Isaiah 40. Sermon notes from Misty Edwards

The way that God deals with Israel is a witness, He deals the same with us. It is how He deals with nations and individuals.
Comfort the globe (at the end of the age), it will pass. tell them the end of the story (Jesus is coming back, he will reign on the earth...Millennium Kingdom etc)
The heart of the Father in the midst of judgements; speaking comfort in the midst of shaking. He wants to speak comfort to us.
The message of the forerunner is the message of comfort, of hope. The 'why' of the judgement. Telling them the end of the story.
Isa 40; 3-5. This passage is not completely fulfilled. There will come a day that ALL flesh will see His glory. Be a voice in the wilderness. The wilderness of voluntary weakness, fasting, it effects your time, your sleeping, your money. Don't be an echo, rejoicing in the light of another man. Be a voice, burn. Be a fire on the inside. God lives inside of us and He is an all consuming fire.
The only way that you become a voice; go the way in the wilderness, of voluntary weakness. Go the lowest, put your mouth to the dust. The wilderness is the place where you face your weakness, where you meet God. Face weakness, emptiness. Small things will get really small, and big things will be big things.
Beauty of the wilderness; Divine perspective. Wilderness is real. Fast radically. The fear of fasting is worse then the fasting itself. Control your tongue. It's ok, you don't have to say everything that you are thinking.
You can't enter into the wilderness without feeling His smile, His pleasure over your life, that He loves you. Learn that He IS pleased with you. Don't fast because you try to prove something but fast because He likes you and you like Him. It's all about love, when you fail, it's about love. In the wilderness you develop your history in God.
You can't comfort people until you have been comforted. The Lord takes you through your own wilderness. Voluntary weakness and involuntary weakness. You can't answers questions until you found the answers to your own questions -the why's -. Where were You? God teaches us in the wilderness. Hosea tells us that He speaks to us in the wilderness. In the wilderness you find your identity. you work out your (faith) muscles.
Isa 40:6-8. Two fold message; frailty of men and the majesty of God. The anti christ, his kingdom, it's grass. Why should you fear man, persecution? You don't live according to the persecution. You're gonna die. Life at best is but a vapor. It's so short. ALL flesh is grass. It is all fading away. Live in the beauty of holiness, cause all flesh is grass. The Word of God stands forever, build your life on this. This is the anchor of your soul. Build your house on this Rock. The Word of God stands forever.
Isa 40:9-11 Message of comfort again. He is gonna fight for them, for those who said yes to Him. He is gonna carry you, close to His heart. He will destroy the enemies. He gently leads them.
Isa 40:12. Under the weight of oppression, under the darkness, when you are under the darkness you can't see the light. You live on a peanut (the earth), you are the apple of His eye, it is precious to Him. Satan is just a puppet on strings, He (God) is the Creator. The nations rage, they are like grasshoppers-> God laughs. Come against God, are you kidding me?!
If God is for you than who can be against you? Lift your eyes on high, behold your God.
Isa 40: 27. He is never weary. He may tarry because He has a bigger picture in mind. But every word He has spoken WILL come to pass. He never faints, He is never weary. He will come. Why the trouble? Because God is for you. He does not faint. One day the pressure is gonna make sense. He has the whole picture. He knows every season, pressure of your life. He knows what He is doing and He is wise and true. He has got His hand on this whole thing. He is not perplexed, He gives power to the weak. You will not find power in your own armies, in other nations. He wants a relationship with you.
Isa 40:31. Wait on the Lord, encounter Him today, in voluntary weakness. You will only renew in strength when you wait. Get to know Him. Blessed you are if you are found watching and waiting. For those who wait on the Lord shall not be put to shame. waiting is easy, everybody can do it. Sit in a chair, read your bible, talk with God and wait, get to know Him. If you wait on the Lord He WILL renew your strength. those who wait on the Lord will never be put to shame.