Isaiah Chapter 55 Verses 8 – 9

·    I am SO glad for these verses! Sometimes I surprise myself with how hair-brained I am and I don’t even have any hair! I love the fact that, (and it causes me such personal inner stabilization to know that), God has got things figured out! He sees what I do not see. AND, (this is awesome), He really cares about and for me. Which means, He is my Protector. My Guardian. Are there guardian angels? Sure, I can get there biblically, but here's what I know…, I have a guardian God! My Father who loves me, He protects me. He takes care of me… And/But, in His way…, not mine, and His way is higher…

·    There are two elements of “higher” that I need to deal with. One, the universe does not revolve around me. I wish it did, most of the time I live like it does, but it does not. And so, if God’s plan for my life doesn’t include me being the center of the universe, then I have to come to grips with perhaps what happens in my life may not be ideal for me personally but it is best for something greater than myself…, like others. AND, God’s glory is a much much higher cause than my comfortability… And I have to come to grips with that.

·    However, with that being said, I trust the Lord… And this life is just the beginning of what God has for me. Mark 10:29-30 says, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is not one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time – houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life.”

·    The point is that perhaps the higher way may not include my worldly, immediate, current personal benefit but nothing is lost on God. In fact, the word for “higher” in the Hebrew speaks of pride like God is saying He is in Himself proud of how He will take care of me as I trust in Him…

·    So, this calls me to set aside earthly rationale, experiential education, even feelings and emotions and take up a willingness to play the long game and sacrifice the moment for the righteous result…, to not be penny wise and pound foolish…, but to trust the Lord because He is intensely greater! AND, no matter what it means for me personally, the Word of God will always come to pass… This is why God’s word is SO profitable as we read in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness!”

·    I also love this because it is a pure confrontation to the pride of people. That if I just faith-this-up then God will do what I want or if I just name this then I can claim it or if I just declare it then God will deliver it! But God’s ways and thoughts are higher! And He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to Ephesians 3:20… So no, it’s not about what I would do or how I am approaching or thinking about a situation…, it’s about submitting to the One who is eternally greater than me! It’s sobering and yet its also entirely freeing to realize that my faith, my religion, my life, my exactly everything is not actually about ME!

·    Yes, I feel, yes, I deduce, yes, I comprehend, yes, I exist, and yet because of the fact and reality of God, I must decrease and He must increase! AND, God’s ways and thoughts are not like mine!? And that is a good thing… Because when you live long enough you begin to see that your ways and thoughts are sorely lacking!

Isaiah Chapter 55 Verses 10 – 11

·    I love this! Learn the word or not… Submit myself to the superiority of Jesus Christ or not… the word will still be fully fulfilled in my life and in yours! Just like rain coming down onto the ground. Let the ground try not to change… HA! Here comes rain… It was dirt… Now we might see some beautiful flowers, luscious green grass, profitable crops…, or maybe some fungus…, ha! Or some MUD! Whatever we are going to see…, we are going to see something! And that is the power and the effectivity of the word of God!

·    What should the water bring and what can the water of the word of God bring? LIFE! Seed to the sower, bread to the eater…, water is key to life and yet in some environments, water simply turns the ground into mud… And folks can even get quite stuck… But the intent of the word of God?... Look there, that amazing and great word…, “Prosper.” It means to advance, to cause success, to break out, to overcome, to bring about increase!!

Isaiah Chapter 55 Verse 12

·    This is a verse that I discovered very early on in my walk and one that I think about personally quite often. As you trust in the Lord and His ways are being brought about in your life, even when you are suffering, go outside, listen long enough and you will hear the wind in the trees and the sound of branches, leaves, even grass blades and know that is an encouragement from heaven for you to keep going! God is with you! You are highly favored! You are loved! And He is the King of kings and the Lord of Lords!

Isaiah Chapter 55 Verse 13

·    Thorns…, briers…, these are what it might look like today or what you would expect to grow…, but trust the Lord and stay humble… What will grow in the place of your own expectations, fears, even desires will surprise you, impress you, delight you…. This is, in context, what the power of the Word of God can and should be to my life and to yours…, a reversing affect of the curse that sin brought upon the earth… and in that it’s not even about you…, its unto the glory of the Lord, so…, He will do it!