My Life: A Spring of Water?

I sat there on the rock next to the babbling creek not sure what I was going to discover. Pastor Brennon sent us out to find our own spot to read and pray and see what God would say to us.

As I opened up my Bible, I didn't really know what to look for or what to read. It was more of the "just flip it open and read" moment. But what I found was amazing to me.

I found myself reading in Isaiah 35. The chapter was about a desert land becoming a paradise.

"Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool and the thirsty ground bubbling springs." (Isaiah 35:6b-7.)

Every other verse seemed to be talking about water and not only just water but water coming from a parched land!

I read and read and read . . . chapter after chapter in Isaiah with this same theme . . . it was almost like a drink of water for me . . . as if I was dying of thirst. Because in a way I was.

My summer was really intense, especially toward the end of it. If you kept up with the blog you'd notice there were less posts through the end of July and all of August. There just wasn't a lot for me to say. I was pretty parched—spiritually and emotionally.

And then I went on the Campus Ministries retreat . . . and it was like my life . . . my parched land . . . was now experiencing its first downpour in months. Finally some flowers began to grow and bloom again.

"Gladness and joy with overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." (Isaiah 35: 10b).

Life is by no means suddenly perfect . . . ha . . . that would be cool but real life doesn't work like that! But I know that it's for real when God says He won't give us more than we can handle and He will be always with us.

Man, Psalm 73 Is Deep

So yesterday as I was browsing my Facebook news feed I read a post from one of my friends that said, "Man Psalm 73 is deep."

I was, "huh?" I've read that one before . . . back in 9th grade. But couldn't remember anything standing out to me so I went back and read it again and to see what my friend was talking about.

The chapter talks about what a lot of people who want to serve God go through . . . wondering where He is when the wicked are prospering while His followers are scraping around just to make ends meet. Doesn't seem fair, right . . . the author of this Psalm didn't think so either.

The whole first part of the Psalm is talking about how this guy is basically jealous of the wicked because they have everything they want and more. He's questioning God (which isn't always a bad thing to do . . . because like this guy . . . you usually get answers); he wants to know why he has lived for God all these years and not had half the blessings the wicked have. He starts to think that he had made his way pure for nothing.

"Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence." Verse 13

And then he goes to the sanctuary and understands that the wicked may look like they have it all together yet God will not put up with it, and the man writing discovers he hasn't "cleansed his heart in vain."

When he realizes this he feels so stupid for ever doubting God (and I really liked the way he said this . . . it actually made me laugh when I read it because it was so real).

"I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You." Verse 22

In the end the psalmist realized that God was the only one he could rely on, and that God would be the one there for him in the end. My favorite verses of the chapter are these . . .

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Verses 25 & 26

So, yeah . . . Psalm 73 is deep . . . it's deep (to me) because it says everything that I've said a million time . . . "God, wheeere are YOU?! Oh . . . that's were . . . stupid me!" haha . . . it's true . . . and I'm so thankful He still sicks me after all that.

Thanks, God. : D

(And thanks, Matt, for the FB post . . . haha . . . otherwise I probably would have never come back to this Psalm!)

II Samuel: first few chapters . . . blood bath.

No, I haven't switched books again . . . I just haven't been sticking with anything for very long. Yesterday I listened to a sermon by Justin McNeilus, president of GYC (Generation of Youth for Christ conference), where he shared the story of David handing the command to build the temple to Solomon. Kinda cool, cause that was just what I was reading about in the Chronicles.

Justin told the story of a couple men who David advised his son to remember. Remember the stories of these men (they were both already dead by then).

One of them was Abner from the first few chapters of II Samuel. So this morning I read a couple chapters (2 and part of 3). Boy-oh-boy . . . there is so much blood and gore in those two chapter and just plain cruelty. I was sooo surprised at some of the atrocities which were committed. I know I've read it before but that was about five years ago and clearly I don't remember much! But, man . . . CRAZY stuff! Blood literally EVERYWHERE! No wonder David wasn't allowed the build the temple! Although it wasn't all his fault, he was indirectly the cause of most of it.