The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Look for the Platypus" for Friday, 1 September 2017 - Read Isaiah 42:9-16-------
Isaiah 42:9 See how the former predictions come true;
and now new things do I declare —
before they sprout I tell you about them.”
10 Sing to Adonai a new song!
Let his praise be sung from the ends of the earth
by those sailing the sea and by everything in it,
by the coastlands and those living there.
11 Let the desert and its cities raise their voices,
the villages where Kedar lives;
let those living in Sela shout for joy;
let them cry out from the mountaintops!
12 Let them give glory to Adonai
and proclaim his praise in the coastlands.
13 Adonai will go out like a soldier,
like a soldier roused to the fury of battle;
he will shout, yes, he raises the battle cry;
as he triumphs over his foes.
14 “For a long time I have held my peace,
I have been silent, restrained myself.
Now I will shriek like a woman in labor,
panting and gasping for air.
15 I will devastate mountains and hills,
wither all their vegetation,
turn the rivers into islands
and dry up the lakes.
16 The blind I will lead on a road they don’t know,
on roads they don’t know I will lead them;
I will turn darkness to light before them,
and straighten their twisted paths.
These are things I will do without fail.
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The LORD says, “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” [Isaiah 42:9 (NIV)]
Scientists once thought that all mammals give live birth, that no mammal lays eggs. Then they explored Australian waterways and discovered the duck-billed platypus. The platypus not only astounded zoologists with its beaver-like tail and duck bill, but it also became the only known warm-blooded, fur-covered mammal that lays eggs. We read about similar discoveries in the Old Testament. Time and again the Israelites saw things they had never seen before: parting seas, pillars of fire, water from rocks, and manna from heaven. God was preparing them for a new chapter.
Preparing for anything new is uncomfortable and can be scary. New relationships, locations, jobs, even forgiveness and trust — all require courage and faith. If we are watchful, we might begin to see ways that God is working in our lives that we previously never dreamed of. New things may become visible. They may even threaten the very core of what we know or believe.
Whenever we find ourselves thinking, Everything is going according to plan; there is no “platypus” in my life, we can see this as a sign to be full of courage and look for the unexpected. Before we know it, we may have an opportunity to step out and watch for the new discoveries God wants to reveal to us.
Read more from the author, here.
More from Tez Brooks
I wrote today’s meditation, “Look for the Platypus” in 2011, shortly after returning from Australia.
As missionaries we enjoyed being assigned “down under” for a few years. The friends we made and adventures we experienced were life-changing for our family.
Today my wife and I continue to serve as missionaries, stateside.
A few weeks ago, when I saw The Upper Room issue containing my meditation for today, I’d forgotten about it. I read it again to refresh my memory.
I’m humbled when God uses my writing to encourage others. But I had no idea God was planning to use my own meditation to speak to me all over again.
I’m certain God timed this perfectly. The very day it arrived in the mail, I was stressing over a huge, life-changing decision.
Now, we’ve always dreamed of living in Colorado. But we don’t know anyone out there, and in reality, there’s not a good enough reason to make a crazy move like that.
You can probably see where this is going.
A few weeks ago we discovered we have a small branch of our organization stationed in Colorado Springs. Really? Who knew? That office was searching for an experienced female missionary who could teach new Christian women how to live out their faith.
My wife was certainly qualified. We knew the job was a perfect fit for her, but not really feasible. I couldn’t just abandon my role in Florida to follow her out west. That would just be crazy! Yes, yes it would. :)
We decided to pray anyway, half-heartedly. After all, it’s a pipe dream. If this was an opportunity from God, he’d provide a way. If it wasn’t, no sweat.
Then out of nowhere, something awful happened. My particular role was made redundant and I had to find a new position in the organization. But I didn’t have time to panic. Because God began to open doors for us—one after the other—I was asked to join a different team that not only was a better fit for my gifts but also made my working remotely for our organization a possibility.
I couldn’t believe it. I could work from anywhere in the world, it didn’t matter. In the midst of this miracle disguised as a crisis, I was reminded of an incident in the New Testament.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were stuck in jail. There seemed to be no way out of their mess. Content and trusting God, they just began to pray and sing hymns. Then suddenly there was an earthquake shaking the entire prison. And all at once, the prison doors flew open!
It seemed God was doing this same thing for my wife and me. Don’t get me wrong—we still had recurring opposition. Whether attempting to move across town or move across the planet (I’ve done both) hurdles will cause me to second-guess things. This is nothing new. Paul told the church in Corinth that a wide door for effective ministry had opened for him, but he had much opposition over it (Corinthians 16:9).
Paul’s story encourages me. So I’m trying to be more expectant and press through the obstacles. God has more in store for me than I could ever comprehend.
For the record, we’re moving to Colorado this month. We’re crazy excited about it, but I’m certain outside resistance will pop up again. Pray for me and my family, won’t you? [Tez Brooks, You can learn more about Tez at EverySingleDad.com.]
The Author: Tez Brooks (Florida, USA)
Thought for the Day: God has more in store for me than I know.
Prayer: Dear God, give us the courage to step out and trust you. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone moving into a new phase of life
-------
The LORD says, “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” [Isaiah 42:9 (NIV)]
Scientists once thought that all mammals give live birth, that no mammal lays eggs. Then they explored Australian waterways and discovered the duck-billed platypus. The platypus not only astounded zoologists with its beaver-like tail and duck bill, but it also became the only known warm-blooded, fur-covered mammal that lays eggs. We read about similar discoveries in the Old Testament. Time and again the Israelites saw things they had never seen before: parting seas, pillars of fire, water from rocks, and manna from heaven. God was preparing them for a new chapter.
Preparing for anything new is uncomfortable and can be scary. New relationships, locations, jobs, even forgiveness and trust — all require courage and faith. If we are watchful, we might begin to see ways that God is working in our lives that we previously never dreamed of. New things may become visible. They may even threaten the very core of what we know or believe.
Whenever we find ourselves thinking, Everything is going according to plan; there is no “platypus” in my life, we can see this as a sign to be full of courage and look for the unexpected. Before we know it, we may have an opportunity to step out and watch for the new discoveries God wants to reveal to us.
Read more from the author, here.
More from Tez Brooks
I wrote today’s meditation, “Look for the Platypus” in 2011, shortly after returning from Australia.As missionaries we enjoyed being assigned “down under” for a few years. The friends we made and adventures we experienced were life-changing for our family.
Today my wife and I continue to serve as missionaries, stateside.
A few weeks ago, when I saw The Upper Room issue containing my meditation for today, I’d forgotten about it. I read it again to refresh my memory.
I’m humbled when God uses my writing to encourage others. But I had no idea God was planning to use my own meditation to speak to me all over again.
I’m certain God timed this perfectly. The very day it arrived in the mail, I was stressing over a huge, life-changing decision.
Now, we’ve always dreamed of living in Colorado. But we don’t know anyone out there, and in reality, there’s not a good enough reason to make a crazy move like that.
You can probably see where this is going.
A few weeks ago we discovered we have a small branch of our organization stationed in Colorado Springs. Really? Who knew? That office was searching for an experienced female missionary who could teach new Christian women how to live out their faith.
My wife was certainly qualified. We knew the job was a perfect fit for her, but not really feasible. I couldn’t just abandon my role in Florida to follow her out west. That would just be crazy! Yes, yes it would. :)
We decided to pray anyway, half-heartedly. After all, it’s a pipe dream. If this was an opportunity from God, he’d provide a way. If it wasn’t, no sweat.
Then out of nowhere, something awful happened. My particular role was made redundant and I had to find a new position in the organization. But I didn’t have time to panic. Because God began to open doors for us—one after the other—I was asked to join a different team that not only was a better fit for my gifts but also made my working remotely for our organization a possibility.
I couldn’t believe it. I could work from anywhere in the world, it didn’t matter. In the midst of this miracle disguised as a crisis, I was reminded of an incident in the New Testament.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were stuck in jail. There seemed to be no way out of their mess. Content and trusting God, they just began to pray and sing hymns. Then suddenly there was an earthquake shaking the entire prison. And all at once, the prison doors flew open!
It seemed God was doing this same thing for my wife and me. Don’t get me wrong—we still had recurring opposition. Whether attempting to move across town or move across the planet (I’ve done both) hurdles will cause me to second-guess things. This is nothing new. Paul told the church in Corinth that a wide door for effective ministry had opened for him, but he had much opposition over it (Corinthians 16:9).Paul’s story encourages me. So I’m trying to be more expectant and press through the obstacles. God has more in store for me than I could ever comprehend.
For the record, we’re moving to Colorado this month. We’re crazy excited about it, but I’m certain outside resistance will pop up again. Pray for me and my family, won’t you? [Tez Brooks, You can learn more about Tez at EverySingleDad.com.]
The Author: Tez Brooks (Florida, USA)
Thought for the Day: God has more in store for me than I know.
Prayer: Dear God, give us the courage to step out and trust you. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone moving into a new phase of life
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