Joy and Happiness (Isaiah 65)

Isaiah 65:18 There shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and it’s people to be a delight. 

Chapter 65 reminds us that if we choose to go against God’s word, if we choose not to listen, and continue to do evil in his sight, he will remove us from his plan for heaven. But for those who do follow God’s word and live by his word, they will enjoy the wonderment of eternity with God. Where there is not death but life, there is never need or want because God will have all needs and wants taken care of before they even become known. There will always be rejoicing and happiness. 

Lord, I thank you for the gifts you have bestowed on me. I praise you for all you have put in my life. Thank you for opening my eyes so I might see the goodness you want to offer me. Thank you for creating this heaven for your children to spend eternity. 

He’s not Done With You Yet (Isaiah 64)

Isaiah 64:7 Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are the work of your hands. 

Like in Isaiah 45, we have another reference to God molding us. We are the work of his hands. We have no right to question the mold he has made us from. Or question the place in life he has put us. He is continually working and molding us. He did not make a mistake when he made us in our mother’s wombs. He is the perfect potter. You may not always feel like you fit in or belong, and technically none of us followers of God fit in on earth. 

Instead of trying to push ourselves into a different mold because we don’t like where we are or we don’t like the way our mold is shaped, we should trust in the Lord. He knows our perfect path. He knows what his plan is for us. Just like rushing a cake out of the oven, and it ends up flat, we can end up flat trying to rush into a new plan because we are are impatient or tired of what we see. 

Trust in God’s plan. Trust that he made you exactly how you are supposed to be. Trust that he has much bigger ideas for you that you could ever imagine. He’s not done with you yet. 

His Forgivness (Isaiah 63)

Isaiah 63:7 The favors of the Lord I will recall, the glorious deeds of the Lord.

God has done so many things for us all throughout our history. From the very beginning, he gave us life and a wonderful world to live in. And we turned against his word. Time and time again, the people turned against God. Forgot his promises. Even after their judgements and punishments after their exile and destruction, after they cried out and God redeemed them, they would forget again. 

In this chapter, verse 1–6, we are reminded of what happens when we turn from God. Verses 11-13 remind if so all the wondrous deeds God has done for his people, Israel. I think of all the wonderful deeds in my own lifetime that I have witnessed. I remember all the favors he has blessed me with, even after the times I turned away and wasn’t loyal. If I would have continued to choose the wrong path and walk away from him, where would I be today? Would he have continued to reach out for me if I continued to spit on his word? Time and time again, he let me come back because he is a wonderful and loving God.

I am truly blessed to know God, and I will praise his glorious deeds till my last day. He has guided me through the darkness, walked with me through the fires, and parted the waters for me. In his kind mercy, I have been forgiven because I truly repented. And his forgiveness is wonderful. 

Lord, I give you thanks and praise for receiving me time and time again. Thank you for not giving up on me. I know that is not your way Lord. I pray for those who feel lost in the world, looking for answers. I pray that you put someone in their life to help them find the path they need to take to get back to you. 

You are Precious (Isaiah 62)

Isaiah 62:3 You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem held by your God.

Isaiah 62:5 …And as a bridegroom rejoice in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you. 

Here, Isaiah was referring to the land, to the people as a whole. God had not forsaken them, and would restore them after all they had suffered. God rejoiced over his people when they came back to him. He wants to rain his praise and glory over them, sing and dance for them, as David once sang for God. 

Just as this reference was for the people, it is for you and me. God wants to rejoice over all his creation. He wants to pour out his love over you and me. He wants to sing for you and me. How would God’s song sound? Have you listened in the early morning to the birds? What about late evening to the frogs and crickets? They are singing for you. Think of those beautiful noises as little songs from God. They are his creation after all, and he put them there for us. 

Maybe it’s the sound of the busyness on the highway. Or the sound of paper being shuffled. Maybe it’s through a baby’s cry or a child’s laughter. God gave those gifts to you as well. Here them and thank him. He wants to pour his love over you. 

You are a precious beauty to God. He knows every hair on your head. You have not been forgotten. It may be dark, but God’s light is there. You just have to look for it. Let God’s calling in the night bring you back to him. Let him pour his love over you.

He wants to hold you, you are a precious jewel to God. He wants to show you off to the world, as his precious creation. Wherever you are in life, God is there waiting for you. In every aspect of your day, he is putting out little songs for you to here. Are you listening?

Lord, I thank you for all the songs you have given me in my life. I am sorry for not always listening. Thank you for loving me so much, that you continue to send them my way. Thank you for wanting me to be yours. Thank you for considering me precious. I will wear your crown. I will place it before your feet on my last day. 

Joy of my Soul ( Isaiah 61)

Isaiah 61:10 I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul

What a beautiful verse. The joy of my soul is in God. God is the joy of my soul. When a break is needed from the chains of life, what do people usually do? Go on vacation. During summer, I have seen lots of pictures of people in different locations enjoying scenic views in their vacations. Those scenic views bring lots of joy. God made those scenes, God brings that joy. Do we all make that connection? When you are feeling “close to nature” whether in the mountains hiking, or down by the seashore, God made that nature. God made that joy for us. 

When I find that joy, when I let God be the center of my soul, I am much better person. I am more approachable, more understanding, more patient.  I am a better mom, wife, and friend. I’m working on keeping that joy and not letting the world come steal it from me. It is a daily battle. 

Keep reading in chapter 61: “he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice.” When we take a moment to find peace, I know take a deep breathe and sometimes feel an envelopment around me. Like God is wrapping me, separating me from the world for a moment. And it brings me joy.

We need to make time, not try to find time, but make it for God. We cannot enjoy the peace he has for us unless we make time for it. We need to stop what has taken over our lives and make time for God first. Then, we may get to have the joy in our soul that he wants to give. Then we may feel him wrapping salvation around us, enveloping us, separating us from the world. God is the joy of my soul. What brings yours joy?

Rise up (Isaiah 60)

Isaiah 60:1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

The people of God have been living in darkness. But God has come! He is their eternal light. He is our eternal light. And we can be a light for others to see God. We can show them the way to heaven, where all glorious things are promised. No more war.  No more violence. No more tears. Only light, laugher, joy.

What are some ways I can be better at being a light? I know being a mother, my first place to be a light is for my children. I need to set an example for them to follow. And not just with my words, but with actions.   It only takes a little spark to get a whole fire burning, so even starting small with morning hugs. Trying to say “ok,” more instead of “in a minute.” Teaching them how to be more loving to each other. So they can use this kindness outside of the home.

Lord, I pray that I can be a light for my children. I pray I can be a light for others to see you. Guide me in where I am lacking. 

He is Always There (Isaiah 59)

Isaiah 59:1 Lo, the hand of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 

Before, it was easy when I was in a tough circumstance to wonder, “where is God? Why is he not helping?” Looking back, I can see that I had put myself in the circumstance by not following God’s word. And he was patiently waiting on the sidelines for me to figure out what I had done. 

This isn’t always the case, and sometimes in life we will walk into terrible circumstances that seem unpreventable. But as we see here in Isaiah, God is never too far from us. If we don’t notice him in the immediate issue, we know he can help us heal. God won’t prevent all problems in life, as our circumstances can be used to help others. It doesn’t always seem fair, and I have complained and grumbled myself about “life isn’t fair,” but our God knows what is best.

Instead of blaming God for something going wrong, first we should look at ourselves and see if we were in the wrong, then repent and God to help us out of the mess we are in. Next, look to see how the situation can be used to help others. God loves us so much and wants to be with us, but I have come to learn he is definitely not a “helicopter parent.”

Don’t Give for Attention (Isaiah 58)

Isaiah 58:10 If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted, then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the flood shall become for you like midday.

Isaiah was explaining to the people that though they were trying to show they were doing things for God, it was really for their own purposes. They fasted to look more spiritual than others. They weren’t fasting for God’s purpose. They wanted people to see them suffering. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 that if we fast, to wash and put on our day as if we weren’t. We aren’t fasting so others may see our struggle, we fast so we can grow closer to God. We aren’t fasting so we can say, “I’m hungry.” 

This is the same about good works. We don’t do good works for others recognitions. We do them for God’s purpose, to serve one another. We are called to serve others, to give them our bread. Whatever we have been blessed with is to be shared, not kept to ourselves. One we can learn to share with a open heart, without strings, without someone seeing, our own blessings will be multiplied by God.

Lord, thank you for what I am given. Help me to see where your love is needed most Lord. Help me to be more willing to reach out to those in need, whether stranger or even in my family. I love you Lord and want to serve you. Amen. 

Remove Your Beam (Isaiah 57)

Isaiah 57:4 of whom do you make sport, at whom do you open wide your mouth, and put out your tongue? Are you not rebellious children, a worthless race?

It is so easy to see flaws in other people while missing our own. Here, Isaiah is pointing out that the wicked of God’s people who mock the righteous ones belong to the people who walked away from God. So they have no right to point fingers at others. We hear from Jesus later in Matthew 7 not to judge others. “How can you say to your brother ‘let me remove the splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your own.” Before we throw comments out about other people’s misgivings, misfortune, mistakes, etc., we need to look at our own issues. 

God knows our faults. He will call them out if we can’t see them yet continue to try to hold ourselves above others. As Christians, we are not called to be boastful, but humble. Even though we have God’s grace and mercy, we are still human and still sinners. So we shouldn’t critique other’s choices. Instead, we are called to show love. God’s love. Teach God’s word in a loving way. Everyone deserves to hear God’s word. And then it is up to them if they want to follow it. It is their choice, just as it is ours. Showing God’s love to someone who has different beliefs is especially important. We can’t be hypocritical and withhold the good news just because we don’t think someone deserves to hear it. What if the person who planted the seed in you felt that way? Where would you be now?

Lord, thank you for giving me your word. I praise your name daily and am so blessed by your love. Show me how to bring your word to those who you need it.