Random musings and conscious thoughts...

Isaiah 55

"Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk--it's all free!

Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul!

Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake.

Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.

My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD.
"And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.

It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands!"

Posted in: on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 at at 6:23 PM 2 comments

Ezekiel 37:1-14

GOD grabbed me. GOD's Spirit took me up and sat me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them--a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain--dry bones, bleached by the sun.

He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said, "Master GOD, only you know that."

He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: "Dry bones, listen to the Message of GOD!'" GOD, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am GOD!"

I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.

He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath.

Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'"

So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.

Then God said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel (God's chosen people). Listen to what they're saying: "Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there's nothing left of us.'

Therefore, prophesy. Tell them, "GOD, the Master, says: I'll dig up your graves and bring you out alive--O my people! Then I'll take you straight to the land of Israel. When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you'll realize that I am GOD.

I'll breathe my life into you and you'll live.

Then I'll lead you straight back to your land and you'll realize that I am GOD.

I've said it and I'll do it..."

So, are you dead and dry? Is your hope gone? Are you far from the land that has been promised you?

Lord, as one of your chosen people I ask that You breathe on us; breathe o breath of God... change our hearts... renew our spirits... lead us into our promised lands.

Posted in: on at at 12:00 AM 2 comments

A quote from a Sam Storm's e-mail:

"All prayer must begin with this fundamental premise:

God's greatest joy doesn't come from making demands but in meeting needs! God doesn't need to be cajoled or coerced into blessing his people.

His heart is filled with joy and delight in his children and he loves nothing more than to shower them with things that far exceed their capacity to envision or articulate (see Eph. 3:20; 1 Cor. 2:9).

If you don't believe this about your heavenly Father I doubt that you will come boldly to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16), if you come at all...

God is not a reluctant stranger who must be bullied into responding to the cries and requests of his children.

He is not a self-serving tyrant who demands more works and greater deeds before he relents to grant our petitions.

Nor is he an indulgent grandfather who can be tricked or flattered or fooled into giving us what we know we shouldn't have asked for in the first place.

He is, instead, an infinitely wise God who knows what we need, an infinitely resourceful God who is never in short supply, an infinitely passionate God who rejoices in doing good for those he has redeemed, and an infinitely gracious God who abounds in kindness, mercy, and power."

So, how do you approach God? What is your prayer life like?

Just come before Him who loves you the most in complete confidence that His love and His heart and His plans for your life are good... and know that He ENJOYS blessing His children and answering our prayers.

Posted in: on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at at 5:44 PM 1 comments