God's Divinity

-
Receive
Today's passage: Isaiah 55:8-13.

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  Isaiah 55:10-11

Reflect: 
Do I truly care about God's thoughts and ways? Do I truly believe that His direction can make a concrete difference in my life? Am I willing to read the Bible with an open heart and mind in order to discern what God wants from me? God is clear about how He see His Word working in our lives. As the rain nourishes the soil, feeding plants and crops that will grow to sustain those who harvest them, God's Word nourishes our souls, feeding us so that we will grow and flourish and sustaining us through periods of drought and difficulty. What's more, God's Word contains a specific message and specific direction for each of us. Scripture illuminates the purpose He has for us on this earth. His personal message is contained within the pages of the Bible. We must seek that direction first in order to be led by it.


Respond: 
Ask for change: Lord, I know Your holy thoughts and ways are far beyond my limited human ability to comprehend. Yet I also know that You gave me Your Word as a means to grow closer to You and understand what purpose You have for me. Help Your Word mold my life into what You intend it to be.


Consider what's real: Sometimes we try to "get through the Bible" instead of letting the Bible get through to us. Today, try to slow down as you read; perhaps even meditate a bit on the verses. As Henri Nouwen says, "Meditation means chewing on the word and incorporating it into our lives. It is the discipline by which we let the written word of God become a personal word for us, anchored in the center of our being."*

Additional verses to consider: Isaiah 55:1-7
*Henri Nouwen. Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006.  Ron Moore

Comments

Post a Comment

Enjoy Your Life

Popular posts from this blog

What Is Your True Purpose

-
Image
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 16:6-13  What do you live for each day? A pay raise? Retirement? Then perhaps you've discovered the reality that basing aspirations on getting ahead in this world typically ends in disappointment. People with a misguided sense of direction often wonder why they feel unfulfilled. Maybe you've already realized a goal of saving for the future or moving up the corporate ladder. You give to charity and volunteer at church, but somehow still feel a sense of insignificance or aimlessness. If so, there is a truth you need to hear: God gives each of us life for a very specific reason: to serve Him. Nobody finds inner peace without reconciling this fact. Our society teaches us that pleasure, prosperity, position, and popularity will make us happy--but living in the service of self always leaves an emptiness no earthly reward can fill. Besides, worldly philosophy won't stand the test of time. Few of us are going to live even 100 years. So whatever
Continue Reading »

The Teeter - Totter Syndrome

-
Image
" Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;   in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 There is a dangerous dynamic that sets up in many marriages. I call it the teeter-totter syndrome. It is based upon the dynamic where we naturally respond to our spouse’s behavior. When one spouse moves to an unhealthy or extreme position, the other spouse will almost always adjust to the other extreme to protect themselves and the relationship. Imagine two people sitting face-to-face in the middle of a teeter-totter on a playground. They are close and their weight is balanced. But what happens if one of them moves backwards? You know how it works. On a teeter-totter, everything the other person does on their side affects you on your side—just like marriage. If the other person on a teeter-totter moves backwards, then you also have to move backwards to keep the balance. If they continue to move backwards
Continue Reading »

The God Who Saves

-
Image
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-9   Recently I was talking with a fellow about his spiritual life. When I asked, "Are you saved?" he answered, "No, but I'm working at it." When I pressed him, he explained that he was making some changes in his life. He had given up smoking and drinking, among other things. I knew that I should help him understand a few important principles, as his only guarantee so far was better health. What this gentleman needed to realize was that what we do or what we give up for Jesus doesn't amount to much. The Lord isn't looking for people who change a few habits by sheer force of will; He's calling people to surrender themselves to Him. The only action God expects of a "seeker" is to believe in Jesus--that He is who He says, He will do what He says, He has the authority to forgive, and He will equip His people to live a godly life. Because of those convictions, a new Christian is empowered to turn away from
Continue Reading »