Mar 29 - Isaiah 49:10

They will neither hunger nor thirst,

nor will the desert heat or the sun
beat down upon them.

He who has compassion on them

will guide them and lead them

beside springs of water.

Isaiah 49:10

About half of the Old Testament prophecies are encouraging. About half are warnings.

Actually, that’s not quite accurate. While the words of prophetic encouragement come more quickly to mind and sour in our hearts, the ratio is probably not anywhere close 50-50. Most of the prophets spent most of their time warning a repeatedly wayward people.

I don’t know about you, but when I look at myself, I have two parts to my heart. Half is wayward. The other half is bold, courageous, and faithful. And still another half – proving that I’m not so good at math – is faithful but tired.

If I’m honest …

·         probably 5% of me is wayward – like all of us, if I say I have no sin, I deceive myself and the truth is not in me (see 1 John 1:6-10, or Rom 7:14:25).

·         Probably 75% is of me bold, passionate, consistent, determined, and faithful.

·         And then there’s that other 20%. Too often I’m overly busy, regularly distracted, frequently tired, and persistently relying on my power instead of God’s strength.

How about you?! What are your percentages?

Today’s verse is address to that last 20 (to 80) percent of us. This world is often a dangerous desert. On our own, we are parched, sun-sorched, exhausted, and imperiled (and if you’re not today … just wait a few weeks). Our only true hope is God. When we turn to God for life, “he [will have] compassion on [us] … he will guide [us] … he will lead [us] beside springs of water” and, as it says in John 4:14, “the water that [the Lord] will give will become in [us] a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s 20% needs

to be continually refreshed

(fortunately, I know who and

where the river of life is)