Isaiah 63 Treasure Part 4

 bob-maclafferty, Uncategorized  1 Response »
Oct 122010
 

 “I feel your pain.” “I know exactly how you feel!”

Really…. Really?

How often have you heard these words from others around you? Are they occasionally true? Maybe. Are they ever completely true? Probably not. How can another truly know the pain that you are experiencing?

Are these phrases as meaningful as telling a child that “this hurts me as much as it hurts you” just before applying the hand of justice to the seat of understanding?

We, all of us, long for someone to understand just how we feel when faced with  sorrow, grief, pain, anger, and disappointment in our lives. We share these things with those around us only to realize that we can’t quite get others to truly get it. Somehow, because they see things differently, maybe due to background, personality, or a thousand other factors, they just don’t fully understand it.

In all their distress he too was distressed,

 There is One who can. There is One who knows us so well that He can truly understand. There is One who knows exactly how we tick. Why? Because he made us! Because we are part of Him! Jesus the Son who created us, who lived with us, who died with us. And His Father, our Father. And His Spirit.

Just like a human parent agonizing over the pain of a child, aching to take her place, so our God feels our every pain, longing to take it from us.

 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:7-9 NIV

Jesus, You know what’s bothering me this morning. You feel my discouragement, You understand my anger. You share my pain. Thank You for always being right here. Thank You for always being ready for me to unload on You. Thank You for shouldering my burdens, leaving only peace behind in their place.

Isaiah 63 Treasure part 3

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Oct 012010
 

 Do you belong?

To whom do you belong?  To your wife, your husband, your job? We all crave a sense of belonging, knowing that we fit somewhere, feeling a part of something.  This is such a powerful need. Children without this need met at home find themselves entering dangerous and unhealthy releationships that affect them for the rest of their lives. Question phrases like “Who loves you?” and Who’s your daddy?” are in common usage in our culture. Why is that?

 He said, “Surely they are my people”

“Surely they are my people” I love the quotation marks. I feel a special attachment to the direct spoken Word of my Father.  Words that the writer recorded just as He said them, not in their own words. Are these words that are so important that the Father needed to ensure that they came through clearly?

You are His! You belong. You personally belong to the King of the Universe Who made a point of including you. The New Living Translation says,

“They are my very own people”

Your Father is possessive of you. He wants you to know that you don’t need to search for it, you fit somewhere, you fit with Him!

 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:7-9 NIV

You have a place! You belong!

Isaiah 63 Treasure part 2

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Sep 132010
 

 What kind of lists do you make? ToDo lists? HoneyDo lists? Wish lists? Black lists? How about a Thank list? Have you ever started a list of things for which you are thankful to God? Where should you start?

“yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.” Isaiah 63:7

Good things, Isaiah says. Good things consistent with his compassion for us! What good things has He done for you? By the way, don’t worry, I’m saving the first part of the verse for last.

Thumbs. Have you considered your thumbs recently? Opposable thumbs. The stubby hand accessories that make us able to grasp things around us efficiently. What would life be like without them?

I cut my left thumb quite badly a few days ago. Trying to keep the bleeding stopped and help the healing to begin, I had it bulky bandaged for the rest of the day. Using my four fingers and palm to hold things proved quite awkward. All of a sudden, pulling up my pants became a major obstacle! Holding a piece of toast became a precarious balancing act, not a secure thumb and several finger action. Imagine the difficulty in being productive at the most normal tasks, hoeing in the garden, brushing your teeth, catching fireflies.

Now, my thumb is mostly healed and I am joyfully able to hold on to things, from one of my daughters to my pants! Yes, I’m thankful for thumbs, two active, healthy ones.

 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:7-9

Are you ready to start your Thanklist? If you want your thankfulness to God to come alive and overwhelm you, get away from the generals- you know- “Thank You for my health, for everything, for everybody”. Get specific!

Father, thank You for opposable thumbs as I keyboard this morning. Thank You for being the only One who can mix orange and blue and white in nightly and endless variety in the sunset without the shades clashing. Thank You for…..

Isaiah 63 Treasure part 1

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Sep 132010
 

God’s word is full of treasure. So much of it is just like finding gold nuggets lying on the surface. I am grateful for that! Yet there is more treasure to be be found by parting the grass and looking down in between. There is still more buried far below the level of the roots. Enough for everyone no matter where they are in their relationship with Him.

Let’s do something a little different this week. I have chosen a beautiful passage in Isaiah. It is FULL of treasure! 

 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:7-9 NIV

Doesn’t Isaiah sound like David?  Wow! How many separate treasures can you find? Spend a few moments today letting this passages wash over you.  Look forward to several posts sharing the treasures I have found.  See if I pick the same ones you find! The truth about God. Who He is and what He wants to do with us and for us. That’s what I call treasure!

shared in the workplace 1/16/09.

Peace For Our Time

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Sep 042010
 

“Peace for our time”.

Those words were joyfully shared outside 10 Downing Street in London by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain on September 30, 1938, just hours after returning from a meeting with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler.

“My good friends, this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time [emphasis added]. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And now I recommend you to go home and sleep quietly in your beds.” 

His speech was greeted with shouts and cheers! That very next spring, in March of 1939, th rest of Czechoslovakia fell into Hitler’s hands. While the rest of the world struggled to wake up, the Second World War more formally began with his invasion of Poland on September 1 of 1939, just eleven months after Chamberlain’s recommendation that his countrymen “go home and sleep quietly in your beds.”

So much for peace. There was nothing in Chamberlain’s words to guarantee the kind of peace he was promoting.

Here’s a different question. When you  think of your salvation and the assurance that it is real, does that bring you peace? Or does it make you uneasy and unsure of your future? Does it make you focus on your sins and stress about what you need to accomplish?

Isaiah 53 is a beautiful and well-known passage of prophecy about Jesus and his life and death for us. In the middle of this chapter, a diamond is hidden. In referring to and describing Jesus’ death on the cross, a small bit of information is shared that doesn’t get enough attention.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 NIV

He was pierced, He was crushed, The punishment was upon Him.

Wait, What?

What punishment? The one that “brought us peace”. That sacrifice was identified as the one that brought us peace.  Jesus intends for us to rest easy in 0ur salvation, trusting in what He did for us. Loving Him for the way He proved His love for us. We can have peace! We can be confident in our future! Isaiah was and so can we.

Jesus, let me never forget that You meant for the gift of your life was meant to bring us peace! Let me lean on you today, safe and secure from all alarms.

Cowboy Up?

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Aug 312010
 

 

Have you heard the expression, “Cowboy Up”? It usually means something like, “Tough it out” or “Be a man” or “Grin and Bear it”. It has to do with standing up for yourself and pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. Dusty jeans, dirty boots, sweat, aching muscles, and getting back up. There was even a movie entitled “Cowboy Up”,  released ten years ago, starring Kiefer Sutherland and centered around professional bull riding.

Have you ever said something like this, “When they come at me like _______, I can’t help it. I have to say_________. I’ve got to be honest, right?  It is the most natural thing in the world to respond in kind, to speak the way we’ve been spoken to. It seems fair. It’s almost like the Golden Rule, right?

King Saul was chasing David through the desert. David used to work for him and Saul liked him, right up to the point when he realized that David had been anointed by God to be the next king.  That can certainly be a downer in a working relationship!

David, always a strong and charismatic leader, soon had 600 men gathered around him as he stayed one step ahead of Saul. 

In this story, Saul was pursuing David with 3000 to David’s 600. After moving through some pretty rough country, Saul tired and went into a large cave to rest. What he didn’t know was that David had chosen that very cave to hide in! He and his 600 were lining the walls of the cave in the darkness. As Saul dropped off to sleep, David’s men told him, “See, this is clearly a sign from God. He has put Saul into your hands!” David crept up to Saul and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

Then, his conscience kicked in. “I never should have touched the king. He was anointed by God as well!” He did nothing to harm Saul and prevented his men from acting as well.

When Saul awoke, minutes or hours later, we don’t know, he left the cave only to hear a familiar voice behind him calling his name and proclaiming innocence.

When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud.  “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.  You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me.  When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today.  I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.  Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” 1 Samuel 24

Interesting! Looks like there’s been a little power shift. What an admission for Saul, David’s mortal enemy, to make!

It was the power of God in David that kept him from killing the very one who was trying to end his own life. He was able to take the high road and lead his men to do the same.

You might be faced with challenges or temptations that are more than you can handle at this very moment.  God is anxiously waiting to see what you will do. Will you turn to Him for strength? God loves it when I pray, “I can’t do this by myself. I need You!” He is waiting for the chance to power you to speak and act, not in the way that seems natural to us, but in His way. That’s the way to get real power in your life, power to do things that you never would be able to do on your own.  Don’t Cowboy Up, Pray Up!

adapted from devotional shared at CBMC 7/23/09 and family August 2010.

What to do while you wait

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Aug 182010
 

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait

These powerful words by contemporary Christian artist, John Waller, are shared in a very meaningful and moving way in the movie Fireproof, where the leading character learns about doing the right thing, moving forward in obedience even when those actions are seemingly unappreciated and unrewarded.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9,

“I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.”” Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

My parent’s generation looked for Jesus’ soon return, assuming that He would come long before they had families of their own. But here we are, two generations later, still waiting.

Are you asking God to change circumstances or people in your life? Are you on standby, waiting to do and act until He fixes everything? I challenge you to strongly move forward in obedience today, serving, worshiping, running while you wait for God to work in your life. Serve Him today by serving those around you. Worship Him today by making an offering of how you live this day. Run the race of the day today with excellence while you wait……

8/15/10 shared during a celebration for my parents as they reach fifty years of married life.  God bless you, Mom and Dad! You are Jesus’ hands and feet to me, my family and to so many around you.  Serving and worshipping faithfully while you wait!

adapted from what was shared in the workplace 3/16/09

Who Lights up Your Life?

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Aug 132010
 

You can’t have enough flashlights! I have lots of them and still find ones that I want. I have heavy 3 Dcell MagLites. I have tiny 1AAAcell lights. I have headmounted lights. I have one powered by squeezing a lever. I have one that you shake back and forth that actually holds a charge! The newer ones have very bright LED bulbs that are very efficient. The batteries seem to last forever. Often, however the batteries seem to end up going bad or missing.

Using a flashlight at night can be so helpful and maybe even comforting as we see the area in the beam lighted up so clearly and brightly.  One downside though, everything outside of the beam seems even darker. Also, when I turn the flashlight off, my pupils, so constricted from reacting to the bright light, don’t allow me to see much of anything at all!

My oldest daughter and I love to spend time on our farm doing almost anything, work or play.  We particularly enjoy walking across the farm, hand in hand, in the dark. without a flashlight! After leaving the circle of light from the car or house light, our pupils become huge, reaching out to gather the light from the sliver of a moon, or just from the stars, just the way the Creator built us to do.

At first, everything seems very dark.  Soon, vague shapes of trees, fence posts, horses, and other objects begin to appear. as we get further and further in distance and time from our self-made light, the shapes become clearer and more distinct.  Leaves on trees, wires on fences, ears on horses slowly appear.

Her hand in mine and mine in hers keeps her steady when she stumbles. And yes, when I stumble! The minutes go by.  We are amazed at how bright the world around us becomes by starlight.

Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.   Isaiah 50:10

 Every time I try to supply the light in my life, I run into trouble.  Things seem bright at first, but it blinds me to most of the world around me. And when my light inevitably fades, I am left to stumble through my days dangerously crashing in to things, a danger to myself and to those around me.

 Have you ever been tricked into walking in your own light? Do you feel like you are in the dark some times? On this very day, Friday the 13th, superstitions and darkness spread even more. Are you feeling oppressed by the darkness, overwhelmed and unable to see your way? Great! Then God has you right where He wants you, right where he can work with you. Flooding your life with a light that touches every step and every person around you. All you have to do is turn off your pitiful flashlight and open your eyes wide. Your Father will do the rest. Day or night, storm or calm, His light never changes.

Father, give me the power to turn off my flashlight and walk in the dark, trusting You to light my life.

shared 8/13/10 and 11/10/14 in the workplace.

Treatment for Being Faithless

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Jul 292010
 

So, do you ever wonder how God treats us when we have a lack of faith? Last time we talked, we were discovering that Elijah, even after the huge and dramatic evidence he had of God’s working in his life, forgot all of it in just one moment of weakness. Seems foolish. Seems human, actually! Seems just like what we do!

Okay, let’s catch up with Elijah. After hearing that the queen had sworn to kill him by the next day, he ran about a hundred miles to Beersheba, the very southern edge of the country! Then he traveled another day’s journey into the desert-

He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”  Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. 1 Kings 19

Wow, what a loser! I’ll bet God was ready to give him an earful!

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”  He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

Wait a minute! Gentle treatment and a fresh, hot meal? Okay, fattening him up for the kill, right?

The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”

Okay, another hot meal and some sympathy! Strange punishment, wouldn’t you say? “You may be running”, God says, “but I’ll still care for you.”

Then Elijah gets up and travels forty days and nights and crawls into a cave up on the side of Mount Horeb, way down close to the Red Sea, where the Ten Commandments were given. Where Moses said to God,”Let me see what you look like”.

The next morning, God says to Elijah, “What are you doing way down here?”

Elijah replies,”Look, I’ve worked for You, I’m the only one left that follows You, and they’re trying to kill me too!”
So God redirects his attention by saying,”I’m about to walk by your little cave, so get out here and see something!”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.

Elijah, scared to death, crawled back into the cave! Finally he heard a quiet whisper and recognized the voice of God. He pulled his coat over his head and came out of the cave. “Why are you here?” God said again.

Elijah replies, “Look, I’ve worked for you, …..”

“Enough of that already!” God says. “I’ve got big plans for you. Get back to work! Oh, by the way, I know of 7000 other guys who are still with me. You are not alone!”

No condemnation. Only loving support. No rejection. Only acceptance. No denial. Only re-affirmation.

“Yes, I can do big things,” God says,”but I want you to look at Me, not the fire, not the earthquake, not the wind. Know Me! Love Me! I will power you up to keep you working for Me, even when scary things happen. Look at Me! I will give you what you need to trust Me.

Father, keep my eyes on You so that you can gift me with the strength and faith to stand, even when I feel like falling. Thank You for never letting me go, even when I look away from You and fail.

Read the whole story including these quotes in 1 Kings 17-19.

shared 7/23/10

The Stumbling Prophet

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Jul 232010
 

Three years ago, he came down from the hills and strode boldly into the kings throne room and stated that there would be no rain, period! What a dramatic way to challenge the false god of Baal, who supposedly promoted fertility. But today?  Today was a major winner for Elijah! Let’s make a list:

1. Challenged false prophets and won by calling fire down from heaven and the true God.

2. Participating in the execution of over 800 false prophets.

3. Prayed for rain and got a huge downpour.

4. Ran in front of  king Ahab’s chariot through the rain for a distance longer than today’s full marathons!

Boy, Elijah was totally on a faith high, wasn’t he? Yeah, how could he pack that many miracles and drama into one day? God had truly used Elijah to exercise His power! While he was cooling down after the long run, Ahab was telling his wife all about his day. When she heard that all of the prophets (her prophets) had been executed, she sent a message to Elijah that she would kill him within one day! Of course, Elijah, faith champion that he was, went directly to the palace and……. well, actually-

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,  while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life;  1 Kings 19

Okay, now wait just a minute! Didn’t he just have the best day of his career as a prophet? Hadn’t he and his worship of the true God been vindicated before the entire nation? Didn’t he win? Didn’t he have the most dramatic evidence ever of God’s power in his life? He had no excuse at all to doubt, did he?

Do you remember that text that talks about the tiny amount of faith needed?

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. Luke 17

That’s a famous text in which Jesus is talking about faith to His disciples.  But, do you know what happened right before that?

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

Yeah, that’s right! The disciples finally got one thing right! No, actually two. They realized that they needed more faith. Good. So do I! But here’s the kicker- they finally figured out where to get it! We can’t self-generate faith! It comes from God. We just need to ask Him for it and keep pointed toward Him to receive it!

Are there discouraging things happening in your life right now? Job problems, family problems, money problems? Just remember that if Elijah could have a faith failure, If Elijah could stumble even after a day like he had, it’s not so amazing that we become discouraged and lose faith, is it?

Father, I feel my failing faith! You are both the object and the source of my faith! Gift me with enough to move my mole hill or mountain today!

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