It’s always darkest just before the dawn… 

We find many times in the Bible that God always seems to come at the 11th hour and 59th minute, but He is never late…

Consequently the enemy will pour on the pressure just before you get your breakthrough to try to get you to quit, but don’t quit – don’t ever quit!

Isaiah Chapter 55 Contemporary English Audio Drama (CEV)

In the above scripture, God invites His abandoned wife to return and be fertile.

This is a message to the Lost tribes of Israel – a message of restoration and Redemption; but it’s also a message for the church today.

The time of anger is over; compassion is the word of the day.

Judgment is past history. God will rebuild their city and establish peace and righteousness.

This will bring foreign nations scurrying to Israel as God calls people to seek Him while He may still be found.

Those who turn to God, forsaking their evil ways, will find free pardon and mercy.

Israel will escape captivity for God’s glory and honor.

The Spirit of God sends out the evangelistic invitation to Israel to return, and at the same time invites everyone everywhere to the gospel feast.

All that is necessary is a consciousness of need (thirst).

The blessings are the waters of the Holy Spirit, the wine of joy, and the milk of the good Word of God.

They are the free gift of grace, without money and price.

In its alienation from God, Israel has been wasting its energy and resources.

True satisfaction and lasting pleasure are found only in the Lord.

If Israel returns to the Lord, they will receive all the sure mercies promised to David in the everlasting covenant (see Psalm 89:3, 4, 28, 29).

These blessings are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus and in His glorious reign.

The Gentile nations, too, will share in the benefits of the kingdom, and there will be amicable relations between Israel and the nations.

The pathway of blessing lies in seeking the LORD and in forsaking sin.

Those who thus return to the Lord will find Him full of mercy and pardon.

“We ask for grace, only to find forgiveness already offered.

(How did you know I would sin?)

We ask for food, only to find provision already made.

(How did you know I would be hungry?)

We ask for guidance, only to find answers in God’s ancient story.

(How did you know what I would ask?)

God dwells in a different realm.

“The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

He occupies another dimension.

‘My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:8, 9 NCV).

Make special note of the word ‘like.’

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are they even like ours.

We aren’t even in the same neighborhood.

We’re thinking, Preserve the body; He’s thinking, Save the soul.

We dream of a pay raise.

He dreams of raising the dead.

We avoid pain and Seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace.

‘I’m going to live before I die,” we resolve.

‘Die, so you can live,’ He instructs.

We love what rusts. He loves what endures.

We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions.

We show our children the Nike star with the million-dollar smile and say, ‘Be like Mike.’

God points to the crucified carpenter with bloody lips and a torn side and says,

‘Be like Christ.’

Our thoughts are not like God’s thoughts. Our ways are not like His ways.

He has a different agenda. He dwells in a different dimension. He lives on another plane. And that plane is named in the first phrase of the Lord’s prayer,

‘Our Father in heaven.’

(From The Great House of God by Max Lucado)

SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things)

—–

Sunday, June 16
Faith to Faith Devotional
by Kenneth Copeland

HANG ON

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
— Isaiah 55:11

Did you know that the battleground for the problem you’re facing right now is in your mind and on your lips?

If you’ll hit the devil with the Word and cast the care of the situation over on God, you’ll win.

Let me warn you though, hanging on to the Word isn’t always easy.

The devil knows that if he doesn’t steal it from you, you’ll use it to enforce his defeat.

So don’t be surprised when he sends an evil spirit to exalt itself against the Word of God.

If you’re sick, he may begin to tell you, “You’re not healed.

You know that healing’s not for today.

Even if it were, it wouldn’t work for you.

It might work for someone else but not you.”

If he starts to tell you that kind of thing, don’t buy it!

Don’t start worrying around about it and thinking,

Oh my, I’m afraid I’m not going to get healed. I sure don’t feel healed.

Why, I’m probably going to just get worse and worse….

Remember this: It’s the Word that does the work, not the one holding on to it.

It’ll work for anyone who’ll put it to work. It’ll work for you just like it worked for Jesus when He walked the earth.

He told Satan, “It is written!”

No matter what the devil tries to tell you, refuse to let go of the Word.

Tell him what is written concerning your situation.

Let the Word fight its own fight. It’ll whip the devil every time.
____

Come join the Adventure!

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