Month: February 2019

He who walks righteously, and speaks what is right, who rejects gains from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against comteimplatiqng evil, this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him. Isaiah 33:15-16 (Isaiah 32-33)

God has spared Jerusalem from destruction at the hands of the Assyrian army, elevating Hezekiah’s prestige as leader, but there must have been a group of ungodly, yet influential women in his court. They stand against all that Isaiah preaches. One of his messages, through the terrifying siege of the city, was to assure its faithful residents that God would punish their enemies. Isaiah returns also to his foretelling of a coming King, whose radiance will reveal each man in their true character and call them by their right names.  In other words, He will point fingers and name names and no one will be exempt.

In reference to all the doom and gloom judgement against those who reject Isaiah’s message and the God it represents, it is easy to forget Isaiah’s mission.  He was called to change people’s hearts. Obviously, some chose the sovereignty of God’s authority, both politically and personally, and the course of their life’s destiny was reversed. Others chose the fleeting comforts of luxury.   

Patient continuance in one’s daily walk is the deepest expression of Trust in God. Persevere faithfully in love toward those who reject God. 100% acceptance of the Gospel is every Christian’s ideal, but success rates much lower must not discourage and stop the determination of the few. It’s called ‘Hope’ for a reason. Hope of eternal life for those who believe, and Hope of salvation for those who do not……yet.

Happy Monday,

Gretchen

All God asks of us is to obey. Obedience leads to righteousness. Faith is the link that joins the two. BUT IT IS HARD!!!

My husband and I met as children. The spring we were both twenty we were having a heated argument about life’s plans and somehow we came to the conclusion we didn’t want to go forward without each other. We knew nothing of healthy relationships, but we stood at an altar and made some promises.  Some we kept, others we stumble over regularly. Then, we revisit that night long ago on the shore of Lake Overholser, in Bethany, Oklahoma, when we said, “Yes,’ and wonder what in the world we were thinking.

Exhibit A: I am a persnickety nester.  I like my spaces clean, cozy and well organized.  Aesthetics is everything to me. Keith is a people person. He couldn’t care less about the color of the wall or the shape of the flower beds. It’s about people within and the experiences shared.

Moving on to B: We, as a couple, stay on the go constantly. In Gretchen world, car time is brain free time. I can’t do laundry, dishes etc., so I relax and read….or look at my device. Keith chatters away beside me, often turning around to go back and show me something I missed, because I didn’t react quickly when he said, “Look!”

As I mentioned prior, I like orderliness and stay in a perpetual state of straightening and putting things away. Keith does not recognize that cabinet doors open……and then close with a gentle push. As I go through the kitchen on my perpetual mission of orderliness, I do question my life’s choices, and when I won’t join him for an evening motorcycle ride because I need to mop the floor, he questions his.

One last thing. Each morning as we are getting ready for our day, Keith, in his exuberance for life, switches between stations to get ALL the morning headlines. From the bathroom I hear, “The declining elephant population on the Savannah will adversely effect the weather in the north east, as thousands are expected to take to the roadways to receive their flu vaccinations.” Yes, I glare, then he tells me it is an outside recess day.

It is a miracle we are still married and neither of us is incarcerated. But how did we accomplish this? One thing only! Obedience, through faith, striving for righteousness. God has a plan for us, together, and it can’t be done with us apart. The most amazing, wonderful piece of real estate in the universe is in the center of God’s will, and for us, that place can only be occupied as Mr. and Mrs.

IT IS HARD! But it is right! And so, it is easy. The one thing Keith and I have always had in common is love for our fellow man, and the one truth that returns to us every single day is, we can’t love them best, if we don’t love each other first. That is why I put my device aside and look out the windshield, and he folds clothes while I mop. Together is best, because we promised we would when we were crazy, stupid kids, and didn’t know any better.

The Big 10!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,

Don’t bow down to idols, that’s not smart.

Never take the Father’s name in vain,

Keep the sabbath Holy, six remain.

Honor your father and mother,

Don’t take the life of another.

Don’t be a louse, be faithful to your spouse

Never say it if it is not true,

Don’t take things that don’t belong to you.

You might love it, but it’s not right to covet!

(Author Unknown)

Love you all,

Gretchen

Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. Isaiah 28:18 (Isaiah 27-31)

Isaiah continually warned the people of Judah to remain faithful and not return to their sinful ways over time.  One of the casual means by which men offend God is to rely on the earthly efforts of governments and principalities rather than God’s sustaining and protective power. Judah renewed their dedication, now they must remain faithful. Isaiah is very clear about the consequences of God’s judgement for those who reject His Holiness, and offers continual reminders of the blessings of obedience.

Death is not the moment your heart ceases to beat. It is separation from God for all eternity! There is no opportunity for a return from death. BUT! God has annulled death’s final say. For the faithful, there is no end. Eternity stretches out into forever for all who believe.

Obedience and faithfulness is for our own good.  Don’t give up, don’t give in!

Love,

Gretchen

You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4 (Isaiah 24-26)

Chapters 25 and 26 are packed full of scripture sung in hymns, engraved on wall plaques and worship banners, and taught throughout childhood.  They are rich in hope and promise! The words of chapter 24 tell of the fate of earth. Man’s world order, social distinctions and occupations, will not matter. Devastation and destruction have no prejudice, only perfect, truthful justice.

The imagery of a strong and safe city, whose walls and ramparts are salvation, (26:1) is a symbolic reference to Jerusalem’s deliverance against Assyria, and a tremendous encouragement to all who suffer persecution, or spiritual struggle. The entirety of Isaiah’s life was lived under threat that his home, would be overrun by foreign enemies, with great armies and ill intent. He chose faith, not just because He saw truly amazing things, but because, in faith, he sought God and He found Him.

God allowed Isaiah to see a New Heaven and New earth and hear the song of the redeemed. He witnessed the ultimate triumph of good over evil and death’s last stand. Someday soon, for each one of us, the wicked will be punished and the righteous will be blessed forever!

Have a Wonder Full Day!

Gretchen

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. II Kings 19:14(II Kings 18-19, II Chronicles 29-31)

When Hezekiah, son of  Ahaz, became king, Judah was in disarray. They were paying taxes to Assyria and twice were attacked and lost walled cities and land. But Hezekiah was not like his father! Listening to God’s messenger Isaiah and working through the Levites, Hezekiah, accomplished far reaching religious reforms. He began by tearing down the idols his wicked father erected. He reestablished religious observances, cleansed and rededicated the temple, and restored proper worship.  In a grand gesture of brotherhood, he invited what was left of the northern tribes to join the spiritual renewal, but most still refuse.

Sennecherib, king of Assyria, had been sending Hezekiah propaganda messages, trying to knock down any confidence he or his people had in God. When Hezekiah receive a message of threat, he went to the temple and gave it to the LORD!  Assyria’s pagan king did not know the power of The One True God invoked by those who believe.

The walls of Jerusalem were strengthened, a great conduit was built to supply water to the besieged city and military preparations were made. Then, a great deliverance came by means of an angel of the LORD when 85,000 men in the Assyrian camp were put to death. This brought Hezekiah great prestige and power. He strengthened the priesthood and people once again brought offerings and tithes that were distributed to all who had need. Judah returned to the blessings of faith and were as God intended, a blessing others.

Simple acts of faith are NOT small things! They change the world!

Happy Valentines Day,

Gretchen

And the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:10 (Isaiah 21, 23, 34, 35)

Being a seer is a difficult thing.  Isaiah was witness to great destruction, the apocalypse, and he was the deliverer of a salvation message that was wholeheartedly rejected. Yet, he maintained a firm trust and hope in God. Though those around him chose to dwell in spiritual darkness, he anticipated the arrival of a Child, a gift of light and joy, and an end to sin’s bondage.

Isaiah brought news of a world wide judgement that would effect all humanity. This judgement would mean doom for the pagan idolator, the ruthless abuser, the chosen people who rejected their God, but for those who believe it will be an end to evil, suffering, bondage and death.

Chapter 35 is the lyrical and poetic anthem of the Church Triumphant.  If you’re feeling discouraged, read it. If you need revival, this is it. There is a King’s Highway clear of threat and debris, and it leads us Home! Destruction gives way to restoration. Horror turns to re-creation. In the presence of God all things are made new and His Light casts away all shadows, especially the agony of death. What a Glorious known fact!

Here’s to the Future!

Gretchen

An oracle concerning Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw. Isaiah 13:1 (Isaiah 13-17, 34:1-4)

Not an especially inspiring verse, but stick with me as I give a little history.  Judah has become subject to Assyriah. Ahaz’s sinful and perverse behavior has weakened the kingdom of God’s chosen people and now they must pay tribute to a foreign entity. The invasions Judah is vulnerable to are part of God’s plan of punishment, but these nations are not Holy! God is not endorsing them, but allowing them to proceed. They are acting out of their own imperialistic motivations and power. Isaiah knows that God will exact judgement on these nations too, in His time. 

Past sins haunt us. God can forget when we ask Him to, but we lack this super natural power, and so forgetting is piled on top of all our other free will choices. We must chose to NOT remember and move forward in faith. Ugh! I thought it got easier! Trust God with everything! All the dynamics of family, things far beyond my control that directly effect my daily life, the things I hoped to accomplish in my time on earth……all this must be relinquished and I must be still and know…..that He is God, and I am not.

100 years before Babylon became a world power, Isaiah knew of its collapse and the return of the exiled Jewish people to their homeland in very specific detail. That is significant! YOUR God, MY God, Our God, The One True God HAS GOT THIS! You long to know the end of your story? You think it would make things so much easier? Well, you do know the final chapter if you diligently live in faith.  God doesn’t make random stuff up. He knows the plan He has for you and it end in Glory! 

Have a Great Day!

Gretchen

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together, and the little child will lead them. Isaiah 11:6 In time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. II Chronicles 28:22 (Isaiah 10-12, II Chronicles 28)

The behavior of Ahaz was beyond deplorable! He chased after every pagan god associated with any king that showed possible greatness. Under his leadership the poor were subject to exploitation and his government became more and more corrupt. This brought Judah near complete destruction, but there were a few, a remnant, that remained faithful to God.

Even though Assyria was the instrument of Israel’s destruction and strong punishment against Judah, they would soon suffer God’s judgement too.

Isaiah brings to life two very important facts/hopes: 1. God’s anger brings judgement and consequence, but His works become comfort. 2. The coming King will be from David’s family, will reign with righteous justice and establish a new world order free of evil and enmity. The natural world will be transformed, i.e. predators will no longer prey. Isaiah, who saw Heaven, knows that someday everything will be obedient to God’s will.

The constant cycle of man’s impulsive self will pushing against God’s loving gift of free will is exhausting! Sin has no happily ever after and complete submission to God brings peace of mind and heart. As simple as this sounds, when it gets woven into every variable packed moment of our day, the responsibility of holding the standard of Holiness becomes overwhelming. Return to Isaiah’s truths. God’s correction becomes our security, so cling to it, and this life is not your forever life. Give your struggles to the LORD and He will set you free to love Him and others. That’s His original creative plan and it has not changed.

Love,

Gretchen

Have you ever played the arcade game Wack-a-Mole? I don’t care for this strange amusement where you hold an oversized, padded mallet and swing at furry, mechanized rodents, as they pop through holes in a table top. There is no winner, just tickets for a carnival prize and the euphoria of concussing an inanimate object. It’s nonsense, but each day a parallel routine is played over and over to my frustration and discouragement. The dishes are never all clean, the laundry is always faithful to fill my evenings.  Even in my classroom, one loose tooth can distract the most disciplined children, and as we all agree to work for ten minutes before the next wiggle update, another crisis arises with broken pencils, lost crayons and a lunch box left on a school bus. The finish line of daily life is a moving target and failure to cross it is not an option I entertain. 

I once had a pre-school handbell choir queued and ready to perform Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee. We hearsed and rehearsed. There was no way they could fail, if they kept their eyes on me and followed. THEN! One child jingled their pitch with an air guitar, rock star flair. Someone in the congregation giggled and immediately, all little musicians turned comedian. My tiny orchestra was now a troupe of circus clowns, and the reluctant ring master left the tent and never tried that act again. It was a ‘Wack-a-Mole’ experience!

There are days I just don’t feel like bearing fruit. My love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness are over picked or rotted on the vine in my fragile orchard of fatigue. A utopia of jobs completed to perfection followed by contented rest, vaporized, because my spinning and turning and smacking every obstacle that pops up before me was impossible.

Why is it asked of me, if it is unachievable? Maybe because it wasn’t God doing the asking? Who’s standards am I living to? God’s are simple, Love Him with all your mind, body and soul and then turn to your fellow man and love them too.

Some years after Christ was resurrected, many came to believe that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Soon after, life became as awful as anyone could imagine. Dreams didn’t come true for these new believers. There was nothing but Hope in the constance of The Kingdom of God. Paul wrote to an extremely persecuted group of Gentile Christians:

In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Romans 8:26

While my daily life, and maybe yours too, seems to be a series of bouncing rodents needing a thunk on the head, life’s finish line is constant. The Kingdom of God does not move or change. Someday, when I am very old, I think I will quietly drag my aluminum walker to the wall of some noisy game room and put an end to the craziness. In the mean time, I’m going to laugh at myself a little more often, encourage others, hold someone’s hand firmly when the path is rugged, and never turn loose of this truth, my Savior knows my need and my heart, so all is well, and I have fruit to spare, now and forever more.

Blessings,

Gretchen

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 (Isaiah 6-9)

Isaiah saw the LORD. He witnessed the Holiness and glory of Heaven’s Throne and the future plan of salvation. Then, he was called to preach this message of Hope. It was destined to be rejected, but the receiver doesn’t determine the promise, the Giver does, and so, Isaiah kept going until the bitter end.

Hundreds of years before Jesus, Isaiah tells of a Messiah, called Immanuel at His birth, a descendant of David, son of Jesse, who will establish a Kingdom, and draw all those who believe and love God to Himself. This Child, the Prince of Peace, Savior, would humble Himself and become flesh, to wash the feet of His friends, cry with two sisters as they grieve for their brother, take dusty rowdy children onto His lap, shake hands and dine with the socially outcast and touch the diseased to make them whole. And He kept on until the very end.

Oh! How very loved we are. God didn’t give up then and He’s not throwing in the towel today. There will be no bitter end for those who believe, for Light has dawned and cast away all shadows and we will live forever.

Have a great weekend!

Gretchen