Water For The Thirsty

“When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never forsake them. I will open up rivers for them on high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. In the deserts they will find pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the dry, parched ground. I will plant trees—cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine—on barren land. Everyone will see this miracle and understand that it is the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, who did it.”

~Isaiah 41:17-20

Here it is, another promise from God. Oh how we need His comfort and reassurance on a daily basis. For those who have given their lives to Jesus, this passage is a promise that He will never leave us and that He will pour out life-supporting water during the driest of times in the most seemingly impossible places. We have but to call on Him. He says He will answer when we go searching.

The Bible declares there is a time for everything and a season for every purpose under heaven. “A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to harvest,” it says in Ecclesiastes 3:2. I really dig the harvest seasons. I take great joy in the colorful array of flowers that spring up in our modest garden. Though planting seems arduous at times, we have the hope of what is to come, a picture of the harvest ahead. Sometimes the image is sharp and clear while other times it is almost impressionistic, much like a Monet. But that flowerbed is coming, the harvest is coming, of that we can be sure.

The planting season can be so laborious. Hours upon hours are spent clearing weeds, preparing soil, planting seeds and—if like me, you have no outdoor water supply—you’ve got to haul water up and down two flights of stairs. The toil leaves me feeling so thirsty. No matter how much water I guzzle down, I always need more.

So it is in our Christian lives. Seasons for everything. Droughts and downpours. Sometimes I feel as though the Lord is just flooding me with life-changing insights and there are other times where things aren’t necessarily bad, but nothing remarkable seems to be happening. Ever feel that way yourself? Perhaps, like me, you sometimes feel spent and thirsty, poured out, day in and day out, labouring over your Spiritual field, digging and planting and sowing the Spiritual seeds. You press on, with the Spiritual water bottle of God’s word at your side, constantly guzzling it down…otherwise you’ll pass out. For as much Spiritual water as you’ve been drinking, you still feel somewhat dry and thirsty. But it’s a season and the next one is on the way.

The LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” Isaiah 58:11

The drought will pass. Fountains, pools and rivers lie just 'round the bend.

My Shepherd's Voice

As I sat in my flat today, my mind flooded with thoughts of activity beyond the walls of my wee dwelling place...People shooting into every direction, babies crying, cars accelerating, doctors examining, farmers farming, Grannies laughing, teachers eating, students learning, people living, people dying. One after another, they flashed before me in a constant display of colorful movement. I marveled at the loudness of these images, each the result of one decision or another.

Decisions. Big ones, small ones, easy ones, tough ones. Each day we either run, walk, or crawl through the valley of decision. There are even times when we don’t move at all, for the weight of pending decisions can stunt us to the point of immobility. However, they don’t just go away. No, they linger. Something must be done. Some action must be taken. Decision beckons at every step.

Where will I spend eternity—that’s a big one. Which shoes will I wear—seemingly insignificant. What to do with this money? Shall I have sugar or honey? Whether loud or quiet, obviously important or seemingly insignificant, I am thankful to have a trustworthy Guide for all of my decisions.

“My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

The very tone of my Shepherd’s voice tells me He knows everything. He knows exactly what I need…when to stop and rest, when to feed and when to move on. I don’t always understand where He is taking me or why. His ways and thoughts and even His voice is higher than mine—after all, sheep are visibly lower in stature than their Shepherd. So while I don’t always know the particulars, I have learned—and am learning—to simply follow His voice. I can sometimes see His feet and that protective staff of His but no matter where my eyes align, I recognize His voice and that is what guides me to the next field. The reason I know His voice? “I know them,” He says, “and they follow me.” We know each other, have spent time together. We are more than acquaintances.

Sheep don’t follow strangers. Have you ever tried taking pictures of them? They are…well, they are very sheepish, very sheepish indeed. They run away from you the moment you so much look at them. That is, unless they know you, know your voice and trust you enough to follow you…even when they don’t understand your timing, your reasons or where it is you are leading them.

“My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Is He calling out to you? I will pray you could trust the very sound of His voice and follow Him. He loves you!

Behold, He Makes All Things New

“And He that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said unto me, ‘Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said unto me, ‘It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.’” ~Revelation 21:5-7

How I love newness! I like change. I crave it, need it. It keeps me on my toes. There is only one unchanging thing which I love: God. The same yesterday, today and forever, He is the anchor in my life and the solidity from which any good change in me is born. Perhaps that’s why I like this season of the New Year. I especially like how it follows the Christmas season. I love to picture Jesus as a newborn babe. Subsequent thoughts of His life, death and resurrection build up in my mind into the culmination of one word…NEW. The Bible says God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). His mercies weren't just for yesterday and we don’t have to wait for the future to lay hold of them because they are new each and every single morning!

The word ‘new’ also makes me think of the words 'now' and 'today'. I think of Joshua 24, where God says we should choose TODAY who we will dwell with. I remember living apart from Him, before He pursued me and won me with His love. I guess I really should rephrase that: I wasn’t living apart from Him. No, being apart from him means that I was actually dead. My sin had done me in. I had broken just about every one of God’s laws and therefore received my very own spiritual death sentence. I was a dead woman walking down the hall to the lethal injection chamber. The needles were dug in and the poison was ready. I was as good as dead. A short time later, I came to the understanding that I deserved it. But before the deadly mixture—created by my own sin—hit my veins, a miraculous thing happened. In walked Jesus, the same One whose first bed was a manger. Now grown, He lifted up His arm as if commanding the storm to stop. He then lay His life down in my place and bore the poison of my sin upon Himself. He said to me, “I love you. It is finished.”

“O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.” ~Psalm 98:1

Talk about victory! Jesus came forth as the Holy Arm of God to intercede for me. He was born a baby and grew up to die for me. He no longer hangs on the cross, nor can He be found in the tomb, for the grave is empty. He is alive, seated at the right hand of the throne of God, continually interceding for all of us. (Hebrews 12:2)

So here we are, at the start of a new year. While many may use this time to plan resolutions, my mind seems to brim forth with thanks for what He has done in my life until this very moment. It amazes me that He sees my life as one of His masterpieces. It is also exciting to think about the plans He has for me and the new songs I might dedicate back to Him.

“For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ~Ephesians 2:10

I know that passage in Revelation 21 is referring to the New Heaven and Earth, where there will be no more tears and no more sin. For those who belong to Him, it is a hope-filled promise of what is to come. But you know, I see where He says “Behold, I make all things new,” and I say, man that is for right now. That is for us today. Like the Samaritan woman in John 4, He is offering us Living Water TODAY. We don’t have to be thirsty anymore. He can be our God and we can be His sons and daughters today. We don’t have to wait. In fact, we shouldn’t wait because there is no time to lose.

This is a long post, I know. I guess my mind won't stop on the topic of newness. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I pray God uses the things He shows me to speak to others. With this post, I especially pray for anyone who has not chosen Jesus today. Perhaps you’ve come to the realization that your sin has kept you separate from God. Maybe you’re a dead person walking, like I was. Maybe you've been trying to quench your thirst with lifeless junk that instead bleeds you dry and leaves you even more thirsty. Maybe you feel abandoned and fatherless. Dear one, please know that He already gave His life for yours. The question is, will you respond to His act of love by choosing to live with Him? He is a Gentleman. He doesn’t force us to do things. Love is not love if it be forced.

Behold, He makes all things new…

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Right now, today…

At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

May He draw you and bless you with Himself. May you fall in love with Him who loved you first.