LOCKET VERSES WEEK 52

The book of Isaiah is filled with warnings of "woe" and vivid scenes of destruction. Yet always, in the midst of these descriptions, which can weigh heavy on our minds, God has interjected promises and painted scenes of the glory that can be ours when we trust in the Lord. What greater glory could be described but that which we find in our verse for today. The promised abode of those that shall dwell on high (verse 16) will be with the glorious LORD. He is our focus, for indeed: Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty. (Verse 17) All is at rest in our verse, all is secure. I closed my eyes and envisioned the scene. It was almost like a painting by one of the old masters of art. Deep and flowing was the sea, soft and verdant green was the shore. It was a peaceful bay, no storms clouds over head, just clear blue sky and the soft winds of a pleasant day. Yet then I realized that my envisioned colors were not bright enough, for this was no earthly landscape. Then my thoughts wandered on all the beauty and depth of thought found in our verse. Come and wander through those thoughts with me. I thought of the contrasts. For in a city surrounded by water there was always the fear that an enemy would come by sea. In the time of Isaiah, the invaders often came in galley ships, quietly moving into the sheltered bays with oars muffled. Their goal would be to either take control or steal and plunder. It seemed that danger was found even in that which was lovely and profitable in the sea. But in the New Jerusalem, on that golden shore with the broad river running through, no ships or galleys or boats with oars can approach. There is absolute safety and security. What a promise to our hearts! Nothing can steal away the treasure of dwelling that God has given to us. The promise is not just for that eternal home in Heaven. We are already seated in the heavenlies: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6 In our present dwelling place with Christ, no enemy galley can approach our spirit there. It is secure in the River of Salvation. The Keeper of the bay, the Watchguard of our salvation, is the glorious LORD Himself. That security and that responsibility is all found in Him. But in our earthly life, there are enemies of our peace that often come floating down the inlets of our existence. There, in the earthly realm, God requires of us to be the faithful keepers of the watch. The enemy goal, as the invaders of old, is to try to take control of our minds and emotions, to steal our peace and plunder our testimonies. It is our responsibility to be ever vigilant, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist stedfast in the faith. I Peter 5:8-9 Not only is he like a roaring lion, but ever the master of disguise, he may also come like an invader on muffled oared ship, slipping quietly into the sheltered bays of our life. In the areas where we had thought all would be serene, an invasion can secretly come, if we are not vigilant. We know the areas that could spell trouble, the places we should not go, the activities we should avoid, but the quiet places of our heart, the inlets of our mind, those we often neglect to guard. It is there the galley ships may be waiting to invade. Do not allow the devil and his allies to find a landing place in the gentle bays of life that God has designed for you. In my wanderings on the shore of Isaiah 33:21, my eyes looked back on verse 20, and there I saw a fantastic verse of GLORY with a capital G. It pictures that place of our dwelling, Zion, and the scene is one of stability and eternality Nothing there can destroy or be destroyed. In the security of God’s plan, it is important for both to be true. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. Isaiah 33:20 The entire realm of our future habitation is a picture of tranquility, where we find solemnity, quiet, a permanent tabernacle, broad rivers and flowing streams, as the waters of Shiloah that go softly. Isaiah 8:6 The dictionary definition of solemnity includes: a formality requisite to render an act or document valid, the state of being serious or earnest, and the observance of a rite or ceremony. The definition of the Hebrew word was found to be: an appointed place, a tent of meeting, sacred season, and in one hundred and fifty places in the Scripture it means congregation. Meshing the two definitions together, there was a glorious understanding! Because of the rendering of the "document" of our salvation in the blood of Christ, we will one day stand in the Heavenly tabernacle in that sacred season of our rest along with all the congregation of the righteous. Oh, Glorious Day! Our solemnities will be observed. While the Jews wandered in the wilderness, they had to continuously take down the tabernacle and move on to the next resting place. Theirs was a picture of our own earthly wanderings. Yet one day we will be in that City where the tent stakes of our tabernacle will not be taken down, where we will have a permanent place of worship as we dwell, or tabernacle, with God. In Exodus 35:18, we find the mention of both the pins (or stakes) and cords in the earthly tabernacle. Again in Numbers 3:26 and 4:26, the cords for the service of the tabernacle are cited. The cords served both as measuring lines in the reconstruction each day of the tabernacle and as ropes of securing. God places His measure around us, unfathomable, beyond measure, yet defining the compass of His protection. These cords secure us in him. In Hosea, they are pictured as cords of love with which He draws us to Himself. And none of those cords shall ever be broken! Back in the bay of verse 21, I noticed that the dwelling "place" was the glorious Lord. All our permanency is found in HIM, the glorious, great majestic One. The glorious LORD Himself will be the place of broad rivers. He is not just IN the place but He IS the place. He is our dwelling place. He is our Divine Presence, in this world and in the world to come. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, Genesis 28:15 Note the double promises of Exodus 33:14: And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest, and Isaiah 43:2: When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.... And the rejoicing of Zechariah 2:10: Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. The Lord is our hiding place. In that bay of our eternal dwelling we find not the sea with waves or ocean with salt brine, but rivers and streams. They are broad and full of calmly flowing, fresh water. What a vital quality that water has, for it is life giving to us, not as with the water of the ocean, which to drink is death. In the Bible, the sea is usually a picture of the world and to drink thereof is death. God invites us to come to the water of the river that gives life and sustains life. Just as the rivers and streams of our land water the fields, nourish the crops and provide our drinking water, so the River that is found in Christ, will be our spiritual nourishment, the provision for all our need. It was He who said: ...he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35 Come dwell by the river, that smooth flowing river. Today dig your roots deep on its shore. Only as you are sustained by the waters of the river can you launch out into the sea to harvest there. Fisherman that go out into the ocean in their boats must carry water from the wells and rivers of the land as they work. The water of the sea is not to pass their lips, though they are surrounded by it all day. Yet as often as they want, they can drink deeply of the water of the rivers, as long as they have put in a goodly supply. The broad calmly flowing water is a picture of absolute tranquility as opposed to the choppy, unpredictable sea. It is a place of rest and nourishment for our souls. It is interesting that the words, rivers and streams, are both plural. Usually the reference to that heavenly river is singular. Is this teaching something unique? Could it be a picture of how all our needs are met uniquely in each stream and river that flows from God. For each of our desires, each of our nourishment needs, God can provide when we come to Him as thirsty souls. In verse 20, there seemed to be a contrast between Zion and Jerusalem, the first city the people can look upon, the second, they shall see. The question arose: is Zion in the present, what we can see and perceive with our earthly eyes. It is there that we see a place of solemnities. It is the here and now in which we must pledge our worship and renew our vows to God. When we do, we are assured of the promise of the heavenly where thine eyes shall see Jerusalem, that place in its permanency, where our worship shall never be removed or broken. BUT THERE, in that place where we will dwell, there the glorious LORD will be! And here my heart stood still as I employed the "stop study" method in our verse, reading each word and stopping. When I used this tool, the words resounded in my heart: "HE will be!!" In all His glory, the Glory of all will be! Our eyes shall behold Him! He will never fail us, His cords of love will never be broken. What He has built will never be taken down. Nothing or no one can ever change that which God has done: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not things present, nor things to come, No height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 What glorious promises from our glorious LORD! Even though in this life we must often dwell in the midst of a conflict, the total peace of that city so very far away will be assured by the Glorious One who dwells there! Does the verse now paint a picture in your mind? Can you see the gently flowing waters, with light gleaming on their surface? Does your heart long to dwell there? There is a beautiful song in the Book of Psalms that is the companion to this passage of Isaiah:

• Psalm 46:1-4 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah There is a river, the streams thereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

                    Verse 5     God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved....

                    Verse 9     He maketh wars to cease... He breaketh the bow...

                    Verse 11   The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

He is our dwelling place in that Place where there is no war nor instruments of war. He is with us now and will be with us then! Exalt Him! Now will I rise, said the LORD; now will I be exalted! Isaiah 33:10 Let Him be exalted in us!

The first word of this verse leaps across the space between page and eye. For seems like such a small word, but it speaks volumes. We have just viewed the promised scenes of Glory, recorded in Isaiah 33:20-21, where we will dwell in safety. That will be in direct contrast to the turmoil of the present world that had caused Isaiah to cry out, O LORD, be gracious unto us..be thou...our salvation also in the time of trouble. Isaiah 33:2 Behind all of our life journey, we must remember that we have a righteous Judge, a just Lawgiver and a mighty King. "For" He is the One who has enacted our salvation, decreed the sealed document of our eternal dwelling and reigns over all as our omnipotent LORD and King. We will dwell in that glorious place one day because (for) He is all that our verse for today declares. To complete the circle of thought, we can also rejoice in the fact that because (for) He is our Judge, Lawgiver and King, he will save us. The circle of life begins and ends with our glorious LORD. Isaiah 33:21 This verse is also full of personal words and applications. He is OUR Judge, OUR Lawgiver, OUR King, and He will save US. Throughout my life, there have been those doubters of God who have said that if there was a God, He certainly would not have time for me. But He does! He is a personal God. He meets OUR every need, He deems it fit and proper to dwell with US. Oh, the glory of it all! That the Almighty Ruler of the Universe, the Judge of all men, would choose to have a personal relationship with me is a constant source of amazement and wonder! It should cause each of us to so cherish our relationship that we would seek to let nothing interfere with or tarnish that which God has so perfectly planned. Our lives should be as cleansed vessels for His constant in-filling. We should be daily grateful for His work in our lives in salvation, for allowing us to be partakers of the Divine mystery. The amazing reality of the mystery revealed is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 We can know the One who is over all. This thought is humbling and empowering at the same time. What does our verse teach us about this LORD? It shows us three parts of His being, three of His offices, three of His titles. The word "is" appears in italics, meaning we could read this verse without the three times it is used. The majesty of those titles are emphasized as we read it this way. The LORD our Judge, the LORD our Lawgiver, the LORD our King! Truly He IS all these things and each IS also His title. First, we learn that the LORD is our judge. The Hebrew word appears in the active voice, for our God is not only the law-giver, governor, and judge, but He actively rules and executes judgment. He is the One who gives righteous judgment and, knowing all, pronounces the sentence. He is unswayed by circumstances, by others or even ourselves. He deals with truth. This is the picture of the Judge of all the universe in His full authority and position. As we think of what that represents, we should realize that we should submit totally to His mercy, in the courtroom of our life. He is also our lawgiver. He is the One who inscribes, enacts, and decrees the very law He judges by. He has given the law of life and He is fully acquainted with it. He knows what laws we need to function and to succeed. He knows the hedge and the boundaries. We should not resist His power but abide as obedient citizens in His territory. The only true freedom we can know is when we live under God’s rulership and obey His laws written within our hearts. The LORD is [also] our king. He has the position of absolute sovereign rulership in the lives of His people. We must honor Him and His authority to know peace within His kingdom. We must follow His leadership and carry out His royal decrees. Because He is the Righteous Judge, the All-knowing Lawgiver, and the Omnipotent King, He will save us. Amazing, humbling truth. This Mighty One who knows all, especially about each one of us, He will save us! We can trust that salvation because He is the Judge, the Lawgiver, the King and nothing or no one can exalt themselves against Him. What a phenomenal thought. Knowing all: Yet He will, Yes He will, Completely He will! Knowing that He holds all these offices in our lives, we ought to fully acquaint ourselves with His laws in the Scripture. We need to acknowledge the Lord as the full embodiment of all these offices in our personal lives. Then we should visualize the response and commitment we must have to Him. It must not be just an exercise of the imagination, but visualizing the actuality in our lives. He is One to be trusted as the righteous Judge: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Genesis 18:25 [The Lord] cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.\pard plain Psalms 96:13 All the facts are known to Him: Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 1 Cor 4:5 He is the only wholly just Lawgiver: For He said: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; Isaiah 51:4-5 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: James 4:12 He reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords: Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. I Timothy 1:17 In Glory, we shall know His full position: And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. Rev 15:3-4 In thinking on the distinctions between lawgiver and judge, and the continuation to king, the following parallels were brought to mind:

• Lawgiver                  Judge                               King

• initiator                    enactor                             enforcer

• author                       finisher                            continuor

• righteous to give     righteous to execute     righteous to rule

Also in thinking on the three fold offices noted of God’s governing character, I thought about our American government, which has functioned so successfully though the years. It has a judicial, legislative and executive branch to enable a just government and a judicious enactment of laws. In our God, all these branches co-exist as One. There is perfect balance, perfect justice and perfect enactment of law in our Lord. We can be secure in our citizenship and dwell in peace within His government. The three fold aspects of this verse can not fail to remind us of the Trinity and of the three offices of Messiah: Prophet, Priest and King. To our three part being of body, soul and spirit, God is the minister of all our parts. Closing our mind’s eyes for a moment, we can picture the Lord, sitting upon [His] throne, high and lifted up... and the seraphims of His throne room declaring...Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. Isaiah 6:1-3 As we, along with Isaiah, fall at His feet in reverent awe and humble submission, let us claim in fullness today that which He has promised. For surely He will save us! Despite the fact that we are sinners before a holy God, His love and justice has declared that He will cleanse and save us for His glory! This saving does not only have to be thought of as the eternal salvation of our souls, bound for Heaven’s palaces, but it includes the present saving that God holds out to us each day with His hands of omnipotent grace. He can save and deliver us in the areas where we need moral and spiritual victory. Is there a conflict that you are facing today? Submit your case to the Righteous Judge. Is there a decision of life that you need to make? Trust the Lawgiver for the guidelines. Is there an enemy who is attacking your peace? Let the King send forth His armies to win the victory. Whatever comes today, remember: the LORD is your Judge, He is your Lawgiver, He is your King. He can and will save you as you trust in Him and bow before His throne today.

Chapter 35 starts with a loud Hosanna from creation! It should remind us of the words of Jesus, when the Pharisees questioned Him on the day of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Their criticism was of the people who were praising the Lord, recognizing His Messiahship. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:39-40 Creation knows its Creator! How ironic that the modern teaching of Evolution, centering on the creation, claims that it all began by itself, yet if any part of creation could speak to us, it would declare the Majesty of God. Isaiah, Chapter 34, had shown the destruction of things in the world on the day of the LORD’s vengeance. Isaiah 34:8 All around was a smoking burning. God was cleansing the earth. But the creation knew that this cleansing was preparing for the renewal that it had awaited since the Fall of man. The expectancy of the creation is always, confidently, toward the Creator who holds the world and time in His hand. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:18-23

The wilderness and the solitary place breaks forth with singing and fruitfulness. It knows that the time table of total earthly redemption can be viewed in the workings of God. The desert and the flowers will rejoice as all Creation shall be glad for the redeemed of man. Our joy will also be the fulfillment of the promise for the wilderness, the solitary place and the desert. That which has not been all it can be, will have its beauty, fruitfulness and potential realized, as God enacts His plan. This picture is so like us in our wilderness of soul. Without the work of redemption in our lives, we can never know our full potential, there will be no true beauty in us and we can never bring forth fruit for the Master. Before that work, we are like the desolation of Chapter 34. There is a wilderness and desert quality to unredeemed lives, and those souls are as solitary places, uninhabited by the Lord, empty of dwelling by He who created man to be a dwelling place for Himself. The only way we can rejoice and blossom as a rose is to cry out to the Lord for His renewing power within. The desert in Springtime gives glimpses of what promise that desolate place holds. It is the time of the year when the brilliant blossoms of the desert plants are seen. To our wondering eyes, it is like a promise of what that landscape could be. That which is brown and monotonous the rest of the year, becomes vibrant and dotted with color. Yet, that Spring season each year is only a hint of what that same desert could be if "remade" by the hand of the Master Creator. So it is with our lives. Before salvation, God often gives glimpses of what talent, what gift, what potential we hold. But it is only a passing glimpse, until the redemption of Christ is applied to our hearts. It is then, and only then, that our lives begin to blossom, when true rejoicing cries forth from within. One of the men in our church is a master gardener. Though retired and frail in body, his talented hands still bring forth the best in any landscape. Knowing my love of roses, he gifted me with a marvelous single rose one day that I named "Matt’s Perfect Rose." I had never seen such a flower before, everything about it seemed perfect. It had a deep vibrant red color, velvet petals perfectly formed, a stem that looked like it had been professionally bronzed. Even the thorns had beauty and color! It was so beautiful that it almost looked fake, yet it was probably the picture of what all roses could look like in potential. The impact of this blossoming rose spoke to me of the beauty that could be demonstrated in human lives when each life is submitted to the work of our Husbandman Lord. Those lives would be things of beauty indeed. Even the areas that had seemed problems before, like the thorns, would be part of the detailed sculpture of beauty and unity. That rose reminded me that our full fulfillment is only found in Christ, our full potential is only realized in Him. The beauty of our souls and spirits is only seen in Christ. Our purpose is only complete in Him. Without Him, we are like the scraggy rose bush that has been left to its own devises and often even ceases to bloom. In the hands of an experienced person, that bush can be transplanted, pruned, fed and watered until it will bring forth blossoms of beauty again. Without that intervention, it could never be what it was intended to be. Taking the definition of the words of our verse, I drew a word picture: The wilderness, the uninhabited places of desert lands, and the solitary places of drought and dryness, shall exult and display joy greatly, the desert shall be filled with abiding joy, and blossom, break forth into fruitfulness as the flowers of the meadow, the early crocuses and the rose, to show forth their joy in God’s work! Oh, let the dry places of your life accept the work of your Creator and blossom with joy. Let that which was unfruitful in your life, come under the hand of God and start to bear fruit to His glory! Let Him prune and renew and water your life so that it can be all it can be! The joy and blooming of Isaiah 35:1, is in direct contrast to the picture of desolation in Chapter 34. There a vivid description is given of the judgment of God upon the people of my curse (Verse 5) and their land. It is the day of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.(Verse 8) Instead of the blooming landscape of Chapter 35, we see one where the stream thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.(Verse 9) For those who have turned their back on God, resisted and fought against Him, their fate is as that desolation. That which they cited as their own beautiful streams, the watering of their own places of mind, will become black oozing pitch, destroying everything it touches. How like the devises of evil men. Even that which they thought would bring them life and purpose, which watered their cultivated gardens of plans and schemes, will become as death to them. The illusion to the ultimate destiny of such is clearly stated in verse 10: It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste. From the judgment and vengeance of Chapter 34, which is upon the enemies of God, the contrast of the delightful portrait of blessing and restoration for God’s people is seen in Chapter 35. Out from the midst of the land of burning and death, a window is opened to view a land of beauty and life. As we step through the lattices of that window, the desolation we have left is viewed behind us as though through a misted glass. It fades as we are surrounded by the "excellency" of the blossoming land and the excellency of our God. Isaiah 35:2 The change is overwhelming, the contrast is complete: Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Isaiah 35:3, 4 What a vivid picture of the redemption of our souls. In salvation, we step as it were, through that window, out of the land of desolation of sin and death, into a land of wonder and rebirth. We step from the blackness and obscuration of smoke filled mists, into a vibrant colorful land, where with clarity we shall see the glory of the LORD. Isaiah 35:2 All you who have entered this land, rejoice even with joy and singing this day! (Verse 2)

From the deepness of despair, God reaches into lives and gives healing. THEN, our verse states, then will we be touched in the innermost parts of our being so that we can see and hear and respond to the Lord. Verse four sets the stage for our understanding of our verses for today. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Isaiah 35:4 "Then" will come the victories of our verses. Only when God saves a man, can he experience the joy of a restored life. The opening of the eyes and the unstopping of the ears are both done by Someone other than the person who is blind or deaf. They can do nothing of themselves to obtain this release. Contrary to modern teachings, man does not open his own eyes of understanding or increase his own comprehension of transcendent truth. The eyes are opened, the ears are unstopped by the only One with the power over His Creation. In the physical realm, we can rejoice in healings where the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, and the dumb sing. But what a depth of victory when we correlate each physical quality to the spiritual realm. Fannie Crosby once wrote, "I once was blind and now I see." She was physically blind when she penned those words, knowing her physical sight would only be restored in her resurrected body when she stood in the glories of Heaven. Yet she could write in the present circumstance of physical blindness, "NOW I see!" Her sight was that of the spiritual realm. God had removed the scales from her spiritual eyes, so that she could see the truth of God that had saved her soul. She could view the eternal with the eyes of her spirit. The saved can hear with the ears of their spirit the true words of God with an understanding and clarity that was not theirs before salvation. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. I Corinthians 2:14 With salvation, we are given the Spirit of God that we might freely know the things that are freely given to us of God. I Corinthians 4:12 Earlier in Isaiah, God had explained this state of unregenerate man to His prophet. Without spiritual sight and hearing, they were unconverted. The heart of the people was such that their ears were heavy and they had shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Isaiah 6:10 The forsaking in the land had taken them far from the spiritual health that they needed to be whole before the Lord. Yet with the "returning," God would grant to open their eyes and unstop their ears, they would be converted and they would be saved. In the natural areas, to those who have these conditions of physical blindness, deafness, lameness and inability to speak, the possibility of physical healing usually seems paramount. But in eternity’s view, the healing of our spirit far overshadows anything that could be done for our body. Someone who is physically blind can still gaze face to face with their Savior as they worship Him in Spirit and in truth. That which they cannot see with the physical eyes, will one day be granted beyond all expectations, when they stand in the landscape of Heaven and view with eyes opened wide, the beauty around them that will never fade away. I have had the unique privilege of having both my spiritual and physical sight restored. I had already had multiple episodes of transient blindness when a doctor correctly diagnosed me with my brain disease. That day, he warned us that I had a great possibility of totally losing my sight and suffering irreversible blindness. For the next days, I spent much time alone with the Lord in my heart. As the tests were performed on me, and friends prayed, I sought the Lord’s peace. He gave it with a feeling of total acceptance, "Lord, I take it from You if indeed this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me," I prayed. As I was also losing my hearing and the ability to put sentences together, this prayer was magnified in my soul. On the day of the last test, I sat in our car at the medical center as my husband picked up a prescription. The sky overhead was cloudy on that Spring day. I was filled with pain, my vision was blurred and my ears felt stopped up. I rested my head on the back of my seat and lifted my eyes to the sky, probing the spaces for a glimpse of the eternal Heavens. My mind could not clearly form the prayer I needed to pray, and then, clear as spoken words, came God’s reassurance to my heart: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 Even though I might not be able to pray, the Holy Spirit would pray for me. Likewise, if I did become blind, God would provide the inner sensitivity to see with the eyes of my heart. God would be to me what I could not be in myself. Only a saved, converted person can have that assurance, that blessing. At the moment of that realization, as I continued to gaze Heavenward, the clouds parted and a strong shaft of light shone through with clear blue sky beyond. What joy and calm peace I felt within. Though I had acceptance of blindness, and indeed did go deeper into that dark world in the months ahead, God wondrously restored my sight after a surgery of which the diagnosing doctor had not been aware. The joy and appreciation of seeing even the little things of beauty in the world around has stayed with me to this day. I rejoice in mountain alpine glows, multicolored sunsets, spring flowers, a child’s glowing smile. When others around seem to take some glimpses of nature in passing, I seem to breathe it all in. The joy of seeing my grandchild born, my daughter at the altar, each of my sons gazing at their children, all seem to be deeper for me than for some others. I pray I will never take my physical sight for granted. So it should be with our spiritual eyes and ears. Oh, Lord, help each of us to be spiritually attuned to the beauty of what You bring into our lives each day. Help us to view the colors and sounds of Your creative work in our lives and in Your Word. Help us not to take the gifts of spiritual sight and hearing for granted. To this day, I must wear special glasses outside during day light or else my vision will fade. This fading of vision only happens when I forget to take wise precautions, I hurry out without placing the glasses on my face first, I look at a strong light, even through a window, or gaze at a reflective surface. Not only does the vision fade and become obscured, but there is a temporary pain. When we do not take wise precautions with our spiritual lives, our spiritual vision can fade, often causing us to have an inability to see areas in our lives clearly. This can even result in pain for us and for others in our lives. The medical world reminds us to take care of our eyesight, God reminds us to take care with our spiritual senses as well. They must be kept sensitive to Him. Let us be as the lame man leaping for joy and the man who had been dumb singing praise to our Lord. The word for sing in the Hebrew carries with it the concept of a ringing cry of joy and praise, even a cry aloud in summons. "Come join with me," our life song should say, "Worship the Lord, the Creator, the King of all Glory with me!" The objects of our verses for today shift to the landscape around the redeemed. It, too is healed. From the contrast of the dry wilderness, the land now is filled with flowing waters. In the spiritual realm, the contrast of dryness is to the abundant richness of watered souls refreshed by the Water of Life in Christ. The uninhabited places of the wilderness of our souls before salvation, will have this Water break through and rend open that which we had locked away. The parched ground, burned with a scorching heat of sin, will become a calm and peaceful pool of His love. The thirsty lands, under God’s restoring touch, will hold springs of water bubbling forth. In Chapter 34, we had been given to view a land of desolation where the dragons found habitation in fortresses of nettles and brambles. That habitation of dragons was not only parched and barren but scorched with the heat of their breath. In Chapter 35, a chapter of restoration hope, those same places are now lush lawns of grass with the reeds and rushes by the watered streams. The landscape of the creation is drastically changed. The landscape of the redeemed heart is altered for eternity. Where there was a wilderness of soul, the waters of God’s Spirit can flow. As streams in the desert give fruitfulness to a barren land, so God’s waters give purpose and life to the heart of man. In the inland San Joaquin Valley of California, so rich with productive agricultural lands, our picture is aptly illustrated. Without water, the area is like a desert. But someone saw the potential in the land and brought irrigation to the soil. In the areas where the irrigation is applied, there is great fruitfulness. Acre upon acre of fruit trees, fields of vegetables and fruit, row upon row of flowering plants are seen every year. Yet on the opposite side of the valley, where the water was not brought in, it is still a desolate dry place where only the scrub grasses grow. It is the same valley, but unwatered and unproductive. To show the potential, some enterprising farmers have brought water to isolated areas. True to the theory, these hills and fields are now covered with new grape vines, small fruit trees, blossoming roses. The reclamation has begun in the valley. As exciting as that may be, it can not even match the reclamation that takes place in the life given over to the work of God. As water to the desert land, so is His spirit to our souls. The contrast of the California valley lands, highlights the contrasts of this section of Isaiah. Without the water of God in our spirits, we are indeed a desert place. But, oh, when the water flows into our souls, the productive lives that can be nourished for God’s glory! The parched ground can become a pool!

In the lush redeemed landscape pictured for us in Isaiah chapter 35, we will find a highway. It shall be there, the promise is sure in God. And the redeemed shall walk there. The promise is theirs, it is ours. Through this lovely landscape, full of rejoicing and excellency, the redeemed of the Lord will walk. The highway is not only a picture of the way to future "glory," but it is that roadway through the land of beauty for those who dwell with the Lord, who live in His way. As redeemed, we can walk there. We can breath the sweet breezes, smell the scent of the blossoming flowers, marvel at the lush greenness and the softly flowing waters. We can sing praises with the other pilgrims and rejoice together. On the highway of the redeemed is joy unspeakable and full of glory! What a lovely journey we can have on that highway! Are you rejoicing in your journey down that highway today? Are your eyes beholding the work of the King, who oversaw its construction? Are you walking in the light, as He is in the light? Are you having fellowship one with another? Is the blood of Jesus Christ [cleansing you] from all sin? I John 1:7 Such is the condition of the redeemed who walk on that highway of their God. This is that great highway, The way of holiness. It is the highway that is the only Way to salvation in the Lord and the same roadway we walk in once we are there. The life journey down the highway of holiness has already begun if we are saved! When we take a car trip, we always go through a time of planning during which we take out our best road map, to help us find the way to our destination. God’s road map, the Bible, points us clearly to the only Highway to Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Way. John 14:6 Often times our car trips are for the vacation we have saved for. Christ Himself has done the "saving," He has paid the price so that we can enjoy the pleasure of His pleasant land forever, not just for a fleeting time. After vacations, we have to come back to our "real world," full of trials and woes. Yet, when we walk on Christ’s highway, the joy of the journey never ends, there should be no other world for us. We should be ever aware of walking on that highway right now, in our ever present life. There are glimpses of His beauty all along the way! The story of Pilgrim’s Progress holds some interesting thoughts about the redeemed man walking on God’s highway on his present journey to the Throne Room of the King. First, Pilgrim had to get on the right road. There were certainly many roads that led from his earthly city, but only one would take him to his desired location, and that went by the way of the Cross. Once on the road, Pilgrim had to avoid any byways and distractions. The warning to him was always "Don’t get off the highway, if you are to have victory." We know that we can never fail to reach our desired haven, that the way of the Highway is secure for us as God’s redeemed, but we must be careful to walk on the "way" that He has placed before us. There is a highway and there is a way. The one is secured, the other is the path of our footsteps that we choose to walk. The word for Highway means a raised way, and is used to speak of the new highway made by God Himself. The two words for "way" have slightly different meanings. The first is a path, often of life for the individual, the second is the stronger word for course of life. That course of life for the redeemed has been proclaimed the way of holiness. That is the course that Christians are to walk in this present world. It is not for the unclean, in fact, they will not even pass through this way. It is a sacred way, set apart for the set apart ones, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Is it past hope for mortal man to walk in that way? If all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, is it possible that we as mortal men can share in His glories along that way? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" The signposts have been set up, the way of the righteous is made plain. Proverbs 15:19 God calls to us, Come walk ye in it. I have set up the sign posts, look for them my child! Set thee up waymarks....set thine heart toward the highway... Jeremiah 31:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it... Isaiah 30:21 ...But a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Hebrews 10:20-23 God’s promises are sure, and they are for "whosoever will." And I will bring the blind by the way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16 Though the unclean and unredeemed are not to pass there, The way of holiness is for those: the wayfaring men, those who had been fools. Isaiah 35:8 Wayfaring men does not carry with it a thought of transient wanderers, but the Hebrew word means "the walkers." What a beautiful truth! All of us were as fools before we came to Christ, lost and undone. Yet, though fools before, now redeemed, we can be walkers in The Way of Holiness! All glory to His name! And once there, we shall not err therein, not once we are on the road. (Verse 8) God’s promise for all who turn to Him, in the fullness of the concept of shall not err, is that they will not stagger, go astray, have a wandering of mind, be seduced or deceived or go out of the way. That is our potential as we walk in The Way of Holiness. God has made the way, He calls to us, "Walk ye in it!" Who makes the way straight? God says, I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight...Isaiah 45:2 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Isaiah 49:11 It is exalted because it is His way and because many shall come from afar to walk in it. It is uniquely God’s prepared way, yet He asks us to remove the stumbling stones that might fall on that way. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up the standard for the people. Isaiah 62:10 We must ever remember that we, as the redeemed of the Lord, are on that Highway made by Him, but we have the responsibility for how we walk on the way. Once on His highway, God continues to call, "Walk in holiness, don’t defile my way. You were all fools, but now you can be walkers in the fullness and cleanness of My Way." Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet...Follow peace..and holiness. Hebrews 12:12-14 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. I Peter 1:15 Be ye holy, God calls, in all your walk, in all the way of your life. The responsibility is ours, the potential is of God. For God hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness. I Thessalonians 4:7 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 The way is set before us. The promises are great. The Promise Maker is ever faithful and true. The rewards of the holy walk are beyond description. All around will be beauty, no stones will bruise our feet, nothing of mortal danger will be found there. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go thereon, it shall not be found there. Isaiah 35:9 Nothing of danger to our souls shall be allowed to tread on God’s highway, it is a promise! But the redeemed shall walk there (verse 9) They are the ones who turned from their own way, from the broad road of the world, and followed the signposts of God to view the Highway before them. He lifted them up to set their feet on that highway of the redeemed, The Way of Holiness. To the wayfarer along His way, acquainted with His grace, there is constant rejoicing. Those that travel that road may know the landmarks, yet they are ever expectant to see the new sights just over the horizon of each new day! For several years, we lived in the beauty of the Lake Tahoe area of California. Often we took guests on sightseeing tours through the forests and around the Lake. As residents, we knew the road way but we were always thrilled to see the beauty before our eyes and expectant for the newness that each season would unfold. As wayfaring walkers along the way of God, we should never let our expectancy wain. He holds forth new vistas and things of rapture just over the next hill that may seem hard to climb, just through the next valley that would be dark without His light. Lift up your hands, strengthen your weaknesses, set your eyes on the way before you and walk therein! God is going before, the way is straight as you keep your eyes on Him! Raise up the standard and invite others to walk that way with you. There are beauties to thrill your soul each step of the way.

As we wander through the scenes of the restored Creation, and view with delight the assured future of the redeemed, we are reminded of the purposes of God. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth...and it was good. It was a fit dwelling place for the objects of His love, man and woman. All that was created was done for our habitation. It is no accident that man was the last of the created acts of Genesis One. It is as if the earth was made ready for him. Everything was in readiness, and, then, God created man out of the dust of the earth. Man opened his eyes to view the beauty around him. It was a unique beauty, full of perfection, untarnished by sin. It was a perfection that was lost in its fullness to all men at the Fall. The gates of the garden were fast closed and we could not enter in. Yet, with the advent of the restored kingdom that we read about in Isaiah Chapter 35, the ransomed of the LORD shall return. They shall return to the fullness of the excellency of our God. Isaiah 35:2 They will view with wonder and delight the Creation in its intended beauty. They shall return! The completeness of the purposes of God are all entwined with the scene. It is a reminder to us of what He desires for and in His children:

• That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:10-14

In these verses of Ephesians, we find the parallel to the scenes of Isaiah 35. The redemption of the purchased possession by the Master Redeemer will unfold scene upon scene of perfected beauty before our eyes. The gates will be opened and the ransomed of the LORD will return. The picture is of Israel returning to the land of their inheritance, to Zion. But the expanded picture is of the redeemed of all the ages entering into that Zion of promise, the land we reach by the highway called, The way of holiness, the Land of our eternal inheritance. Isaiah 35:8 Who will return? It is only the ransomed of the LORD. The word ransomed is in the passive tense, meaning that they are those who are rescued and redeemed by the power of someone else. It is an action that they could not perform themselves. The performer of the action is identified as the LORD. He and He alone can ransom man and restore him to His purpose. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14 We are His personal bought property. What a glorious thought! We belong to Him! We are the personal property of the Most High God, The LORD in capital letters! Let it permeate the depth of your being today. We belong to HIM! Our verse introduces us to our Master with His proper name, the name of the One true God, Jehovah, "the existing One." God’s Word declares it so we can know to whom we belong. It is necessary for us to know our Master to have true victory in life. To know the voice of our Master means we will always know the One to follow and where to go. The dog that knows his owner will always find his way back home. Otherwise, he is a wanderer, or as the Brazilians call street dogs: a "can turner over," eating only rotten scraps. But the dog with a goodly master, eats the finest of foods, fit for his special needs, his water dish is always full and clean, and he has a soft, warm place to sleep at night. He can sit at the feet of his master and receive comfort and joy. When we live a life of intimacy with our Master, we are always feasting on the spiritual food to meet the needs of our individual lives, drinking of the Water that refreshes and cleanses within and laying down our heads at night in peace and safety. We can sit at the feet of our Master-Savior and receive blessing, encouragement, instruction and joy. To be a purchased possession, to have an Owner of great grace and compassion, makes our lives complete. If we are the bought property, and the LORD is the owner, then God has the property deed! But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come...by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:11-12 We are purchased with His blood, forming an unbreakable contract. We can not be sold to another, because no one can pay the price of our worth except Christ Himself! For it was with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. I Peter 1:19-20 We were not redeemed by any other means, not with corruptible things ( I Peter 1:18), or any other blood, only by the blood of Christ. And that gives our purchase price unapproachable value, the amount inestimable. We will always belong to our Purchaser, no one, or no thing can severe our relationship to Him. What joy and what privilege we have, and, oh, what responsibility we have of honoring our Owner. We should desire to be that ornament of grace that He intends for our lives to be, for His glory. If a rich man purchased an expensive silver vase to put on display in his front foyer, that owner would desire that the vase be constantly shiny, free from the blackness of corrosion, polished to its highest gleam, with every detail visible for guests to see and for the pleasure of the owner himself. God has purchased us with the sacrificed blood of His own dear Son, He desires for our lives to be to the praise of His glory and for His good pleasure. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:4-5 Oh, that we might be a people worthy of Him, giving Him praise and glory for ever and ever! It should be our desire to be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. II Timothy 2:21 Early in my Christian life, I was overwhelmed by this concept. Each day I prayed to be a cleansed vessel, humbled in the realization that God had granted me to be HIS vessel. It challenged my heart, filled my soul with gratitude and my lips with praise. No matter what my vessel was shaped as, of what material it was fashioned or what job it was to fill, to dwell in the presence of the Potter was enough! And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Romans 9:23 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. II Corinthians 4:7 Lord, renew within me that desire to be a vessel worthy of Your honor. Cleanse me within and without, help me to be a witness of Your work of grace. Let me live my life for Your pleasure. Let me never be as a tarnished silver vase, not displaying the joy You desire in me. Polish me, scour me, let Your life shine through me for others to see. Oh, that I might please You, my Lord and Master, is the prayer of my life.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. I Corinthians 6:20 This should be the rule of our life, the director of our conduct, the purposed design of our minds. We are servants of the Most High God. We should serve Him and Him alone. We are the redeemed of the Lord and as such live as being free...Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not the servants of men. I Corinthians 7:22-23 And we could add: be not the servants of sin, or selfishness, or evil habits, or any other thing that would take us away from service to our Master-Redeemer. We ought to live our lives as redeemed men, following the example of our Savior: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God... Ephesians 5:1-2 The ransomed of the LORD shall return. It is a promise that they shall come back to the state that God intended for us. And they will come to Zion, entering in those glory gates with songs of ringing praise to their God and everlasting joy upon their heads. Like a crown gleaming in the sun, our joy will shine forth as praise to our Heavenly King! Can you see the procession now? The redeemed of all the ages, hastening their steps along the royal highway, The way of holiness. Isaiah 35:8 Think of their anticipated joy as they see the gates of the city of their King standing open wide before them. Rejoicing fills their hearts and spills over until they can not contain it! Are these part of the crowns we will lay before Him? When I see my grandchildren smile at me with sheer joy on their faces, it gifts my soul with joy beyond measure. Can it be that we will gift our Savior with joy as He enjoys the everlasting joys which are as crowns upon our heads, the joys of our realization of what He has truly done for us in all its fullness, in all its promises fulfilled. This is more than an imagined symbol. One of the most glorious verses of description of our Lord speaks of this truth: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 Oh, that even now we might live lives worthy of His joy and singing! That our rejoicing might be perpetual praise to our King, should be our prayer! The rejoicing should be a natural out pouring of our hearts as we consider what great things He has done for us! He has made it possible for us to obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. As a gift of His love and grace, we are able to secure that which defies the unsaved, that which is unobtainable to them, yet the true desire of their hearts. To have real joy, to be filled with peaceful gladness, is the hope of all mankind. To have our sorrows removed, our sighing replaced with contentment, is even the prayer of the redeemed. This, and more, will our Redeemer do for us, as we enter into His presence in His great city. Yet, even now, God can do this in your life, my friend. Even your present sorrow and sighing can flee away, as you allow the Lord to replace it with His joy and gladness. The sorrows of your heart are but part of His plan and purpose of your life for which He holds the sweet balm of comfort. The sighs of discontent and questioning, He desires to replace with peace, hope, and wisdom from the depths of Himself. Trust Him, enter into His presence, accept His gifts for you.

Chapter thirty eight of the book of Isaiah is often referred to as the "Book of Hezekiah." The entire chapter records the plight of Hezekiah, a faithful king, when he became sick unto death. Upon hearing the pronouncement that he would die, and not live, Hezekiah beseeched the Lord with tears, asking God to remember the life he had lived before Him in truth and with a perfect heart. Rather than placidly accept impending death, Hezekiah desired to live. There is something built into our mortality that seems to "crave" the very living of life here on earth. Perhaps it is that which God has built into each of us that would make us be active in our living. In times of severe illness, often God desires for us to have a somewhat "fighting spirit" against the ravages of disease. He would not wish for us to depressively give up in that fight or give way to the devil in withdrawal and resignation. I can remember vividly at a point of severity in illness, when I actually hit my pillow and said, "I will not." My own words were to speak to my soul, "Don't give up." Later, I was to claim Psalm 42:11 as a claiming and encouraging verse: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I will yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. There was an impelling in my soul and spirit, that indeed I would live and not die. The crisis was there and it was as if God urged me to be a "fighter" with the shadow of death. Yet, also there must be that calm resolution in our life to accept death from the sovereign and compassionate hand of God, in His time. For truly He cares for our souls and for our lives: Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15 The saint, the believer in God, at death, is truly entering into fullness of life in eternity, standing face to face with his Redeemer, forever delivered from the ravages of illness, injury, disease and death. Our resolution should be the realization in all its fullness of Paul’s admonition: (For we walk by faith, not by sight) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. II Corinthians 5:7-8 There is that other aspect of the internal impelling of God, that would cause us to be active in our every moment of living, to savor the life He has given us, to make our days of value before Him and others. It is that drive that caused Paul to continue in his admonition: Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. II Corinthians 5:9 The life we live does have meaning, and God wants us to face each day with the confidence of a willing participant in the campaign of life. Hezekiah was a man who had turned to God often in prayer, recorded for us in Isaiah’s commentary describing times of the king receiving messages of impending attack and trouble for the nation of Israel. Now he felt under attack of illness and death, and the turning to prayer was immediate. We can learn from this lesson concerning prior prayer times being the foundation for instant resource in crisis. Yet the message this time had not been brought by a soldier, but delivered by the prophet Isaiah as directly from the Lord. Why then, did Hezekiah not accept the pronouncement of death and calmly lay his life in the hands of God? Why did he not quote Job, who spoke of God's dealings in the prospect of his own possible death: In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind…..Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Job 12:10 and 13:15 What internal prompting caused him to cry out to God ? At careful examination, it is possible that Hezekiah was not pleading for his earthly life, and was resigned to the death, asking God to remember his life lived in faithfulness. His crying however, did elicit the response from God: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold I will add unto thy days fifteen years. Isaiah 38:5 Were there things Hezekiah felt he still had to do with his life on earth? Was he concerned for Israel as a nation without his leadership? Were there family issues he needed to deal with? His burdens caused his tears and prayers. On hearing that God had indeed turned his course of illness, he spoke out of a full heart, summing up his feelings with the statement of our verse. His primary motivation appears to have been, that after death he would not be able to utter the praises of God to the living. Knowing now that he would live, and having the unique knowledge of the length of his days, he made a declaration of resolve: The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day. We do not know the length of our mortal days. Even a doctor’s pronouncement of duration of a terminal illness is only an estimation. In 1978, a doctor stated that I had a possible prospect of three months of life, yet at the writing of this book, it is twenty years later. The healthy, active woman may experience instantaneous death in an accident. The sudden onslaught of a hidden disease may be used to usher us quickly into the presence of God, as it did my sweet friend Linda, to whom this book is dedicated. The time is known only to God. How impelling should be our resolve, how overwhelming the realization, that each moment we live is to be lived unto the Lord. That we, as the living, should praise the Lord before the living. Each day should be as a gift from God to be lived to its fullest while we yet have life. We cannot know, as Hezekiah did, the duration of our days, but we can with a great expectancy, determine to make our "each day" count for God. There should be that hope, that we would never have to turn our faces to the wall and cry out with burden of things not accomplished or praises not sung. Hezekiah’s desire was that the primary recipients of the praises should be his family. The mighty king saw himself as the father to the children [who] shall make known thy truth. What great opportunity and great responsibility we have to make the truth of God known to our children. There may not be a tomorrow in which to tell them of our wonderful Lord. Today is the day that God has given to us to impart the knowledge of the faithfulness of our faithful Lord. God has indeed "added" this day unto each of our lives. With Hezekiah we should echo: The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day!

The last day of a year of Locket Verses, the end of the book. What an appropriate verse for our claiming, as if it were a summation of all that we have traveled through together, of all the knowledge and meditation we have hidden in our hearts. It is as an ornament of sparkling jewel set into the Locket that hangs close to our heart. Yes, God, we have heard and we do know, that You, our everlasting God, our Creator and our LORD, faint not, neither are You weary, and that Your understanding toward us is beyond searching or question. All that we have studied, all that we have formed in our thoughts, all that You have shown us in our lives this year, points clearly to the fact that indeed, You are the God in our lives that the writers of Scripture experienced in theirs. You are indeed LORD, with capital letters. Our hearts cry it out with emphasis due Your name. Our voices sing forth Your praises. Let our lives live out the depth of our commitment. Help us not to faint in well doing, neither become weary in our conversation of life dedicated to You. Help our understanding to be firmly grounded in our present and growing knowledge of You.

4:49 PM on August 6, 1999 Amazing!

Edited at 5:13 PM Can it be - I am done! Amen, thank You, Lord. The promise kept. Help me be more productive for You in the future.

One of the last verses I wrote on was Isaiah 35:10 - that perfect view of the future! What a way to end!