Gladness of Heart

Isaiah 65:13

Therefore thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, my servants shall eat,

but you shall be hungry;

behold, my servants shall drink,

but you shall be thirsty;

behold, my servants shall rejoice,

but you shall be put to shame;

 behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,

but you shall cry out for pain of heart

and shall wail for breaking of spirit

Psalm 5:11

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

let them ever sing for joy,

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may exult in you.

 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;

you cover him with favor as with a shield

Psalm 2:12

Blessed are all who take refuge in him

There are times gladness of heart seems so far away.  The pain this world throws at us is unbearable but aren’t you glad we have God who we can take refuge in.  He comforts the broken hearted and has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  Our peace and rest are found in Him alone.

Thank You for Opening My Eyes

God, thank you for opening my eyes and heart to your grace and purpose through the redemption found in Jesus Christ.  Keep my feet on a path that finds purpose each day honoring you.

Isaiah 65:1

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that was not called by my name.  I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;  a people who provoke me to my face continually

Romans 1:18

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God

He Has Molded Us

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”  We are created beings for a single purpose; to honor and glorify God.  He has given each of us talents to be used for this purpose but I find in my own life I like to claim some of these talents as my own.  At the end of the day who gave me the ability to learn, understand, and execute these skills.  If I see myself as the lump of clay being molded by God would I look at these skills differently?  Would I be more thankful?  Would I seek to hear His quiet still voice directing me to actions that bring Him honor and glory?  Would people be able to see the love of God?  

God forgive me for wanted to take any credit for that which you clearly have molded into who and what I am.

Isaiah 64:8

But now, O Lord, you are our Father;

 we are the clay, and you are our potter;

 we are all the work of your hand

45:9

“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him

29:15

You turn things upside down!

Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,

that the thing made should say of its maker,

“He did not make me”;

or the thing formed say of him who formed it,

“He has no understanding”

Romans 9:19

For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay

Come As You Are

Trying to be good enough for God is not the answer.  

He wants you to come to Him just the way you are and then He will change you from the inside out.  

Isaiah 59:12

For our transgressions are multiplied before you,

and our sins testify against us;

for our transgressions are with us,

and we know our iniquities:

 transgressing, and denying the Lord,

and turning back from following our God

64:6

We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, 

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, 

but in order that the world might be saved through him. 

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, 

but whoever does not believe is condemned already, 

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God

More Than We Think or Imagine

In Ephesians it says God can do more than we think and much more than we can imagine.  He is awesome in power and might.  He is steadfast in His love for servants who walk before Him with all their heart.

Isaiah 64:3

When you did awesome things that we did not look for

Exodus 15:11

“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?

Who is like you, majestic in holiness,

awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders

Deuteronomy 3:24

‘O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours

1 Kings 8:232

“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart

Place of Rest

How can you know you are in a place of rest if you are not seeking the Lord in what He is leading you to do.  Do we go our own way and ask Him to bless us.  Are we asking for Him to bless us when we have not sought Him with our heart or humbled ourselves before Him.  Our purpose is to honor and glorify Him.  Humbly seek Him and find purpose and rest doing His will for your life.

Isaiah 63:14

the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.

So you led your people,

 to make for yourself a glorious name

Jeremiah 29:12

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord

Daniel 10:12

Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words

Ezekiel 44:13

They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed

Astray in Our Heart

“They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways”

Isn’t it easy to go astray in our heart?  Sometimes big things and other times it is the small things that lead us away.  Keep your heart in pure desire to honor and glorify God.  When we allow other stuff in there it always seems to take ground and grow. 

Isaiah 63:10

But they rebelled

 and grieved his Holy Spirit;

therefore he turned to be their enemy,

and himself fought against them

Psalms 78:17

Yet they sinned still more against him,

 rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

 They tested God in their heart

by demanding the food they craved.

 They spoke against God, saying,

 “Can God spread a table in the wilderness

78:22

because they did not believe in God

and did not trust his saving power

95:8

do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

 when your fathers put me to the test

and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

 For forty years I loathed that generation

and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,

and they have not known my ways

Love and Redemption

Thank you Lord for your love and redemption.  Though I have not been faithful and fall short many times you remain faithful and steadfast.  Guide me today and use me for your honor and glory.

Isaiah 63:8

And he became their Savior.

 In all their affliction he was afflicted,

and the angel of his presence saved them;

 in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;

 he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old

Deuteronomy 7:10

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations

Daniel 9:4

I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened

Wake Up

When are we going to wake up to that which we have bowed our back?  How much of the sin of our culture have we stood silent and not spoken out against?  How long will it be before we say, like Isaiah, “Here am I send me”

Isaiah 63:5

I looked, but there was no one to help;

I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;

so my own arm brought me salvation,

and my wrath upheld me

59:16

He saw that there was no man,

and wondered that there was no one to intercede;

then his own arm brought him salvation,

and his righteousness upheld him.

 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,

and a helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,

and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak

51:18

Thus says your Lord, the Lord,

your God who pleads the cause of his people:

“Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;

the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more;

 and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,

 who have said to you,

‘Bow down, that we may pass over’;

and you have made your back like the ground

and like the street for them to pass over

Burning Desire to Praise

Do you ever have that burning desire to praise God for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do?

Isaiah 62:11

Behold, the Lord has proclaimed

to the end of the earth:

 Say to the daughter of Zion,

 “Behold, your salvation comes;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.”

 And they shall be called The Holy People,

The Redeemed of the Lord

40:10

Behold, the Lord God comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

 behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

 he will gather the lambs in his arms

Matthew 18:12

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety- nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety- nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish