Isaiah

A few more personal notes and thoughts from my reading of Isaiah.

• God's message to all the lands were that judgment is coming and sin is everywhere.
• Do I do useless things with my time?
• From Isaiah 41:1 - Doomsday or the end of the Earth shouldn't be scary knowing God; He will be there in the End as He was there in the beginning
• Idols are bad.  They can't do anything for you.  They sought idols made of wood to save them.  I don't seek wood idols, but when I am tired or stressed to I first turn to God?  Or do I seek a tv show and a snack to replenish.  My idols may not be wood but just as distracting from God. 
•  Did the writer of Isaiah knowledge of the Earth influence the writing?  There is such talk of love for Jerusalem, but I live in the USA, which didn't exist then.  That doesn't mean we're excluded from God. 

Isaiah

I finished reading the book of Isaiah this morning.  This book has taken me a long time to get through.  I know there is a lot of good stuff packed in there, but I struggled with it too for some reason.  So much sin and separation.  I struggled with consistently reading my Bible lately too, maybe because of content, time, or some combination of both. 

• Jerusalem & Israel have turned to evil and strayed from God
• God is angry with them and will bring judges and enable fairness for their actions so Jerusalem will be free again
• In the last days the mountain with God's temple will becomes the most important, people will come and hear God's teaching
• A terrible day is coming that will make people run and hide from God's anger, the proud will be humbled
• God will punish Judah & Jerusalem
• Warning to flirty, fancy dressed women, they will be punished
• The Lord is a branch of life
• Lord is angry, punishment is coming, he invested in us and we threw away his efforts
• Don't be greedy and push others out
• Isaiah became a prophet; he recognized his sin and a 7 winged heavenly creature took it away
• Isaiah goes to tell the people they will not understand and will be sent way until only 1/10th are left in the land to regrow
• Challenge will come, you must keep your faith strong to survive
• Israel will be in trouble but Isaiah says a sign will come, Immanuel, God is with us
• There is ware in the land, by the time Immanuel is 12 (the time to choose between good and evil) that threat is gone, but the fertile land will be no more
• Assyria will overcome Damascus & Samaria
• Lord warns Isaiah not to fall for their ways and fears but to stay strong in the Lord and fear only Him
• A new day is coming, light will come in darkness, a baby; a son will come to rule and lead
• Lord is angry with Israel for their evil and ready to strike them down
• Assyria will overtake Israel for their evil, but then the Lord will punish Assyria too
• A new king will come
• The peaceable kingdom
• the new King's people will gather and have a way from Assyria
• Praise God
• God will destroy Babylon for their sin, children too
• Israel will return home, no longer slaves
• Babylon's king will die and he will go with the dead; his fearful rule on Earth will end
• Assyria will be punished
• Jerusalem is strong now by the Lord
• Philistines will perish, one cruel leader may die, but another is quick to hill those shoes
• Moab will be destroyed
• A new king will come and judge fairly
• Aram will be destroyed for they left God
• God's message to Cush & Egypt
• Isaiah obeyed and walked around naked and barefoot for 3 years
• God's message to Babylon, Edom & Arabia
• God continues to warn of coming destruction: Jerusalem, Shebna, Lebanon
• Lord will punish the people because of our sin
• Praise God
• Judgment for people and judgment will be fair
• Honor God with your heart
• Better times are coming
• Seek God's help
• Trust God, he wants to forgive us
• Trust in God, not in humans or animals
• Bad is coming but good will follow
• If evil, when you stop doing evil, it will come for you
• God is our safely, judge
• God will punish his enemies, their land will be for the animals
• God is comfort and discipline
• The Assyrians and Judah(King Hezekiah)
• Hezekiah was spared and praised God
• Babylon will take over Hezekiah's kingdom
• God's word stands forever, flowers fade
• Tell the good news, He is our shepherd
• There is no one and nothing like God
• He lives forever
• Never tires or needs rest
• He gives strength
• God is present in the beginning and the end, controller of history
• Only saving grace we have is God
• Idols cannot do what God can
• The Lord sends 2 special servants
• Songs of praise
• Israel heard, but didn't listen to God; God's teachings are good
• God is with his people
• People to witness God is so much more than any idol; He is all powerful
• God will save his people and forgive; bring your sins to Him
• Only one God, idols are useless
• Cyrus didn't know God but was selected to save Israel, everyone would see God's power
• Even when I'm old, God is the same
• Idols are useless
• We cannot save ourselves
• We hear and know but do not understand
• God gives peace like a river, evil has no peace
• God chosen will come to save, God will bring is people back to him
• Israel was punished for sin and doubted God's ability to save
• God helps his obedient servants
• We want to walk by our own light/fire, but HE is our light/lamp of the path to follow
• Judgment is coming, so is salvation
• Don't let the evil upset you, keep the faith, goodness will continue (don't fear those who die)
• Slavery of Jerusalem so the people would know God and again know God when we saved them
• We have all wandered away, but can be forgiven
• God will not be angry and punish again
• Jerusalem will grow
• God gives good and satisfying word we need to pursue
• It's word comes to us and causes things to happen; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts
• Foreigners will be accepted into the faith
• God offers real peace
• Don't make trouble, care for others, help others and God's light will shine
• People will fear God, salvation will come
• God is the light, let him shine
• Bring God's message
• The Lord was angry, for we all sin
• The Lord was/is ready and waiting for people to seek him and come to him
• People will learn about God
• Peaceable kingdom
• A new heave and a new Earth
• God loves Jerusalem & wants to see it prosper

Table

Earlier this year, during the winter that last into spring, we bought a new kitchen table.  I've wanted a new kitchen table for years.  However, at our old place, we didn't have room for anything bigger.  So after 9 months or so in the new place, we bought on a table.  It wasn't even planned!

My mom and I were out one day and happened to stop in a furniture store that had a boutique within.  While I checked out the boutique, my mom was checking the furniture bargain section, saw a table, that led to me calling Keith to meet me there and we bought a table!

It's big too, with 2 leaves in it to make it even bigger!

We didn't need to the leaves in it for our family dinner at home, so we had kept them stored within the table (neat feature).  But after having a mother's day cookout at our place, we'd put the leaves in and are keeping them in.  Now I think, our table is big and always ready should be have someone stop by or have folks for dinner. 

To me, it's a sign that our table is ready for guests, and I need to remember that hospitality mindset.

Keep Asking

^"17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe." - Ephesians 1:17-19

Keep asking. Don't stop asking for wisdom. Paul does not. We should not either. 

We were made for more because we are children of God. 

Know truth, so we may know God better.

Know there is hope and power beyond myself.
This was in Made to Crave and I needed to keep their reminder.  I often am asking for wisdom in my parenting, and I will continue to ask.  

Prayer & Perspective

Made to Crave presents the idea and concept that when we're faced with temptations, we can use them as an opportunity to pray.  Those prayer will guide us on a walk to Jesus that will let us know God better and build our relationship and foundation on Him.  It should be a natural thought, but Lysa really calls that out in this books and brings the point home. 

It should be our perspective that changes.  That we should view things different.  I've long been a believer that how we shape our perception or perspective in ours minds is a powerful tool to how we see and act in the world; this can be the same.  The right choices, be it food or other temptations, should be viewed as making a healthy choice, not viewed as a denial of something wonderful that we can't have. 

How do you define yourself?

In reading Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst, she poses a question, how do you introduce yourself when you meet someone new?  What is your elevator speech?  How does that define you?  What does that perspective of yourself reveal about your life?

Do you answer as an employee, mother, friend, daughter, church? 

As I think about this in my own experiences, I think it depends on my audience, and by the setting how I respond and introduce myself, but is it wrong that I rarely if ever start with: I'm Beth, I'm a Christian? 

Checklist

"God cant be reduced to a checklist."

How do you grow closer to God?

It isn't in the actions we taken, even though that may be good and honorable.   It isn't in the church going, giving and community service.  It's in the position of our hearts to Jesus.  It is in denying ourself the things that dont benefit us or bring us closer to God even if they are not sinful things.  "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

This is a fruit of the spirit.  (Galations 5:22)  Self-control brings us closer to Jesus and further from our thoughts being stuck full of guilt from our poor choices.

Sometimes I can get very focused on my shortcomings that it distances me from God.  It causes insecurity within me. I need spiritual nutrition and health to keep my soul full and satisfied in a way that food, possessions and other people cannot.

These are my notes and thoughts from the chapter " Growing Closer to God" in Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.

Where do I turn as my emotions change?

In reading Made to Crave, Lysa makes a statement about cravings and linking to our emotions. 

"Food was my comfort.  Food was my reward. Food was my joy. Food was what I turned to in times of stress, sadness, and even in times of happiness."

Food is meant to be a part of us and part of fellowship, but it cannot be the key point or the focus of my thoughts.

What do you crave more than me?

I'm reading Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  In the chapter titled "Finding Your "Want To""  Lysa gives her I interpretation of Matthew 19:21. 

"I want you to give up the one thing you crave more than me. Then come, follow me." 

This gave me a lot to think about.  What do I crave more the Jesus?  What gets in my way?  Food, workouts, sleep??

I rarely miss a workout.  The are at least a few days every week though, I don't pick up my Bible.  What does that say about my priorities?

Happy Mother's Day 2018!

Wrinkles

Elinore drew this in Grandma Barb's Mother's Day card.  She said the extra lines were her wrinkles.

island of the Blue Dolphin

Last year we were talking books at work and a few co-workers mentioned how much they'd enjoyed this book while they were in school.  They were shocked I'd never heard of it.  So for Christmas last year a friend gave it to me.  I finished reading it this week.  It was a good read and I recommended it to a friend of mine, I think her young elementary aged boys will enjoy it.  It had me wanting to keep turning the page, and I'm glad to have read it and be reminded of how important community is for people, and how strong and resilient people can be.