Introduction to Word Matters: Isaiah 62

Word Matters includes my thoughts about and from God's Holy Word, the Bible.

Here a little about me. I am a wife and mom who finally learned what God has called me to do in my generation and in my time. I am almost 50 and have two lovely young children. I walk 1/2 Marathons and I enjoy how and when God speaks specifically to me throughout my days. Just so you know, I am dyslexic so there will likely be some misspellings and other grammatical errors.

I am ready to go past the "Purpose Driven Life" philosophy and get deeper into what I've termed the "Intimacy Driven Life," meaning with Jesus. I truly desire Him to consume me and I Him. I want to taste and see that the Lord is good. I want Jesus to be my only passion, period.

Let me share one thing and then I will go into Isaiah 62, a new vision God recently gave me.

I train weekly for my city's upcoming 1/2 Marathon. Last night our local meterologist forecasted possible flooding and tornado activity for our area. This means my training group and I would not get to walk at 6:30 AM due to possible lighting and drenching rain. I asked God to please stall the rain long enough for us to finish our 8 miler this AM. Guess what? He did!

When I finished and walked to my car to go home, it started raining. I laughed out loud and said this to God, "I love Your sense of humor. Thanks for holding the rain off so I could finish this training walk." Have you ever noticed how funny God is? I love that part of His character.

Now, on to Isaiah 62....

In Proverbs...sorry, I cannot remember where...it says a people witout vision will perish. When I truly gave my life to Jesus and was reborn in Him about 4 years ago, God immediately gave me Isaiah 61 as my personal mission statement.(Oh, yes, I "gave" my life to Jesus when I was 8 years old at a Billy Graham revival in Rapid City, South Dakota, but I was not reborn in Him until recently).

About two months ago, I felt myself desiring a new vision. I prayed about this matter and last week this is what God spoke to me through His Word:

Isaiah 62 (NIV):

1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. 2 The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. 3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. 5 As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. 8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: "Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled; 9 but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the Lord, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary."

10 Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. 11 The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'" 12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.

One thing I am called to do is to "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, His reward is WITH HIM, and His recompense accompanies Him.'" I heard Him say to me, "Tell my people, 'They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and they will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted."

We know Isaiah prophesied the coming of Jesus long before His actual birth. Isaiah stood firm in proclaiming what God laid upon his heart. I, too, long to boldly proclaim what God gives me to say, hence this blog. I have full faith He will direct those He needs to read this blog here.

Therefore, I encourage all of you as God's Holy People, to know you truly are the Redeemed of the Lord, the ones who are Sought After by our Most High God, Creator and Ruler of all things. You are blessed not because of all the "stuff" God can give you, but because He has given you freedom through the precious gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ. You are redeemed, or saved from going to an eternity of fire and suffering because Jesus took all of your sin, all of your mistakes, current, past and future, onto Himself and put them to death when He died on the cross at Calvary. You matter to your Creator, God. He loves you, the Redeemed of the Lord.

You also are His City that is No Longer Deserted because His Holy Spirit resides in you...in your body. You are inhabited by the very God of all things, all people, all time, of ALL.

What I speak to you is not foofy stuff, but it is true because God tells us it is in His Holy Word, the Bible.

Therefore, I encourage you to rise up in His power and strength and learn to love Jesus as for real as He loves you! Ask God to give you a personal vision, a mission statement, and share it here with me. I would love to hear how God speaks to you because I believe He wants to communicate to all His children. He longs to be the director of our lives so go forth in Him in 2007. God forth in Him!

I look forward to seeing what God does for all His people in 2007, for with God all things are possible....ALL!