The Lord will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11
It was just over 10 years ago now, but I can still remember it like it was yesterday. There are certain times in life, certain circumstances, certain seasons that never seem to fade even with time. My world as I knew it seemed to be coming apart at the seams, and I couldn’t catch the broken pieces fast enough as they fell. Broken relationships, shattered hopes and dreams, heartache, change. Everything I knew to be true about my life suddenly seemed to have evaporated, and I was left with what seemed like not much more than Jesus and His Word…which by the way, is more than enough.
As I stumbled through most of my days, I found myself stumbling across this verse in Isaiah 58, a verse that would become more precious to me, more sacred, more true than I ever could have imagined at first glance. I knew God’s Word, and I was acquainted with its promises, but I suppose I had never been so perfectly positioned in my pain to receive the life that these few words had to offer.
The promise of God’s continuous guidance when I just don’t know where to go or what to do.
The promise of God’s satisfaction in the most desert-like seasons of life.
The promise of God’s strength when I am at my weakest.
The promise of God’s provision when my own cup has run dry.
All of that is found within this one verse. This one verse that became such a lifeline for me for years, this one verse that saw me through the deep waters and the weight of that season, this one verse that had become so engrained in the fibers of my being…suddenly rose to the surface again in this new season of my life today.
Have you ever needed a fresh reminder of an old truth? I bet each one of you has. We know things, we learn things. Still, sometimes we need timely reminders of what we perhaps already know. I believe God’s Word works that way. That is why a verse can leap off of the page straight into your heart today even though you were able to quickly read over it yesterday without much notice.
Why?
Because God’s Word is alive and active. It speaks. It moves. It works.
So, friends, I share all of this with you to say this: Keep your ears open. Lean in the next time you read His Word. An old truth might serve up a fresh and much needed reminder today if you would but listen and lean in. At least, that’s my story.
Love this verse Cherie! This weekend I heard a sermon in which we are reminded to keep our souls hydrated and it really spoke to me. Here in Arizona, we rarely wander far from home without a freshly filled water bottle, but we often allow ourselves to go out into all kinds of business, conversations, decision-making situations, relationships, and activities without watering our soul with the Lord’s truth, encouragement, wisdom, and direction. This verse paints such a descriptive picture of what our soul will look like – a well-water garden, an oasis in a desert – if we stay close to the Lord. Beautiful. Thank you for the reminder!