The measure of success...just a thought for today...

"Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up,
and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up,
and it will be a memorial to the Lord,
for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off."

Isaiah 55:13

I. love. this. chapter. It is all about how reading and seeking to understand God's word, and responding to it in obedience, yields success, abundance and joy in life.


And while it is a wonderful blessing for us to walk through life with those things, the ultimate purpose for that is revealed here in this verse. Jesus, the Word of God, called living water, came down from heaven and walked the earth as a man, teaching, healing, modeling... creating and nourishing life and fruitfulness in us, so that we can become like the cypress tree, known as an enduring and strong tree...and like the myrtle, emitting a beautiful and fragrant aroma, always green and so pleasant.


The effects of our obedience to God's word make us a memorial, proof, that Jesus is God, that He is alive, that that He truly is our Messiah sent from heaven. Our response of obedience proves Christ's identity to the world. In Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17, he says “I do not ask on behalf of these alone (his disciples), but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." That's me and you!


It's a reasonable and wonderful thing to want to go to heaven when we die, to have success as we live. But when we surrender to Christ, our lives aren't just about us any longer. Brothers and sisters, let us never forget the vital role we have to serve as living proof of the One to whom we owe it all, to point to His glory, as we walk in newness of life and freedom...


Blessings today, sweet friends and fellow trees...

a