Jesus Loves YOU

Isaiah 52:1-56:8

“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, 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. For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break 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. 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.” Isaiah 55:10-13

The Word of the Day today is so filled with amazing things to talk about I can hardly stand it. But the only thing I can talk about today is the rain. (So you’ll just have to read the Word of the Day on your own.)

There has been such an amazing absence of rain this year! When spring came I was so excited to hear the thunder roll and the pounding of the rain on our roof. And we’ve gone most of the summer with hardly a storm at all. Yet this morning I awoke to that glorious sound of the soft rain running down the shingles above and I smiled. I lay there with my head snuggled on my pillow soaking in that glorious sound of the rain falling mingling with the sound of my husband’s steady heavy breath mixed with a background note of the distant thunder. It was the Holy Spirit calling my name, awakening my ear to life, beaconing to join the song of creation.

The world always looks so different after the rain. Everything that has gathered dust is washed clean and is shiny.

The grass is ALWAYS greener after the rain. And it seems instantaneous. It’s nothing short of a miracle.

“O God, when You lead Your people into battle, when You march through the desert, (Selah) the earth shakes, yes, the heavens pour down rain before God, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. O God, You cause abundant showers to fall on Your chosen people. When they are tired, You sustain them, for You live among them.” (Psalm 68:7-10a)

Like diamonds shining through the darkness of night the rain glistens on the thirsty earth; the same earth from which we were created. His showers of goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. He anoints our heads with oil and our cups will overflow, even in the presence of our enemies.

The thunder may be rolling, the lighting may be flashing but the water is collecting in refreshing pools and soaking into a thirsty soul nourishing it along the way, making it fresh and clean and new; radiant in every way.

“This is like the days of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed,” Isaiah 54:9-10

Isaiah 49:1-51:23

Throughout this entire book of Isaiah there has been a running theme. When God speaks, He refers to Himself as “the Redeemer”. Over and over and over again we’ve read it; it’s almost like He’s trying to make a point or something. J

The LORD God is our Redeemer. While a woman may “forget her nursing child” and “have no compassion on the son of her womb”, Yet, He “will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands”. (Isaiah 49:15-16) The hands of Jesus bear PERMANENT marks from the nails that held Him to the cross, our cross. It is absolutely impossible for Him to forget YOU. He loves you too much.

“Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” (Isaiah 49:7) The LORD is faithful, and He has chosen YOU. That’s no small appointment my friend. He chose YOU to have an intimate and personal relationship with Him. That’s huge! Why? Because He loves YOU!

“Thus says the LORD GOD: ‘Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for Me shall not be put to shame.'” (Isaiah 49:22-23)

My friend, the time has come. Trouble has hit the streets hard lately. It’s time to unite and fight as only Christians can. We’ve GOT to drop the denominational lines that separate us and cause turmoil between us. We worship the same God, we’re on the same side. We’ve got to stop fighting against each other and start fighting WITH each other! We have a common enemy and it’s not the government or the person across the aisle from us. The enemy isn’t a Republican, a Democrat or a Tea Party member. Our Enemy is SATAN! We do not wage war against flesh and blood, we wage war against Satan. And until we get that straight in our brains the battle will continue to rage around us.

Yes, there is trouble in our world today, but it is NOTHING that we can’t handle when God is on our side! I mean, I don’t know about you all, but I’ve read the end of the book, I know how this story ends. And it isn’t with the good guys losing! Those who wait on the LORD shall not be put to shame! It’s right there in black and white, so let’s read it all over.

“The LORD GOD has given [YOU] the tongue of those who are taught, that [YOU] may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning He awakens; He awakens [YOUR] ear to hear as those who are taught. The LORD GOD has opened [YOUR] ear” (Isaiah 50:4-5) “The LORD GOD helps [YOU]; therefore [you] have not been disgraced; therefore set your face like a flint, and know that [you] shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates [you] is near. Who will contend with [you] Stand up together. Who is [your] adversary? Let him come near to [you]. Behold, the Lord GOD helps [you]; who will declare [you] guilty?” (Isaiah 50:7-9)

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Working together with Him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, NOW is the favorable time, behold, NOW is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way; by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. We have spoken freely to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affection. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.” (2 Corinthians 5:16-6:13)

“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their reviling. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation to all generations.” (Isaiah 51:7-8) “I, I am He who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass and have forgotten the LORD, you Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he set himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? He who is bowed down shall speedily be released; he shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking. I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the LORD of hosts is His name. And I have put My words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of My hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are My people’. Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.” (Isaiah 51:12-17)

“Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted, who are drunk, but not with wine; Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God who pleads the cause of His people; ‘Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, ‘Bow down, that we may pass over’: and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to pass over.” (Isaiah 51:21-23)

“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD; look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. For the LORD comforts Zion; He comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert, like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.” Isaiah 51:1-3)

Isaiah 45:14-48:22

“You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known.” Isaiah 48:6

For the last four Tuesday night’s I have traveled twenty minutes south to a church I don’t attend where I have been taking a New Testament Greek class. I’m there for two hours that feel like twenty minutes! While I sit and listen to my brilliant teacher I can hardly wipe the silly grin off my face because I can hardly believe that I’m even there. Last night when we opened our Bibles to John chapter one to begin translating I looked down and saw a word that I actually recognized and could read!!!!! I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I was actually reading the original Greek text of the Bible and understanding what I was reading.

Last week when I walked out of class, high as a kite I said, “Lord, it’s so HARD! But it’s so GOOD!!!” I started the class a week after everyone else did, so I’ve been struggling to keep up with everything, but to me the struggle is totally worth it because in the end I’m going to KNOW GREEK!

In these last four weeks we’ve translated the first twelve verses of John chapter one. And in those twelve short verses I’ve learned so much more than I ever expected. English as a language is so devastatingly lacking when it comes to translating the original Greek. There is so much more there than what any translator would possibly be able to convey in English. And that’s why I picked the verse that I did today, because God has already told me so much about Himself. I’ve seen so much, enough that I can’t help but declare it. But this is just the beginning. He’s opening up a whole new realm of reality to me right now, Greek being one of them, where He is announcing NEW things. Things that have been hidden that no one has known before now. And I’m not the only one entering into this new realm. Many of you out there are facing the same circumstances. Many of us are standing on the threshold of something big; bigger than we ever could have imagined or dreamed of. Bigger than anything we ever could have asked or hoped for, and it’s just waiting for us to discover it.

In 1 Corinthians chapter two Paul tells us, “We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” (verses 7-10)

Although this isn’t the Earth’s first trip around the sun, there are STILL things that have been hidden just waiting for us to discover them. Sure, it’s probably going to be hard and possibly quite time consuming, but it will be GOOD! We’re on the cusp of something no one else on earth has ever seen or experienced before, and while ultimately there will be an inevitable turmoil involved in the process; the turmoil will be worth it. In the end, we will have achieved something NEW! Heaven and Earth have not passed away and that tells me that God is still working out His plans for us here. They’re plans for our good and not our harm, plans for a hope and a future.

My friend, things may look desperate right now. They may look desolate and hopeless, but take heart because Jesus has overcome this world and so can you.

Isaiah 43:1-45:13

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I tend to agree with them… whoever “they” are.

Yesterday I told you that if you hadn’t read the Word of the Day yet then you should. Today I’m going to be telling you the same thing. Just look at all the red I put on those pages this morning!!! This is good stuff and you’re missing it if you’re not reading it for yourself!

Most of the time I spend my words on you regurgitating what I’ve just read back up to you, and that’s OK because it’s good for us to share with each other. But I would be a horrible teacher if I were just giving you your daily fish instead of teaching you how to catch it yourself.

This Sunday Pastor Josh mentioned a statistic that literally took my breath away. Less than 30% of people in church read their Bibles on a weekly basis. I was literally stunned. It’s no wonder the church is in the state that it’s in today!!!

There is TREMENDOUS power in the word of God and many of us are forsaking that power and opting to go it alone all day. And for what? So we can go out there and fail?

Don’t get me wrong, I was certainly one of those people who rarely picked up my Bible to read it. You know, sure, I’d read it occasionally, when things were really going badly or I was really upset about something, but never on a regular basis and certainly never with the sole purpose of just sitting down to hang out with God every day.

But I can tell you from experience that getting into a measured amount of reading every day has completely changed my life! I’d love to say that I can’t imagine my life without His Word in it every day, but sadly I can imagine it; because I’ve done it. Some of you may remember that time in fact. I went for what, maybe half a year without reading and writing daily. And while things didn’t go horribly horribly wrong or anything, I can tell you that when I started back up again…. WOOOO! Was I ever down on that carpet begging God, with every fiber of my being, to never let me do that again. I didn’t don’t want to go another single day in my life where I’m not spending those thirty minutes with Him in the Bible. The spotlight that His word shines onto my life is so bright that when it’s removed, the light that is left is just plain old dim in comparison. And I don’t want to live in that dim place ever again.

There’s something magical and special about the way that His Holy Spirit can make the words on those pages literally jump off and smack you in the face. They shine into the dark places of your life and bring hope and love and redemption. But the really amazing part is how the reading seems to ALWAYS FIT what’s going on in your life. There are days I just sit there and shake my head in amazement at how in the world that particular phrase could “happen” to be in that particular day’s reading. The best example I can think of is the day my daughter brought home a scarecrow she had made at school and then made a huge deal about it for the rest of the evening. The next morning I read about a scarecrow in the scripture! I can’t seem to find where I wrote that down, so I can share the whole story with you, but I’ll look for it and try to share it with you tomorrow if I can. It’s an awesome story.

Let me leave you with this today; the Spirit of God hovers over the Living Water of the Word in the Bible. If you’re not reading it on a regular basis you’re truly missing something. We Christians today have a blessing that hardly anyone in all of history has had. A personal Bible.

We can reach into our back pocket, pull out our phone and look up any scripture in any translation or language that we want with just a couple of taps on a screen. Nobody has ever been able to do that before. And honestly, it’s pretty foolish of us not to take full advantage of that opportunity God has given us. And considering the times and how they are a changin’ it very well could save our very lives to know His Word just a little better than we already do.

Normally I don’t write posts like this, but I’m feeling pretty strongly on this one. Jesus died to bring you the Great news that came along with His death. The apostles died to carry this message to as many people as possible so that they too could drink from the streams of Living Water flowing from the well of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Many men have literally lost their lives in order to translate the Bible into English for us. Obviously, these people found great worth in the words that can be found between those book covers, or behind that phone app. If they thought those words were worth dying for, shouldn’t we at least consider spending a measly 30 minutes a day reading them?

If you can watch an episode of the Big Bang Theory for thirty minutes, or play a video game for thirty minutes, then you can certainly spend thirty minutes reading the Bible. It’s really not that much time when you think about it.

Trust me, I speak from experience (an experience that has inspired me to write about it every day), those thirty minutes will turn into the best thirty minutes of your entire day, every day. How? Because in those thirty minutes you will learn more about how awesome God is and how desperately He loves YOU. Isn’t that worth thirty short minutes a day?

Isaiah 40:9-42:25

My dear ones, if you have not read the Word of the Day today, please take the time to do so. It is one of the most uplifting readings we’ve had in quite a while. There are so many commonly quoted and memorized verses in this section that I came very close to typing them all out for you, but then realized that if I did, I might as well type out the entire reading and that would just be silly. So I am suggesting that if you’re having a rough day today, make sure you click on the link above, and take the 20-30 minutes to read it in its entirety. It’s worth it.

With that being said, I do want to draw out something that the Holy Spirit revealed to me when I came back to the reading. Our God is so awesome and such a fantastic teacher. If I can grow up to be half the teacher He is I’ll be the best teacher the world has ever seen.

One of the many many passages that I underlined this morning was Isaiah 40:26,

“Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power not one is missing.”

It’s such a strong and powerful image isn’t it? God the Father sitting there on His throne night after night calling out the names of the stars as they appear in our night sky. But the thing I find interesting is that at ANY given point during our day, on the other side of the world those stars are starting to come out. Therefore, calling out the stars isn’t a once daily thing for Him, it’s a constant. He is constantly calling out their names.

What’s even more intriguing to me is when we consider the vision of “The Stars” I told you about back in “Jesus Loves YOU: Book 4“. I think that it is safe to say that the stars to which God is calling out to by name are the stars that have been placed within YOU. That each and every morning as you wake it is because He has called out your name beaconing you to come out into the darkness of the world once again and shine the glorious light that He has placed inside of YOU.

In Acts 17:26-28 we read, “And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being’:”

I am so blessed to be studying Greek right now so I was able to go through and do a little of my homework with this verse today. I translated the phrase: “having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place”, and while it is a completely accurate translation, it leaves a little to be desired. When you read these phrases in the Greek you can feel an authority behind the words that the English just can’t hold up. There are specific times and specific places that God has determined for you from the beginning of the world. With the intent that in those times and those places you will feel your way toward God and find Him. But that’s the beauty of this blessed relationship that we have with our creator. We don’t have to go searching through the darkness to find Him, because He’s not far off at all! He’s INSIDE us, He’s around us, He’s through us and for us and to us and any other preposition you want to throw in there, He’s that too!

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46)

In the New International Version verse 5 is translated a little differently, “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” And the Holman Christian Standard Bible translates it, “God is within her; she will not be toppled”.

There’s something here I want you to see, but more than that I want for you to feel it. God is in YOU. And because He is in you, the world around you may crumble, but you will not be moved. The earth may shake, but you will not fall. Those around you may cave but you will stand firm in your beliefs, because you have the cornerstone in you. You have the creator of the heavens in you. And morning by morning He calls you out BY NAME.

Beloved, He not only knows your name, He gave you your name. It means something to Him. You’re not a number; you’re not another face in the crowd, YOU ARE HIS BELOVED. You have the stars in your bosom and nothing in all of creation can compare to the beauty that is within you.

Isaiah 37:1-40:8

“Because you have prayed to Me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria,” Isaiah 37:21

I know from experience that there are many times in life when we pray and it feels like they’re just bouncing back off the walls and coming straight back to us. But even if that’s how it feels, that’s not the truth. Twice in today’s reading God mentions how the prayers of His people have reached Him and He is acting accordingly to save them from their troubles.

“I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears.” Isaiah 38:5

God inhabits the praises of His people. He is with us and not against us, even if it may *feel* like He is against us. God is here and present and active in our lives no matter what the circumstances may look like. He works all things for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. Don’t give up your prayers. Don’t give up seeking His purposes for your life. Don’t give up in looking for His activity in your life, He’s there, He is listening and He IS acting on your behalf, even when, no especially when you don’t realize it. J

If God is for us then who can be against us; right? If God is for us then who can be against us? My friend, God is for you and is not against you. The blood of Jesus has paid the bounty against your head. You have been redeemed from the pit and no one can take you back there. No matter how hard Satan tries he can’t steal you out of God’s hand. No matter what, you are saved. There is NOTHING more powerful than the redeeming blood of Christ. Nothing.

Nothing you do can counteract its power. Nothing that Satan does can render the blood of Jesus in your life powerless. Nothing. He can only make you THINK that it is powerless, that you’re powerless. But he’s a liar.

Just like Sennacherib bragging big words against the nation of Israel and their God, Satan touts big statements that, while based in fact, have been twisted around in such extreme measures that they are no longer truth but plain old lies. And I think it’s extremely important that we inspect what Hezekiah did with those lies.

“Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD;” Isaiah 37:14-15

After receiving this news of the coming destruction from the hands of his enemy Hezekiah goes straight to God and literally “spread it before the LORD” and prayed. This is such a perfect example for us today of what we need to be doing when we receive news of coming devastation. We need to spread it out before the LORD and ask Him what’s going on. When it looks like our world is coming to an end, we too need to pray like Hezekiah, “So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone are the LORD.”

We need to keep in mind that even when we’re not telling other people about what’s going on, someone out there is still watching what God is doing in your situation. Whether it’s the doctor with the negative test results, or the bankers with the negative account balance, you name it, there are faceless people out there involved in your situation that will notice when there has been a change. It might even be the “enemy” himself. The king Nebuchanezzar comes to my mind. He was the one who condemned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to the furnace yet it was as they were in the furnace that he noticed that their God was WITH THEM IN THE FURNACE. So that when they emerged from the fire and their clothes weren’t burned and didn’t even smell like smoke it was the very one who had thrown them into the fire who praised their God and placed them then in very high government positions of authority and honor.

Who knows that your current fiery furnace isn’t the very circumstance that someone will see you going through it, praise God and promote you to a higher position of authority and honor. Don’t give up my friend. This too shall pass, it always does. And when it does you will be better for having gone through it. You will be stronger and God will be more amazing to you than He was before. Not that He will have changed, but your opinion and knowledge of Him will have.

He’s on your side; don’t doubt that for a single moment. He loves you more than you could ever imagine and nothing could ever change His opinion of you. Nothing. You never know what you could happen all because YOU prayed….

Be Still by StorySide: B

Don’t Give Up by Calling Glory

Finally Free by Nichole Nordman

Isaiah 33:1-36:22

“And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness, the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there but the redeemed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:8-10

In Luke 14:1-6 we hear Jesus say, “”Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Jesus is the highway to heaven, paved with His blood and His Holiness (not yours). The unclean shall not pass over it, because the moment you step onto it you are made clean, holy, pure. Those are the effects of His blood; you can not touch it and not be made clean. Even if they are fools, they shall not go astray because He is the good shepherd who tends His flocks and keeps them in safe pastures. He leads them beside still waters and makes them to lie down in green pastures. His rod and His staff they comfort us because He uses them to direct our steps, even when we think we are the ones making the plans. No lion or ravenous beast can come up on it because no one can separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus. The redeemed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing, everlasting joy shall be upon their heads, they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Those who have chosen to follow the Way have been made holy, they know the Father, they have access to His Holy Spirit, they know the Truth and have Life. Those who have chosen to follow the Way have been made clean through the blood of Jesus which declares you righteous through faith in Him. For those who have chosen to follow Jesus, even when we make foolish choices God somehow makes them work out in our favor in the end. “All things work for the good of those who love the LORD and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 Those who follow the Way are held safe in the palm of His hand away from the clutches of Satan and His minions. Those who follow the Way are redeemed by His blood and will return to heaven singing all the way causing the darkness to flee from their path.

Isaiah 29:11-32:20

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

So this morning, as I was driving back home from dropping the kids off at school I was thinking about what to write today. And I thought about what I wrote yesterday, taking a break. Then it occurred to me that the last time I wrote about taking a break, God was actually talking to me too! Duh…

So this morning I gave myself permission to skip the coffee (I had decaf instead at least) and take a nap. THREE HOURS LATER my husband walked in ready for lunch and I was still in bed!!! When I got up I was so groggy I was actually stumbling around a bit. I slept so hard and had the weirdest dream which included the cast of the Big Bang Theory and flying snakes chasing me while I was flying (never caught me either I was way too fast). Woo! Needless to say I slept REALLY well! And I feel a million times better now too.

In returning to God and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.

May your strength be renewed like the eagles my friend, you need it too. We all do.

Fun fact about the eagle, did you know that when an eagle is sick or getting older it will go to the top of a very high cliff or mountain and lay itself out in the sun to allow the sun to rejuvenate it? The eagle’s way of renewing its strength is rest. God’s mercies are new morning by morning, after a good night’s sleep I’m sure. It’s incredible the role that sleep plays in our lives. Things really do seem a lot better after a good night’s (or day’s) sleep don’t they? Perhaps it is because in sleep our brain spends the time defragging; or sorting things out into manageable organized groups so that it can process them easier. During sleep your body turns its energy, normally used to keep you upright and moving, toward healing your body. While you sleep, your body is literally mending itself, purging itself from waste products, etc. Sleep is a VERY powerful thing and we take it all too lightly.

Lord, right now I pray for deep restful sleep for anyone and everyone who ever reads this. I pray that they will lie down and sleep in peace because You alone O Lord make us dwell in safety. I pray that during that time of rest they will hide in the shadow of Your wings and find refuge from the fray of their current battle against the Enemy. Father I thank You that You never sleep so that we can, resting assured that You’ve got the night watch. Your word says that “unless the LORD guards a city the watchmen stay awake in vain.” Psalm 127:1 I thank You for Your Word Lord, it is comfort in times of stress and trouble and frustration. Your word gives us busy, crazy, frenzied moms permission to fail, to be frail and weak and imperfect and to rest when we really need it. Thank You for loving us enough to encourage us to take care of ourselves so that we can continue to take excellent care of those placed into our circles of influence. God you are so good to us, help us to be better to ourselves. Help us to better love ourselves so that we can love others fully. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

Isaiah 26:1-29:10

“For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.” Isaiah 28:20

I have so many things that vie for my attention day in and day out and trying to figure out which ones are truly worthy of my time is a hard thing to do. There are so many opportunities that come around that look great and sound fun, but is it something that I should do? When I look at my calendar square, is there enough room left to fit it in? Not usually.

When we as mothers overbook ourselves we aren’t just cheating ourselves, we’re cheating everyone else around us too. When we’re overbooked, we get stressed far too easily, which we then take out on our kids, husbands and even our friends. As Christian mothers it becomes so hard to turn someone away when they ask something of us because, well, “it’s the Christian thing to do to help your neighbor”. We look to the Proverbs 31 woman and all the things that she did and think, “that’s how I’m supposed to be”. But the truth about that woman that we fail to see is that while she was getting all those things done, she wasn’t doing them all at the same time!

God told me yesterday, “You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. But you DON’T have to do all things for all people all the time! It’s OK to just say ‘No’.”

Eve was created at the end of the sixth day of creation. Do you know what God had her do first? Rest. The seventh day of creation was the Sabbath day of rest. If that doesn’t show you how important rest is to God I don’t know what will!

As moms we rush around like chickens with our heads cut off, slurping down buckets of coffee to keep us going, and all we want is a NAP! But instead we chug back another café mocha espresso and clean the entire house instead, because you know, what if someone comes over and sees that my house isn’t perfect! Oh no! Trust me, I’m just as guilty as the rest of you, well, at least I was anyway. But now there’s a reason why I write a weekly article called, “Not the Perfect Mom”! It’s because I’ve discovered that perfection is an absolutely unattainable goal. And while it’s not like I don’t still strive for it, because oh how I do! But I don’t let my lack of perfection drag me down in my opinion of myself anymore.

OK, so if you were to drive past my house right now, you’d see PLENTY of weeds in my flower beds… and no flowers for that matter. I am NOT a gardener. But if you were to come into my amazingly messy house, you would be loved and fed and given a cold drink (or hot if you preferred).

I have spent wasted so much of my life worrying about what other people thought of me and trying to live up to the standards that I thought other people had for me and you know where it’s gotten me? NOWHERE! It made me horribly frustrated and sad because I couldn’t EVER do it no matter how hard I tried. The standards we hold ourselves to are absolutely ridiculous. We run ourselves ragged filling our schedules with all kinds of activities to keep us busy so that we can avoid the fact that we’re not perfect. We commit to things just because it will make someone else happy, and sometimes that’s OK. But sometimes it’s really not. Sometimes too much is just that, too much.

As women we wear a million and one hats, but at some point we collect so many hats that most of the hats go without a head more often than not. If you’re head’s not in the hat, is it a hat you really should be wearing? Or, is it perhaps, a hat that was made for someone else to wear and by you keeping it you’re denying their blessing of wearing the hat that was made for them.

It’s OK to say ‘No”. You don’t have to do all things, for all people, all the time.

Most days many of your goals for the day won’t be met, and you know what? That’s OK too. Give yourself permission to be HUMAN. Give yourself permission to skip the coffee and take the nap so that you can wake up RESTED enough to be a fun mom again.

Isaiah 22:1-25:12

According to the Weight Watchers I’m not skinny enough. According to the McDonald’s I’m not eating enough. According to the fashion industry I’m not buying enough. According to the hair salon I’m not dying my hair enough. According to Pinterest I’m not crafty enough. According to the mom blogs I’m not doing enough with my kids. According to my daughter’s school I’m not reading with her enough. According to my son I’m not nice enough. According to the white glove test I’m not cleaning my home enough. According to my neighbors I’m not landscaping my yard enough. According to Cover Girl I’m not pretty enough. According to Nike I’m not running enough. According to Victoria Secret I’m not sexy enough. According to the Church I’m not holy enough. According to my bank I’m not rich enough. According to my calendar I’m not doing enough. According to my gas tank I’m not full enough. According to my greasy hair I’m not clean enough. According to my kitchen I don’t cook enough. According to my laundry I don’t wash enough. According to my dog I don’t play enough.

According to the human standards of this world, we will NEVER be enough. Not ever. We have voices from all different directions at all different times telling us over and over and over that we aren’t enough _______. And last night as I was brushing my teeth getting ready for bed I heard, “According to your dentist you’re not brushing/flossing enough.” And my heart fell. Yet another failure in my epically long list of failures just today. And then the Holy Spirit piped in, “I am the ONLY one in your life that tells you that you are enough. Your faith in Jesus declares that you are enough. In fact, it declares that you are just right just the way that you are.” I stood up with a smile on my face. Thank You Lord that in this world where I will never measure up to anyone’s standards, including my own, You are my refuge and my strength. I thank You that in this life where I am surrounded by messages telling me that I’m not enough, You have sent me a message telling me that I don’t have to be. That because of Your Son Jesus, fulfilling ALL the requirements of the Law for me, I don’t have to fulfill any of them and I can still be acceptable in Your sight.

According to the Law if I fail in one tiny aspect of it I have failed ALL of it. Jesus fulfilled ALL of it so that I don’t have to fulfill even one tiny aspect of it! Hallelujah!

Does that mean I don’t ever try to be a good person or do the right thing? No! Of course not. What it means is that I don’t beat myself up, or let anyone else beat me up, for falling short of their idea of what perfection looks like.

In 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 it says:

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this; that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The love of Christ has the power to control us! When we fully receive the love that Jesus poured out on that cross and we grasp the full forgiveness that has taken place, we are COMPELLED to good works! We are inspired to do the right thing without anyone telling us what that thing is. When we come to fully stand in His marvelous light of Grace we can’t help but tell others of the forgiveness that is in Christ Jesus, we can’t help but cut out the drinking and the adultery and the vileness. Why? Because the Love of Christ tells us that we’re better than that. The Love of Christ empowers us to do things we couldn’t ever do on our own. The Love of Christ fills us up inside to such a full measure that we have no trouble measuring up to God’s NEW standard.

A few days ago, in The Stars, I talked about the Law and how God gave the Law to show humanity what the standard is for being “like God”. (Genesis 3:5) In the gospel of Matthew chapter five Jesus opens up our eyes to the full purity and perfection of the Law.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” (21-26)

Not only is it against the Law to murder, it’s against the Law to even be ANGRY! Is that even humanly possible??? No! And that’s the whole point! (Jesus keeps going in Matthew if you need to read more.) It is humanly impossible to follow the letter of the Law. That’s probably why Jesus prefaced this sermon with, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18)

Not even the tiniest Hebrew letter (iota) or the smallest grammatical mark (dot) will disappear from the Law until heaven and earth pass away. Have heaven and or earth passed away? No. So how can this be? Simple. Look back at the end of Jesus’ message on murder and holding things against your brother. According to the Law (which is still in practice) if you are found guilty you must be put in prison “until you have paid the last penny”.

Here’s a great example of the Law that God just gave me. You know those motorized horses at the front of the grocery store? Meijer has Sandy. We LOVE Sandy. In order to make Sandy move and take you for a ride you have to put a penny into the machine. If you want to keep riding you put in another penny. Simple.

OK, the Law is like Sandy. The Law, in its perfection, requires payment in order to receive the full benefits of being a Child of God. So God instituted animal sacrifice so that humans had a method of payment in order to ride. Except, not one could pay; sin is expensive – so expensive that we run out of pennies before we’re ever even born.

Jesus, through His sacrifice on the cross is like a never ending supply of pennies. Instead of humanity never getting to ride Sandy because they’ve run out of pennies, He stands there with His pockets full allowing us to just keep on riding while He just keeps putting in pennies. No, I take that back, because in reality, it’s even better than that! It’s really more like He puts in a special coin that only He has that just turns the machine on… and then it stays on… forever. And we never have to get off the ride of our lives because Jesus has paid it all, once and for all.