Tag Archives: Isaiah

Sink into God

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As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.
—  Isaiah 66:13

Some people and churches shy away from talking about God as a mother or a father—even though both are perfectly Biblical, if that matters to you—because so many people don’t have very good relationships with their parents.  Some people were so happy to escape the clutches of an abusive mother or abrasive father that they can’t face the God so many people think of as a father.  Others simply can’t relate to these parental images because they never had a parent.

For some reason, I’ve never really thought of God as a father. I’ve actually never thought of God as a mother either.  Amazingly, I was taught from an early age that the Bible refers to God in a variety of ways—and that God is much larger and grander than any one term onto which some people have latched in reference to the One who created this universe.

But I like this scripture from Isaiah.  To me, it simply says that God comforts us.

If your mother isn’t or wasn’t a comforting influence on your life, this scripture offers you the joy of knowing that like a mother should comfort you, God does.

If you were fortunate enough to have a mother to comfort you in times when little else could, this verse, I believe, asks you to recall that unrestricted love and remember that God offers it, too.  Or if your mother is no longer around, God offers it instead.

It is also important to me what this simple scripture doesn’t say.  It doesn’t say that God will keep us from hurting. When we are hurt, though, God comforts us.

Do you need comfort today? Maybe your mother caused the pain in your life that now needs comforting.  Whatever is hurting you today, God is offering you comfort.

All you have to do is spend some time doing whatever it is you do to bring yourself more into the presence of God—perhaps praying. Or if your pain is keeping you from feeling God today, remember that God is trying to break through.  If you try, too, maybe God can meet you halfway.

Just like a mother should, God is trying to comfort you.  Sink today into the calm, soothing, reconciling arms of the God who has been waiting for you.

The Covenant of Peace

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“He will show them His covenant” (Psalm 25:14).

God’s blessings flow from His covenant promises. A covenant is a life long promise that never changes. One of the covenants that the Lord revealed to me many years ago was His covenant of peace.

The covenant of peace is found in Isaiah 54:10, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that has mercy on thee.”

From the day that God revealed this covenant promise to me, He has been faithful and has always kept His promise. His covenant of peace is like a blanket that He wraps around me. Even if an earthquake shakes my world, I can stand, wrapped up in His peace knowing it will soon pass.

During your own time with the Lord ask Him to reveal His covenant promises to you. A covenant promise is like a solid rock, once you receive it, you will always be able to stand on it.

You Shall Walk

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“You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land which you shall possess.” Deut. 5:33

Walk in HimThe Lord has a path on which we are to walk. We are to walk in His ways regardless of our circumstances.  God promised us in Deut. 5:33 that if we walk in His ways, we will live a long life and things to work together for our good.  Even when our circumstances do not appear to be going as planned, if we walk in the ways of the Lord and trust what He has promised in His word, life will go well. This does not mean there will not be any problems.

As we walk down the path of life, there will be bumps in the road.  Things will happen that we did not plan on, but nothing should change the way we walk. We must still walk in His ways and not veer to the right or to the left.

When our son was in a coma, I could feel the pull moment by moment to give in to fear and to give up and accept the report of the doctors. The doctors said my son would be in a vegetative state if he came out of the coma. But I resisted the pull and I didn’t give in. I trusted in the Lord. God said He would show us the path of life for our son. He said our son would live and not die. As I read God’s Word, He encouraged me to not give up.

“The eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy…” Isaiah 35:5-6

So, I walked in the ways of the Lord, believing His Word. The path of life for our son had been prepared ahead of time and now we had to embrace it by faith. Faith is the assurance of things we hope for even though we may not see them yet. We saw him lying in a hospital bed unable to move, talk or communicate in any way. But we did not give in to what we saw. We had to believe what we did not see. We believed that he would walk and talk again……and praise God he is walking, talking and serving the Lord today.

Whatever you are going through do not give up, give in, or stop walking and trusting in the ways of the Lord. His ways are a high-way above the circumstances. The high-way is the way of faith, believing what God says and not giving in to fear. Don’t let your circumstances dictate your thoughts and convince you that God is not faithful. He is faithful. He will work all things together for good for those who trust in Him. Trust Him and ask Him to show you the path of life.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

Stressed and Distressed? Try Resting in His Arms

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“And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting looking and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him, [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless unbroken companionship]!” Isaiah 30:18 AMP

Have you ever sat for hours, listening to someone talk and thought to yourself, “I sure wish they would just get to the point?” I have! I have heard many teachers try to explain God’s love by using so many words and by the time they were finished, I had lost their point in the explanation. Over the years I have prayed, “Lord, just make it simple, so I can understand. I want to get it.”

As I read Isaiah 30:18, everything that describes God’s love to me was wrapped up in this verse. I felt completely safe, secure, and loved as I read it. Nothing could confuse or take the truth of His love from me. It was if I was taken up in His arms, and at that moment, I was held so securely I would never doubt again. He loves me so much and He has been waiting on me to fully receive His love.

He loves you too! He is looking, watching, and longing to be gracious to you. He has poured His loving kindness and tender mercies out and is watching and waiting for you to receive them. Like the father of the prodigal son, he was waiting, watching, and longing to see his son come back home. When the prodigal son finally came back home, his father wrapped his arms around him and covered him with the finest robe. Everything the father owned had been his.

That is how I see God; His arms opened wide with a robe just my size in His hands, waiting to wrap it around me. I am His daughter, and He has been patiently waiting on me. He says, “Daughter, I have been waiting on you to come and receive all I have prepared for you. All my blessings are contained inside of my love for you to receive.”

God’s desire has always been to show you how much He loves you. Simply receive it, and you too can rest in His arms all day.