“Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.
He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless.
Youths may faint and grow weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Needing to remember that God is my life, and what I see now both good and bad are more or less temporary illusions.
One thing is for sure, God is with us.
If He's with us what could dare come up against us? (Romans 8:31)
When I fail or ruin something (which I do frequently), I'm still with God.
When someone fails or ruins me, I'm still with God.
When money fails, I'm still with God.
When relationships fail, I'm still with God.
When my emotions bring me low, I'm still with God.
Even in the pit of my mistakes, I'm still with God.
In sickness and in health, I'm still with God.
In life or in death, I'm still with God.
In loss of this or wreck of that, I'm still with God.
We lose and we gain, we feel great and we feel terrible, it's our fault or it's not our fault...doesn't really matter.
What matters most is that today we are all being given opportunities to know God more deeply.
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Blog I read today:
One Thing I Ask
Psalm 27:4
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
▪️David was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Although David could have wanted many things (victory over his enemies, the crown on his head), we see him relentlessly return his focus to God. David sought God more than any earthly treasure.
One Thing You Lack
Mark 10:21
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
▪️The rich young ruler claimed to be righteous, but he is unwilling to give Jesus the one thing He asked for: himself. The rich young ruler was willing to impress Jesus with his track record, but he was unwilling to surrender his status.
One Thing is Necessary
Luke 10:41-42
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
▪️One day Martha had an unexpected houseguest—the Son of God. While she toils over a meal for Jesus and twelve other men, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. Jesus responds to her complaint by saying, “You are anxious and troubled with much serving.” Martha was so focused on doing a good thing that she missed out on the best thing.
One Thing I Know
John 9:25
He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
▪️A man born blind is healed by Jesus. When interrogated by the religious leaders, he doesn’t present a well-prepared speech or get intimidated. He simply tells his story: He was blind, but now he sees. In response, Jesus declares the blind man seeing and the religious leaders blind.
One Thing I Do
Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
▪️The apostle Paul didn’t let the baggage of his past dictate his goal. He was focused. He knew his goal, and he wasn’t going to waver. This Pharisee of Pharisees, who had everything going for him, laid down his life to follow Jesus.
5 Verses, 1 Lesson
These five verses highlight five different people from five different walks of life, yet each point to the same lesson:
* David: Knowing God is at the heart of prayer.
* Rich young ruler: Knowing God is at the heart of surrender.
* Martha: Knowing God is at the heart of service.
* Blind man: Knowing God is at the heart of witness.
* Paul: Knowing God is at the heart of ambition.
In summary, the lesson is this: Our lives are to be singularly focused on Jesus.
Each story is about not being distracted—by aims or money or serving or fear or our past—but being completely centered on Jesus. When we strain to follow Him, our hearts are filled with joy and purpose and love. When we fix our eyes on Him, we receive the one thing our souls truly long for: Himself. (By Camden McAfee)
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