Isaiah 55:1-5
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and
you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money
and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what
does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will
delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may
live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised
to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander
of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do
not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One
of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”
Happy New Year, my beloved!
I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and New Year! I had a
wonderful Christmas. I am very excited about the new year. The Lord gave me a
much encouraging scripture for this new year. Last year, 2012, was a rough year
for us. We faced many challenges, and I wonder if we even passed the tests the
Lord set before us. My husband got Psalm 23 for our scripture for 2012. And
while that Psalm often seems to be a comforting Psalm (which it is), it also
was a description of our year. I really felt like we spent the majority of 2012
in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. We clung as much as we could to the Lord,
for what else can you do in the dark valley. However, I feel we are on the
brink of a New Horizon for this new year, a new season. I'm not sure what 2013
holds, but I am excited to see what the Lord has in stored for us. Especially,
after reading this scripture. I feel that this chapter is broken into 3 points
for us. This week, I want to focus on the first part, which is verses 1-5
(above).
This first point is God is our Source. It is one thing to
say you completely and totally rely fully on God, and it's another to actually
do it. I must admit it is so hard to do. Especially, when being raised in a
society, in which you really do not lack anything. If you're hungry, you go to
the grocery store to pick up food, or you can go to a restaurant (we have many
to choose from), then there is even delivery. Food is so plentiful to us, that
it is hard to imagine what it is like to not have any. My son will go a few
hours with out food, and think he's starving. Think about the children in
Africa that have gone days without food - some even longer. But it goes so much
deeper than that - how do you turn to God for every need, every decision, every
facet of your life, when we are so used to living in a soceity where there's
the internet, books, knowledge - we have information at our fingertips, and it
is so easy to fall into the trap of self fullfillment. So, how do we turn to
God for our source, when we have everything we need right in front of us? It's
when those trials hit, you recognize if you truly allow God to be your source -
your life can only come from Him. So, how is he our source? Jesus tells us in
the book of John, that He gives us Living Water (John 4:13). In John 6, Jesus
tells us He is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). God promises us, if we partake of
Him, we will never grow hungry or thirsty again. Is he talking about a
spiritual hunger and thirst? I can tell you, when I take out the physical distractions,
and turn inwardly seeking God - I can hear God the loudest. That is what is so
wonderful about fasting. Silencing the internal chaos and external distractions
to focus on the source of our strength, our salvation. It is at that point,
that you can go deeper with God. Isn't that what you want? Are we willing to
give up to receive? God wants to bless us immensely, but we have to allow Him
to be our source. As we live in a time of injustice, where good is called evil,
and evil is called good, it is even more important to rely on God to be our
source for justice, strength, and salvation!
Isaiah 28:5-6
In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a
beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. He will be a spirit of justice
to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back
the battle at the gate.
Hebrews 5:7-10
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up
prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save
him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though
he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he
became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated
by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Let us learn to silence out our distractions, that we may
truly and fully rely on God to be our source - our comforter, our savior. Who
knows what tomorrow may bring, who knows what the future holds, who knows what
is destined for us in 2013, but let us cling to God as our ultimate source for
living. It's the secret of being content in all things.
Philippians 4:12-13
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to
have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I
can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Worship with me:
I love you all!
Christina
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