I got nothing

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

I got nothing. Seriously, I am not too sure why God thought I should meditate on this verse this week. I still had delight yourself in the Lord swimming through my head the past week but every once in a while my thoughts are not your thoughts would pop in my head. I have a note that I wrotein my Bible by this verse that says God sees the big picture, we only see a small corner.

I read through the whole passage in hopes of shining some light on what God was trying to say. Verses 11 and 12 caught my eye. I thought that verses 12 and 13 would be something we might discuss in my Sunday night discipleship class. But still nothing was really standing out. It is like it is just beyond my reach whatever it is that God is trying to tell me. I wonder if it is something I don't want to hear. Or maybe something I am not ready to hear. Is is just preparation?

I looked at some commentary, too. I liked what Matthew Henry had to say about verses 6 - 13. Still not knowing where it is going but I will highlight a few things that interest me in the commentary.

"Here is a gracious offer of pardon, and peace, and of all happiness. It shall not be in vain to seek God, now his word is calling to us, and his Spirit is striving with us. But there is a day coming when he will not be found. There may come such a time in this life; it is certain that at death and judgment the door will be shut. There must be not only a change of the way, but a change of the mind. We must alter our judgments about persons and things. It is not enough to break off from evil practices, we must strive against evil thoughts. To repent is to return to our Lord, against whom we have rebelled. If we do so, God will multiply to pardon, as we have multiplied to offend. But let none trifle with this plenteous mercy, or use it as an occasion to sin. Men's thoughts concerning sin, Christ, and holiness, concerning this world and the other, vastly differ from God's; but in nothing more than in the matter of pardon. We forgive, and cannot forget; but when God forgives sin, he remembers it no more. The power of his word in the kingdoms of providence and grace, is as certain as in that of nature. Sacred truth produces a spiritual change in the mind of men, which neither rain nor snow can make on the earth. It shall not return to the Lord without producing important effects. If we take a special view of the church, we shall find what great things God has done, and will do for it. The Jews shall come to their own land; this shall represent the blessings promised. Gospel grace will make a great change in men. Delivered from the wrath to come, the converted sinner finds peace in his conscience; and love constrains him to devote himself to the service of his Redeemer. Instead of being profane, contentious, selfish, or sensual, behold him patient, humble, kind, and peaceable. The hope of helping in such a work should urge us to spread the gospel of salvation. And do thou help us, O Spirit of all truth, to have such views of the fulness, freeness, and greatness of the rich mercy in Christ, as may remove from us all narrow views of sovereign grace." Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

As far as the practice of meditation:
I am meditating for 10 minutes right now on Mondays. I was not really feeling it tonight, though. I kind of just wanted to forget about it. I am tired, my neck is stiff, the burn on my hand is cracking and stinging. But I did it any ways because I hoped God would enlighten me. I struggled; my mind kept wandering to something else and the dogs wouldn't settle.

I have noticed that during other prayer times I can settle my mind more quickly and I am not so quick to jump right into talking and keep talking. In Sunday school yesterday we had silent prayer for like 5 minutes. I noticed that I was able to easily focus my mind on what we were to be praying about and instead of directing the conversation I was able to listen. I don't know if it really was 5 minutes or not, but it didn't feel like it was never ending as it would have tended to before.