Stepping over Boulders
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Isaiah 62:10-12
Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.
The Lord has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’”
They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.
Dear Friends,
In this piece of Isaiah’s poetry, the city was known as Deserted. Her name had become known as Desolate because much harm had come to her. Her people had been killed, fled, or captured. Those words distorted her perception of herself and made her believe the worst. But God had heard the people cry out and had felt the city’s pain and responded. Before God ever brought the people back into the city, the city needed a new name. She needed to receive new words about herself to receive the people back. She needed to know the truth of who she was to combat the lie she believed.
What lies have you believed about yourself? What harmful or inaccurate words have been spoken over you, or you have spoken over yourself? When you think of words that describe you, what comes to mind? Are they kind? Do they build you up? Would you say the same words over your friends or family members?
It’s hard to prepare room in our lives for God to come near when the rooms in our lives are chock full of negativity and harmful self-talk. They can become closed gates and stones, blocking the nearness of God in our lives. They can stifle the good and true words God wants to speak over you.
God has slowly shifted my thinking away from “lazy,” “unintelligent,” “non-relevant,” and “uninteresting” to “beloved,” “valuable,” “worthy,” and “wanted.” It’s been a slow shift because the boulders have been heavy and the gates were rusted through. Some of those words had burrowed deep into my being, convincing me there wasn’t enough room for anything good.
But friends, God came near enough to help me remove those boulders. And my friends and family came near enough to lift the gate. And slowly those distorting and false words wiggled out, making room for truth to take root.
What false words have you allowed in, that you’ve spoken over yourself? What boulders and rocks need removing for God to come near?
May you be gentle to yourself today. May you be compassionate and patient with yourself today. And may you speak true words over yourself because you are so very loved by the God who has come near.
With (love),
Bethany