Psalm 86:11-13

 Today I think I've discovered "my passage".  After reading several chapters in Isaiah, I moved over to the Psalms.  I got to Psalm 86:11-13 and verbally said, "WAIT!  Stop!  I love this!"

Teach me your way, LORD, and I will live by your truth.  Give me an undivided mind to fear your name. 

Let's just stop right there for a moment and look at all David has packed into TWO sentences:  TEACH me YOUR way, LORD.  Teach me how to be like you...isn't that what we should strive for each day?  Jesus was blameless, sinless, and who God said, "In whom I am well pleased.".  So, I should begin each day saying, "Teach ME your way, Lord."  Teach me to be like YOU. 

But we aren't even finished with the first sentence.  "...and I will live by your truth."  Everyday I MUST be in the Word of God to learn HIS truth.  To learn everything I need to know to get through each and every day...His Word is Living and I MUST apply it to my life everyday.  As these days get darker and darker, I am starting to see that His Word is the ONLY way I will be able to get through the injustices that are ahead.

This leads me to the SECOND sentence:  "Give me an undivided mind to fear your name."  I cannot become someone who thinks God is all unicorns and rainbows.  That is taught a lot today in the church.  He is NOT.  While He loves us deeply and will do anything for us, He is also a fierce Warrior who is coming back sooner rather than later, and when He does it is not going to be pretty.  In fact, we see in Isaiah 3 what can happen when God gets enough...

Note this:  The Lord God of Armies is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah every kind of security:  the entire supply of bread and water, heroes and warriors, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, commanders of fifty and dignitaries, counselors, cunning magicians, and necromancers.  

"I will make youths their leaders and unstable rulers will govern them." I'm gonna stop right there, sound familiar?  Just asking?

I never want to lose sight of how scary it can get when my God has had enough.  I want to revere Him for who He is...the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth.  He called this world into existence with only a simple word.  He is mighty and honorable and all-powerful. I do NOT want my mind divided.

Let's keep going:

I will praise you with all my heart, Lord My God, and will honor your name forever.  For your faithful love for me is great, and you rescue my life from the depths of Sheol.  

Yes...I will praise Him with my whole heart, and honor HIS name forever.  His faithful love for me IS GREAT, and HE rescues my life from the depths of death.

He is worthy of all the praise and honor I can manage to heap upon Him every single day of my life.  My new prayer for each day will be this:

Teach me your way, LORD, and I will live by your truth.  Give me an undivided mind to fear your name. I praise you with all my heart, Lord My God, and honor your name forever and ever and ever. For your faithful love for me is great, and I will always love you and honor you.

In Search of Christ,

Terrie

isaiah 2

 Good morning!  Today we look at Isaiah chapters 2.  I find it fascinating how we could take out Judah and Jerusalem and insert United States and any city we wanted and it would apply to us today.  I've heard teachers say that God works on timelines and cycles.  It seems to be very true.  Look what we're told in Chapter 2:5-8:

             House of Jacob, come and let us walk in the LORD's light.  For you have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of divination from the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines.  They are in league with foreigners.  Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no limit to their treasures; their land is full of horses, and there is no limit to their chariots.  Their land is full of idols; they worship the work of their hands, what their fingers have made.  So humanity is brought low, and each person is humbled.  Do not forgive them!

light:  meant as light itself. The pillar of fire was a light for the wandering Israelites in the wilderness

abandoned: to leave alone

fortune-tellers:  Its unclear the divination this is speaking of, but it is very clear that it was detested by God.

league:  It signifies the clapping of hands in derision or disrespect, sometimes accompanied by hissing.

foreigners:  Stranger; refers to someone who is not part of the family

land: A noun meaning the earth.  It is used over 2,500 times in the Old Testament.

idols:  good for nothing, false god, worthless

worship:  to bow down, to prostrate oneself, to crouch, to bow down, to humbly beseech

hands:  Often occurs in the Old Test literally meaning the strength of their hands

make:  to do,  to accomplish,  to achieve, to make

humanity:  the human race;  the word is used to signify a human man not a woman

each: a masculine noun meaning a man or an individual.  It is also used to mean male or husband. Does not indicate humankind, but the male gender in particular.

humbled:  to depress or sink; to humiliate, level, bring low, fade, send down, stoop down

forgive:  to lift, to carry, to take away

So when we enter our definitions we have:

House of Jacob, come and let us walk in the LORD's (pillar of fire).  For you have (left alone) your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of divination from the East and of (very bad things detested by God) like the Philistines.  they are (clapping their hands and hissing in disrespect) with (strangers who are not part of the family).  Their (earth) is full of silver and gold, and there is no limit to their treasures; their land is full of horses, and there is no limit to their chariots.  Their land is full of (good for nothing, worthless false gods); they (bow down to) the works of their hands, what their fingers have (accomplished).  So (the human man) is brought low, and (the individual) person is (humiliated, dent down, depressed, or sunk).  Do not (lift, carry, or take them away)!

WoW!  What an insightful passage.  See how it could be applied to today?  How our country...even the world...has fallen.  Let me show you something else I found this morning in chapter 2...

"Put no more trust in a mere human, who has only the breath in his nostrils.  What is he really worth?"

                                                                                                          Isaiah 2:22

breath:  breath, wind, spirit

nostrils:  nose, nostril, anger

worth:  passive verb meaning, being valuable or considered

I've heard a couple of prophets bring GOD's Word and He has told us not to put our trust in Trump...he is a mere man.  Trust in GOD.  (When the elections first took place and I found myself in such a terrified position, the first time I heard this from the Spirit through a prophet's mouth it stood as a stark reminder to me.  Nothing happens on this earth that God doesn't allow in some way.  He is the all powerful Father.  HE is the One I should be trusting, not a human being. ) So I began to change my way of thinking.  

But I was so shocked...and I don't really know why...when I read this admonition in Isaiah.  Friends, we are children of the Most High God.  The Only One who is high and lifted up!!!  So...when you go to the grocery store and the shelves don't look like they used to.  When you lapse and turn the fake news on and your heart starts beating real fast and you feel fear forming in your feet and rising quickly throughout your body, put no more trust in a mere human, who has only breath in his nostrils.  A mere human can do nothing for us...we fight against an unseen realm.  Please join me and put your total trust in Our Most Loving Heavenly Father, King JESUS!!!!!!  Who WAS, who IS, and who IS TO COME!

In Search of Christ,

Terrie

Isaiah 1:18-20

 Hello My Friends!  It's been a little while, and I'm sorry for that. I hope this finds everyone well.  When we last spoke, we were starting a study on Isaiah.  So, let's get back to it today.

Proverbs 2:6 says:

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Dear LORD, 

Please give us the knowledge and understanding we need in these dark days.  Draw us closer to You through your Word.  We love you so.  Amen

Isaiah 1:18-20

"Come let us settle this," says the LORD.  "Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow, though they are crimson red, they will be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.  But if you refuse and rebel you will be devoured by the sword."  For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Hebrew meanings:

settle:  to reprove, to judge, or convict

sins:    a crime or its penalties 

red:     to be red, ruddy, dyed red

willing:  to consent, to yield, to desire

obedient:  to hear intelligently, to obey, to listen

things:   property, goods 

 land:    the whole earth under God's dominion

refuse:  the refusal or rejection of an offer, Used to describe refusing to obey God

rebel:    to be causative, make bitter,  resist, revoke

sword:  usually pictures the sword with the bow and shield as the standard fighting equipment of                    the time

mouth:  besides the literal meaning, this word is used as the instrument of speech.  When Moses                      claimed to be an ineffectual speaker, he was heavy in the mouth

When you put all the Ancient Hebrew meanings into the context, here is what you get:

"Come let us (convict) this," says the LORD.  "Though your (crimes) are scarlet, they will be as white as snow, though they are crimson (red), they will be like wool.  If you (desire) and are (hearing intelligently), you will eat the good (property) of the (whole earth under God's dominion).  But if you (reject the offer) and (resist), you will be devoured by the (standard fighting equipment of the time)."  For the (instrument of speech) of the LORD has spoken.

Did you catch the very first line?  Come let US settle this.  I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking that this is the three of them (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) talking about how they will handle a very rebellious Israel.  They've had enough!  You see, the three of them have been around since before our time and THIS earth began!  Fascinating, isn't it?

Though some of the word meanings don't add a whole lot to verses, there are a few that made me think "Oh NO!  They're in trouble!"  Convict is one of them...The LORD has had enough!  I read somewhere that when you see LORD in all capital letters, this is Jesus as a Warrior.  Yes...Jesus.  Jesus IS from the very beginning!  Most people just talk about the loving Jesus.  But He is a warrior, too.  I like that side of Him because NOTHING will get by Him and I am safe from everything because this mighty Warrior is always with me.  But, I've found a rabbit trail.  (Insert eye rolling emoji here.)

Another one that I loved was the whole earth under God's dominion.  We will eat the good of everything God owns....EVERYTHING.  That is what He truly wants.  That is why He made us.  To share in His goodness and walk with Him.  To praise Him and honor Him.  But then...Adam.  

The last is "But if you reject the offer"...WOW!  When I first read that, my thoughts were Silly Israelites...why in the world would you reject HIS offer??  Right after that, my thoughts were:  OMG!  I reject His offers all the time.  He holds out His scarred hand to me to pull me up, and says, "I'm only a Word away...I AM THE WORD.  Open it and come closer."  Instead I lay on my bed and wallow in my sadness, anger, disbelief, grief.  Yet He stands there patiently holding out His hand.  I pray I never reject so long that He says, "Come let us convict this situation."

I was planning to do more verses today since I've neglected writing for so long, but I think we will do better to ponder what we've learned today.  I'll take on the next verses tomorrow and we'll see what the LORD has to say.  

In Search of CHRIST,

Terrie