Self-Surrender

"Yes, come, buy priceless, spiritual wine and milk without money and without price    simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing.  Isaiah 55:1b AMP                                                                 What comes to mind when you think of surrender?  Do you think of war, battles or a white flag being waved. Our nature is self-seeking, not self-surrendering...a battle is being fought...we don't want to surrender our will to the Father...that's why it takes us so long to"accept the blessing" of salvation...and even after we surrender...there's still the battle of the flesh and the spirit going on inside our soul (Galatians 5:17).

As I read this chapter and look back, I now recognize the LORD's work in my life as He was inviting me to receive Him, the Living Water.   In verse one, I can hear Him saying, "WAIT and listen"...as I'm running quickly to get away.

In verse two, the LORD has caught my attention, probable because I heard the words in verse one..."come, without money and receive something priceless."  Jesus isn't giving up on me and speaks to me about the things I'm chasing, thinking they will be bring me happiness..."Why do you spend your money ...for what doesn't safisfy?"   "Your right, I think to myself"...as I slow down and  begin to consider...and the LORD continues to speak to me..."give ear to Me that your soul may live."

The LORD's invitation becomes more direct as He pleads for me to come and listen to His Words.  In verse 3 the LORD says:  "Come to Me; Hear, and your soul will be revived; I will make an everlasting covenant with you, promised to David”

The promise to David was to love him, never forsake him and to be faithful and merciful to him.  This is where the LORD catches my heart and my soul...and I completely surrendered.

My only regret in coming to the LORD, is that I didn't surrender sooner. 

Standing in His Love,

Sharon

"Blinded by the Bling"

Isaiah 39:1 "Soon after this..."

Hezekiah was on his deathbed and the LORD sent Isaiah to tell him, "set your house in order, for you are going to die. Hezekiah prays that he wouldn't die and the LORD extends his life 15 years.

When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote a poem and said: "Think of it--the LORD has healed me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the LORD." Isaiah 38:20

It hasn't been long since Hezekiah had recovered from his illness, when his adversary, the king of Babylon, sent him his best wishes and a gift. That gift caught his eye. Watch out - the enemy is at the door.

But there's another enemy...that's already made his way inside - into the heart of Hezekiah. He has been blinded "his treasures--his wordly bling". "They came from the distant land of Babylon. I showed them everything I own--all my treasures." Isaiah 39:3b,4. How quickly we can forget the LORD...especially when He blesses us. The words of Hezekiah's poem are still ringing...but Hezekiah has forgotten.

When we are going through a trial, God has our attention in a way that's different when things are going smoothly. The LORD becomes our constant companion...not just in the morning while we are praying and studying. But through out the day and night. It changes how we look at everything and everyone.

All that matters is what the LORD wants...not what I want or might accomplish...but what the LORD had created me for. We saturate ourselves with Him and pour the LORD into all we meet...family, friends and strangers.

When the trial ends...we go back to the way we were. Sometimes slowly, barely noticeable. Other times, like Hezekiah, quickly. We move three steps forward and then take two giant steps back. The urgency to know God above all else and the desire to make Him known is gone and we lose that intimacy.

Strange, that trials, the very thing we don't want...turns into the very thing we need...the valley is the place of vision...where we become what we are suppose to be...utterly dependent on the One who we are utterly dependent on, but have lost sight of it because we have been "blinded by the bling."

Strange that trials, the very thing we don't want...turns into the very thing we need...the valley is the place of vision...where we become what we are suppose to be...utterly dependent on the One who we are utterly dependent on. Here's a poem that I've read that seems to fit:

The Valley of Vision (dont' know author)

LORD, HIGH AND HOLY, MEEK AND LOWLY,

Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,

where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;

hemmed in by mountains of sin behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoining spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty

thy glory in the valley.

Standing in Him,

Sharon

"Living with the Enemy"

Isaiah 29:5a, 6a(amp) "...And in an instant, suddenly, you shall

be visited and delivered by the Lord of hosts..."

The Lord of hosts, Jehovah, can deliver us--in an instant-- from all our enemies. The question is "who are our enemies?" We see in this chapter that there are outward enemies and inward enemies, as well.

The greatest enemy is not wine...for being drunk with wine is only a symptom of a deeper problem. Nor is our greatest problem with those who seek to make war against us. Our greatest enemy is our spiritual blindness, our spiritual deafness...unwillingness to read, hear (obey) the Word of God.

Isaiah 29:13 "And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away."

This is a call for us to examine ourselves: 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"

The enemy is the sin that lives in us...that's why we are blind, deaf and poor. The only way to deal with sin, to be delivered from it...is to confess it to the LORD and repent...and in that day--deaf people will hear words read from a book, and blind people will see through the gloom and darkness. Those who are poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:18,19

The phrase "Holy One of Israel" is the Hebrew word "Yisra'el and is translated "God prevails." When we confess/repent from our sins, God will prevail in our hearts...we will be forgiven. We will be delivered from our blindness, deafness and our spiritual poverty and not only will we be changed, restored...but look what will happen around us:

"Those in error will then believe the truth, and those who constantly complain will accept instruction." Isaiah 29:24

Standing in Him,

Sharon

"Putting Down Roots"

"Isaiah 27:6  "The time is coming when my people will take root."

Being a backyard gardener, I've run into problems wit my plants dying on me because of root damage.  Sometimes the damage was caused by raccoons that come into my yard. They seem to love the roots that don't go too deep.  The little mask they wear hides the fact, that while cute, they can be very destructive.  They love to use their sharp claws to dig up and eat the roots of my favorite flowers.

At least you can see the raccoons coming...not so with the grub worms who invade my soil.  Everything on top looks great, the flowers are beautiful, leaves are green--then all of a sudden they die on you.  You can't se them from the outside, but these little pests are busy underneath the soil....chewing away at the roots.

Now weeds are different...you don't see them at first, but eventually they will begin to reveal themselves.  They love to wrap themselves around the roots of your plants so they can't receive any nutrients.  If you let them grow too big, they will grab ahold and squeeze until every last ounce of life is choked out of them.

We can see from the garden that roots need to be protected.  Spiritually, we need to protect our roots too.  The responsibility for how deep our roots go belongs to us.  God always provides sufficient water, but we must develop roots that go deep enough to absorb that water.  

How do we develop deep roots?  For a plant it happens naturally:  The sun dries the soil from the top down.  As the water begins to dry, the roots keep looking for it.  So they grow deeper, where the soil has not dried out yet.  The same is true for us.  When Bible reading or prayer times seems lifeless, instead of giving up, we need to press on...continuing to seek Him.  In our seeking, we must remember the Gardener.

"A Psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.  "Oh God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water."

He has promised He will always provide enough water for those that are His:  "I, the LORD, watch over it: I water it continually."  Isaiah 27:3  But we need to go looking for it.  These kind of spiritual roots don't learn to get by with less of God; they find God at a deeper level.

"May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love."  Ephesians 3:17b

Blessings,

Sharon
 

"Stuff Mart"

Isaiah 23:3 "You were the merchandise mart of the world"

My title is from a veggie tales movie that I watch with my granddaugher. Instead of saying Wall Mart it sings "Stuff Stuff, Mart Mart...Stuff Mart." And finishes with "Happiness waits at the stuff Mart! All you need is lots...more...stuff!" Of course, Veggie Tales isn't pushing that..."For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:10 ....if you watch the whole movie you will find that true happiness comes in knowing and building your life on Jesus Christ. AMEN!

Money will come and go, material things will break and thieves will steal and kingdoms will be shaken and fall. "The LORD holds out his hand over the seas. He shakes the kingdoms of the earth." Isaiah 23:11

But we have a kingdom that is an everlasting kingdom--of righteousness and life. May we NOT be impressed or trust in so-called human greatness or wealth, for they will all fail. Instead may we be impressed by the One who holds all things in His hands...the One who brings blessings and brings judgment too.

Standing in Him,

Sharon

"Burden Me"

Isaiah 21:1 amplified version: "The Mournful, inspired prediction, a burden to be lifted up, concerning the Desert of the Sea"

Throughout this chapter we see Isaiah burdened by what he sees in this vision. Descriptive words like mournful, hard, grievous, anguish, pained, dismayed......are used to describe what he is feeling as he sees the coming judgment on those around him.

In verse 11 & 12 we read that the watchmen is being asked "how long with this darkness last...when will the morning come?" Have you ever been up all night wondering how much longer does this night have to last before the daylight comes?

"Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous." Psalm 112:4

Our world today is living in such darkness. Do you and I see the lostness? Do we see the darkness of our world? Is there a burden? Are we broken hearted, grieved over the lostness and the coming judgment...like Isaiah was?

Though we agree that God's judgment is always right...we need to pray

that our hearts will always remain soft so that we will respond with prayer rather than indifference.

"Burden Me" by Jeremy Camp says it well: Burden me with the weight that you love me, Burden me with your plan, Burden me with the message that you've given me, Burden me here I am. All these faces right in front of me, I have a sense of urgency to bring the truth to this broken generation on their knees, so I ask you, so I pray...Burden Me.

Burdened,

Sharon

"Building an Altar in Your Heart"

Isaiah 19:19a "In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt..."

Altars always grab my attention in Scripture...they fascinate me. The altar is the meeting place with God, It's where you climb Mt. Moriah and give your Isaacs up to God, it is a place of sacrifice, (death to self) it is a place of consecration.

Scripture tells us that wherever Abraham went he built altars to the LORD--and there he would worship Him (Genesis 12:7,8; 13:18). I especially love the altars that Abraham built because they were plain. He used raw stones that weren't touched by man...they weren't cut or shaped--to represent a yielding to God's strength and not trusting in his own abilities. (Exodus 20:25).

The New Testament teaches us in Hebrews 13:10 that we have an altar which is Christ! Through Jesus' blood we have access at any time to God. Egypt--in that day--will build an altar to God. Our question for today is ~ Have we built an altar? Have we offered ourselves as a sacrifice to God? Are we maintaining that altar - daily renewing our DEDICATION to the LORD. Consecrating our heart to Him alone.

Blessings on your day,

Sharon