Today’s scripture: Isaiah 11:10-16 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Steve Adams):
Isaiah gives a glimmering prophecy proclaiming that the people of Israel will be reunited from distant lands, once more crossing a miraculously dry Red Sea, and triumphantly emerge into a golden age of freedom and unity. This makes me wonder about those who believed these words back in Isaiah’s time. What went on inside their minds? What were some key processes? Are the elements that make up the process of faith the same now as they were back then?
We have even greater promises and prophecies today, such as John 3:16, that we shall not perish but have everlasting life. What helps the reality of God and God’s promises become the most potent, the most real in our minds? In other words, because God is the ultimate reality, how do we make reality real?
I can think of three things that have helped me get the Word of God into my mind and soul:
1. Immerse yourself in the promise. Savor it like your favorite food. Just thinking of the rich meaning of the words allows different flavors (meanings) to surface.
2. As Pastor Jeff recently preached, memorize them. I can attest to that. I memorized about 15 verses in the 1970s, and they are still with me to comfort and strengthen me. It’s really nice to be able to say a verse to yourself when you’re in bed at night with the lights out and getting ready to drift off into sleep. One of my favorites is my rephrase of Psalm 103, “Praise God, O my soul, and all that is within me, Praise Your holy name. Praise You, O my soul, and forget not all Your benefits.”
3. Let go of the irrelevant. James 1:21, in the King James Version, urges us to lay apart, let go of everything that’s superfluous, and receive the pure Word of God. That word superfluous is quite a nifty word, in this context meaning we let go of everything that isn’t germane to God and God’s qualities and character. We let go of the irrelevant, as fun or appealing as it might be at times. I let go of what I thought was so important. I let go of lots of things I thought I had to have. I realize that a lot of what culture and the media portray as the world’s biggest deal really isn’t! In fact, much of today’s hype (which will fade into the background when something “worthy” of even more hype arrives on the scene tomorrow) is only a disappointing shadow compared to God, and only makes us ripe for a spiritual letdown. As a consequence, much of this focus on the superfluous crowds out awareness of what’s truly important. As we mature spiritually, the more we come to realize that God and the love that God infuses us with is the only really big deal — everything else is only a shadow. When we let go of the extra spiritual weight, we have more space to immerse ourselves in godly things (which takes us back to number one, above!).
Thought for the day: God, help me to savor and internalize your words of life, so that I may be comforted and strengthened all the days of my life.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.