Food for Thought

I went 'Bible diving' this morning. (It's like 'dumpster diving' for treasure ;) I usually am rewarded with verses that start with "Woe to you!" But my prayer (in desperation!) was to be led to a place where God could talk to me, let me know some of His thoughts about dealing with the situations and circumstances of family and friends. I must admit He did lead me and I discovered a treasure that most of the Memorialites will role their eyes at and say 'duh!" Terry has been preaching the concept for years but God suddenly allowed me to see it in a different light.

In Isaiah 30:19-21 "How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it.""

I had always studied that verse with my footnotes explaining that the 'teachers' were the prophets...but I now read it as the teachers being 'the bread of adversity and the water of affliction'. How much I have learned from the bread and the water! How much bread and water the Lord has given my children! And the voice says "This is the way; walk in it." And when we do, we discover we are not fleeing in fear (earlier in the chapter) nor are we trying to make deals with the world we live in or trying to be the one in control (also earlier) but we are simply following that voice through the situations and the circumstances... believing He has (and IS) the answer.

Later in chapter 32:15-20 the women are addressed when that affliction and adversity comes: "the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever...though the hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free."

Through His Spirit living within us, we endure the flattening hail storms, knowing His justice, righteousness, peace and quiet confidence is growing within us. And we in turn sow what he has taught us in the bread and water everywhere we go...sort of a 'free range' growing of justice, righteousness, peace and quiet confidence in Him.

O Lord, let my soul attitude be a blessing of justice, righteousness, peace and quiet confidence to my family and friends! But then let it be thrown to a world that has eaten so much bread and drank so much water that it is ready to die for lack of peace. May you be glorified in our 'free range' sowing of your love.