Windows of the Soul

E-X-C-H-A-N-G-E

New Pinecones
Originally uploaded by hyerblogs

I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze,
 and your stones for iron.
 I will make peace your leader
 and righteousness your ruler. (Isaiah 60:17, NLT) To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. (61:3, NLT)

Ever see those commercials that advertise cash for clunkers? You know, you turn in your garbage vehicle and get money in exchange. Seems like a good deal.

God is in the exchange business. As we see from the verses above in Isaiah, He specializes in giving us amazing gifts, when we exchange our junk.

He offers beauty for ashes, gold for bronze, blessing instead of mourning, praise instead of despair, peace as our leader, righteousness as our ruler, honor, joy, and so much more. All of this is in place of the mess in which we find ourselves in this life.

In His abundance, and from His abundance He gives and we receive. His love and righteousness, His revelation, and His gifts. Just like the giving and receiving of gifts at holidays and birthdays, we only receive once we have accepted the gift from the giver. If we open ourselves to His offer, if we simply say yes, we will receive what only He can give.

God, may we open ourselves to You, and every blessing You want to give. Everything beautiful is what You offer. Thank you for your amazing grace and gifts! Selah.

Pathway to Blessing

MauiNorthshore
Originally uploaded by hyerblogs

He will flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon (Hosea 14:7). 

God blesses us when our hearts, minds and actions reveal that we are in right relationship with Him and others through repentance, seeking God, obedience and praise. When we are in right relationship, we confess our sins and stay on short accounts with God. We draw near to Him through His Word, prayer, fellowship and meditation. We obey His commands – doing what is right according to His Word. And we praise Him in our speech, hearts, and minds. When we are truly His, He rewards and blesses us immeasurably (Ephesians 3:20).

It is important to seek God first, to stay in right relationship with Him, and to live according to His precepts, offering our lives as living sacrifices. When we do, we are rewarded with the blessings that come from God. The blessings of righteousness; the blessings that come from intimacy with our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

God speaks to us through His Word. He hears and answers when we call. He shows himself strong when we are weak. He protects, reveals, blesses and rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

May your gracious and loving hand lead and guide me. May your blessings abound. Selah.

If you ask

Pathway
Originally uploaded by hyerblogs

He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will respond instantly to the sound of your cries. (Isaiah 30:19b, NLT)

When I read this verse today, my mind instantly went back many years to the cries of my own children when they were infants. As babies, my boys (all now grown at 19, 21, and 26) would cry when they needed my husband or me to take care of their needs. It could be hunger, a wet diaper, a toy out of reach or just wanting to be held. It didn’t matter, they knew that when they cried, we would respond, pick them up, speak lovingly to them, and take care of their needs.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He hears us when we cry.

But I also like the first part of this verse: He will be gracious if you ask for help. We need to ask first. So when we pray, we should ask God for His divine help. He will respond.

James (chapter 1, verse 5) reminds us that if we need wisdom, just ask!
God will give it to you. But in asking, we must believe in faith that He will grant us wisdom.

He will teach me, if I will look for Him and listen to Him. He will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left (Isaiah 30:21b, NLT).

Our 26-year-old son, Daniel, reminded me that God is listening and responding: Show me, O Jehovah, Thy way, And lead me in a path of uprightness. (Psalm 27:11, YNG)

Lord, lead me and show me your ways and your path. I am asking for your help. Selah.

Power Trip

Hawai'i 2009
Originally uploaded by hyerblogs

Look! The Lord is coming! He leaves his throne in heaven and tramples the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath his feet and flow into the valleys like wax in a fire, like water pouring down a hill. (Micah 1:3-4, NLT)

The images of mountains melting and flowing beneath His feet reminds me of some of the scenes we observed recently while visiting the islands of Hawai’i. His power was evident in the rugged mountains, giant boulders split in two, and seams of hardened lava rock where it stood frozen in place along the mountainside on the island of Maui. His majesty was seen in the natural beauty of the sheer cliffs, expansive ocean, and immense sky everywhere we went.

This makes me wonder, how can we doubt God’s power, His sovereignty, or His majesty when we can so plainly see Him and His attributes in creation? Traveling the road around the island of Maui (sometimes a highway, sometimes a single lane road, sometimes a dirt road resembling little more than a path) afforded me a visible reminder of Who God is. He is the Lord Almighty.

According to the Word, God spoke this magnificent creation into existence (Genesis 1). Surely our lives are in His hands. Our response? It is to seek Him, listen to Him, entrust our lives to His perfect will and plan. And to live a life that pleases Him. We remember that His power is manifest and perfect in our weakness.

It seems no words, no song, nothing can truly describe the One who calls himself, I AM. Yet His creation describes Him without words (Romans 1:20). How awesome is He.

Place your faith and trust in Him. And thank Him for the beauty, majesty, and splendor revealed in creation all around us. Remember God is in control. He holds the world in His hands.

May we tremble and live in awe of your wonder and presence, Holy, Majestic, and Powerful One.