Sunday morning..

in my aunt's backyard...

¹⁰ I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.

Isaiah 61:10-11

The book of Isaiah in the Old Testament is one of my very favorite books in the bible. And chapter 61 is one of my favorites within the book of Isaiah. If you look in my bible I wouldn't be surprised if the book of Isaiah was one of the most marked up and highlighted books out of all of them. Well, it might be a toss up between Isaiah and the Psalms.

What's that? Do I write in my bible? Oh yes...absolutely. I mark important dates, I record specific prayers in the margins, I highlight the scriptures that leap off the page and into my heart.

Yes, I definitely write in my bible. It's a great way to look back and see God's hand at work in my life, and in the lives of others I've prayed for. I can see prayers answered. And I can see progress in my spiritual life and my walk with God.

I can also see the lessons that are not getting through my (incredibly) thick skull because God brings me back to some of the same scriptures...over and over and over again.

And, as of late especially, I can probably note the times that I've slipped into the pit...not a whole lot of marking up or date writing going on. (Which is probably the reason I've ended up in the pit. Ya think?)

The good news is that God never gives up on us. The good news is that His Word is alive and true and has power to penetrate our hearts and minds. The good news is that a walk with God is never-ending.

We just have to keep on walking, even if with a limp, until we finally reach the goal.