Isaiah 62:4 (NKJV): You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.
The word 'Hephzibah' in Hebrew means 'My delight is in her', whereas 'Beulah' in Hebrew means 'Married', which speaks of all of us (the bride of Christ), married to the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!
Isaiah 62 is a chapter on the Lord's assurance for 'Jerusalem' (the city, literally). But 'Jerusalem' here can also be a 'picture' of you and I (the people of the Lord). In Isaiah 62:1, the Scripture says, 'For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace (keep silent), and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns'.
I heard these words from the Lord recently:
"Tell My people I will not give up on them, even if they feel like giving up! Tell My people I will not cease until I see My light and brightness fall upon them! Tell My people I will not rest until I see them established according to My purposes in their lives! For I am a God who never leaves them nor forsakes them!"
The word 'Jerusalem' ('Yeruw-shalayim' in Hebrew) has two parts in it, namely 'Yeruw', meaning 'founded on a flow of (living) water', and 'shalayim', meaning 'founded peaceful'. In other words, 'Jerusalem' is a city founded on a flow of (living) water, and a city founded with peace! This is what the Lord had intended for this city to be! The flow of (living) water (i.e. 'a river') here represents 'the Holy Spirit flowing', as this city awaits for the coming of the Bridegroom (the Lord Jesus Christ Himself), who is the Prince of Peace!
Your life, by the way, is like a city! Each city has a unique personality and identity. So are you! Each city has unique features and characteristics. So are you! And there are twin cities or sister cities too, just like some of you who have twins or sisters!
People of the Lord, what 'city' are you? The Scripture tells us that you are meant to be like 'Yeruw-shalayim', a city 'founded on a flow of (living) water', and a city 'founded peaceful'! This is what the Lord had intended for your life to be! So, no matter what problem (or issue) you may be facing in your 'city' at the moment, and no matter how troubled your 'city' has become, there is hope for your 'city'! Indeed, this is your time to boldly ask and receive all the promises of the Lord in Isaiah 62!
In Isaiah 62:8-9, the Scripture says, 'The Lord has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength; "Surely I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies; And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine, for which you have labored. But those who have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts."'
And in Isaiah 62:10, the Scripture says, 'Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway! Take out (remove) the stones; Lift up a banner for the peoples!'
People of the Lord, this is your time to 'go through the gates', and walk into greater things in life! This is your time to 'take the highway route', because a time for acceleration is at hand! This is your time to 'lift up a banner', because a time for victory has come! Receive all these for your time and season right now! In Jesus' name. Amen!
Monday, April 23, 2018
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
A time to stay glued to the Lord
Psalm 63:8 (KJV): My soul followeth hard after Thee; Thy right hand upholdeth me.
The expression 'followeth hard' here is 'dabaq' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to cling to, to cleave (join together), to adhere firmly, to stick to (like glue)'. Very interestingly, the Septuagint (the early Greek translation of Old Testament) renders this verse as 'My soul has been glued to You'. In other words, 'My soul sticks to You like glue'!
This same word 'dabaq' can be found in Genesis 2:24, a verse we often quote for marriage between husband and wife, 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave ('dabaq') unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh'.
People of God, what do you do if you feel 'dry', discouraged, or lonely (with no one to turn to)? What do you do if you are hard-pressed in life, and nothing seems to be encouraging around you? Well, that was exactly what David experienced when he was in the wilderness (or desert) of Judah, fleeing from those who sought to destroy his life!
Despite all that, David did the right thing by turning away from his loneliness, discouragement, and 'desert' situation around him, and instead, he turned to the Lord. In other words, he chose to stay glued to the Lord in such a time. In Psalm 63:1-2, he wrote, 'O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory'.
The word 'sanctuary' here is 'qodesh' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'a place that is whole, a place of refuge'. While praying the other day, I saw a vision of a bird sanctuary, where migratory birds (or even endangered species of bird) would gather for food and water. A sanctuary is a place of refuge. A sanctuary is a place of safety and protection. You see, a sanctuary is no sanctuary at all when there is no water. But in the same vision, I saw rivers of water flowing through the sanctuary.
People of God, whatever 'desert' you may be facing right now, come and drink from His rivers in the sanctuary. Let Him refresh you, and let Him fill you with His living waters once again. This is a time of refreshing. This is a time of receiving. And like David, you too will eventually see your deliverance from whatever 'wilderness' (or 'desert') in your life. Amen!
The expression 'followeth hard' here is 'dabaq' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to cling to, to cleave (join together), to adhere firmly, to stick to (like glue)'. Very interestingly, the Septuagint (the early Greek translation of Old Testament) renders this verse as 'My soul has been glued to You'. In other words, 'My soul sticks to You like glue'!
This same word 'dabaq' can be found in Genesis 2:24, a verse we often quote for marriage between husband and wife, 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave ('dabaq') unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh'.
People of God, what do you do if you feel 'dry', discouraged, or lonely (with no one to turn to)? What do you do if you are hard-pressed in life, and nothing seems to be encouraging around you? Well, that was exactly what David experienced when he was in the wilderness (or desert) of Judah, fleeing from those who sought to destroy his life!
Despite all that, David did the right thing by turning away from his loneliness, discouragement, and 'desert' situation around him, and instead, he turned to the Lord. In other words, he chose to stay glued to the Lord in such a time. In Psalm 63:1-2, he wrote, 'O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory'.
The word 'sanctuary' here is 'qodesh' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'a place that is whole, a place of refuge'. While praying the other day, I saw a vision of a bird sanctuary, where migratory birds (or even endangered species of bird) would gather for food and water. A sanctuary is a place of refuge. A sanctuary is a place of safety and protection. You see, a sanctuary is no sanctuary at all when there is no water. But in the same vision, I saw rivers of water flowing through the sanctuary.
People of God, whatever 'desert' you may be facing right now, come and drink from His rivers in the sanctuary. Let Him refresh you, and let Him fill you with His living waters once again. This is a time of refreshing. This is a time of receiving. And like David, you too will eventually see your deliverance from whatever 'wilderness' (or 'desert') in your life. Amen!
Monday, April 9, 2018
Let the Lord guide you with His eye
Psalm 32:8 (NKJV): I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
The word 'eye' here is 'ayin' in Hebrew, literally meaning 'eye (to see)', or in picture form, 'like a fountain in a landscape'. A fountain is usually the 'centerpiece' of a garden, and it is where you see water gushing out. This very word 'ayin' interestingly speaks of 'the living water gushing out to water the surrounding area, effectively turning desert into garden'.
And with this 'eye' of the Lord, you will see what He sees, and what He wants you to see! This is therefore a crucial time to let His eyes be upon your eyes, and let the Spirit of the Lord enlighten your spiritual eyes of understanding, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling in your life, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in your life, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward you who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19).
The Hebrew number attached to 'ayin' is the number seventy (70), and this number speaks of 'God's Spirit, God's insight'. To have 'insight', by the way, is to have 'a clear, deep understanding of things'. In other words, you will suddenly 'see' the many things (of God) that you couldn't 'see' in the past.
I heard these words from the Lord recently:
"This is a season of visions and dreams! Watch how I will guide you, teach you, and speak to you in visions and dreams! Take heed, and you will see good success! For this is the season I am opening your eyes, and you shall see!"
When I heard these words, I knew the Lord wasn't just saying this is a season of visions and dreams in the general sense for the entire end-time, but He was saying God's people are entering a crucial season of seeing visions and dreams, a 'kairos' time, when the window of heaven is opened wide, and His light is shining right into God's people's eyes of understanding in very special ways. There will be new visions birthed. There will be new dreams birthed. There will be new hope birthed. There will be new horizons to be crossed. And when God's people take heed what they 'see', they will begin walking into new authority and fresh anointing given them.
The key psalm to read in this time and season is Psalm 32. This psalm written by David begins with acknowledging one's sins, and knowing that one is forgiven. See Psalm 32:1-5. We can hide our darkest sin from our loved ones, our family, or our friends. But we cannot hide it from Him. Since we cannot hide it from Him, might as well we acknowledge it. David wrote about the joy when one knows he has been forgiven. It begins with you acknowledging your sins. Friends, here holds the key to turn your life from drought to rain, from disappointments into new appointments.
In Psalm 32:9, David wrote further, 'Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you'. A 'harness' is put on the horse to drive it (and control it), a 'bit' is placed on the horse's mouth to assist the rider in communicating with the animal, and a 'bridle' is a piece of headgear used to direct the horse. This verse can be interpreted as 'we should take counsel and advice from the Lord, and be ready to obey and heed (hear and do) whatever His wisdom says, instead of waiting till we get 'chastened' the way the rider does to the horse!
David wrapped this psalm up beautifully in Psalm 32:10-11, 'Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!'
Indeed, let His light visit you now, and let Him shine right into the darkest parts of your life and set you free! Set free to see Him giving you new visions and new dreams! Set free to see yourself walking in new authority and fresh anointing! Set free to walk into good success, and to see many good days ahead of you! In Jesus' name. Amen!
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