Often times it seems so easy to give spiritual advice to someone to stay tough and put their complete faith on the line for an urgent need in their lives.
This particular verse in Isaiah is one that encourages us to stand firm and be prepared to put our faith to a test, and with great anticipation to receive God's blessings.
This verse in Isaiah encouraged God's people to stand with full assurance of the great blessings He was ready to share with them after enduring a 70 year period of captivity.
God promised a complete turn around, a time of great outpouring of God’s promises to change a bad circumstance after enduring a very long time of captivity and slavery.
God told His people that He would pour water on a thirsty land as well provide streams of living water on a bone dry land. Water representing His Spirit and fulfillment of His covenant promises.
Many have experienced a drought where the land cracks and breaks apart because of the lack of water. Nothing grows, and the hot sun and blowing dry wind prevents any possibility of rain or harvest.
When you try to encourage someone who has endured a time of testing or a time of difficulty and pain, the person you are trying to share God's promises with, can now turn things around with God pouring His blessings and gifts of renewal on a situation that seemed hopeless or a time of questioning. A time wondering why you or a loved one are going through such a painful period of doubt and despair.
At the point where you think it can't get any worse, God reminds us that He has promised to restore our hope and faith. As a thirsty land soaking up water being restored on a destressed land that has struggled through a severe drought.
Often times it is easy for us to give advice or to ask someone to stay tough and put their faith on the line for an urgent and personal need in their lives.
This particular verse in Isaiah is also a promise that God has shared with each of us, encouraging us to stand firm and to be prepared to receive a dynamic outpouring of His power.
Because we have undergone a period of testing our faith and facing great difficulty has allowed us to pass through this period of self evaluation, challenging our values of perseverance and faith.
This verse in Isaiah encourages God's people to stand with full assurance of the great blessings He was ready to share with the Israelites after enduring the 70 year period of captivity.
God promised His people a complete turn around after enduring a time of heart breaking captivity and slavery after God punished His people for their disobedience and falling away from the ways God ordained.
God tells His people that He will now pour water (spiritually ordained blessings) on the drought savaged land and also provide streams of water on the land that suffered because of a hard pressed judgment against His chosen people, who had lost their way and turned away in disobedience and greed.
The drought upon the land and promises of outpouring of streams of water on dry land represents to each of us who have undergone through a difficult testing of our faith and belief in God’s covenant that He would provide blessings that would restore our dry bones, weakened hearts and souls cracked and broken because we may have rejected God’s presence and outpouring of His Spirit to help us overcome our sins and disobedience.
When you try to encourage someone who has endured a time of testing or a time of difficulty and pain, often the person you are trying to understand that God's promises will now turn things around with His outpouring of His blessings and gifts of renewal because of a situation that seemed hopeless or a time of soul searching and questioning what you may have been experiencing.
There was a song that we sang in church that spoke of God "turning it around at the midnight hour"! We would turn around and around as a profession of our faith and belief God would take care of business, even at the darkness period of the midnight hour.
At the point where you think it can't get any worse, God reminds us that He has promised to restore our hope and faith as a drought dessert land soaks up water being poured on a land that has gone without moisture and rain.
I have recently gone through a time of testing and doubt over a personal health issue. Since last November, a week or so just before Thanksgiving, I lost my voice.
From going to sleep one night to waking up without the ability to express myself by speaking out loud. I figured it was just a passing case of bad laryngitis and it would soon go away.
After visiting the doctor, she said probably a virus… “go out and buy a vaporizer”. After weeks of little or no improvement, I went back to the doctor. Now the doctor said it was time for a visit to a throat/nose specialist.
With a very small camera, the Specialist ran it through my nose to see what might be causing the problem. The camera showed one vocal cord was not vibrating as it should.
The next step was a CAT Scan to see if there was something blocking the vocal cord nerve!
Immediately the specialist thought of “something” blocking the nerve. Something included a tumor or the possibility of the “C” word.
The CAT Scan would get scheduled for the following week. So meantime, all kinds of questions and fears flooded my mind and spirit.
To add to the anxiety, the scan was on a Thursday, but the specialist needed to schedule another visit over the weekend to go over the test results. A weekend of heightened fear and anxiety.
Meanwhile the depression of not being able to speak clearly created its own set of problems.
One important issue, the takeout person at the drive thru at McDonald’s could not understand my order. Had to try to explain my order several times until finally the take out order person figured out what I wanted. But this just one small example demonstrating the quandary I was in.
I prayed a lot, questioned what was happening, was expending my faith at a considerable rate.
Like a cell phone, I was using a lot of data praying, laying awake at night, wondering why, or what was affecting my voice.
To make matters worse, the specialist said it could take 9 months to heal! If it didn’t get better by then, we would start all over again trying to find the cause for the lost voice.
The evil one and big liar certainly was playing with my mind and heart.
Now I was the one who needed someone to encourage me and rely on to pray with me.
My voice has improved, but still have a frog or two in my throat. If I speak too much during the early part of the day, my voice gets considerably weaker by the evening.
I am at the mercy of God’s blessing and healing. Maybe a time to revisit God's goals and objectives for my life.
Yes, old guys have goals and objectives as well.
All this to get back to Isaiah 44:3.
"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring".
God’s Word is clear and it speaks to me as well. Don’t give up. Rely on the promises of God to restore our land.
Expect a big outpouring of God’s promises to send the rain and streams of water to heal my dry broken land. My hope remains firmly planted on God's covenant to bless those who bless Israel.
I continue to join in prayer with others who have asked for God’s intervention in their lives. Please join me in a prayer today for God's blessing on my life.
Special thanks to my colleagues who have joined with me in prayer and encouragement.
LFI ~ LATINO FAITH INITIATIVE
Rev Fidel “Butch” Montoya
Remember: “GOD LISTENS”
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