Hope Unswervingly

  Read Isaiah 30:20-22 What truth is contained in these verses!! When we seek the Lord during hard times, things will become clearer and powerful things happen. Let's look at the three basic lessons that have become clear to me as I've studied this passage. First, God provides what we need – “meager bread and water.” Although we may be learning to do without some things, we still have a God who will meet our needs and help us become aware of our greediness for more than that. He has promised that when we first seek Him, He will provide for the daily stuff we tend to worry about (Matthew 6:33). Second, our Teacher will not be hidden and He will not be silent. Adversity helps us to grow and to learn about what God wants from us. As we stumble through the chaos, we will begin to see God in the midst of it, and God’s voice will become clearer.   He will lead us in His ways. Finally, when we are struggling, our lives get sifted. As the shaking continues, we begin to recogni...

Read Isaiah 30:18 When a child asks his parent for candy at 5:00 o’clock, the answer will typically be something like, “You may have one after supper.” The child may whine and complain that he wants it right now, that he’s hungry, or that the candy will not spoil his appetite. But parents with their child’s best interest in mind will say, “No, you have to wait.” Why do they do that? It’s because they know that good nutrition must come first before sweets for their child to be healthy. They know it is better to teach their child to wait than to give in to his demands at every turn. Parents know that there are things for which a child must learn to wait because it will be better and more beneficial later than it is right now. God is the ultimate Parent. He knows this principle better than any of us, and He uses it in our lives to teach and discipline us as well. Remember that His plan always comes out of His goodness and grace. A parent saying “no” or “wait” does not mean he does not...

Read 1 Kings 17 God instructs Elijah to go to Zarephath where he will find a widow who will provide for him. Elijah again obeys, but when he arrives and asks for provisions, he finds out she has nothing to give. One jar of flour, nearly empty. Just a drop of oil in the jug. Her plan? To bake one last loaf and prepare to die of starvation.  One with less faith than Elijah may have rolled his eyes and moved on, questioning God all the while. This is your provision? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to send me to someone rich who had plenty of extra? But that is not Elijah’s response. Trusting in God’s plan, he offered reassurance and comfort to the widow. He instructed her to go ahead and be hospitable and generous, and that this selfless action would provide for her and her son as well. (17:13-14) Both were obedient to God’s plan. Both helped each other. In their actions, both stopped focusing on their own needs and focused on the other. In the process, both had needs...