Sept 14 All will know You!

Father, You are right in Your assessments and just in Your judgments. You gave Isaiah a judgment that would fall upon the people of Moab and Damascus. It’s a horrible picture of death and devastation. Moab was spoken of with “her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and her insolence…” And Damascus had “forgotten God your Savior, you have not remembered the Rock your fortress.” Both were lands of great idolatry.

Lord, do not let me be prideful or conceited. Do not let me think more of myself than I ought to, or forget that all I have comes from You. Father, I am humbled again, at Your righteousness. You always punish the wicked.  And yet You leave a remnant who turn back to You. “In that day [of judgment] men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands…” Although they had lived their lives worshipping other gods, when judgment came, they knew exactly who the real God was.

I fear I live in a country of people who also deny You and worships other gods. Perhaps not in a religious way, but who live their lives by seeking fame and fortune, doing only what feels good or gains them the most material possessions. However, I believe that when judgment falls, they will remember that they knew all along, who You really are. Father, bring revival before it is too late. Amen

Isaiah 15:1—18:7

Sept 2 A Time for everything

“Be still and know I am God”.  What a great reminder! When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You. But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence. It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself. “Be still and know I am God”.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You. One at a time, You take them and ease them away from me. You can handle whatever it is, because You are God. I know this. Not just ‘I-read-it-in-a-book’ know it. But ‘I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust’ know it. You are God and there is no other. You are God and there is no other.

If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them: youth, appearance, energy, vitality, children, financial security, what I can do for others. There is a long the list of things that I sometimes gain my identity from. But I lay each of them down. My identity, who I really am, comes only from You. Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

I seek Your direction Lord, for the rhythm and timing of my life. Solomon wrote it all out Lord. You have created “a time for everything under heaven”. “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…” It goes on. And I realize Father that I need to, I want to seek Your will for the rhythm and timing of my life. Father, help me know when to “keep” and when to “throw away”. I am already sensing I am moving into a time of not keeping so many things. Help me know when to “speak” and when to “be silent”, when to “search” and when to “give up”, when to “embrace” and when to “refrain from embracing”.

As I read each pairing I can feel You speaking to me. You lead me to a place in my spirit where either one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life. Thank You Lord. Thank You for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.” Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10