When I Think About The Lord

Two things were on my mind this morning. My love and that song. When I think about the Lord. For me, for today, that's where I am. My love and the Lord. I think the reality that there are some things you're not meant to understand is a mature place to find yourself in God. Its a place I'm not always sure I'm qualified to be in. The Word says our thoughts aren't His thoughts. There are things we just don't get to know and that's a harsh reality that isn't changing. Because I know Him, I have to believe that this is on purpose. There are some things we can't hold onto. Some truths we can't contain in our human frailty that He quite simply keeps from us. The thing about God though is that He's still God. He's still who He was yesterday. He's still in charge. And even when it seems that that can't be the case, its true. 

Isaiah 4:5

 And the Lord will create over the whole site, over every dwelling place of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy (a defense of divine love and protection)

My Love used a phrase that means exactly what this scripture means. "I'm surrounded." That's what I thought of when I re-read this scripture. When I read it for the first time I had no idea I'd be writing about it from this space. Here, God is talking about Himself and giving a physical manifestation of His presence. God still does that today. He can do that with people. He did that with me. I was minding my business and the Lord dropped something in my spirit that said "Text her that pic." I did and she called me. See that's where heeding the Spirit comes in. Had I been dismissive of the whisper, critical information might not have been shared. Prayers wouldn't have been prayed. That is the provision of the Father. That is a canopy. God sends people when you need them. He's able like that.

Isaiah 5:2

And He dug and trenched the ground and gathered out the stones from it and planted it with the choicest vine and built a tower in the midst of it and hewed out a winepress in it. And He looked for it to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

Preparation. You can't expect excellence from nothing. All the preparation needed to bring forth fruit was done. I've got to realize that just because I was prepared doesn't mean my outcome will be what I'm looking for. Think about everything He did. 

He prepared the ground. In my mind that's preparing your mind. You've got to get in the right mental frame for certain things. You can't expect to go to deeper levels in Christ if you aren't ready to do the work. He then selected the choicest vine. To me, that's choosing a devotional. That's choosing how you're going to seek Him. That's selecting a book of the Bible and this isn't done lightly. For my study, starting with Psalms was about reminding myself of who my God is and what all He's done for His people throughout the history of time. At the same time he hewed out a winepress. What does a winepress do? It gets everything it can out of the fruit. That's this right here. That's the decision to write about what God's saying to me. That's making time in my day to spend time with God. That's simultaneously done in scripture with the selection of the vine. To me that's clearly says you not only need to read but you need to get everything you can from the Word. God's got something in there for me and I've got to seek. I can't through a glance by the Word, I've got to get in there for real. I've got work to do. 

Now in this scripture, the fruit wasn't what was expected. I can totally relate. This process has been preparing me for things I had no idea God wanted from me. He's literally brought for fruit I didn't know was in me. A spirit to be diligent in righteous, a desire to give a perfect effort, patience I've never exhibited before, clarity of the will of God in my life that continues to blow my mind. Just last night I asked Him for something, anything for this situation and where He took me was so unexpected but so appropriate in hindsight. My assignment is no different. He's so faithful. 

Isaiah 5:11-12

Woe unto those who rise early in the morning, that they may pursue strong drink, who tarry late into the night till wine inflames them!

They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, neither do they consider the operation of His hands [in mercy and in judgment]

This verse speaks to me about a lack of the pursuit of righteousness. I rise in the morning to do this. No matter how late it is, I read my Bible before bed and I get on my knees. On days the baby hasn't permitted, I've prayed with him right on my chest. I think that's a beautiful thing because even at 12 weeks, baby needs to know that prayer is the way out and the way into His presence. Even when I rise early, I'm rising to seek God. That set aside time that allows me walk into my day prepared. It also tells me again and again about the God I serve and His love for me. I get a fresh dose of grace each and everyday because I'm His child but I also get another glimpse into who He is and that helps me be a better person myself. You see I know better, at this point in my life, than to believe its me. I know its Him. I know that despite what it looks like it will never be me. Lord, work through me that I might do your will and people might experience your love in some small way through their interactions with me. Dwell on the inside that I may represent you outwardly.

Isaiah 5:24

Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be like rottenness and their blossom shall go up like fine dust—because they have rejected and cast away the law and the teaching of the Lord of hosts and have not believed but have treated scornfully and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Listen, the Word is holy. To treat it as anything less is inappropriate. What this verse reminds me of is what it is actually like to be without Him. I don't want to know that reality. I don't want to know anything about it. This passage is the opposite of how Jesus, who fulfilled the law, is described: Lily of the Valley, the Living Well, Prince of Peace, God Among Us. I can't comprehend rejecting that. He is the way and the truth and the light. He was the sacrifice for our iniquities. Life without God isn't life at all. He's available. Lean on Him.

Isaiah 6:2-3

Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two [each] covered his [own] face, and with two [each] covered his feet, and with two [each] flew.

And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!

This is the atmosphere around God. There are angels declaring who He is to His creation. Everything in there He made and the entire purpose of some of those beings is to simply state the reality of who God is. The other thing I love about this is that even the angels can't bear to look at God. He's too holy for those who have committed no sins but we, humanity, will have the ability to gaze upon Him because through the blood of the Lamb we are not only made clean and holy but sons and daughters. That reality is unchanging and unchangeable. Through salvation, which is by faith alone, we are given an inheritance. Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and we will be with the Father on the other side of Jordan. I'm so humbled by the fact that despite my shortcomings and outright failings, I'm going to see God one day.

Isaiah 6:7-8

And with it he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

This is what the blood of Jesus did for me. It makes me clean and holy, righteous and upright. Nothing more has to be done for me to be in relationship with God. Jesus was the full and complete sacrifice required for my ability to sit in this bed, on this laptop, writing about how great God is. I think its so important to consider in this passage the touching of the mouth. I'm reminded of the verse "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks" and I harken it back to the verse that says worship without heart is of no use to God.  Lets be clear. Your worship has to be from your heart and it is uttered aloud AND your words come from the overflow your heart, then the mouth is an important place. It literally tells the nature of the heart and allows what the heart fells to be expressed. God touched that place. There are so many times I let what God has to say be what I say. My humanity often gets in the way but there's grace there. I'm reminded to think about what words I use to make sure they are really indicative of what God would have for me to say as well as making sure my heart is right so that the things I would naturally say will be edifying to the body of Christ. The body of Christ that I'm talking about is those who are in my circumference of reach that God might want me to reach for His glory. Let me words be like manna from Heaven for those you are calling me to touch.

When God says who shall I send I want to be ready. I want to be prepared. I want to have done what I was supposed to do in regards to my relationship with God so I'm ready to do His will. Being ready to do His will isn't easy because His will may be contrary to what I want which is why relationship is so critical. Its because I know Him that I can say, Not my will but yours God. Send me, Father. You've equipped me for something God. For such a time as this. Incline my ear to do your will, to speak your words, to extend grace and compassion. I just want to do your will.