[Membersandfriends] Thursday, August 05, 2004

Wed Aug 4 22:02:44 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Thursday, August 05, 2004

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UNLIKELY SITUATIONS
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Isaiah 41:17-20 (NRSV)

When the poor and needy seek water,
    and there is none, 
    and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the LORD will answer them, 
    I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 
I will open rivers on the bare heights, 
    and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water, 
    and the dry land springs of water. 
I will put in the wilderness the cedar, 
    the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress, 
    the plane and the pine together, 
so that all may see and know, 
    all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this, 
    the Holy One of Israel has created it.

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The LORD says, "I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys."
- Isaiah 41:18 (NIV)
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AFTER driving through the dry land in Washington State, I came to an irrigated valley filled with lush fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and hay crops.  As I left the valley I was surprised to see two irrigated orchards at the top of the pass.  How had the irrigation system provided water to those heights?  Lush groves in the irrigated valleys were to be expected, but I did not expect to see lush groves on dry hilltops.

These orchards were reminders of God's message to me earlier that summer.  My work environment was conflict-ridden.  As I read the passage in Isaiah 41 where God promised to provide rivers in dry, barren heights, I had prayed, "Father, how can that be?  It's impossible!" 

When I saw the orchards on the heights in Washington, I remembered the words of Isaiah 41 and I knew God could make my situation fruitful.  I just had to believe.

I have changed jobs since then, but that summer I discovered that when we find ourselves in unlikely situations, God promises us water in barren places.

Prayer:  Father, your word says you can bring good out of what appear to be unlikely situations.  We ask you for faith today to believe that.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
What promise from God has sustained you through a difficult time?

-- Sandi Somers (Alberta, Canada)

PRAYER FOCUS: People in difficult work situations

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RELATED READING ...

In his latest book, J. Marshall Jenkins asserts that only when we become consciously aware of God's gracious activity in the detail of our everyday lives, can we transform and find purpose in our lives today.  A WAKEFUL FAITH includes a model for embracing that awareness during any given day.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=12680

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.