One Sunday recently I was awakened at 5:00 AM with a strong desire to hear from God. I had been studying the second half of Isaiah so when picked up my Bible I discovered these verses:
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples,
That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
The Lord GOD has opened My ear;
And I was not disobedient
Nor did I turn back. (Isaiah 50:4-5 NASB)
These verses in Isaiah are part of a prophecy spoken by the Spirit of Christ in reference to His earthly ministry. That Sunday morning I seemed to hear the Lord affirming the many times He has awakened me to train me and reveal Himself to me (that is the Spirit of Christ in me.) I was not always obedient, and I have to admit that as yet I have not been blessed with "the tongue of disciples". But I am blessed that He has opened my ear and given me a deeper understanding of His word and His plans for me.
The word spoken by our Lord Jesus is life; like bread from heaven it sustains the body and restores the soul. So many times in the Bible Jesus would speak a word, bringing sight to blind eyes or life to paralyzed limbs. The word of faith - the gospel of Christ - can perform surgery on the soul and give hope to those who are hopeless. That Sunday morning these words of Jesus from Isaiah filled my heart with such joy that I entered into a time of worship I have only experienced once before in my life.
Times like this are a foretaste of heaven, meant to encourage and strengthen us to persevere through this life. As Nehemiah says "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." As I look back on this now I have a little idea what heaven is like. It truly is joy unspeakable and full of glory to be in the presence God, to enjoy the privilege afforded to us by the atoning sacrifice and triumphant resurrection of our Lord Jesus!
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