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Isaiah 50:4 - Encouragement Begins Each Morning.Isaiah 50:4 (NLT) The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.INTRODUCTION Kind Words We should accustom ourselves to speak in pleasant tones, to use pure and correct language, and words that are kind and courteous. Sweet, kind words are as dew and gentle showers to the soul. The Scripture says of Christ that grace was poured into His lips that He might "know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary." Psalm 45:2; Isaiah 50:4. COL336 COMMENTARY PEARL The Gentle Power of Rain An Amazing Fact: A little cumulus cloud weighs about the same as 100 elephants, and a thunderstorm cloud can weigh as much as 200,000 elephants! Did you know that within one second, approximately 16 million tons of water evaporate? And contrary to popular belief, as raindrops fall, they are not in the shape of a "teardrop." As the size of the raindrop increases, they change from a spherical shape to a flat-bottomed disk shape, similar to a hamburger bun. Eventually, they can actually take the shape of a parachute before they split apart into two smaller droplets. In awe of the Creator's marvelous physical laws of nature, Job observes that He "binds up the water in His thick clouds, Yet the clouds are not broken under it" (Job 26:8). Job knew that if this amount of water were carried in a sack common in his day, it would be ripped apart. Imagine the effect if rain fell as if from a giant tub in the heavens. Because of their size and the way droplets are formed, however, raindrops can only reach a maximum of 22 miles per hour before they split into lighter drops. So when the rain falls, instead of destroying vegetation, it is evenly distributed in small droplets to refresh the grass, plants, and trees. In the beautiful song of Moses, recorded in Deuteronomy 32, he illustrates the tenderness with which God instructs and teaches His precious people. "Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass" (v. 2). God knows that we are as tender grass (Isaiah 40:7). In His merciful dealings with us, He doesn't send all His teaching to us at once. We would be overwhelmed! He knows just the right amount of instruction we can handle. Let's just be sure that we are there to receive it every morning. [Moving Mountains by Amazing Facts] COMMENTARY The Morning Hour Morning has always been considered the time best suited for personal worship by God's servants. Most Christians regard it as a privilege to devote the beginning of the day to seek fellowship with God. Whether they think of a whole hour or half an hour or a quarter of an hour, they agree with the psalmist when he said, "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord." A well-known Christian leader has said, "Next to receiving Christ as Savior and claiming the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we know of no act that brings greater good to ourselves or others than the determination to keep the morning watch and spend the first half hour of the day alone with God." At first glance this statement appears too strong. The determination to keep the morning watch hardly appears sufficiently important to be compared to receiving Christ and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, it is true that it is impossible to maintain a Christian walk in the leading and power of the Holy Spirit, without daily fellowship with God. The morning watch is the position in which the surrender to Christ and the Holy Spirit can be fully maintained. The morning watch must not be regarded as an end in itself. It is to serve to secure the presence of Christ for the whole day. To abide in Him, kept by Him, doing His will - this cannot be an irregular practice if we are truly devoted to Him. The believer who has made devotion to Christ his watchword will find in the morning hour the place where his holy calling is renewed. During this quiet time, his will is fortified to walk worthy of his calling. (See Ephesians 4:1.) His faith is rewarded by the presence of Christ who is waiting to meet him and take charge of him for the day. '"We are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). A living Christ waits to meet us. [Andrew Murray 365-Day Devotional Bible by Barbour] ILLUSTRATION I've been paying attention to the first thoughts of my day. What's on my subconscious mind as I respond to the alarm or become aware that the sun is up? Most mornings, a song is running in the background of my thoughts. Music is one of the ways I best commune with Jesus. When I wake with a song already playing, it usually remains with me throughout the day. Sometimes, it's a verse of scripture that has been "playing" while I slept. The Word is deeply embedded in me from years of treasuring it, cherishing it, reading, rereading, pondering, and studying. What if that storehouse were empty? What thoughts would consume me if worship songs and Scripture hadn't collected within me? Even that is evidence of the grace of Jesus. I am alive during an era when Scripture is more easily accessible than ever before. I was privileged to hear about Jesus from an early age. He softened my heart to believe the Bible, cling to it, and follow Him. He made it clear to me that He loved me. Jesus intervened to keep me from derailing into a life without Him. I ache for those who wake with worry or fear on their minds. Gratitude explodes at the dawn of each day that I'm privileged to serve Jesus. Each morning, He gives me confidence that together we'll handle whatever comes up as He walks me through it. And that He's been teaching me, even while I sleep. Cynthia Ruchti Faith Step: For the next week, take note of the first thought in your mind when you awaken. If it's of Him, let it carry you all day long. [Mornings With Jesus 2023 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Isaiah 50:4 - Encouragement Begins Each Morning. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230124-0952.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20161206-0946.html Isaiah 50:4 - Encouragement Classes Begin Each Morning. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040622-0641.html Lamentations 3:21-23 - Hope Springs from Gods Faithful Love and Compassion Every Morning. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240311-0836.html Psalm 5:3 - God in The Morning And All Day Long. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230216-0930.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |