A Journey through My Favorite Chunk of Scripture

My friend wrote some verses in my journal before she gave it to me as a birthday present. The verses on the page that I was writing on today were Isaiah 43:18-19, set right in the middle of my favorite chunk of Scripture. I had already planned on going to a coffee shop today to spend a few hours reading, journaling, just with Him, so when I got there, He turned me to Isaiah 40, my very favorite chapter (that's actually hard for me to say cuz even as I typed that, I thought of so many other chapters that I love so much, but it's a really special chapter to me!), where my favorite chunk of Scripture starts.

I haven't read these chapters in awhile, especially in one sitting, but it was such a blessing today! I remember now why I love them so much! His Word is so true and really is living and active. He spoke to me, once again, right where I'm at. I just want to share some of the verses that stuck out to me.

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"Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me" (43:10b-11).
"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the first, and I am the last, and there is no god besides Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it...Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none' (44:6-7a, 8b).
These verses in the context of these chapters reminded me how big and other God is. He's huge! He's way beyond me! He's also shown me so clearly the last week or two what it means for Him to be my Rock, and it's been awesome! He is my firm foundation. There is no one else who can be that and do that for me.

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I love the conversation between God and Israel in chapter 49 because it so resembles so many of my conversations with Him. Go read the whole chapter! It's amazing :) He's constantly reminding me of His love and forgiveness and compassion toward me, and I'm constantly asking where He is, why I don't feel Him, why I can't believe His love and forgiveness and compassion toward me. Yet here is what He replies: "Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands" (49:15-16a).

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"But My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not wane" (51:6b). This is SOO encouraging to me! His salvation will never be taken away from me! His righteousness that FULLY covers me will never wane! It's always FULLY mine! Why? Because He has taken His wrath that was meant for me on Himself: "Thus says your Lord, the Lord, even your God, who contends for His people, 'Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling, the chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again" (51:22). NEVER DRINK IT AGAIN! Seriously?! That is great news!!! That is news to be shared with every person on the planet! Oh wait, that IS our responsibility...and privilege!!

"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; and do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; but you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth....For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,' says the Lord who has compassion on you" (54:4-5,10). Although I've only been in a shame-based culture (as opposed to our guilt-based culture in the West) for far less than a year, I feel like I've absorbed some of their mindset and way of looking at things because the word "shame" takes on so much meaning for me when it's spoken of in terms of my standing before God. I think that's one of the big reasons I love these verses--I'm no longer shamed before Him. I do not have to feel humiliated anymore. WOW!!! He is my husband, and His lovingkindness will not ever be removed from me, and His covenant of peace with me will never be shaken! So incredible!

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K, last one--Isaiah 55:8-9. These are frequently quoted verses, but have you ever noticed the context that they're set in? I know I hadn't until today. In the verses before 8 and 9, God is pleading with sinners to come to Him, assuring them that He will find them, that He is near, that He will have compassion on them, that He will abundantly pardon. THEN He says, "'For My thoughts are not yoru thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts'" (55:8-9). His love and forgiveness are two things that I cannot understand about Him, and because I cannot understand them, I often don't believe in them or accept them. God kinda slapped me on the face with that today by showing me the context of vv.8-9, which deal with exactly that. He abundantly pardons...My ways aren't your ways. Ok, God! No, it still doesn't make sense to this puny little brain of mine, but I belive that are you so much greater than I am and that you CAN and WANT TO abundantly pardon me. Thank you!