Peace
God sent a message to his floundering people through His man, Isaiah. Isaiah was sent to tell God's people that their lack of focus on Him had led them down the wrong path. They had gone their own way and followed their own plan for success. It was about to end in their own ruin.
Through Isaiah, God so gently assured them that there was a better plan for them. If they would only lock onto it. It could be summed up in this one verse:
Isaiah 26:3 You, LORD, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.
Jesus brought the same message. He insisted that our concern for our own well-being is misplaced. If we could see the reality of the spiritual realm...if we could really set our eyes on the things above (as Paul put it)...then we would connect with the truth: we were made to live with a constant connection with God and that if we would put our effort towards that, everything else we strain and strive for would be simply given to us.
Jesus compared humans to sheep more than once. Sheep are easily distracted and redirected. Jesus was saying our "eyes," or what we see as necessary and urgent, is often exactly the opposite of what is truly necessary and urgent. God longs to give us what we long for, but He patiently waits for us to come into agreement with this truth laced throughout the Bible:
Luke 12:29 "And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don't worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
I am continually pulled by my eyes and my heart to go after what I want, but even worse, what I think my family and I need. Jesus, and the "great cloud of witnesses" say I REALLY must trust God in this and seek Him first, trusting everything else will be given to me.
My honest experience has proven time and time again that God's words on this topic are true. As I was going through my Bible this am, I was jumping from note to note that I had hand written in the margins of Psalms and Isaiah, the places I spent so much time in from 2002 through 2006, when I felt so desperate for provision and work. Notes that documented my feelings of hopelessness about our situation. Feeling seemingly buried in debt with no work. God miraculously and dramatically turned things around for us in 2006, when I had finally decided to trust Jesus' command to seek Him first and let Him take care of the rest.
God reminded me that I never missed a meal, never went naked, we never went without a roof over our heads...the truth is, I never lost anything except some sleep and numerous opportunities to trust Him instead of worrying. I gained a first-hand knowledge of His miraculous provision during this time that I wouldn't sell now for even a trillion dollars. To see God take you through a tough situation is valuable for the rest of your life!
Seek Him first...He really will add the rest of what your heart longs for unto you if you "keep your purpose firm."
Just wanted to testify to His goodness, truthfulness, and trustworthiness this am!
Through Isaiah, God so gently assured them that there was a better plan for them. If they would only lock onto it. It could be summed up in this one verse:
Isaiah 26:3 You, LORD, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.
Jesus brought the same message. He insisted that our concern for our own well-being is misplaced. If we could see the reality of the spiritual realm...if we could really set our eyes on the things above (as Paul put it)...then we would connect with the truth: we were made to live with a constant connection with God and that if we would put our effort towards that, everything else we strain and strive for would be simply given to us.
Jesus compared humans to sheep more than once. Sheep are easily distracted and redirected. Jesus was saying our "eyes," or what we see as necessary and urgent, is often exactly the opposite of what is truly necessary and urgent. God longs to give us what we long for, but He patiently waits for us to come into agreement with this truth laced throughout the Bible:
Luke 12:29 "And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don't worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
I am continually pulled by my eyes and my heart to go after what I want, but even worse, what I think my family and I need. Jesus, and the "great cloud of witnesses" say I REALLY must trust God in this and seek Him first, trusting everything else will be given to me.
My honest experience has proven time and time again that God's words on this topic are true. As I was going through my Bible this am, I was jumping from note to note that I had hand written in the margins of Psalms and Isaiah, the places I spent so much time in from 2002 through 2006, when I felt so desperate for provision and work. Notes that documented my feelings of hopelessness about our situation. Feeling seemingly buried in debt with no work. God miraculously and dramatically turned things around for us in 2006, when I had finally decided to trust Jesus' command to seek Him first and let Him take care of the rest.
God reminded me that I never missed a meal, never went naked, we never went without a roof over our heads...the truth is, I never lost anything except some sleep and numerous opportunities to trust Him instead of worrying. I gained a first-hand knowledge of His miraculous provision during this time that I wouldn't sell now for even a trillion dollars. To see God take you through a tough situation is valuable for the rest of your life!
Seek Him first...He really will add the rest of what your heart longs for unto you if you "keep your purpose firm."
Just wanted to testify to His goodness, truthfulness, and trustworthiness this am!
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