ISAIAH AND JEREMIAH

It's Sunday Morning!!  Praise God!!  I love Sundays!!  I've just had two cups of coffee and I'm looking to get a third after I write this down.  While I was reading I marked down so many different things that I knew I could not write a third of them in the blog, but then I thought:  that's OK, in two months, I'll be right back in the same chapters and be able to write some more thoughts down.  In one year, I will have covered each 20 chapters six times.  So that means I will have more opportunity to write something down.  In two years, that will be covered 12 times and so you can see that eventually I can write down a lot of things that speak to my heart as I read God's Holy Word.  Isaiah and Jeremiah are the two longest books by prophets.  Ezekiel is also one of the longest.  They are preaching God's judgment to the people.  Here are some of the things that spoke to me today: 1) Isaiah 53:3 "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief".  Two days ago, I heard of a young preacher and his wife who lost their four year old son to cancer.  I hurt with them as I heard the news.  He is a young man building a new church and this sorrow has come into his life.  I thought about the fact that Jesus knows the hurt of this young family.  He was a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief".  We know that in Hebrews we have a high priest "who can be touched by the feelings of our infirmities".  Thank you Jesus for knowing how we hurt and caring!! 2) LET'S TRADE!  Isaiah 61:3 "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;"  God wants to make us a trade and it is wonderful.  He will take the bad and give us the good.  He will take the ashes of our wasted life and give us joy in return!!  WOW!!  Don't we serve a great God?  AMEN!! 3) MOLD US LORD.  Isaiah 64:8- "O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."  God molds us like clay.  Dear Heavenly Father, would you mold my life today to the image of the Savior?  Would you work on my heart and mind to think the thoughts that please you?  Would you mold me like a potter molds the clay and very patiently works to bring forth his design.  Would you help me be patient as I go through the fire, knowing that the clay vessel is only useful if it sets in the furnace for a while and is baked.  We want to be pliable so God can mold us, but only until we go thorough the furnace are we useful.  When in the furnace of affliction and trial, LORD, help my eyes be on you and my hope strong! 4. WHY CHANGE?  Jeremiah 2:36- "Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way?"  God asks a question.  Why are we working so hard to change all the time?  God is constant, and desires to help us be the same.  We are not to be movable, but set in the things of God.  Remember I just mentioned that once the clay is fired, it stays the same.  So are we to be as Christians.  It is amazing to me how many Christians keep changing what they believe and what they practice.  Well, I've got to go.  I get to preach and teach today.  It's Sunday!!!  Praise God!! Pastor Mike Mutchler

---

You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost.