promising me.

oh the promises of God.

how beautiful they are.

s t o r y t i m e :

a little over a week ago, I had a dream.

not unusual.

[I pray for dreams almost every night. God is faithful to give.]

what was unusual about this dream is that all I saw were the words

ISAIAH 55

hearing it said over and over.

no humans.

no angels.

no beings.

no nothing.

I woke up reaching for my Bible.

now, I'm about to get really REAL.

lately, the Lord has been teaching teaching teaching me.

and it has been SO sweet.

my whole life, all I've ever wanted was to know the Lord.

well, from the time I was s i x.

growing up, I have had one thing in my life to go after.

knowing God.

and so I have.

there have been times, I have been in opposition of the Lord because this is life... and I am human.

many times in fact.

but He has always brought me back.

His mercies are new every morning.

His grace ABOUNDS.

He has placed his Spirit inside of me.

and He always leads me back to Him.

together, the Spirit & I have been in pursuit of this deeper relationship with one another throughout my life.

but now, I have this boyfriend.

I think he's one of the most gracious people I've ever met.

and one of the most fun too. and one of the most a-lot-of-other-things too, but I'll stop gushing.

in him, I have this other thing, this person who I pursue, think about, give my attention, etc.

I mean, he definitely spurs me on to know Christ more everyday, but I've never had to find this sort of balance before.

how do these co-exist?

how do I love the Lord my God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength but serve and love (same thing) and think about this other person as well?

but my question to the Lord concerning this was met with the answer,

"pursue me & you will be all you need to be."

the beginning of Isaiah 55 is the Lord saying to us,

C O M E .

BUY

&

EAT.

He says to us,

"Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen and you will find life."

He offers free, EVERLASTING nourishment.

in the end of the passage, He promises cypress and myrtle where there was once thorns and brier.

one morning, while reading through this chapter again, I knew…

and by knew I mean something MOVED in me that early morning.

you know that feeling of just

KNOWING

that the Spirit in you is speaking something?

well, He was doing just that.

speaking and teaching.

ultimately…

p r o m i s i n g .

He promised to me that morning that the places in my life where

once grew nothingness and ugliness…

they had now been turned over and replaced with fertile ground.

this intimacy with my Jesus that He alone has drawn me into

has prepared rich fruitful ground to yield.

He has work to do in/through/around me.

and I am willing.

because his thoughts are higher. [vs. 8]

because his ways are better. 

in my flesh, sometimes I can feel justified in my doubt of the Lord

and His sovereign plan.

there have been paths He has led me down only to stop them

abruptly.

due to these not so joyous occasions, I am faced with a choice

to trust the God who commands and asks for this

e n t i r e  l i f e .

but my flesh wars against my spirit man because in my Spirit,

my heart has tasted & SEEN that the Lord is good.

and all of me KNOWS that there is no reason to fear.

waiting on the Lord is worth all that He promises.

but that morning, he promised fruit.

He promised

GROWTH.

there is no need to fear the outcome of things to come.

because in all actuality, knowing Him is all there is to do.

to KNOW Him.

the very essence of who He is.

God, let me know your heart.

praise God for these dreams.

I cling to the promises He gives me.