'Don't be afraid, for I am with you'

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

-Isaiah 41:10

Fear, discouragement, weakness - we've all had those feelings.

If you've followed the last couple of postings (click here for the first one, here for the second), you'll know that I'm recovering from eye surgery, with the likelihood that I'm going to have one or two more procedures on my left eye.

As mentioned before, the vision in that eye is blurry. Slowly improving, but blurry. That makes it a little slow to write blog postings (please excuse any typos), emails and other computer tasks. So I need words - like those from Isaiah - to bring encouragement and hope.

And I hope these words help in your own struggles.

'Those who wait upon God ...'

Photo by Frank Kovalchek via Flickr

For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

-Isaiah 40:30-31 (The Message)

A couple of postings ago, I complained about nagging back pain. And even though I'm not so young these days, I understand how, as Isaiah says, young people can get tired, drop out, stumble and fall.

Ever feel that way?

As this is being written, I'm waiting for word that my health insurance will cover a shot in the back that, I hope, will help. Complaints about employee-based health insurance delays - thus reducing their own employees' productivity - could take up an entire posting and then some.

But today, it's about waiting. It seems we live in a hurry-up world today. If there's nothing I can do but wait, I need to wait. Not necessarily on human timetables, but on God's timetable. Follow God's timetable will give me fresh strength, as Isaiah told so eloquently so long ago.

Now, will I always get exactly what I want by waiting? Not necessarily. But God's strength comes in many ways, many sizes, many shapes. I must refresh my trust in that.

'You have done wonderful things, planned long ago ...'

Lord, you are my God. I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, planned long ago, faithful and sure.

-Isaiah 25:1

Sometimes, not often, I think of what might have been. If my stroke never happened, my language never affected, this life nearly snatched away from me.

A rather pointless exercise, I must say.

When those thoughts show up, I should consider words such as the ones from Isaiah - God has done wonderful things, planned long ago, faithful and sure.

Now, certainly, this life is not a rosy walk in the park all the time. Still, consider wonderful things. Beautiful mountains, streams and forests. People who play a positive influence in your life. Wonderful things can be small - even a moment of peace. Or can be large - positive, life-changing events or revelations.

We often pray to God when bad things happen. And we should. But consider exalting God, too, when we recognize his wonderful things. God is faithful and sure.

'Seek the Lord while he may be found'

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

-Isaiah 55:6 

We're all been there: Lost, seeking or calling. It might be in your work life. Or your personal life. Marriage. Family. Spiritual life.

When and where have you sought God?

Lately, I've been listening to audio versions of Old Testament books while running. Right now, I'm on 2 Kings, a time when many leaders looked away from God - not seeking God.

Isaiah was on the scene at that time, and his words from that time period were relevant then and can be relevant now: Get near and seek God.

'My strength and my defense'

    I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.

-Isaiah 12:2

Truth be told, I was afraid on May 8, 1998.

But even on that day, God was my strength and my defense. And because of that, I trust God more. Will I ever be afraid again? That's an unanswerable question. I would like to say no - and as I continue building up my faith, I hope to one day give that answer honestly: No.

Everyone has - or will have - a day with threat, a day that could be filled with fear. Here's to all our faith journeys continuing to reach higher and higher levels of trust in God so that fear - like death - can be conquered.

'Trust in the Lord forever'

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

-Isaiah 26:4

2014 has been my year of new health concerns. Knee surgery. Muscle spasms. Etc.

Slowly, these things are becoming resolved or have already resolved, but not on my preferred schedule. I'm guessing that like most people, I am impatient and want quick and easy fixes.

The words of Isaiah can help bring people back to where we need to be. Trusting in God can mean surrender your impatience, your own timetable, and place yourself on the Rock.

Does this mean that we are to do nothing? No. In fact, placing your trust in God can help you press forward in advocating for your own or a loved one's health care.

'Run and not grow weary'

[B]ut those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

-Isaiah 40:31

I never get tired of that particular verse. And I certainly need it now.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned on this blog a knee injury. Initially, it seemed to resolve itself but not long ago, it came back with a vengeance. An MRI later, I was told I have a torn meniscus (cartilage between the femur and tibia).

And bad timing for this injury: Due to travel plans, I can't get it fixed (a relatively simple arthroscopic procedure) until April 1. So for the next several weeks, I can't run. That's quite a shock for someone who's been running for 26 years.

But like the Isaiah verse above mentions, hope is present. Like in my stroke recovery days and now, the key was - and is - to place hope and trust in God.

Here's hope that in warmer days ahead, I'll run and not grow weary. Again.

'The word of our God endures forever'

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

-Isaiah 40:8

It's cold with snow lingering in spots where I'm located at this writing, here in the middle of Missouri in December. Much of the grass has indeed withered, and flowers are gone.

Sounds like a bummer. Summer has vanished. Fall is almost complete. Winter is already here in spirit if not by the calendar. Not quite yet - still a couple of days away.

But this is not unexpected. I can read a calendar - for the next few months, I know that the grasses and flowers are waiting for spring. I know that outside, cold winds will blow. Our family pets will linger by the fireplace. No surprises there. The information imparted by a simple calendar, it seems, endures.

So much greater is the word of God. Study the word and know that it - and with it, God's love - endures.

(Photo from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with text added by author)

'Our salvation in time of distress'

Lord, be gracious to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
    our salvation in time of distress.

-Isaiah 33:2

We've all had distress, stroke-related or not.

Last week, I marked my 15th "anniversary" of my stroke, and remarked how God gave me strength in my recovery.

That strength is available to you, every day, especially in time of distress, as the above quote from Isaiah notes.

These days, I exercise most mornings. When I run this morning, I will thank God for the strength of that morning. No matter your schedule, even when your "morning" is everybody else's afternoon, you, too can reach out for that strength and salvation.

(Photo from NASA; text added by author)

'Be our strength every morning'

Lord, be gracious to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
    our salvation in time of distress.

-Isaiah 33:2

Somewhere along the way, I became a morning person. Most days when I run, I wake up before dawn, quietly prepare, and run. Not fast, to be certain, but run.

Because of this, I've seen lot of sunrises. Yet I'm never tired of them. A new day, new strength, new hope - all because of God's grace and love.

We often equate night - darkness - with times of distress. Yet God is waiting for us with a sunrise. We long for God, as the verse in Isaiah says. But in his time, morning is coming, with salvation, despite all the distress we face.

(Photo from National Center for Atmospheric Research)

'... Who takes hold of your right hand ...'

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

-Isaiah 41:13

Since my stroke and recovery, I've always had a soft spot for this verse in Isaiah. "...I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand ... ."

What a message for someone who - even temporarily - loss the use of his right hand! But thinking further, no matter what my weaknesses might be, God is there to grasp me, with support and strength.

God does grasp the hands of stroke survivors - no matter the level of recovery in this world. Let him grasp you. Let him help you. He will lead you with love.

'Run and not grow weary'

[B]ut those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

-Isaiah 40:31

You've seen these words before in this blog. But I can't resist for a repeater for this one.

Not long ago, due to months of recovering from a non-stroke-related back injury, I ran slowly and, sometimes, with a little pain.

Just last month, I finished the first half-marathon (13.1 miles) that I've run in more than a year.

So to celebrate the real reason why I accomplished this, why not repeat these words? God did renew my strength. I did complete - albeit slowly - and was able to enjoy the rest of the day with family. Not weary. Not faint.

Thanks be to God. Place your hope in God.

'So do not fear, for I am with you'

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

-Isaiah 41:10

People with aphasia - a common outcome for stroke survivors that affects speech - feel isolated and therefore isolate themselves from others, according to a survey conducted in 2004 by the National Aphasia Association.

But nothing - no matter what in this life - can truly isolate one from God. The author in Isaiah said it far better than I can: you don't have to fear, you need not be dismayed. God is with you.

I certainly understand - to a degree - the feeling of aphasia, which afflicted me during my own stroke in 1998. For a while, I could not speak, write or read. I had trouble understanding what others were saying. Talk about feeling isolated.

But God never left me. In those days when my I needed strength, God was present. And God can be present for you.

Never get tired of Isaiah 40:31

[B]ut those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

-Isaiah 40:31

These words in Isaiah can be powerful reminders that with God, your strength is not just your own, your source of strength is beyond your own. God renews that strength.

I run, and I can tell you, this human body does grow weary. But Isaiah isn't talking about the mere human condition, the human body. He is not talking about strength that can be counted by the pound. No - he's talking about strength in faith. It's about strength in faith that will carry stroke survivors and caregivers and yes, they will soar on wings like eagles.

'Pierced for our transgressions'

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

-Isaiah 53:5

From Korea 2006

Today, we call it Good Friday. It is a day to consider the day that Jesus suffered on a cross, died for our own transgressions.

Isaiah wrote it long before. It came to pass. The nails and spear pierced him. Crucifixion involves the increasingly crushing sensation for a person's lungs. He was punished, yet brought peace who follow him. He was terribly wounded - giving us access to God's ultimate healing touch.

It is a Good Friday.

As this new year comes forth...

"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

"See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland."

-Isaiah 43:18-19

2010 is here. So look forward and make your way with God.

Dwelling on the past and those "former things" is so easy. Mistakes. Shame. Missed opportunities. Bad decisions. Failure to act. How often does it seem that life is too hard, that we can't possibly get past what has happened?

God pledges, though, that with him, we can move past the past and be secure in his pledge.

Thank God that we can move past these "former things." Watch and perceive what God plans for you in 2010. It is a new year, and God constantly opens up new ways.

Have a blessed, joyous new year.

Placing your trust in the Lord

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

-Isaiah 26:4

We've all had days of frustration, anger. When words fail. When we are physically exhausted. When the system seems to be working against us.

Fact is, there is little to this world we can trust, in the ultimate sense. Human inventions and conventions fail; humans make mistakes; people can be thoughtless.

But read the words from Isaiah - despite human shortcomings, we do have an ultimate Rock to trust with our very souls. So when those days of frustration come, remember these words. You will still find trials in this finite world, but as Isaiah wrote, trust in God can carry you past it.

'Listen and hear my voice'

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.

-Isaiah 28:23

You can find several postings on this blog related to aphasia - a term that is rarely understood. That is, until it happens to you or to someone you love. It's common among stroke survivors.

I missed the fact that June was National Aphasia Awareness Month until one of my trusty Google alerts send me a posting, including the Scripture above, from a Lutheran church in Pennsylvania. It did some basic education about aphasia, quoting the National Aphasia Association:

Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that impairs a person’s ability to process language, but does not affect intelligence. Aphasia impairs the ability to speak and understand others, and most people with aphasia experience difficulty reading and writing.

The most common cause of aphasia is stroke (about 25-40% of stroke survivors acquire aphasia). It can also result from head injury, brain tumor or other neurological causes. Aphasia affects about one million Americans or 1 in 250 people. While aphasia is most common among older people, it can occur in people of all ages.

(Image from WikiMedia Commons)

With the wing, comes hope; with hope, comes strength

"[B]ut those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

-Isaiah 40:31

I'm guessing you recognize this from a longer quotation, from Isaiah 40:28-31. I don't have any stats to back it up, but this has to be one of the most quoted verses in the Bible.

It's quoted because it's comforting. And who doesn't need that? It's about hope strengthening faith, and with a renewed strength in faith, so much is possible. Pray today for someone struggling with stroke outcome - pray for a renewal of hope and strength in faith.

'It is he who will save us'

Lately, this blog has posted a lot of stroke-related news, but now, an effort to do more faith-based postings. BibleGateway.com posts a daily verse, so I'm taking those as inspiration. A recent one, for example, came from Isaiah 33:22:

For the LORD is our judge,
the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
it is he who will save us.

A Scripture reference to keep in mind when it seems the world is taking us over - our final authority is above all. So struggling with stroke recovery, struggling with caregiving, struggling with decisions, a note to remember: "...it is he who will save us." Consider all the ways he can save you, including the ultimate prize.