Scripture
Have no fear, Jacob you worm and Israel you maggot. It is I who will help you, declares the LORD…I shall make you a sharp thrashing sledge, new and studded with teeth.
~Isaiah 41:14-15, REB
Quote
Could any two things have greater contrast than a worm and a thrashing instrument with iron teeth? The worm is the epitome of weakness. No one is afraid of a worm. The worm doesn’t bite or sting. Matter of fact, it is the most helpless of all creatures. I guess the most fitting adjective for the worm is pitiful. Isaiah refers to the Israelites as worms, yea even maggots which are detestable worms. In a sense we are worthless and impotent like a worm. In no way are we deserving of God goodness and grace and we are certainly dependent upon Him for survival. But in Christ we find our worth, our significance and our strength. God can invigorate us with His Spirit. Our omnipotent God can make us stronger than our circumstances. Christ can make us more than conquerors. As Paul told the Philippians, God is working in us, giving us the desire and the will power to do what pleases Him. The will that God gives us is the iron teeth that pulverizes the obstacles before us large or small.
When Jesus began choosing His followers, no one was impressed with His selections. Peter was a Galilean fisherman; a brawler and a hot head. He was more than rough around the edges. Jesus transformed this hot head into a rock, a solid rock, that others could lean on. Jesus did not call the rich, the famous, the educated or the highly successful. He surrounded Himself with the battered, bruised and broken. Heaven will be populated with such people; cripple, blind, aborted, abused, persecuted, mistreated, and rejected by men. There will not be one soul strutting the streets of heaven talking about themselves and their fame, fortune or feats. Everyone is heaven will have the same testimony and point to the same person–Jesus. “I am here because He died for me and He made me a new creation.” An old song comes to mind that you young whipper-snappers have never heard…the chorus goes like this…His pow’r can make you what you ought to be;
His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free;
His love can fill your soul, and you will see
’Twas best for Him to have His way with thee.
No, I have not given up blogging. It was a combination of things. The new medication being one of them but the doctor I trust most is taking me off the seizure meds and in a week I should be back to normal. The medicine made me sluggish. Yesterday was a struggle. The headaches are something I’m going to have to live with and they are not that bad. It wasn’t just the medicine; I worked outside on Friday and Saturday and I got tired. I also stayed out late on Friday night: Big L had a double hitter in Elkmont. Anywho, I hope to get back on track.
Talked to Jim Tanner this morning: as far as we know Pruett Livingston made it through the night. Pruett is on the vent at Decatur Morgan. He has one sister Kathy and one cousin who lives in Georgia.