Month: July 2014

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Sunrise, Day 43

Another promise of healing (and miraculous delivery of that promise) as recorded in the life of one of my favorite Old Testament Kings:  Hezekiah  –

“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with whole hearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

 (From 2 Kings 20)

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Sunrise, Day 29

Thanks to Mark Sheffield for the Myrtle Beach sunrise pic today!  It was great because I had to miss my normal sunrise appointment for an early morning appointment at the dentist : )

 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,  coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.“

(Daniel 7:13-14)

 

Sunrise, Day 28

“...Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression  and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes  his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life  and be satisfied;
by his knowledge  my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.”

(From Isaiah 53)

Sunrise, Day 27

“Umm..  something’s different here”  I thought to myself.  “wait a second…that’s it.   They mowed the grass.”

At first I was a little perturbed.  How dare “they” mow their field.  It’s going to totally mess up my time lapse.  Silly the things you think sometimes.  As I looked closer a beautiful reality came to light.  Beneath all those tall stalks of brown (and I guess dead) field grass was fresh green growing.  A lot more than I could see before.  Another “aha” moment – God often has to cut back the dead stuff in our lives to make room for new growth.  And until that dead stuff is removed, others can’t see the life-green God is growing in us.  Be encouraged if you find yourself getting…”mowed” by God.  He’s actually doing a really good thing.  It’s so hard to see it at the moment, but the green will come.

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

(Ezekial 37:12-14)