Wednesday, September 21st

Wednesday, September 21st

Isaiah 43:14-28
14 This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. 15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King." 16 This is what the LORD says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. 22 "Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel. 23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings nor wearied you with demands for incense. 24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses. 25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. 26 Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence. 27 Your first father sinned; your spokesmen rebelled against me. 28 So I will disgrace the dignitaries of your temple, and I will consign Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn.

Dwell (verb):

1. To live as a resident; reside.


2. To exist in a given place or state.

Weary (adj.):

1. Physically or mentally fatigued.


2. Expressive of or prompted by fatigue.


3. Having one's interest, forbearance, or indulgence worn out.


4. Causing fatigue; tiresome.

Burden (verb):

1. To weigh down; oppress.


2. To load or overload.

Blot (verb):

1. To bring moral disgrace to.


2. To obliterate.


3. To make obscure; hide.


4. To destroy utterly; annihilate

Transgression (noun):

1. A violation of a law, command, or duty.


2. The exceeding of due bounds or limits.

Relooking at verses 24 & 25, I see a bigger picture here. 24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have “weighed me down” with your sins and made me “physically fatigued” with your offenses. 25 "I, even I, am he who “annihilates” your “violations of the law,” for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

I thought of this scripture when I saw the word dwell.

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

So, Isaiah tells me to not live in the past and Matthew tells me to not worry about tomorrow. What about today?

Matthew 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Hebrews 4:7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." (A great scripture… I suggest reading the entire chapter. It is really great for the heart.)

After reading all these things, I think that a cause of pride is not being focused on real time. For those who don’t know, real time is right now. Not a minute from now, not a minute ago, but the present and current second of time. If I were to dwell in the past, I would see how things were “better,” and grumble like the ones in the desert, wanting to go back to Egypt and slavery. If I think about the future, I think of how hard things might be, what bills I may not be able to pay, the struggles I may have. It is my nature to want to see the glass “half-empty.” I force myself to be optimistic. To cover up my insecurities, I kid around a lot. God wants me to focus on today only to benefit me. God wouldn’t give me a snake instead of bread. Why would he not want me to dwell in the past or look to the future? Because he wants to give me bread. Johnny Out.