Verse of the Day 10/14

Through the Bible - Isaiah 56-58, 1 Thessalonians 5   Good morning, This morning we'll continue our "green" series on God's sustainability..   For years gasoline and energy in general seemed abundant, that there was almost a limitless supply.  It wasn't until we ran into shortages and experienced long lines at the gas pumps, brown outs with electricity and other things that made it clear that conventional power isn't limitless. In the "green" movement we are encourage to turn to renewable resources such as solar and wind power.   In the Old Testament there were times when the resources ran short. Times of famine in while the Israelites were in Egypt or wandering in the desert.  In the desert God provided manna, day after day.  Elijah retreated to the wilderness and was fed by ravens..  Eventually the creek ran dry and God provided sustenance for Elijah and the widow and her son, renewing the supply of oil and bread daily.   Sometimes it takes the wandering in our own deserts, run low on our own resources, and come to the point where we must trust in God to provide before we'll turn to him.  Sometimes in the midst of this we question God's ways.   For today's verse we'll return to Isaiah 55 to a couple of verses which speak of God's ways.   Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.   NKJV We tend to think of sustenance in terms of physical needs, but the same thing applies to our spiritual needs.  All too often we become self sufficient and something needs to be done to brought us back.    Sometimes it is finding ourselves in a physical or spiritual desert that bring us coming face to face with the Saviour.   Helmut Thielicke in his book "The Waiting Father" writes, "Anybody who has gone through something hard with Jesus holding his hand, anybody who has had him as the companion of his anguish when he went through the bitterness of prison camp, when he was driven from house and home, when he was dragged from the smoking ruins of a bombed cellar - that person would not for all the world would have missed these experiences.  He does not say - in any case I have never yet heard anyone say - "because of all the hardships I have had to undergo, God must surely give me a higher place in heaven".  What he does say is this, "Not until I went down into the depths of hunger, fear, and loneliness did I experience the nearness of the Lord..  There is where I first learned who Jesus is and how he can save and comfort and sustain a man.  For the rest of my life I shall live by the blessings of those hours of 'burden and heat'.  I had to be sent down those rough roads in order that I might see that he really does know the way.  I had to go through the valley of the shadow to know the shepherd.  Otherwise I would never have experienced all this."   Look back through the Bible to Joseph, Moses, David, Paul; I think that they'd agree with this statement.  Looking back through the valleys of your life can you say the same?   Matt Redman captures the heart of this in the lyrics to one of the popular praise songs "Blessed Be Your Name".  Here are a few lines.   Blessed be Your name When the sun's shining down on me When the world's 'all as it should be' Blessed be Your name Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Do you feel like you're in a desert place today.  Call on Him, keep calling on Him day by day.   In Christ, Mike   Isa 55:8-56:1 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,And do not return there,But water the earth,And make it bring forth and bud,That it may give seed to the sowerAnd bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;It shall not return to Me void,But it shall accomplish what I please,And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 "For you shall go out with joy,And be led out with peace;The mountains and the hillsShall break forth into singing before you,And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;And it shall be to the Lord for a name,For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." NKJV