The Morning the Memo Arrived

On Saturday, December 8, while waiting for my breakfast to cook, something impressed me to pray a strange prayer. I wanted to thank the Lord because he had given me books and the knowledge they contain.

As an avid reader, I have hundreds of books, many at my elbow. A third of my library is reference material I’ve gathered from many sources and used for years. They cover history, archeology, anthropology, geology, mathematics, science, and numerous other things. Then I have fiction covering several genres. Some I used for assignments but others for my enlightenment and entertainment.

That morning I felt an overwhelming gratitude and desire to thank God for giving me a mind to learn and access to the materials to fulfill my craving for knowledge and understanding.
While I ate my breakfast, I got ready to do my morning Bible study. I’ve mentioned here before that I use an app called YouVersion. Since the same app is on all my electronic devices, I can pick up where I left off at anytime.

This morning I opened the app and was trying to find out where I stopped but before I did, I noticed behind the window was a highlighted verse. I flipped back to that window and saw Isaiah 50:4.

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. Isa. 50:4

As far as I could remember, I have never read this verse, but it’s highlighted so at some point I’ve read it. I can’t tell you when, and it doesn’t stick out at me from the last several weeks. So, I do not understand why it popped up. Verses don’t just pop up at random in the app. I checked one of the other devices to see if the same verse appeared on them but it did not.

The verse was so connected to what I had just been praying and thanking the Lord for it astounded me. It took time for me to understand it and even now I don’t.

I’m trying so hard to make my life count. If I touch people’s lives, I’m not aware of it. If my words influences anyone, I never know it. I’m so thankful for all I’ve received. Isaiah 50:4 tells me the Lord has provided me the means, and he hears me. It amazes me that when I need a word of encouragement, the Lord can pick up a simple thing and show me he’s there and he’s listening.