Obedience: Isaiah 20

It was an early morning this morning! With my very long to-do list, I decided to set my alarm for 6 am, getting an early start on the day. I woke up, put on some sweatpants, and headed to the prayer room. I was able to spend a good amount of time there, until my stomach starting getting really angry at me ;) I was able to spend a lot of time praying; a lot has been going on with my plans changing, friends that are hurting, and just life in general, so it was really refreshing just to talk to God about everything. Isaiah 20 randomly popped in my head, so I decided to open up to that passage:

"In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it—at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Then the LORD said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’”

After reading this, I wasn't exactly sure how it applied to me, so I read it one more time. After reading it again, it really spoke to me. The Lord spoke to Isaiah telling him to do something: "at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying 'Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,' and he did so, walking naked and barefoot". The Lord calls us to live radical lives for Him, following His callings and commands, no matter how crazy or scary they may seem. Isaiah was obedient to what the Lord told him to do, although he may of not known what God's purpose for this was, he was still obedient, trusting the Lord's purpose behind it. Although this is kind of a bizarre example, it still shows God's purpose, even in the smallest situations.

With transferring schools and leaving Northwestern, I may not know God's purpose, but I know He has one. Right now, I need to walk in faith like Isaiah; being obedient in the Lord's calling, trusting His purpose and plan for me, no matter how crazy or scary it may seem. He works all things together for our good-that's a promise! How great is that?!

Have a blessed Saturday,

                   Heather

Setting Your Heart On Him: Psalm 44, Colossians 3

It's morning! Wohooo! I really love mornings! Woke up at 6:20, worked out, and spent time with God. It's been a great morning! This morning I read Psalm 44:


"O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.
You are my King, O God;
ordain salvation for Jacob!
Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to shame those who hate us.
In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
But you have rejected us and disgraced us
and have not gone out with our armies.
You have made us turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations.
You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and scorn of those around us.
You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.
All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face
at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant.
Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way;
yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
and covered us with the shadow of death.
If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
Rise up; come to our help!
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!"

While reading this passage, verse 3 really stuck out to me: "for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but Your right hand and Your right arm and the light of your face, for you delighted in them". I constantly need the reminder that I'm not strong enough to do everything, let alone anything, on my own. Everything I do is because of His strength. Whether it's running at 6:30am, school, difficult situations, or anything else, He is the one who helps me through it. I then turned to Colossians 3:


"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality".

This passage is full of so much wisdom, even in the first verse; "Seek the things that are above", then verse 2: "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth". I am always seeking earthly things, which is hard not to. I need to remember earth is only our temporary home, and heaven will be my eternal home. The chapter talks about putting earthly things to death. That makes me think, what am I loving more than God? Is it friends? Shopping? Music? Money? I know one thing for sure, I need to set my eyes and heart on Jesus, and refocus what's truly important to me.  Later on in the chapter, it talks about all these characteristics: compassion, kindness, humility, etc. and how we should be forgiving because Jesus forgave us and continues to forgive us every day. Forgiveness isn't easy. I have learned to forgive others for hurting me, and I have been forgiven by others as well. Forgiving others will not always be easy and will take time, especially if we were really hurt. God should be glorified in EVERYTHING we do, whether it's forgiving others, winning at sports, or receiving a good grade. Remember to serve Him wholeheartedly today, tomorrow, and forever, giving Him all the glory, because without Him, we can't do anything.

With Blessings,

                Heather

You Give and Take Away

Usually I try to write about my morning devos, but I have something really heavy on my heart. This morning after doing my devos, I went back to my room, ate breakfast, and went on Facebook. When I logged on, I saw a bunch of statuses about a girl from my high school who suddenly passed away. I knew her a little bit, and my prayers go out to her family, friends, and all of West Fargo High School. I was shocked to say the least. I don't know if she had a relationship with God, but my first thought that ran through my head was I really hope she knew Jesus as her personal Savior. Then it got me thinking, could I have done something to influence her? I sat right next to her in Algebra 2, what if I would of shared Christ with her, reached out to her, and shared the love and passion of Christ? Why didn't I? I don't know, but I really wish I would of. I found scripture in Job 1:21, which says:


And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

God is so good. He gives and takes away. Although it doesn't seem fair, why God would take someone so young, it's a blessing. Even through hard times, blessed be His Name! I was not in the mood for going to chapel this morning; I really wanted to just sit and talk to God for a bit, but ended up going with a friend. It's so amazing how God connects things in our lives, because chapel had this theme exactly. The speaker and his wife talked about their son who was born with disabilities, and how they questioned God why this happened and who did it. It was an amazing message and I needed to hear it. God is sovereign and works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), and although you may not be able to see how it's going to work out for your good, God knows. He gives AND takes away. Not just gives, but takes away, and through everything, we should praise His Name.

Life is so short. We may think we have years and years left, but God has our days numbered. In Psalm 139:16 it says,

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them".

Remember to live everyday, glorifying God and sharing Christ with others. You never know when someone is going to pass away, and it could be too late to share Christ with them. Think of the people you love. Do they know Christ? Why haven't you told them? I know this is something I really need to work on. Remember to tell those you love how much you love them. Your days are numbered, but your opportunities to share the love of Christ with others are countless.

With Blessings,

                 Heather

Thanks God for Another Day: Isaiah 54

I will admit, this morning I struggled getting up, along with my two roommates. But God gave me another day-thanks God! It was one of those mornings. I knew I needed to give God my first 30, so while laying in bed, I prayed that God would give me the strength to get up and move on with my day. Although I am the typical "crazy" morning person, I do struggle at times. I got up, grabbed my Bible, and went to the prayer room. I started out by praying: there are so many things to pray for; I prayed for some of my friends who are hurting, family, my relationship with Him, His plans, etc. Then I opened up my Bible to Isaiah 54. Verses 5-13 really stuck out to me:

Reading verse 5 was really cool. "For your Maker is your husband, for the Lord of hosts is his name, and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called". God is all I need in my life, I don't need a husband, a family of my own (although I hope to have both of those someday), I just need God. He is my REDEEMER! Another verse that really stuck out to me was verses 10-12:

"For the mountains my depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you. O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.  I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones".

God has such a great plan for each of us, but we don't always see and realize it. There are going to be many trials and tribulations in our lives, but God's plan will always prevail. This passage really reassured me that God knows what is going on, even though I don't at the moment. To be honest, I have no clue what God is doing with my plans right now and why He is changing them, but I know it is for my good. His plan will eventually unfold, but in His timing, not ours.

With Blessings,

                 Heather

First 30: Psalm 139, Matthew 6

Being in a new setting, having a different schedule, and having a completely new life in college has been a blessing, but has also been hard at times. One thing I have struggled with is finding a set time to do my devotions and a place to do them that is quiet. I like to be completely alone when doing my devos, so it's pretty much two options: the island or one of the prayer rooms. At the beginning of the year, I was introduced to an idea called "First 30". The idea is that you give your first 30 minutes of your day to God when you wake up; it's the first thing you do. As a follower of Christ, I don't want to be content; I want to pursue God every moment of my day, desiring to become more like Him. So this morning, I woke up, grabbed my Bible and went to the prayer room and spent time with God. I prayed, read, and listened. It was great. Mondays are tough anyways, so might as well start it out the best way I possibly can. At Bible study last night, we read Psalm 139, so I decided to read it again this morning:


"O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!"

After reading Psalm 139 I went to Matthew 6:


“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble"

Reading Psalm 139 always reminds me that He created me to be me. There is nobody on the earth exactly like me, nor will there ever be. I like the feeling of being unique. I love who I am-not in a prideful way, but as a Daughter of the King. This passage really shows how God truly knows us. He made us-who else could know us better than our Creator! This reassures me so much how God knows what I need all the time, He doesn't forget or put it off, He knows! Matthew 6 relates to this so well; just knowing He created so He knows our every single need. We don't need to worry; God's got in under control-yesterday, today, and tomorrow and so on. I need to replace the time used to worry with prayer, worship, or just taking time to listen to God. Not only will it make my life better, it will set my heart on Him through everything.


         With Blessings,

                        Heather

Late Night Talks with Him

Within my crazy, sometimes over scheduled life, I don't always find time to just sit and listen to God. But last night I got to spend a lot of time listening, praying, and in His Word.  I went to bed at 12, and laid in bed, tossing and turning, trying to get to sleep. I personally believe when you cannot fall asleep at night, that is God wanting you to spend some time talking to Him. So about 1:30 am, I decided to grab my Bible and head to the prayer room. Although it was 1:30, I was not tired at all, and God really revealed a lot to me in the hour I was there. It's funny how he works, even at 1:30 in the morning. When reading the Bible, I sometimes feel overwhelmed, not knowing what I should read. I opened my Bible to Matthew 27-the story of the crucifixion and read that. Reading that reminded me of the sacrifice of Jesus and how I need to sacrifice things in my life in order to follow Him. After the prayer room, I went back to my room and tried to go to bed, but nope, God wanted a little bit more of my time. So I got out of my bed again, and went and sat on a couch in the stud and wrote this. I got back to my room at 3:30, fell asleep at 4:30, and woke up at 8. Let's just say I'm a little tired, but who cares. I got to spend an amazing night with my Savior, and He rocked my world last night. Sleeping is overrated, right? ;)




 With Blessings,
   
                Heather

My Every Need

God knows exactly what you need. Whether it's food, money, love, or just a good day-He always knows. I forget that I serve a God that knows my EVERY need-whether it's something simple or something big. These past two days were rough; I really wanted to be at Fall Retreat at camp, but wasn't able to. It's been hard because I am really missing North Dakota and Crystal Springs, but God reminded me today that it's not the end of the world. God gave me a great Saturday and I am so thankful-it's exactly what I needed to get my mind off of camp. My roommate Andrea and I decided to take the shuttle for the first time to Target.   Our trip turned out different then planned; we ended up walking across the street and shopping at Plato's Closet and eating supper at Subway, then spending only 15 minutes in Target. Although it doesn't seem like much, it was so much fun to us. Spending a relaxing day with Sarah and Andrea was just what I needed-no homework, just quality time and fun. It's always great when God does those 'little things' to remind us that He always has our back-and He used to day to show me that.

            With Blessings,

                                   Heather