Monday Morning Cover to Cover

I've just returned from a week's vacation on a barrier island---Santa Rosa Island, Florida. My sister invited me to go with her family of 17. It was such a gift for me to walk on the thousands of thought-filled reminders of His thoughts on the shore at sunrise every morning. I'd never done that before! I cooked for them all a couple of times and did arts & crafts with their nine loving livewires whom you see pictured above! I loved them all! I could have uninterrupted time with God, reading and listening, surrounded by beauty that pierced my heart! So grateful for the time! I'm back to blogging. Here's something from each day of our chronological readings from this past week that lingered with me.

There are a handful of us that are reading the Bible together chronologically and posting our comments on Monday mornings. You are always welcome to join. Please leave a link in your comment if you have written about what lingers with you from this week's reading. We are not about just getting insight to make our lives better. We hope that happens, but we are doing this to connect with the Author of our lives and linger in what He is saying to us through His Word this year. You are always welcome to stop by on Monday mornings and read our humble hearts trying to find the Living Word through His holy written word. So scroll down and read a paragraph or two that captures your eye. And I hope you leave a comment.

WE RECEIVE ONE WORD THAT SHAKES OUR WORLD, SHATTERS OUR SOULS and DRIES UP OUR DREAMS - Isaiah 7:2...
Who do we go to first? Isaiah 7:2 It happened to King Ahaz. He heard about who was coming full-speed-ahead to destroy him. Ahaz, a very successful king, perceived that it was a battle he couldn’t win. In our lives today, we take a look at the data and we may be quite accurate at what we perceive. The problem is we don’t do the math very well and we’re always adding up things yet getting the wrong number. We try to figure things out with people. We keep our heart from hurting and trusting and we don’t “let go” or “let down” and rest in where God is bringing us. Wonder why we are so afraid to rest in our suffering? Ahaz folded---didn’t want to play his hand. “The hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” Isaiah 7:2. The LORD told Isaiah to tell Ahaz: 'Be CAREFUL, CALM DOWN. KEEP QUIET, DON’T FEAR from your heart because of what you see and hear. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:9. Am I listening to God or men? Am I “all in?”

INQUIRE OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL GOD FOR A SIGN - Isaiah 7:11
One more time, the LORD spoke to Ahaz, "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." Isaiah 7:11 Those are the hardest times to let God change us---when we are desolate in the depths or fat and full in the heights. God spoke words to Ahaz twice. A word came to me very recently that shook my world and sunk me low, and brought me to my knees this week. I asked for a sign and one came within minutes. I don’t hold an experiential faith, yet I do believe God in whatever ways He shows up for me. You can read about receiving a sign in my post "Shimmering Skies." I was flabbergasted. Kneeling in brokenness; standing in grace.

WE ARE TO DREAD ONLY ONE THING. – Isaiah 8:13
The LORD came to me with his STRONG HAND upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people.. Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread what they dread. Isaiah 8:12-15. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy. HE is the one you are to fear. HE is the one you are to dread. And HE will be your sanctuary!

A LIGHT HAS DAWNED IN OUR DARKNESS – Isaiah 9:6
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. For to us a child is born…AND He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6. The zeal of the LORD will accomplish justice and righteousness. His Anger is not turned away. His Hand is still upraised. What will you do with the Light you have? What will you do on your day of reckoning; to Whom will you go for help? Isaiah 10:3

TURN TO YOUR FRIENDS FOR HELP or TO THE UNSEEN EYES – Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria’s king for help. What’s our first response when our health fails or unwanted news arrives by phone or a friend handles us so wrongly or a family member hurts us deeply with no apologies. Who do we turn to? “The king is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.” Do we seek to have intimate communion with God in the midst of our marital arguments---when we flee or fight? Verse 15 says: When we admit our guilt, “in our misery we shall earnestly seek Him.” Or do we just seek Him when circumstances are going well. Seek Him in your misery.

COME. RETURN. ACKNOWLEDGE. PRESS ON – Hosea 6:1
“Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. We cannot pick out the verses that build for us a safe life---all Scripture is inspired by God. What we can unpack from this chapter is the assurance that in the midst of suffering, our God will “come to us like the spring rains that water the earth. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear,” if we rend our hearts in repentance. Or, is our love like the morning mist that disappears? Hosea says that the LORD cut them in pieces with His Word. Are we connecting with HIM for greater insight to make our lives work---that sounds like idols to me. Or, are we finding HIM in the Word to know Him and have a relationship with the God Who created us for this very purpose. “Desire acknowledgement of God rather than offerings,” even of good programs and faithful groups and even Scripture knowledge---all good things but what do we seek first? God or things?

REDEEMED…SO CRY FROM YOUR HEART – Hosea 7: 13,14
God says in these verses He LONGS to redeem us. They are intrigued with God; their passions smolder. Yet, they don’t cry out to their God. They wail from their beds rather than crying out from their hearts. They are living in the old covenant---what are we supposed to do, they ask. This day, Jesus has redeemed us under the new covenant! Are we wailing upon our beds or crying out to HIM from our hearts? When we wail, we have one goal for our pain---relief. So how do we cry out to Him from our hearts and release His Spirit? In the new covenant, it is no longer what we are supposed to do, but what we WANT to do to follow our Christ cause there is no life apart from HIM.” So are the tears that fall---demanding angry tears or sorrowful repentant tears. I’ve not thought about asking what my tears are for…maybe I should say for Whom are my tears. For God or for myself?

WHAT ARE WE PILING IN HEAPS AS WE ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM? - 2 Chron 31:6
Just what are we stockpiling for this next world? “People lose heart and God brings their plans to nothing” for they consult everyone else but God, the Author of their lives. Hearts melt within when our trust is in anything other than God, our Source. (Isaiah 19:1). Where do we go for help and deliverance from the enemies of our soul? (Isaiah 20:5) We’ve relied on ourselves and the help we can find to muster up to get going again. Not so for Hezekiah. The LORD was mustering up an army and Hezekiah joined in and led his people to bring their tithes and pile them in heaps. This king offered a taste of God and advanced the kingdom of his God. Are we attaching and advancing His Kingdom or detaching and dismissing His Works?

My last word is this...life for me isn't about insight and more knowledge...our journey is all about finding a holy, sovereign God, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Knowledge puffs up and just makes us proud but love changes everything I Cor 8:1. We so want to love HIM and love our world. I don't know where God is leading us to go, but pray for our family as we ask Him and listen.