Isaiah Chapter 1

Today I read Isaiah chapter 1. I want to get out what I gleaned from that. In verses 11-20, the LORD says:

""The multitude of your sacrifices--what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations--I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat from the best of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

This tells me just how badly the LORD my God wants to be in a relationship with me. He wants me to love and obey Him! This is not a god that is satisfied with lip service and religious duties, He wants my whole heart. I can't go to church on Sunday and ignore Him the rest of the week. I can't pray to Him in the morning and continue on with "my" life for the rest of the day. He wants all of me! Not only that, He is just waiting for me to love Him so that He can bless me beyond my wildest dreams! There is no leading a double life where God is concerned. As far as He is concerned, I'm all in or I'm all out. Hot or cold. He doesn't tolerate lukewarm 'Sunday' Christians. I think that I used to be hot hot hot, but somehow, I've regressed to some lukewarm state where He is not always on mind. Time to turn up the heat.

Time to wake up!

In service yesterday, we had a visiting missionary from Kenya come to speak. His message was something that I think I really need to hear. It was really simple. I need to wake up from this spiritual slumber that I'm in and pray to God! The following is Matthew 26:38-45. I've highlighted some of the words. 

³⁸Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." ³⁹Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." ⁴⁰Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. ⁴¹"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." ⁴²He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." ⁴³When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.⁴⁴So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. ⁴⁵Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

I find also that my spirit is willing, but that my body is weak. I yearn to be so close to God that I am constantly talking to Him, constantly aware of his presence. Somehow though, I never make that time to pray. I never pick up His word and see what He has to say to me today. It seems to me that Jesus was frustrated that his disciples continued to sleep and rest even though He had asked them to watch with Him. I can only imagine that He feels the same frustration with me right now. How am I supposed to raise a daughter who is passionately in love with Jesus if I can't demonstrate that same love? I can't. So, for whatever reason that I have been sleeping thus far, I need to take responsibility for my spiritual life. I thank God that He has put me with a group of other Christian ladies that I can fellowship with. That makes it easier for me, but I have to do it at home too. So if you'll excuse me, I am going to go pick up that dusty Bible!

Vows

My husband and I have been having a bit of a rough time lately. I won't go into details, but I expect that every couple goes through something similar at some point in their marriage. So today, I decided to get out our wedding vows. Some time back I had them printed and framed, but they never managed to make it to the wall. So tonight, I pulled out my pink girly toolkit and hung those vows over the couch! I'd like to share those with you.

Patrick’s Vows

Julie, I am very thankful that God has called you to be my companion and friend. Julie, you know that my desire is to love and serve the Lord throughout my life, and I know that this is your goal as well. I am privileged to take you as my wife today.

I commit myself to help and assist in seeing you become the woman God wants you to be. I promise to lead you through this world with diligence as God gives me wisdom. Most, of all Julie, I promise to continue loving you without reservations as no other man on earth could love you. By God’s grace and power, I will be faithful to you for the rest of my life.

I will seek to protect you and provide for you as Christ does the church. I will care for you and cherish you, always willing to place your interests before my own. I pray that God will enable me to live out these promises, even as He already has, so that Jesus Christ might be glorified. I love you Julie! I pray that you will find comfort in my arms all the rest of our days. 

Julie’s Vows

Patrick, I love you so much. I know that you are a gift from God and I am confident that He has led us to this day, as we become husband and wife. I promise by the grace of God to love you unconditionally. I have seen your love for God and I promise to support and trust your decisions and to submit to your leadership knowing you always seek God’s will.

I promise to be there for you, standing by your side in all kinds of sickness and health, whether we are rich or poor, in the good times and through whatever trials that might come our way. I promise to be worthy of your trust by being trustworthy. I will be faithful and true to you despite the uncertainties of the future. 
Finally I will support you in our ministry together as we seek to know God more intimately and make His name known and loved in the world.

Patrick, I love you and I am looking forward to my life by your side.

Our Vows to God

God we come to you this day promising:

• To put Christ above all others, even each other.
• To be a lantern through which your love shines for all to see.
• To seek your will in all our decision-making.
• To make time for you every day both together and separately.
• To constantly strive to bear the fruits of Your Spirit which are: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
• To live our lives in service of You and make Your Name known in the world.
• To keep our eyes focused on Christ and to never forget what You did for us on the cross.

Lord we love You and by Your grace and power, we trust that You will enable us to fulfill these vows.

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On reviewing these vows, on my part at least, I don't believe that I have kept them either to Patrick or to God. I haven't always submitted to Patrick's leadership and I don't feel that I've loved him unconditionally either. As for my vows to God. I certainly haven't made time for Him every day and I know that my eyes haven't remained focused on Him.

The reason I write this tonight is because I need to pull up the reigns on my life and evaluate where I am coming up short. I need to live up to these vows that I have made. I pray to God that He will enable me to do so.