Food for ThoughtIsaiah 58:11 God Provides
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

By Marni Montanez

Isaiah 58:11 New Life Version

11 The Lord will always lead you. He will meet the needs of your soul in the dry times and give strength to your body. You will be like a garden that has enough water, like a well of water that never dries up

Our Christian journey can be a road paved with many tears.  From the time we are born again, we are ushered into the refiner’s fire that burns away impurities and builds godly character within us.   We have to choose to leave our comfort zone in order to step into the discomfort of the unknown.  God understands the weariness that manifests from a time of spiritual dryness. He puts us through the difficult process making sure to strengthen our souls along the way.  His Spirit becomes the oasis we need to refresh and renew us in the drought.   

The many times we cry out to God in desperation are the times that develop in us the fortitude and perseverance needed to win battles and successfully fulfill our task on earth.  These times are created by trials and tribulations we face along the way which are made up of dry wilderness experiences; in these seasons we feel God’s presence very little or not at all, we struggle emotionally and encounter spiritual emptiness; this can cause us to feel abandoned by God.    These are the moments when God is holding us closely and reaches out to give us rest for our soul.  

Jeremiah 31:25 (ESV)

25 For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

Just as important is the nourishment crucial for our well-being. We need sustenance that will provide physical energy and strength to our bodies.  Our body is the temple of God and we need to take care of it so that it is healthy and strong, able to do all that God instructs us to do, while we are on earth.  That is why it is imperative that we eat right; What God already supplied us.   

Genesis 1:29 (NKJV)

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

We must be relentless in our pursuit of maturity.  It is not an easy walk, but so necessary.

Challenge: We must remember that when we are so weary that we feel God has abandoned us, that the truth lays in His word and that He has not abandoned us. We must be determined to keep praising Him; keep reading the word and keep praying. Write down verses that create faith within your heart and keep meditating on them until your joy returns and you feel God’s presence again.  Find prayer partners; people who will walk with us through these very hard times and who are willing to stand in faith with and for us.  

God bless

Marni

Go on to: Isaiah 59:19 His Glory
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lamb-rightThe purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.