Isaiah – Page 3 – Harold J. Ballinger

SIN
Isaiah 59:2 ESV
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that He does not hear.

MERCY EXTENDED
Ezekiel 33:11 ESV
Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

FORGIVENESS AVAILABLE
1 John 1:9 ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

NARROW PATH VS LEGALISM OR CONTINUING IN SIN
Proverbs 14:12 ESV
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

GIFT OF GRACE
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.
John 10:28-29 NLT
http://bible.com/116/jhn.10.28-29.NLT

RELIGION VS RELATIONSHIP
2 Peter 2:20-22 ESV
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

FALSE CONVERT VS BORN AGAIN, SPIRIT FILLED
Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

EXAMINING & IDENTIFYING OURSELVES
Hebrews 10:26 ESV
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

THE PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE
Isaiah 53:6 ESV
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

UNDERSTAND HIS LOVE
Romans 5:8 ESV
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

CONFESS AND BELIEVE
Romans 10:9-10 ESV
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

THE CALL OF GOD – THE CHOICE OF MAN
Revelation 3:20 ESV
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

THE DECISION – TURNING AWAY
John 6:64-69 ESV
But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,

THE DECISION – LIVE IN CHRIST & CHRIST IN YOU
John 15:5 ESV
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

THE RESULT
And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:6-8 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rev.21.6-8.NLT

October 17, 2015October 17, 2015

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Are you taught by God?

As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.
John 6:45 NLT
http://bible.com/116/jhn.6.45.NLT

This is refering to the book of Isaiah telling what to expect in the coming Kingdom of God that would be ushered in by the Messiah:

I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace.
Isaiah 54:13 NLT
http://bible.com/116/isa.54.13.NLT

In the book of Matthew, Jesus warns us to call no one c teacher, because He is to be our only teacher:

And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah.
Matthew 23:10 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.23.10.NLT

In the book of, John, Jesus tells us about the Spirit of Truth that is to come

John 16:13 ESV
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

And Jesus clarifies further when, He describes the gift of the Holy Spirit that we who are followers of Christ receive:

John 14:26 ESV
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

You see, He doesn’t tell us to seek out a great, charismatic preacher or teacher and dedicate ourselves to them. No, in fact He warns us about putting our trust in them and says that we should trust only in Him:

Psalm 118:8 ESV
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

Jeremiah 17:5 ESV
Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.

And this is because men aren’t meant to be as much teacher as messenger, sharing the Word of God and what they to learn from the Holy Spirit’s guidance in their own lives. But since you cannot easily confirm the source of anything they claim to be “from God”, we must test it against what we know is from God.

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.
Acts of the Apostles 17:11-12 NLT
http://bible.com/116/act.17.11-12.NLT

We aren’t supposed to blindly follow what a religious leader tells us, this can be very dangerous with the false teachers who are like wolves amongst the sheep. We aren’t just supposed to read the Bible as a self help guide to try to figure it out for ourselves either. We are to be taught by God.

So how do I start being “taught by God”? First, you must surrender your heart to Jesus Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is not just a water baptism, but being reborn as a new creation with Christ living inside you. It isn’t signing up for a religion, and it isn’t buying your get out of hell free card with a one time prayer. It is deciding to do this life, hand in hand with Christ who loves you, forgives, you, and wants to teach you and change you moment by moment, day by day, to be more like Him.

Then, you must be willing to seek His wisdom and to listen, and to examine and test what you hear against the truth of the Word of God. Yes, this requires accepting that the Word of God is Truth. It takes accepting that God knows better than you what is good and acceptable for your life. It takes seeking not only what is acceptable, but what is holy and will bring God glory and honor. It takes putting God’s will first as the center of your life.

Then you must be willing to repent and put it into action. This isn’t a mind game, learning it in our heads but not applying it in our lives – that is empty religious practice and sacrifice. God desires the change in our hearts that results in a changed life, a changed perspective, a humbling to remain teachable at the feet of the master.

Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Matthew 9:13 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.9.13.NLT

We aren’t to practice traditions of men and man made ideas as commandments from God. If you are participating in a church that tell you that you must follow their traditions, or that you must be taught by their leader, or that God recognizes them differently than He recognizes you, test them against the Word of God, find them false, and abandon these dens of deceit where they feed off of the lambs like wolves, or like hirelings who kill the sheep to fatten their own bellies, instead of sacrificing for, and suffering for, and feeding and providing for the sheep as Christ gave the example of the Good Shepherd.

Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ”
Matthew 15:3, 6-9 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.15.3-9.NLT

I encourage you, friend. Examine where you are receiving your teaching. Examine who you have laid your trust upon. Is it a man? Or are you being taught by God?

Get it from the source. Examine and test it against the Word of God.

I pray that we can all continue to stay out of the way and simply be the messengers receiving and then delivering the Word of God as humble and faithful servants – not teachers who thinks themselves yet wise or righteous or completed works. I too need to remain teachable, and listening, and growing.

October 14, 2015October 14, 2015

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Drawing a Map, Leaving Bread Crumbs

There is a hell, and there is a heaven, and what you do matters. (Read Matthew chapter 25, paying attention to verse 46)

You still have time. (Read Isaiah 55, paying attention to verses 6-13)

Jesus is the only way. (Read John chapter 14, paying attention to verse 6 and verses 12-14)

There is a difference between knowing the words of the Bible and knowing the Word of God. (Read 2 Corinthians chapter 3, paying attention to verse 6)

There is a difference between repeating what you have heard from others who claim wisdom, and sharing what you are being taught by the source of all wisdom. (Read Matthew chapter 23, paying attention to verse 10)

There is a difference between pursuing theology and religion in your mind and words, and pursuing Christ in your life and actions. (Read James chapter 1, paying attention to verses 22 and 23)

I will not always be with you, my friends. And some of you may want to follow to my destination, while others may not. I only leave crumbs so that you might follow the path of Christ that I seek, not trusting my dim eyes that may lead you astray, but hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit urging the way, given to me by my Lord, Jesus Christ – whose guidance I continue to confirm by the written Word of God.

But look past my slow progress and my stumblings, friend. Do not slow your race because of me, but set your eyes upon Christ and run to Him with every fiber of the strength you have left. And pray that we will find each other faithfully in His presence at the end of our long journey.

God bless you, traveler. May the light of Christ illuminate your path, and may the darkness flee before you. It has no authority or dominion over you any longer, Child of God. And may the light of your walk be visible and apparent and desired by all those still in darkness that you pass. May you offer them living water to drink, and the bread of life to eat, and may they know the healing and deliverance found in the power of Christ who lives in you. May the darkness be rolled away before you and the way made clear for the footsteps the Lord has established for you.

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015

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Come, drink, and live

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:1-2 ESV
http://bible.com/59/rev.22.1-2.ESV

The life giving waters flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. Jesus talks of these living waters, telling us that once we drink of the living waters, we will thirst no more.

John 4:14 ESV
But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

And not only are we, able to stand beside the river of living waters and drink from them, we are able to tap into the living waters and flow with living waters ourselves.

John 7:38 ESV
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

This living water is the very Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, that we become aware of, that we are able to communicate with even more closely and directly as we continue seeking and growing in our faith. The living waters are the anointing of the Spirit of the Lord upon our lives, changing us, and molding us, and guiding us, and teaching us – once we are surrendered to Christ, once we believe, once we are decided to follow His will and purpose, not just our own.

It is when we grow thirsty in life that we begin to understand our need for these living waters. It is when we are trapped in darkness that we begin to understand our need for light. It is when we are broken that we understand our need for healing to take place within our lives. So we are never “too far from God” to come to Him. He has never left our side, even though we were unaware of His presence. He is no closer or further away from you than the great saints and His rain falls upon the parched and dry earth the same as it does on the fertile forests – for all life depends on life giving water and a forest was once empty land before life first sprung forth.

Isaiah 44:3 ESV
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Christ calls out to us, making us aware that He has the very life giving water that we need to nourish our soul and provide healing to our body, mind, and soul. So we have no excuse for remaining thirsty when the water is available for us to come and drink.

John 7:37 ESV
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

This living water, He gives to us without payment, it is a gift, and we cannot work to earn it, nor does it once received allow us to remain the same.

Revelation 21:6 ESV
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

The Lord asks two things of his people, to love Him and to love one another. Jesus Christ explained that, all of the law and words of the prophets grow from this central truth, that all of it points to this central relationship between ourselves and the living God. That He is available to us to see His face, to hear His voice, to walk with Him, to experience life with Him.

They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Revelation 22:4 ESV
http://bible.com/59/rev.22.4.ESV

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mat.5.8.ESV

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

But the problem is that we ignore the voice and we have continued our lives chosing evil instead.

Revelation 2:4
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:19-21 ESV
http://bible.com/59/jhn.3.19-21.ESV

We have chosen darkness over light, and we have chosen to value things and self more than God.

Jeremiah 2:13 ESV
For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

It is never too late to turn to Him, to seek Him, to drink of the living waters. To be washed in the blood of the Lamb, and to know both salvation and the hand of the Lord upon your life, friend. We, the believers, the bride of Christ, are inviting you to come, drink of the waters.

Revelation 22:17 ESV
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Isaiah 12:3 ESV
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Revelation 7:16-17 ESV
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Isaiah 58:11 ESV
And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 41:17-18 ESV
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

Isaiah 55:1-2 ESV
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Come, drink.

And live.

September 28, 2015September 28, 2015

hballinger2 Comments

Judge? No. Rebuke? Yes. Forgive? ALWAYS!

When someone repeats their past mistakes and hurts us again and again, our tendency is to no longer forgive them – because we listen to the voice that tells us we must protect ourselves from them.

So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
Luke 17:3-4 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.17.3-4.NLT

We are to be a voice of encouragement and accountability into the lives of other believers. If we choose to stop being that voice in their lives because we have grown weary, either from the repeated pain or from the hopeless feeling that they refuse to change, then we are choosing the path of last resistance, the broad path that is easy and is chosen by many.

That path offers less testing and proving through the faith that refines us. In fact, the resulting lack of exercise and testing of out hearts results in the love of many waxing cold. It is not healthy, in fact, it is quite dangerous for us to turn to the cold, exacting, judgemental nature of a legalistic and religious person who measures and judges people and offers sacrifices at their altar of religion, but who produces no love in their life and in the lives of others. Yes, Jesus tells us to even love our enemies, so we do not have the excuse of someone being our enemy to release us from the obligation of loving and forgiving them.

And fellow believers need accountability, they need a gentle rebuke when gentleness is called for, and they need a more clear and direct rebuke when their rebellion puts them in the path of death – but it must always be done from the stance of love, with the intent of encouraging them towards repentance, and the hope of seeing them restored.

Even though there are many unfaithful who would claim the name of Jesus Christ today falsely, by cling to the promise of grace and forgiveness while ignoring repentance and following Christ – that doesn’t mean that we are to be silent and let them continue blindly into the darkness. The same ones who respond, “You can’t judge me. You aren’t perfect either.” As they cling boldly to their sin with no fear of God whatsoever are the blind that need the healing touch of the truth. And that is exactly what a rebuke is – it is speaking truth into the life of someone who is confused, misled, lost, and struggling – it is done in love to provide assistance and guidance in hopes they will step back onto the narrow path.

But broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many will refuse to follow the path with their actions even though they will try to claim Him with their words. But it is our hearts that are weighed, my friends.

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
Matthew 7:21 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.7.21.NLT

‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Matthew 15:8 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.15.8.NLT

People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.
Proverbs 21:2-3 NLT
http://bible.com/116/pro.21.2-3.NLT

Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Matthew 9:13 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.9.13.NLT

Show mercy, friends – for that is where Christ is found, that is where His love is demonstrated, and that is how your life can be used as a vessel of His glorious grace.

Find mercy and love for those who persecute you and you will soar like on the wings of eagles where their actions can no longer touch or harm you in the places that matter. For we are temporary residents of this foreign land, and we return to our home eternal soon enough. What can mere men take from us that we are not willing to give in exchange for our eternal life with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.
Matthew 16:24-27 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.16.24-27.NLT

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

June 12, 2015June 12, 2015

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Father knows best

http://bible.com/116/isa.55.8-9.nlt
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord .
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Yes, we are a prideful and rebellious generation.

Yes, there are few who seek to follow the narrow path.

Yes, we are a cold and hard hearted generation of religious zealots.

Continue reading “Father knows best” →

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015

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Turn to God

http://bible.com/116/isa.55.6-7.nlt
Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously.

Seek God
Are we seeking and finding the Lord daily? Or have we given up and denied Him? Or do we pridefully think that we’ve found Him and don’t need to seek any longer?

Continue reading “Turn to God” →

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015

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Kill the wicked man, burn him, burn him!

http://bible.com/116/isa.48.22.nlt
“But there is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord .

I know the life of a wicked person. I have lived it.

Continue reading “Kill the wicked man, burn him, burn him!” →

May 15, 2015May 15, 2015

hballingerLeave a comment

Are we soaring, or too short to dunk?

Is letting someone go loving them or giving up on them?

What about God’s design – letting us choose to either love and obey Him, or to live a life of rebellion that ends up with us eternally separated from Him – is that Him loving us, or throwing in the towel and giving up on those that don’t bow down and worship Him?

I think that the answers come down to the situation. If I give up trying to learn something new without even trying, you would call me a quitter. For example, if I was a child and you were trying to teach me how to fold a paper airplane, and all the other children were folding their airplanes, but I refused – you might encourage me, you might take extra time to give me pointers and extra instruction. But if even after that individual attention and effort, I still refused to try, and I quit – you might be concerned that I’m a quitter at heart.

But if you see me trying over and over again diligently only to fail time and time again, you might honor my diligence but realize that I’m not capable of the task at hand, and hope that at some point I might be worse enough to give up and learn that it is beyond my abilities. For example, if you see me at 5’6″ trying over and over again to dunk a basketball and never even coming close to the rim, you might eventually consider me to be either foolish or insane if I did not come to the conclusion that it was beyond my abilities to dunk a basketball.

So doesn’t it matter whether we are trying our not?

If a parent hands over their child to the state because they do not want the hassle of a child getting in the way of their party lifestyle, isn’t that different than a parent that knows that they’ve tried and there is no way for them to provide a safe and healthy environment for that child?

Whether the decision is big or small, doesn’t it come down to the amount of effort we are willing to put forth?

Doesn’t it come down to heart?

Doesn’t it come down to the “why” that is underneath the visible, outside evidence of the choice?

You see, the “why” is the meat of the issue.

We can look at the visible evidence of choices that others make in their lives, but without knowing the “why”, is it fair at all to judge their decisions?

So if we want to understand God, isn’t it important for us to dig for some level of understanding about “why” He allows us to choose between rebellion and obedience, between forgiving and judging, between faith and disbelief, between love and hate, between patience and irritability, between joy and misery, between peace and worry, between a life focused on self and a life surrendered to Him.

You see, He knows who we are. We don’t. He knows what will happen if we actually try to fold that paper airplane and we complete the task at hand. He knows that we will be amazed when we see it flying and soaring and floating through the air. He knows that we are capable.

But we think of ourselves as the little 5’6″ boy who can’t even reach the rim. Most of us sell ourselves short without even trying to reach the rim.

You see, He can lift us up to heights we can’t even imagine.

The “why” is uncovered by whether or not we are trying.

Proverbs 21:2 NLT
People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.

But He doesn’t expect us to do it alone, and He doesn’t ask us to do anything that He doesn’t give us the strength to accomplish through Him:

Isaiah 41:9-10 NLT
I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

So let’s choose to soar today.