AWAKE! AWAKE!
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 51-52
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee. Jesus made His home in Capernaum, which is located on the north end of this Lake. His habit was to awaken and pray even before sunrise. Like the rays of early morning light break through the clouds, so we should expect to receive God’s Word for the day. Psalm 119:130a tells us that “THE ENTRANCE OF YOUR WORDS GIVES LIGHT!!!”
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Three times in today’s reading, God’s people are told, “Awake! Awake!” Three times God speaks through His prophet Isaiah and says, “Listen to Me!” God wants our undivided attention! Whatever it takes to move us to bring the Good News of Jesus is beautiful in God’s sight, even our feet! The “Good News” in today’s reading is that Messiah (Christ) will come to us. His feet, beautiful because of the message He brings, have brought Him not just to the mountains seen in the above picture but to those places where each one of us have experienced His “Peace,” His “Good things,” “Salvation,” and the fact that “God reigns!”
Isaiah wants to be wide awake and listen to the message of the One who has come to be a Servant of mankind. Specifically, he tells us about the death of the Messiah, and the total surrender that would take Him to the Cross and render Him unrecognizable because of the beatings He suffered. “His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of man” (Isaiah 52:14). His beautiful feet were nail-pierced, as was the practice in Roman crucifixion. Read Psalm 22:14-18 and Luke 23:33-49.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I pray that I will be fully “Awake!” You’ve reminded me six times about this in today’s reading. You’ve also reminded me three times to “listen” to You! I’m awake and I’m listening. You are telling me that I am to have the beautiful feet of one who, like Messiah, has the responsibility to bring the Good News to everyone I meet, and that I must support those who go to the end of the earth to bring that Good News to all! I ask for grace to sacrifice my resources, my time, and my very life in Your greatest of all causes. I pray in the Name of the One who has gone before me, Jesus, Messiah, Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
There were eight beautiful feet that brought Wallace, Douglas, Delbert and Merrill to that grade 12 high school classroom, where I watched their lives carefully from September to November that fall. Not only did they pass my tests for what a true Christian should be, but they shared the “Good News” of Jesus with me. The previous summer, I worked full time for the local Chrysler dealer and then part time during the school year. There were beautiful feet there too. The witness for Jesus was strong! I knew the Gospel, but as a result of my mother’s death when I was 12 and my father’s departure when I was 15 for his mission field in Egypt, I had run away from God. After grade 11 high school in a Christian boarding school, I was informed that I was not welcome to return to that school, because of my rebellion. Therefore, I ended up living with my oldest sister and her husband, moving to Pembroke, Ontario, and meeting people who, along with my sister, brought me “Good News,” “Peace,” “Glad tidings of good things,” and who proclaimed, “Salvation!”
With my time, energy, resources, and all my heart, I want to do the same for others! I may have more time to give. I definitely have more energy, and I have some resources to give.
Yours for feet that bring “Good News!”
David
Amen, David! Praise God for planting your rebellious nature and steering you in the direction of living with your sister, who nurtured your path in the right direction. Thank you for following it to serve our Lord!! This morning the song, I Am Redeemed, has been playing through my head. Praise God we are redeemed and set free, because of our Jesus! Amen! May all saints find God’s blessings, today!
“The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” Mt 6:22
Redeemed, Big Daddy Weave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzGAYNKDyIU
Here is another great version:
I Am Redeemed, Gospel singer Jessy Dixon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8odorzuHd74
P.S. Thanks for the beautiful sunrise photo, Reynold!
Love that Beverlee, thank you!
Thank you Beverlee…
“I am Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb”
Thank you David! you are greatly blessed by God. I thank him for your humble and gracious example of faithfulness from the beginning even unto the endings. My dad was like this, he kept my feet on the path with his patient and godly training. He’s in heaven now and I’ll see him again someday!
Glad you are feeling more energetic and optimistic about your future, David. I give you credit for buckling down and following medical advice and treatment plans. I know Our Lord speaks to your heart daily and is the source of your energy and joy. May God continue to bless you and keep you strong in the sharing of the good news of the gospel of Christ.
Amen brother in Christ!
AMEN
Continuing steadfast in prayer
Amen! to all the comments above.
Praise the Lord God for redeeming the whole world through His Son Jesus.
May everyone come to know Him & be saved, Amen!
Thank you David for bringing out the power points of these scriptures!!!
YES, LORD “AWAKEN MY SOUL” CAUSE MY HEART SOUL AND SPIRIT TO LISTEN AND TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!!! CAUSE MY FEET TO GO FORTH IN YOUR NAME JESUS!!!! “AWAKE, ALIVE, ENTHUSIASTIC” IN AND FOR YOU, JESUS!!!
Song from Isaiah 51:11: Therefore the Redeemed of the Lord shall return and come a singing unto Zion and everlasting Joy shall be upon their head. They shall obtain gladness and Joy and sorrow and mourning will flee away! Therefore the Redeemed of the Lord shall return and come a singing unto Zion and everlasting Joy shall be upon their head!!
thank You Lord David Mainse was just a regular young person, rebelled, God provided a family for him! I just spoke to someone last night at who is rebelling. I’ve only talked to this person about 4 times as he has just started working at nights.. I told him I believe that deep down inside he is a very good person, he’s hurting from problems in the family, I told him not to give up, stay clear of drugs, I told him that God knows exactly what is going on and I encouraged him to pray to God, I said I certainly will be praying and when I left 2 hours later I told him that God loves him, God has not discarded him, I told him he needs to have a talk with God before he goes to bed, I told him that God loved him deeply and so do I because he is a child of God! I told him that when he has this talk with God to first confess that he has sinned in all ways and to tell God he is sorry and to ask God to forgive him! The guy looked at me with a surprised look and I told him that God will forgive him; all he needs to do is confess or admit that he has made mistakes, he is angry about things, I assured him God hears him and will not leave him!
I had a really good peace of mind that this young guy felt a little better when I left then we we first began to talk!
Please pray for him! His name is Josh, he is planning on become a Student Counsellor, pray for his vocation that he will be able to do this, gather the funds, and I absolutely believe that he will make a very good counsellor because of his personal life experiences! I also encourage him to begin to forgive his parents, others who made him angry, and he said yes, he realized that this has to happen because he is not the person to withhold forgivensss! SO, PRAISE THE LORD AMEN
Thanks David for feeding us every day. May the Lord continue to Bless and keep you and your Family.
Beverlee thanks for the inspiring songs. Sah what you said to Josh was so moving and from your heart. I hope you see him again so you can let us know how he is doing.
Fellow bloggers you are all in my prayers. It is so refreshing to come here each day to read these comments and get away from the everyday news for a while.
God Bless you all.
thanks Thelma please pray for Josh! He is one of God’s very precious children and he’s young and he is open to hearing God’s Word on forgivness. So, GREAT!
I just had another miracle from God! I was at a store, came home and realized I did not have my wallet! I went back to the store and God had sent a beautiful young teen to find my wallet right by the door on the outside of the store and she returned it! Her name is Comisha, a high school student, I phoned her, gave her a gift card in appreciation and shared with her that God will bless her abundantly because she did the right thing! I applauded her for her integrity, honesty, her knowledge of right and wrong! Please pray for her. I am so thankful that she found the wallet and turned it in right away! AGAIN, WHAT CAN I SAY BUT PRAISE AND THANKS BE TO GOD! amezing, amazing, amazing!