Siyach

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson.

Many years ago, when in Europe searching for my purpose in life, it became apparent that God was not leading me to stay … which meant coming back to Australia… which I didn’t want to do . I didn’t know what I was supposed to do here, had no idea where He was leading

Isa 58:1-14
(1) Cry aloud, do not spare, lift up your voice like a ram’s horn, and show My people their rebellion, and the house of Jacob their sins.
(2) Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and one who did not forget the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in drawing near to God.
(3) They say, Why have we fasted, and You do not see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and You take no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and crush all your laborers.
(4) Behold, you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness; you shall not fast as you do today, to make your voice to be heard on high.
(5) Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast and a day pleasing to Jehovah?
(6) Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed ones go free, and that you break every yoke?
(7) Is it not to break your bread to the hungry, and that you should bring home the wandering poor? When will you see the naked and cover him; and you will not hide yourself from your own flesh?
(8) Then shall your light break out as the dawn, and your health shall spring out quickly; and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of Jehovah shall gather you.
(9) Then you shall call, and Jehovah shall answer; you shall cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If you take the yoke away from among you, the pointing of the finger, and speaking vanity;
(10) and if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.
(11) And Jehovah shall always guide you and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones fat; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.
(12) And those who come of you shall build the old ruins; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
(13) If you turn your foot because of the Sabbath, from doing what you please on My holy days, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of Jehovah, honorable; and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words,
(14) then you shall delight yourself in Jehovah; and I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth, and feed yourself with the inheritance of Jacob your father. For the mouth of Jehovah has spoken.

For those who don’t know, Australians often refer to our vast, dry continent as “The Sunburnt Land” or “Sunburnt Country”. Among other sources, it is used in a song written by Geoff Bullock.

Australian Outback

GREAT SOUTHLAND

Chorus:
This is the Great South-land
of the Holy Spirit.
A land of red dust plains
and summer rains,
To this sunburnt land we will see a flood,
And to this Great South-land
His Spirit comes.

So at that time, reading from the NIV, all I saw was v11:

“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Desert Stream

Verse 11 was a promise to me, that even though I had NO idea what I would do in Australia, God was still with me and would sustain me.

Isaiah 58 continues to be revealed to me – but I will add more another time

I love lighthouses.

I don’t know if it is their location (i.e. near the sea, which I adore) that attracts me, or the infinite variety of shape and type; maybe it is the historical architecture that draws me, or perhaps their stories (lighthouses always seem to have stories). Maybe it is just that they are so pretty at night… I have always loved night.

I grew up on the coast, and there were several lighthouses that could be seen from our lounge room window on a clear night.

I recently saw someone say of lighthouses

“they communicate to my heart and soul…I’ve been won over by them because to me, they speak of strength, consistency, loyalty, humility and direction. Lighthouses need not blow horns to call attention to themselves, they just stand in all their splendor and simply SHINE!” (emphasis mine).

So often we refer to Christians as needing to be a Lighthouse, or Jesus as a Lighthouse. I like the thought that a lighthouse needs not “call attention to themselves… simply shine”. Nevertheless, it is interesting that the illustration is unknown in the bible (I guess you would need a mighty big candle to have an effective lighthouse back then )*

Still, there are some great scriptures that have similar meanings.

Psalm 18:28 For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. (CEV)

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (KJV)

Proverbs 6:23 The Law of the Lord is a lamp, and its teachings shine brightly. Correction and self-control will lead you through life. (CEV)

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: (KJV)

Proverbs 13:9 The lamp of a good person keeps on shining; the lamp of an evil person soon goes out. (CEV)

Proverbs 20:27 Our inner thoughts are a lamp from the LORD, and they search our hearts. (CEV)

Isaiah 62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until its righteousness goes out as brightness, and her salvation as a burning lamp. (MKJ)

Matthew 5:15 and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. (CEV)

Luke 8:16 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl or under a bed. A lamp is always put on a lampstand, so that people who come into a house will see the light. (CEV)

Luke 11:33-36 No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a clay pot. A lamp is put on a lampstand, so that everyone who comes into the house can see the light. Your eyes are the lamp for your body. When your eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. So be sure that your light isn’t darkness. If you have light, and nothing is dark, then light will be everywhere, as when a lamp shines brightly on you. (CEV)

2Peter 1:19 All of this makes us even more certain that what the prophets said is true. So you should pay close attention to their message, as you would to a lamp shining in some dark place. You must keep on paying attention until daylight comes and the morning star rises in your hearts. (CEV)

Kiluea Lighthouse

So…

1. The Lord God is a light
2. The word of God is a light
3. The commandment of God is a light
4. The law of God is a light
5. The lamp of a good person keeps shining
6. Our inner thoughts are a lamp from the Lord
7. Righteousness is a light, and salvation is a lamp
8. A lamp is for sharing
9. A lamp is to be used, not hidden from others, and not covered over
10. The “internal eye” (or self-awareness) causes us to see clearly – if we do not have good self-awareness, we can see nothing
11. The lamp communicates a message that is needed until Jesus comes again, when all the world will be in light, and even more in the hearts of believers

Pretty cool!

*Seems I underestimated the architectural abilities and desires of the ancient world… The first known lighthouse was at Alexandria.

Welcome to my siyach. I am starting the discipline of journaling (offline) – my intention is daily We shall see. I am not sure if my online journal shall keep pace, or differ.

But the reason for keeping an online AND offline journal is simple – this one lets YOU comment too.