|
More about the Isaiah 41 Challenge… I got this idea while I was reading ‘Grace’ s Blog’ (Or ‘Grace Notes’) (which is one of the authors of Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends that we looked at in the latest book look) and they have been doing a similar thing, reading a section in Romans. I thought it was a great idea! So I thought we should do something like that. “But what should we be reading?” I thought. I prayed that God would lead me to where we should read, and I opened my Bible to… Isaiah 41. I must admit my second thought was, “Really God? Are you sure there? Maybe I just happened to turn there because it is near the center of my Bible.” I thought that maybe we should read one of the letters in the new testament or something… Or maybe we should do a part in the Bible about love because that is our theme for this edition. “Okay God, now wherever you lead me I will know is where you want us to read.” I prayed again. Than opening my Bible once again I looked down and… guess where it was turned to? Isaiah 41! “Okay God, I don’t understand but I pray this benefits those who read it.” You see, all parts of the Bible are important and we can learn something valuable from each one no ,matter how many times we read it. A preview of Isaiah 41… Isaiah 41 is God speaking through Isaiah showing his people who there is no other God. He tells them not to worship idols and to only worship him, the true God. He teaches how the idols have not helped them or protected them, because they are only items made by people. God points out humans’ weakness contrasted to God’s power, he comforts them saying he will protect them; for he has chosen them. God challenges the idols saying, “Tell us idols what is going to happen!” The idols can not answer or tell what is to happen or what has happened but God can. In Isaiah 41 it talks about idols that are made out of clay and other stuff like that … that the people would actually bow down to and worship. And I assume that most of you probably aren’t doing that but we still can be worshiping ‘idols’ just in a different way. Idols for us might be how we look, our things, our room or stuff, or maybe our wants or rights. Possibly sports or hobbies too. Anything that consumes our thoughts and time and gets in the way of God. Even things that seem good like school and even ministries for God can turn into idols. I must admit something to you. A while ago a little after we started this magazine I realized how much it consumed my time and thoughts, this was supposed to be a ministry for God but instead for me it was taking away from time I spent with God. I could get on the computer just to do one easy editing part and then the next time I looked up it would be one whole hour later. I’ve had to learn and am still learning how to manage my time God’s way. At one point I even thought about quitting the magazine. I’ve learned to stop and say “God, please let your will be done with this magazine.” I have been doing much better to admit. You have to learn how to let things be God’s. It is very easy , without us even noticing, to create idols in our lives. We will learn more about this next month. I also challenge you, as well as reading Isaiah 41, to try to memorize as much of it as you can. Now you may say “Oh that’s too hard.” But with consistent determined practise you can do it. All you have to know to do it is that you can do it through Him who strengthens you! Did you know that it is possible for the human mind to memorize the whole Bible? |
|
Tips for memorizing…
|
Th!nk Magazine 