Welcome back, y’all! For those of you who are new here, we’re taking the Bible one book at a time and sharing our favorite verses. This week we’re in Isaiah. Read along with us, then share your favorite Isaiah verse in the comments, or blog about it yourself and point us in your direction! Then, be ready for next week, when we dig into Jeremiah!
Isaiah 37:26a–Have you not heard? Long ago I did it, from ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass…
This is one of those verses that makes me feel like I’ve been drowning and I can suddenly draw a deep breath. It’s like… Ahhhh… peace.
There’s a dream I have sometimes, where I’m driving, but I can’t see the road in front of me. The headlights don’t go out far enough or I simply can’t see out the windshield. In the dream, I’m literally driving blind. It’s not scary, more frustrating. (Wonder what that says about me?)
You see, to me, that’s where this verse comes in. In life, I can’t see what comes next. But God can. In fact, He has always known what comes next. I love knowing He is in control of my life, that He sees around the next turn, and that He has good things planned for me. Even the things I don’t like, He uses for my good (but that’s another book of the Bible, isn’t it?). There’s just something about knowing He’s there, that He’s got it, that makes the burden lift and allows me to let go of the wheel.
Now, if I could just quit wrapping my fingers around the steering wheel and trying to take over…
-JB
Dawn Lucowitz says
There are so many great verses in this book that give me chills. The one I will write about this week though, is one of my favorites in the bible (and I know it is a favorite to many).
Isaiah 40:31 – but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
As an athlete this verse pumps me up. For me it’s the “you can do anything if you put your mind to” mentality. And by put your mind to, I mean putting it where it belongs, on and with God. When he is the focus of what you are doing, how can you not succeed?
I recently trained for and completed my first half marathon. 5 months ago I would have never thought I could run 13.1 miles in a row. To be honest, I never wanted to either Anyway, I found myself needing a new challenge physically, but I really wanted a mental challenge as well. I can honestly say that my training was the most humbling, mentally and spiritually challenging thing I have ever done. In college I had 2 knee surgeries, so I really was not sure I could physically run that far. I prayed so much over my body and mind that I could remain strong and healthy. I prayed that I wouldn’t let my mind play tricks on me and make me think I couldn’t do more when my body could.
I used my time running to pray and meditate. I listened to praise and worship music and Christian rock. My mind was always being fed with God’s promises and encouragement. I began to appreciate the body God gave me. I learned to really look around and take in the world around me. I have never actually spent that much time with God before. I know he is always with us, but I am not always with him. I made a point to invite him into every run I had. He was the best training partner I could have ever had.
Well, back to this verse…whenever I got tired or didn’t think I could keep going, I refocused on God. I listened to my body, and I replayed this verse over and over again in my head. I pictured him holding me up. I pictured soaring on wings like eagles, and I pictured me not being too tired to keep moving. I literally saw that how hoping in the Lord, my strength could be renewed, both physically and spiritually.
Jodie says
LOVE that! The focus shouldn’t be our goal, but God. Too often, we keep our “eyes on the prize” instead of on Him. Hm. I really need to sit and think this one out. That’s twice in the past hour I’ve been challenged on my priorities. I think God’s trying to tell me something…
And I love your running story. We think we have to be in “prayer posture” to spend time with God, but the truth is, we can spend time with him anywhere. Love that about Him!
Jen says
My verse for this week is Isaiah 7:9b- If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.
Even before this verse caught my attention, it’s been a motto of mine for a couple of reasons. Part of it is because I’m mentally an all-or-nothing girl (for better or worse!). I just can’t do anything with half a heart. If something is RIGHT, then it has to be right all the time. If I’m going to believe God’s Word is truth, then it’s true in every circumstance. A wishy-washy faith is basically the same as no faith at all. This verse challenges me to live out that belief in every decision I have to make, whether it’s big or small. At times, it would be easy to say, “Oh, this doesn’t really matter in the long run,” but if we’re willing to be weak now, how strong can we expect to be later?