Memory verses, wk 3

Here is this week's memory verse list:

Is. 40: 27-31
Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God?"
Do you not know? have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

God will not get tired and stop caring for you. He is eternal, and will always understand your needs. He will build you up. I love the end of this passage - and I know a song for it. It deserves songs, for it's a wonderful thing. If you wait upon the Lord He will renew your strength.

Teach me, Lord, to wait.


Is 46: 9-10
Remember the former things long past. For I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is no one like Me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying "My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure."


Is 55: 11
So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

God's word will always accomplish what He intends. That is a vast, hard to grasp idea for me. So absolute.

Memory verses, wk 2

I neglected to post the memory verses from week 2, so I'll post them now.

Isaiah 26: 3-4
The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in thee. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord we have an everlasting Rock.

Trust - it is hard sometimes. I've heard people say - if you can't trust the one who made you, who can you trust? But here's my roadblock . . . I'm not overly impressed with the functioning of my body, ya know? It doesn't hold together well, it has a lot of flaws (heart, gall bladder, hearing, legs diff lengths, etc), and frankly, I have some issues.

So faith takes more than some kind of blind trust in some kind of sugar daddy in the sky. I have to keep my mind steadfast. I have to CHOOSE to trust Him because He has kept his promises . .. on the larger scale. I have to remember that when I am living for Him, things work out better overall than when I'm living for comfort, or ease, or work, or myself.

I have an everlasting (eternal) Rock.

Promises

Studying Isaiah, I am overwhelmed by some of the promises that God made to Isreal and Judah, and consequently to us today. This book has a lot of horrible consequences for the unbelievers, but of course, wanting to stay positive, I'm looking harder at the promises. Here are a few I've found today in my reading:

45:22
Turn to me and be saves, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

46: 4
Even to your old age, i shall be the same, and even to your graying years I shall bear you. I have done it, and I shall carry you and I shall bear you and I shall deliver you.


I love the clear and direct language in some of these verses . . .
46:12-13
Listen to me, you stubborn-minded, (who, me?) who are far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness, it is not far off; and my salvation will not delay,
and I will grant salvation in Zion,
and my glory for Israel.

49:13
Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, and will have compassion on His afflicted.

But this one really struck me this morning, for I often hold my tongue when I fear that I will face ridicule or judgement because I am a Christian:
50:4-7
The Lord God has given me the tonue of disciples, that I man know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning yb morning. He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not disobedient. Nor did I turn back. I gave my back to those who strike me, and my cheeks to those who pluck out the beard. I did not cover my face from humiliation and spitting. for the Lord God helps me. Therefore, I am not disgraces' therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

I don't think there is anyone who knows me who would say that I am timid or shy, yet when faced with sharing my faith in God, I hesitate. I keep my mouth closed when I know that I have words of life. What have I to fear? Nothing! I should not be ashamed to share God's word! So what holds me back? I think I might offend someone, I fear that someone will think that I'm vaccuous or vapid for believing, and I worry that people won't like me. Did you get that? I'm worried about receiving judgement from people, who have no power to judge (and, indeed, who would lambast me at the first sign of myself being judgmental, right?)

I am praying today for boldness to show the strong, real love of God to those around me by respecting them (and myself, and God) enough to these life-affirming words of love, hope and salvation.

I will remember this verse;
53:12
But you will not go out in haste, nor will you go as fugitives; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Memory verses, wk 1

Is 2:22
Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

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

I have read through a lot of history in 2Kings and 2 Chronicles, and some of it was very dry. These two verses, though, are good ones to remember. Put God first, and stand firm in your faith.

Valuable. Now I just have to actually remember them w/o looking!

First Impressions of Isaiah Class

I am still a little keyed up after a GREAT class tonight. I know I have to get up really early tomorrow morning, but I have a little energy to burn off and I wanted to just write a little.

Isaiah was a prophet during a time of great upheaval and trauma for Israel and Judah. He wrote about the covenants that God had made with Abraham, David and Moses. With all three covenants, this was a time in history when it seemed really impossible that any of them would actually be fulfilled by God, let alone that God would work things so that all three would come to pass. I'll write more about all of this later, but it was really amazing that Isaiah was writing about them all. Isaiah also wrote about idolatry and how that has broken our side of the bargains with God.

Our teacher ended the class talking about how idolatry doesn't just mean worshiping some golden idol. It can also mean anything that takes our focus off of God and turns our desires into demands. For instance, it is a natural, God-given desire to want pleasure. If you start demanding pleasure, though, and manipulating things so that you can get more and more, then it becomes an idol in your life.

I'll write more about this soon, when I have my notes out, so that I can get it all clear in my head . . . but he also asked some thought-provoking questions for ferreting out the deep-seated idols in your life:

• What causes you to be angry when it is blocked?
• What do you get anxious about?
• What devastates you, or would devastate you if you lost it? (What, if you lost it, would make you wish you were dead?)

So tonight, I'm thinking about that, and I'm praying that God is gentle with me during this learning process, because this has the potential to be really . . . well . . . challenging to face.