While in the middle of a preservice praise practice, my focus was intent on the screen of my iPad and the song we were learning. Suddenly, BING!—up pops a text message. But I wasn’t annoyed—I was delighted! I hadn’t heard from this friend in a very long time, and the text filled my heart with the happy surprise of the moment. I sailed through the rest of the practice on the joyful wings of sweet remembrance.
When reading through the Bible, do you ever get hung up in the major prophets? I do. I try hard to forge on, to wrap my brain around the prophecies and dark sayings—making an attempt to figure out WHAT and WHEN and WHO the writer is even talking about. I’ll admit—one year, I just gave up and went totally AWOL from my BREAD … while slogging through Isaiah.
But, the other day, while once again pushing my eyes through Isaiah’s sixty-six chapters … suddenly THIS pops up: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, Yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV)
What a SWEET surprise! Like the sudden whiff of a heaven-borne fragrance. Like an unexpected pop-up text message jumping right off the page into my heart—with a backup choir of angels! What a welcome interruption!!
The LORD Jesus does that. Like leaving post-it notes where He knows you’ll see them, He inserts text messages into your daily Bible reading. Little personal pick-me-up love notes that appear randomly in Scripture. They’ll pop up all through the Bible as you read—sometimes when you least expect them—and they will seem like something that was written and inserted just for you!! Because they are! The context of the Scripture may not match YOUR context. But Jesus knows YOUR heart—and He speaks to your heart through His WORD. He knows right where you are and where you WILL be—and He plants little gems of inspiration in His WORD for you to find along your way. “Light is sown for the righteous.”
There are lots of them, hidden away in the pages of Scripture. The Old Testament and the New. LOOK FOR THEM. When you find one, stop … and SELAH.
“I have called you by name, YOU are mine.”
(Isaiah 43:1)
“I am the LORD that healeth THEE.”
(Exodus 15:26 KJV)
“The LORD your God (is) in your midst … He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over YOU with singing.”
(Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV)
“You shall know that I am the Lord;
I have spoken, and I will do it,
declares the Lord.”
(Ezekiel 37:14 ESV)
“I have loved YOU with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindnessI have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.”
(Jeremiah 31:3 AMP)
“See, I have written YOUR name on the palms of my hands.”
(Isaiah 49:16a NLT)
“Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God will be with YOU wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9 KJV)
“This I recall to my mind,
therefore have I hope.
The LORD’s mercies …
are new every morning:
great is thy faithfulness.”
(Lamentations 3:21-24 KJV)
“I am the LORD, I change not.”
(Malachi 4:6 KJV)
“You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my
tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one
in your book.”
(Psalm 56:8 NLT)
“The Lord is my helper,
and I will not fear
what man shall do unto me.”
(Hebrews 13:6 KJV)
“This I know, that God is for ME.”
(Psalm 56:9 AMP)
Have you noticed? There are many of the LORD’s special text messages found in the 3:16s. As there were no chapters and verses when the Bible was written, it is amazing how even the placement of chapter and verse numbers so often remind us of the deliberateness and intentionality of His Hand in His Word. Even to this very moment.
“I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you …”
(Exodus 3:16 NASB)
“(Wisdom) is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
(Proverbs 3:15-16 NIV)
“The Lord is a refuge for His people.”
(Joel 3:16 KJV)
“They that feared the LORD
spake often one to another:
and the LORD hearkened, and heard it,
and a book of remembrance
was written before him …
‘And they shall be mine,’
saith the LORD of hosts,
‘in that day when I make up my jewels.’”
(Malachi 3:16-17 KJV)
“For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16 KJV)
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
(1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV)
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
(Colossians 3:16 KJV)
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world,
received up into glory.”
(1 Timothy 3:16 KJV)
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness.”
(2 Timothy 3:16 KJV)
He is speaking into your soul at this very moment. There’s PURPOSE in every passage, TRUTH in every text. And … every whisper from the WORD is for YOU.
