by David C Alves

I will fight those who fight you,

and I will save your children.

I will feed your enemies with their own flesh.

They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood.

All the world will know that I, the Lord,

am your savior and your redeemer,

the mighty One of Israel.  –Isaiah 49:25c-26

God makes it clear that He will act on Israel’s behalf as He had in the past where he actually brought insanity upon an attacking army. The result was that Israel witnessed the self-destruction of an entire army on the field of battle. God gave Israel’s enemy over to their hatred and lust for blood by allowing their madness to go unrestrained. They all perished. [see Isaiah 60:12].

God makes it clear in vs. 26, that Israel’s enemies will self-destruct:

1.     they will consume their own flesh;

2.     they will be “drunk with rivers of their own blood.”

They will begin with intense hatred for God’s people and that hatred will consume them as they destroy themselves for nothing. In the end, Israel will not only stand, but will glorify God as the whole world sees the Savior, Redeemer, the “mighty One of Israel,” defend his people This will have the effect of turning the hardened hearts of the godless everywhere to see God’s hand of protection over His people. How much more so for those in his Family now–those who are in Christ?

Father, glorify yourself in your people. Use the enemies of your people to bring nations to their senses. May all the families of the earth come to reflect your glory to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms. Establish the remnant! To your glory . . . make her the praise of the earth. Fulfill the faith of Jesus I pray.

by David C Alves

I’m thinking about dissipation and distraction. And what made me think of that? I just updated my current reading list.  In so doing, I noticed that I’m reading too many books at once. I can’t recall when I started doing this. I used to read one book at a time. I’m not sure if everyone does this or just me. What’s behind this?

     Is it that we're getting older and realizing that time is at a premium? That we might not get to finish all the books that interest us? Or . . . do we have a shorter attention spans?  And need to spread our interests across a wider palette? Sampling here and there? For me, maybe it’s from attending too many covered dish dinners in the past thirty-four years of church ministry--you go down the line and take a little of this and a little of that. Then go back for 2 or 3 helpings of whatever I found to be most appealing.

     In any case, reading 5 or 6 or 7 books at once may be a source for my lack of intellectual focus these days. I seem to be interested in more things than I can read about at once. This produces in me a feeling of being scattered--always feeling that more than one book is demanding my attention. But, I’m going to try to whittle my list down over the next six months. Let’s see if I can do it. I wonder if I can ever get my current reading down to 2!

     Although in my own defense (against my own concerns), usually one book is devotional reading, one is ministry related, and one is personal. In my current list, two are ministry reading and three are personal. I know I can shave several books and limit myself to three. So . . . I'm going to do it! Just like I'm going to follow through with my eating, exercise, weight goal at LoseIt.com. 

     What about you? What’s your list look like?  Maybe you need to narrow your focus and whittle your list? I wonder if we’ll feel less scattered, dissipated or distracted by setting and keeping a more limited number of books in our current reading stack?

the following is a guest post by Marcy Devers Alves (my wife)

That’s the Thing 

by

Marcy Devers Alves 

To never try,
To never know
Could that plane fly?
Could this arm throw?
And could this dream inside me grow?
Now that’s the thing.

I paused tonight in troubled thought,
As in a backward view I caught
A glimpse of dreams and schemes gone past, 
And wondered if somehow, at last
I’ll reach the age of later years
And looking back through sighs and tears
Say to myself in shame of pride,
Of course I failed; I never tried”.

While others round me reached and turned,
In hot pursuits, their fires burned
As mine remained a smoldering ash
With no great flame, no blinding flash.
And I, consumed, sat in the coals
With undreamed dreams and unset goals,
Waiting for the “ideal” day
Of better jobs or better pay
Or “moments suited to the task”
While one by one life’s moments passed.

To never try
To never fail
To one day pass
Beyond the veil
And hear the words I’ll have to say
“I waited for a better day”.

A better day that never came,
While life passed by, things stayed the same;
I waited for the proper time,
The day of muse, or thought or rhyme,
Instead of holding fast each minute
To suck the hallowed essence in it.

O, God a pledge I make this hour
That by your might, your strength, your power
I’ll do the things I plan today
So at life’s end I will not say
“I waited for a better day”
Now that’s the thing.

© 2011, Marcy Devers Alves 

" . . . He will bring honor to his family name, for I will drive him frimly in place like a nail in the wall . . . 
he will bring honor to even the lowliest members of his family."  

 --Isaiah 22:23-24 (NLT)