My wonderful, hardworking husband let me sleep in a little bit this morning. Of course, the littles were giving him a run for his money when I arose about two hours later. Poor guy! I'm thankful for those little things he does for me. He's tired 100% of the time and he could have easily said he wanted to sleep instead. Between working full time and electrical engineering school (he's even in the midst of a physics class) my poor husband brings weary to a whole new level! I always knew he was super smart, but electrical engineering school has really shown me how incredibly brilliant he is. I'm so proud of him!
All that bragging to explain why sometimes you get into your bible later than expected. The point is simply to dig in! Like a best friend, it doesn't matter when you chat or read each others notes, as long as you converse with each other eventually. Doing it every day makes it possible for you to really get to know one another, develop a deep bond, and trust each other with everything. God wants to have that kind of relationship with each one of us too!
17:10-11
Israel, you have forgotten the God who rescues you and protects you like a mighty rock. Instead, you plant sacred gardens in order to worship a foreign god. But even if they sprouted and blossomed the very morning you planted them, there would still be no harvest, There would be only trouble and incurable pain.
Even though I've never planted a garden to worship a foreign god, I still can clearly see where I have planted idols all over my life. One of the biggest obstacles I ever had to overcome was my job. I put all my time and effort into being making myself an indispensable asset and in the end I was still left with nothing but trouble and pain. We have all kinds of idols in our life. I replaced my job with food and sleep (yes, these benign things can become idols if you let them) once I started staying home. It is something God is working on because I have already turned these idols over to Him. Let me make clear that these idols will still rear their ugly head as often as possible because they are desirable to me and Satan knows EXACTLY how to manipulate that within my life.
That reminds me of a song I'd like to leave you with. The chorus goes like this:
All that bragging to explain why sometimes you get into your bible later than expected. The point is simply to dig in! Like a best friend, it doesn't matter when you chat or read each others notes, as long as you converse with each other eventually. Doing it every day makes it possible for you to really get to know one another, develop a deep bond, and trust each other with everything. God wants to have that kind of relationship with each one of us too!
Day 5 | Isaiah 16-18
These chapters tell the fate of various cities and countries that have turned from God and are going to be punished for their sins. Sitting here thousands of years later you can see how a lot of these things came true. Many of these cities do lie in complete ruin, only fit for the grazing of sheep and cattle. What I am finding more and more is with each prophecy of destruction that Isaiah brings, he also foretells of the end of the punishments, the restoration of the holy land, and of a just, loving ruler from the line of David.17:10-11Israel, you have forgotten the God who rescues you and protects you like a mighty rock. Instead, you plant sacred gardens in order to worship a foreign god. But even if they sprouted and blossomed the very morning you planted them, there would still be no harvest, There would be only trouble and incurable pain.
Even though I've never planted a garden to worship a foreign god, I still can clearly see where I have planted idols all over my life. One of the biggest obstacles I ever had to overcome was my job. I put all my time and effort into being making myself an indispensable asset and in the end I was still left with nothing but trouble and pain. We have all kinds of idols in our life. I replaced my job with food and sleep (yes, these benign things can become idols if you let them) once I started staying home. It is something God is working on because I have already turned these idols over to Him. Let me make clear that these idols will still rear their ugly head as often as possible because they are desirable to me and Satan knows EXACTLY how to manipulate that within my life.
That reminds me of a song I'd like to leave you with. The chorus goes like this:
I let you go, but you're still chasing
Go ahead, you're never going to take me
You can bend, but you're never going to break me
I was yours, I'm not yours anymore
You don't own me
Go ahead, put a target on my forehead
You can fire, but you've got no bullet
I was yours, I'm not yours anymore
You don't own me
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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests to made known to God. — Philippians 4:6