March 1, 2016 – Isaiah 48:17-18

This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.  Isaiah 48:17-18Have you ever gone fishing on a warm summer day and sat on the bank watching the ripples of water traveling down stream?  Or perhaps skip a stone across the water and watch the widening circles created by each splash?There is nothing more restful.   Time passes and your heart is at peace.  Who created this peace, this gentleness?  The Lord our God, who is our Teacher, and loves us.  He leads us with words of love.Are you listening to God’s words of love?  Jesus promises rest when when we listen to Him. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28.  These words bring us more than rest, they bring hope.  Proverbs gives us the importance of ‘gentle words’.  They are a tree of life, no one can live without hope.Where do ‘gentle words’ come from?  They come to us when we believe and live in Jesus.  When we learn to listen to words of correction when we are small, we are ready to trust and listen to the Words of Jesus.  John 14:6 gives us this instruction – Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.A deceitful tongue, a lying tongue, crushes all hope and gives us unrest in our hearts.  I wish you hope, joy and peace as you live with Jesus for He alone can forgive all of us.Gentle words are a tree of life, a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. Proverbs 15:4-5