It is the second last day of 2013. God has put Isaiah 40:31 into my heart as I read the Bible, go through my journal and in my daily conversations with brothers and sisters in Christ. So I have decided to look into them as I prepare myself for the coming of 2014.
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Looking into the context of Isaiah 40, it shows it as the ending of the part of Isaiah where God promises to give comfort to His people - the Israelites, and by extension of His grace, to the Gentiles who followed Christ. It is the chapter that proclaims John the Baptist's ministry, leading on to Jesus Christ's character as the loving shepherd. It also reveals the eternal presence of Christ, the creation of the world, and the transient life on Earth.
I am comforted and reminded to cast my eyes upon Christ Jesus and He shall renew my strength. When I feel drained out, it is a reminder that I come before God and read His words, look into the Word of God and learn, apply it to heart and I shall mount up on eagle's wings, run and not be tired, walk and not be faint. Only Christ can sustain the new life in me, no human wisdom nor own intelligence.
Then I am reminded of these verses as I read Isaiah 40:31:
Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called in heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Paul was one of the most zealous Pharisee around the time of the early church. During the sermon the past Sunday, I was reminded of the grace that was given to me to have this new life. Yet, now I have grown to be unloving. God wants to remove the scabs that have grown over the hurts of my heart for all the disappointments as He reminds me He has already healed it and it is time for me to stop holding on to it. As I was holding on to it, I felt a sense of pride, a self-righteous which is dangerous to this new life that I have. Although Paul has accomplished so much, he did not take pride. He continues to press on.
Purpose Driven Life
Philippians 4:9 (NIV)
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Paul exhorts the Philippians to put in to practice all that they have gotten from him after asking them to change the way they think: v.8 to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. In this new life that I have, I shall change how I think of others, and put into practice what I have gotten from the Word of God. Then, it ties back to Isaiah 40:31 - coming back to God now and then for He is the only constant, He is the only unchanging one, He is the only faithful one. People come and go out of our lives as in 2 Timothy 4, but He is our sole strong tower and defender.
And, to end this, a piece of poem that one of my friends shared long time ago on my graduation testimonial book, and just today another friend shared on her Instagram:
One night I dreamed a dream
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me,
So I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decide to follow You,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that
During the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
There was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why,
When I needed You the most, You would leave me."
He whispered,
"My precious child,
I love you and will never leave you.
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."
