I was thinking of my dad this morning while reading Isaiah 12. Pop used to say as he was aging, “Maria, come lend me your eyes!” or “You’ve got young eyes, you be my eyes right now.”
That memory produced a new insight, a helpful distinction as I pondered verse 2:
Isaiah boldly proclaims some faith-building personal commitments. He reprises Moses’ words from Exodus 15:2 and announces joyfully for all to hear: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (Is 12:2)
The Spirit rotated the kaleidoscope of my understanding just a click through the memory of Pop’s words. Previously I have asked for and expected that the Lord GIVES strength. I’ve begged for me or loved ones to be delivered out of narrow dark places that shout NO EXIT!
But Isaiah and Moses don’t say that. They announce that HE IS what they need. If that is the case, then they did not need to become strong themselves. They did not need to create their own song of acclaim and accomplishments. They didn’t need to effect their own rescue.
That implies and means that normal is:
- Maria being weak, broken, tired and sometimes ill
- Maria having no record of notable, distinctive accomplishments, but living an ‘ordinary’ life
- Maria falling into pits, facing danger, getting stuck, wandering toward harm
I don’t have to TRY to be UN-ordinary. I just have to hang on to my Savior and stay in His arms.
Whew! Of course, in one sense, I already knew this. Jesus says throughout the Gospels: I am the truth, I am the light, I am the life, I am bread…….not that He supplies them but that He IS them.
Reading God’s word and thinking about it day after day is what drives it deeper into our hearts.
Repetitio est mater studiorum. Repetition is the mother of learning.
Reflections on God's Word 
Jul 13, 2019 @ 21:17:25
Another personal, transparent, well-written post, Maria. I am not just being nice because of our social media driven friendship, either. Terry
I have completed Mark Smith’s story–9 chapters. I am not asking you to look it over as a proofreader, though I am always open to suggestions. Just wondering if you are interested in seeing it all at once. I have written 4 of the 15 devotionals. The story itself is about 20, 200 words.
Pray concerning finding an agent to represent us to publishers (or whether we publish it ourselves on Amazon). Dr Smith has been asked by one potential agent to get well known endorsements in advance, which matters a lot to agents and publishers…Dr John Maxwell is a good friend of his. Terry
Terry Powell Columbia International University Box 3122 Columbia, SC 29230 tpowell@ciu.edu CIU Phone: 803-807-5453 Personal Blog: http://www.terrydpowell.com/
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Jul 13, 2019 @ 21:19:42
Terry – thank you! And yes, I’d love to read the larger body to get a sense of the flow. And I’ll read it at night right before bed, which will leave me with a God-glorifying mindset!