary for 6 months or a year
-Have kids any time after getting married, love them as dearly as old Mrs. Sowerby in The Secret Garden, and teach them to fear God and to love his precepts and creation
-Teach a handful of other eager students these same things
-Create a peaceful home where love is abounding and learning is encouraged
-Have a large garden (after all, I'll have plenty of little hands around to help! :D)
-Run a home business of tutoring or something like that to help aid with the family income
-Begin to grasp the things I love
-Paint in Italy
-Spend some time writing in Switzerland
-Possibly publish a scientific paper
-Throughout all of this, finish an epic poem or fantasy novel worth reading regardless of era
Underlying thing to do: Serve my God and be willing to add things to this list, and take them off just as easily, according to his will, and my submissiveness first to my parents, and then my husband. ;)
Meridian
-Become proficient at singing and piano and perhaps one or two other instruments
- Go to a God-honoring college and major in English and/or History, with possible minors in Music, Education, Physics, and/or Government.
-Become fluent in Latin and possibly Greek
-Consider going to Law School (but most likely, don't actually attend unless I love the prospect)
-Run long-distance
-Work in the political world
-Attend the University of Oxford for at least one term for the experience, or possibly longer for a MA in History
-Somewhere in between the above steps, or shortly thereafter, get married to a Godly, intelligent man, and love him well
-Be a missionary for 6 months or a year
-Have kids any time after getting married, love them as dearly as old Mrs. Sowerby in The Secret Garden, and teach them to fear God and to love his precepts and creation
-Teach a handful of other eager students these same things
-Create a peaceful home where love is abounding and learning is encouraged
-Have a large garden (after all, I'll have plenty of little hands around to help! :D)
-Run a home business of tutoring or something like that to help aid with the family income
-Begin to grasp the things I love
-Paint in Italy
-Spend some time writing in Switzerland
-Possibly publish a scientific paper
-Throughout all of this, finish an epic poem or fantasy novel worth reading regardless of era
Underlying thing to do: Serve my God and be willing to add things to this list, and take them off just as easily, according to his will, and my submissiveness first to my parents, and then my husband. ;)
Meridian
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Children, Artwork, and the Providence of God
Today was such a beautiful day. Such an extraordinary, glorious, wonderful day. I had a piano recital, ran errands, and rode my bike. When it was getting late in the afternoon, I suddenly had an urge to paint watercolor. Eagerly, I ran up to my bedroom, dragging my heavy, over-sized box -- filled with my portfolio, paints, paper, pencils, brushes, and palettes-- down to my front yard, where the sun was gradually getting lower in the sky. I tore out a piece of my watercolor paper, and prepared the page for my paints. In a hurry to work while there was light, I splashed blue paint on both sides of the sheet, adding a nice swipe along the top. Then I carefully mixed my greens and my blues in my palette to create a nice color for the evergreens I was painting. Layering this on top of the blue on the sides, I formed the base for my trees. Applying layer after layer, my little landscape was starting to come together. Just then I heard the sweet voice of a young girl, and the heavy, uncoordinated footsteps of a seven-year-old boy. Glancing up, I saw our two next-door neighbor kids come romping on over to see what I was doing.
I love those kids. They make me laugh...every time. At seven and five years old, they are the sweetest little creatures ever. A bit crazy, yes, but still human beings created in the image of God. Nicholas is the quiet one. Samara, his little sister, says everything for him. But regardless of their personalities, they are just fantastic. Their family moved in about two months ago, after our neighbors of nine years left. Theirs is not a Christian home, from what I can tell. Yet God still writes his fingerprints on them.
Anyway, back to my story. Nicholas and Samara came over to check on what I was doing. When they saw that I was painting, they immediately wanted to do so as well. Laughing, I told them they could, and sent Matthew (my brother) inside to get some supplies for them. Making sure they didn't mix the paints, I showed them how to use water to create new colors and add variety to their paintings. I had been out on the grass that is currently dry, and, considering that I am ten years older than they are, my mess was far less significant than theirs. At the end, I packed up my paints and was done due to the darkness and cold, but the two neighbor kids just hopped up and left, taking their little masterpieces with them. At times, that would frustrate me, but not tonight. All I could do was smile, and pick out the dead grass from their messy palettes. These two children, who really are quite untidy, hyper, and chaotic, have been a huge blessing to me. Sometimes, they come knocking on my door at the most inconvenient times. You know, those sort of days where you are practicing piano while reading your homework assignment, and as soon as you are done you jump up and rush out the door? That's what I'm talking about here. At other times it means when I am having friends over to watch a movie. Very inconvenient. Or other days where I'm just in a bad mood. But when I actually do take the time to play with these children, and enjoy them, they are great, and are such a huge blessing to me.
For a long time, I've really wanted to be a teacher. One of my goals is to take a few children, and give them an education in exactly the way I've been thinking about since kindergarten. :) Then I want to try to get all this information into their heads, get them to read a million great books, and still have them love it. Ultimately, I want them to learn to see life as a gift from God's hand, and to want to embrace the true life that comes only from him. But for the past couple of years I've really been dying to gather up three or four "guinea pigs" to try my methodology on. I know I'm too young, though. About three or four months ago, I was praying about this, because I really do want to start working on this a little more closely, but I need kids I can do it with. And not my siblings. They are already smart, and are a bit too old to start working with right now. Plus, they're my siblings. :) Interestingly, a few weeks later, the new neighbors moved in. They had these two kids, and almost immediately, the kids came over to introduce themselves. The second time I met them, I was playing piano, and they came in with Mandy (my sister) to get water. Samara was a little taken with whatever it was I was playing right at the moment, and hopped down next to me on the piano bench. "Wow...I want to do that!" she said. I wasn't sure what to say, but I asked her if she wanted to learn. Sure enough, she did. So I sat down and taught her to play a C-scale, and identify a whole note. She was thrilled, and began "composing" her own music.
The music didn't really sound all that great, but it was cute. And I was struck by her desire to learn new things. The next time I saw Samara, I was standing in my garage. She marched in with her brother, and asked me to play. I said yes, and asked her what she wanted to play. She didn't know, so I showed her the pogo stick. "Do you know how to use this?" I asked her. She shook her head no, but said (again) that she wanted to learn. Cautiously holding her on, and ensuring she was wearing a helmet, I directed her in jumping up and down. She giggled, and it was rather amusing. The next time, I told her a story. That's just how it goes. And Nicholas is starting to catch on. God has provided me with two children, who just need a little love and attention, right next door! It's interesting, because I never would have thought to teach a little girl the random things I've taught her. Yet, it is exactly what I need to do. And I am still getting to practice my teaching ability, and try out my teaching methods. Maybe someday I'll really get to teach her what I want to. For now, though, I'll teach her what I can, and pour my heart into it, because that's what matters.
God, in his Providence, has placed this little girl right here at exactly the right time. I am thrilled to get to play even a small role in God's work. So, tonight, as I was painting, and laughing at the funny mistakes the two neighbor kids made on their artwork, I just had to stop and reflect. God is amazing. I also found out something really obvious, but random: if you spray your painting with water, and leave it out in the cold, it actually freezes right on your painting. Rather appropriate, considering that I was trying (and miserably failing) at painting a frozen lake. If those kids hadn't come over, I would have gone in sooner, and my painting never would have frozen. But, when Matthew was helping me clean up after them, he noticed the ice. I was amazed, and decided to stick my painting in the freezer to preserve the cool effect. Yet another of God's small providences. :)
Meridian
I love those kids. They make me laugh...every time. At seven and five years old, they are the sweetest little creatures ever. A bit crazy, yes, but still human beings created in the image of God. Nicholas is the quiet one. Samara, his little sister, says everything for him. But regardless of their personalities, they are just fantastic. Their family moved in about two months ago, after our neighbors of nine years left. Theirs is not a Christian home, from what I can tell. Yet God still writes his fingerprints on them.
Anyway, back to my story. Nicholas and Samara came over to check on what I was doing. When they saw that I was painting, they immediately wanted to do so as well. Laughing, I told them they could, and sent Matthew (my brother) inside to get some supplies for them. Making sure they didn't mix the paints, I showed them how to use water to create new colors and add variety to their paintings. I had been out on the grass that is currently dry, and, considering that I am ten years older than they are, my mess was far less significant than theirs. At the end, I packed up my paints and was done due to the darkness and cold, but the two neighbor kids just hopped up and left, taking their little masterpieces with them. At times, that would frustrate me, but not tonight. All I could do was smile, and pick out the dead grass from their messy palettes. These two children, who really are quite untidy, hyper, and chaotic, have been a huge blessing to me. Sometimes, they come knocking on my door at the most inconvenient times. You know, those sort of days where you are practicing piano while reading your homework assignment, and as soon as you are done you jump up and rush out the door? That's what I'm talking about here. At other times it means when I am having friends over to watch a movie. Very inconvenient. Or other days where I'm just in a bad mood. But when I actually do take the time to play with these children, and enjoy them, they are great, and are such a huge blessing to me.
For a long time, I've really wanted to be a teacher. One of my goals is to take a few children, and give them an education in exactly the way I've been thinking about since kindergarten. :) Then I want to try to get all this information into their heads, get them to read a million great books, and still have them love it. Ultimately, I want them to learn to see life as a gift from God's hand, and to want to embrace the true life that comes only from him. But for the past couple of years I've really been dying to gather up three or four "guinea pigs" to try my methodology on. I know I'm too young, though. About three or four months ago, I was praying about this, because I really do want to start working on this a little more closely, but I need kids I can do it with. And not my siblings. They are already smart, and are a bit too old to start working with right now. Plus, they're my siblings. :) Interestingly, a few weeks later, the new neighbors moved in. They had these two kids, and almost immediately, the kids came over to introduce themselves. The second time I met them, I was playing piano, and they came in with Mandy (my sister) to get water. Samara was a little taken with whatever it was I was playing right at the moment, and hopped down next to me on the piano bench. "Wow...I want to do that!" she said. I wasn't sure what to say, but I asked her if she wanted to learn. Sure enough, she did. So I sat down and taught her to play a C-scale, and identify a whole note. She was thrilled, and began "composing" her own music.
The music didn't really sound all that great, but it was cute. And I was struck by her desire to learn new things. The next time I saw Samara, I was standing in my garage. She marched in with her brother, and asked me to play. I said yes, and asked her what she wanted to play. She didn't know, so I showed her the pogo stick. "Do you know how to use this?" I asked her. She shook her head no, but said (again) that she wanted to learn. Cautiously holding her on, and ensuring she was wearing a helmet, I directed her in jumping up and down. She giggled, and it was rather amusing. The next time, I told her a story. That's just how it goes. And Nicholas is starting to catch on. God has provided me with two children, who just need a little love and attention, right next door! It's interesting, because I never would have thought to teach a little girl the random things I've taught her. Yet, it is exactly what I need to do. And I am still getting to practice my teaching ability, and try out my teaching methods. Maybe someday I'll really get to teach her what I want to. For now, though, I'll teach her what I can, and pour my heart into it, because that's what matters.
God, in his Providence, has placed this little girl right here at exactly the right time. I am thrilled to get to play even a small role in God's work. So, tonight, as I was painting, and laughing at the funny mistakes the two neighbor kids made on their artwork, I just had to stop and reflect. God is amazing. I also found out something really obvious, but random: if you spray your painting with water, and leave it out in the cold, it actually freezes right on your painting. Rather appropriate, considering that I was trying (and miserably failing) at painting a frozen lake. If those kids hadn't come over, I would have gone in sooner, and my painting never would have frozen. But, when Matthew was helping me clean up after them, he noticed the ice. I was amazed, and decided to stick my painting in the freezer to preserve the cool effect. Yet another of God's small providences. :)
Meridian
Thursday, December 1, 2011
How the Classics Have Formed My Worldview: On Serving God
It's been a few days since I promised to post. :) School has been heavy, but I do actually have a Socrates quote that I was able to use in today's post. Enjoy. =D
Classical quotation:
"When mind runs mad, dishonors God,
And worships self and senseless pride,
The Law eternal wields the rod."
-Euripides
Scriptural evidence: But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed...You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. -Romans 2:5, 2:23
My interpretation: This one is pretty self explanatory. Essentially, these two selections from Ancient literature and the Bible say exactly the same thing. We could even rearrange the Euripides quotation so that it would be in the same order as the Biblical passage. It would read like this (some transliteration done here for the purpose of making sense):
When mind worships self, the Law eternal wields the rod.
The mind runs mad and dishonors God.
Or something like that. Not very poetic, but you get the idea. :)
Classical quotation:
"He serves you best who is not so anxious to hear from you what he wills as to will what he hears from you." -St. Augustine
Scriptural evidence: ...Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. -Luke 22:42 AND "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." -1 John 5:14
My interpretation: Even Jesus prayed this way! We must present our petitions before God, but we must also be willing to hear whatever God will have us hear, and to make that our will, rather than trying to force our petty agendas on a God who rules the universe.
Classical quotation:
"And His will is our peace;
it is that sea to which wholly moves
what He and Nature create."
-Dante
Scriptural evidence: 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
-Ephesians 1:7-10
My interpretation: Dante had it almost exactly right here. The only thing I would change, based on this passage from Ephesians, and other Scriptural passages, is that God actually creates nature, and nature obeys him...in one sense, you could interpret that to be Dante's meaning, which is what I will do for my purposes here. Isn't it remarkable the sense of security that the reader hears in Paul's voice when you read this passage? Indeed, God's will should be our peace, because his will is over everything.
Classical quotation:
"God must surely always be represented as he really is, whether the poet is writing epic, lyric, or tragedy."
-Socrates (or Plato, whichever you will accredit it to from Republic)
Scriptural evidence:
24 "If I have made gold my trust
or called fine gold my confidence,
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or because my hand had found much,
26 if I have looked at the sun[e] when it shone,
or the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God above.
-Job 31:25-28
My interpretation: It's interesting how we can, in the words of Job, be "false" to God in so many different ways, often through our actions, and other times our words, as Socrates points out. We are better, though, to intentionally give him the credit due his name than to fall into the pit of not honoring God and ending up having to learn the hard way that he really does control everything. God is amazing, and I think it's about time he started getting some credit, at least from me.
Thanking God for the breath I have now through him, the snow that's falling down by his command, the strength he gives me to move forward each day, and the gift of his Son Jesus Christ at the cross.
Meridian
Classical quotation:
"When mind runs mad, dishonors God,
And worships self and senseless pride,
The Law eternal wields the rod."
-Euripides
Scriptural evidence: But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed...You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. -Romans 2:5, 2:23
My interpretation: This one is pretty self explanatory. Essentially, these two selections from Ancient literature and the Bible say exactly the same thing. We could even rearrange the Euripides quotation so that it would be in the same order as the Biblical passage. It would read like this (some transliteration done here for the purpose of making sense):
When mind worships self, the Law eternal wields the rod.
The mind runs mad and dishonors God.
Or something like that. Not very poetic, but you get the idea. :)
Classical quotation:
"He serves you best who is not so anxious to hear from you what he wills as to will what he hears from you." -St. Augustine
Scriptural evidence: ...Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. -Luke 22:42 AND "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." -1 John 5:14
My interpretation: Even Jesus prayed this way! We must present our petitions before God, but we must also be willing to hear whatever God will have us hear, and to make that our will, rather than trying to force our petty agendas on a God who rules the universe.
Classical quotation:
"And His will is our peace;
it is that sea to which wholly moves
what He and Nature create."
-Dante
Scriptural evidence: 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
-Ephesians 1:7-10
My interpretation: Dante had it almost exactly right here. The only thing I would change, based on this passage from Ephesians, and other Scriptural passages, is that God actually creates nature, and nature obeys him...in one sense, you could interpret that to be Dante's meaning, which is what I will do for my purposes here. Isn't it remarkable the sense of security that the reader hears in Paul's voice when you read this passage? Indeed, God's will should be our peace, because his will is over everything.
Classical quotation:
"God must surely always be represented as he really is, whether the poet is writing epic, lyric, or tragedy."
-Socrates (or Plato, whichever you will accredit it to from Republic)
Scriptural evidence:
24 "If I have made gold my trust
or called fine gold my confidence,
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or because my hand had found much,
26 if I have looked at the sun[e] when it shone,
or the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God above.
-Job 31:25-28
My interpretation: It's interesting how we can, in the words of Job, be "false" to God in so many different ways, often through our actions, and other times our words, as Socrates points out. We are better, though, to intentionally give him the credit due his name than to fall into the pit of not honoring God and ending up having to learn the hard way that he really does control everything. God is amazing, and I think it's about time he started getting some credit, at least from me.
Thanking God for the breath I have now through him, the snow that's falling down by his command, the strength he gives me to move forward each day, and the gift of his Son Jesus Christ at the cross.
Meridian
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Give Me Your Eyes
Look down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touch down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what’s underneath
There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work, He's buying time
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
I’ve been here a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
I need a second glance
Give me a second chance
To see the way you’ve seen the people all along
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touch down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what’s underneath
There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work, He's buying time
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
I’ve been here a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
I need a second glance
Give me a second chance
To see the way you’ve seen the people all along
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Isaiah 55: Pt. 7- Come that you may know God
For me, this week has been a really incredible week of learning and soaking in the grace of God. Today I want to conclude my little mini-series by summing up everything I've been finding in this deeply rich passage.
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you. 6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 "For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
To conclude this series, let's look at this one more time, verse by verse, in just a sentence or two each verse.
Vs. 1: God is calling us to come to him!
Vs. 2: If we come, we must come bare before him, so that he can be sufficient for us.
Vs. 3: When we come, we can listen. If we listen and hear, then we will live.
Vs. 4: When we listen, we should become leaders and witnesses.
Vs. 5: When we witness, the nations will come.
Vs. 6: When the nations come, they will seek God, and we must show them how.
Vs. 7: If they seek God, they will leave their wicked ways and God will have compassion on them.
Vs. 8: In his compassion, God is so different from us.
Vs. 9: God's ways are not our ways: he is so much greater and higher!
Vs. 10: In his greatness, God speaks his word, and it stays and takes root.
Vs. 11: Not only does God's word take root, it also succeeds in whatever it does.
Vs. 12: As God's word succeeds, joy and peace will result among the nations-- even the mountains will worship him!
Vs. 13: This joy and peace will be everlasting, and God's reign will be forever.
Isn't this just remarkable? What a mighty God we serve!
Isaiah 55
The Compassion of the LORD
1 "Come, everyone who thirsts,come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you. 6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 "For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
To conclude this series, let's look at this one more time, verse by verse, in just a sentence or two each verse.
Vs. 1: God is calling us to come to him!
Vs. 2: If we come, we must come bare before him, so that he can be sufficient for us.
Vs. 3: When we come, we can listen. If we listen and hear, then we will live.
Vs. 4: When we listen, we should become leaders and witnesses.
Vs. 5: When we witness, the nations will come.
Vs. 6: When the nations come, they will seek God, and we must show them how.
Vs. 7: If they seek God, they will leave their wicked ways and God will have compassion on them.
Vs. 8: In his compassion, God is so different from us.
Vs. 9: God's ways are not our ways: he is so much greater and higher!
Vs. 10: In his greatness, God speaks his word, and it stays and takes root.
Vs. 11: Not only does God's word take root, it also succeeds in whatever it does.
Vs. 12: As God's word succeeds, joy and peace will result among the nations-- even the mountains will worship him!
Vs. 13: This joy and peace will be everlasting, and God's reign will be forever.
Isn't this just remarkable? What a mighty God we serve!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Isaiah 55: Pt. 2- Lead that the nations might follow
Yesterday was day two of my search through this passage. As I was reflecting on it, I realized that I honestly cannot share this rich chapter in just a few posts. Instead, I am going to talk about this the whole week long. It is very deep and glorious! Once again, I hope it will feed you as it does me.
Isaiah 55
The Compassion of the LORD
1 "Come, everyone who thirsts,come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 "For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
Again, aren't these words astoundingly beautiful? Every time I read them, they give me chills. God loves us so much! He wants us to pass this love on as well.
Vs. 4: A good witness is a person who sees an event and testifies accurately and convincingly to it. God has called us to be his witnesses throughout the earth. We are called to be leaders. The Bible does not ask its people to be followers in this world. Are we called to be followers of Christ, and to take our respective places in society and the familial order? Yes, of course! But we are still leaders in the life-changing movement called Christianity. We are to be commanders in this movement! Step up and lead!
Vs. 5: When we are being true, God-driven leaders, people will tend to follow. Because of this fact, there will be certain times when whole nations will follow the example of the disciples of Jesus Christ. It says so right here in Scripture! Nations that we don't even know are going to be following us, and eventually be following Christ. What a beautiful picture! This, the passage says, is all due to God's work.
So, what are these verses telling us? First, we must be good witnesses by being leaders, within the context of following Christ. Second, when we do this, people are going to follow. We serve an awesome God, and people want to know him. If you are willing to take the step of faith in being a witnessing leader for the sake of the cross, be prepared. It may not always be what you think it will be, but this journey is going to be an amazing one!
Next time: Isaiah 55 Pt. 3- Seek that God will be found
Following Him wholeheartedly,
Meridian
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