Week 3

As I sit here on this Saturday night, I should be preparing to teach the Sunday School lesson on Isaiah 55 tomorrow.  The words are ringing in my head but I just could not figure out what God was saying at this particular time through them.  Then God turned the light on for me.  Verse 2 really jumped off the page to me earlier tonight..."Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?"  There are so many other more well-known verses in this passage, why this one?   Here is what I think God is showing me through these verses.


When we go through a crisis, as my family is right now, we tend to seek answers everywhere.  I am the queen of internet searches!  If I want to know something, I "Google" it!  Normally, that is my first recourse.  I admit that I did do a few searches and got some information but only on the doctor and facility that we chose to use.  After that initial shock of the news, all I could hear in my head was "Be still and know..."  So I have been still and listened.  


At a time in my life when I should be terrified and scared by the world's standards, I am at peace.  Don't get me wrong!  I worry about my husband and how the treatments will affect him and I cannot stand seeing him feeling so badly but I have peace, God's peace.  I guess what I am getting from this second verse of Isaiah 55 is that I can frantically search for things that will give me answers or I can draw near to God.  


I don't mean to oversimplify or sound super-spiritual. It is just that when things are clear to me they are very clear.  God will provide for us, God will sustain us, God will see us through this.    I am continually amazed by the comfort that God has sent us through this trial.  Music is very important in my relationship with God and He has really used several songs to speak to me lately.  One that I have been hearing over and over again lately is "Love Is Here" by Tenth Avenue North.  It really has not stuck out to me until tonight.  I would put the lyrics here but don't want to violate any copyright laws so I will just give you a link where you can read them...Love Is Here  (scroll down on the page to see the lyrics). 


Anyway, the words of the song begin with Isaiah 55!  I will let you read them for yourself but the ones that stuck out to me tonight as I played it over and over in my mind and read the words were...Love is here, it satisfies....He is the LORD, He is the LORD!  How very true, He is all we need!


I mentioned before there are more "popular" verses in this chapter.  

• Verse 6 says, "Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near."
  
• He is close and waiting for us to come to Him.
  
• Verses 8-9, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."  
• We won't necessarily understand what happens but we can trust that He had a plan and has it under control.
  
• Verse 11, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth, It shall not return to Me void" .  
• It comes down to the words of another familiar song, "what He says He will do, where He sends, He will go. Never fear, only trust and obey."
  

Please continue to pray for Tom.  He has started feeling worse over the past few days as can be expected.  Friday was his last day to work until after the treatments.  We truly appreciate you prayers!
                - Jan