Not Only's

Have you ever felt like a deer in the headlights?  You know what you should be doing, but just can't seem to get there?  That's how I'm feeling this week.  You see, I committed a few months ago to devote a portion of next week to a writing project that I have.  I am just days away from it, and instead of feeling excited, or exhilirated, or elated, or energized (enough with the 'e' words)...this is me.

I'm at that place where I need God as he was in Isaiah 41.  Not the part of the warrior fighting the enemies, but in verse 10, "Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely. I will help you, surely.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  

I love how the writer emphasizes the words of God with "surely."  To me they mean, "did you get that?"  And then he goes a step further and says, not only am I going to strengthen you, not only am I going to help you, but then...I'm going to hold you up in my very own righteous hand!

God likes to amaze us with his "not only's". 

Not only am I going to deliver my people from slavery, but I'm going to split the sea in half to ease their departure!

Not only am I going to get my prophet's attention, but he's going to live to tell the story of life inside the belly of a whale!

Not only am I going to send my son to the earth to show you how to live, but when he dies, he will arise triumphant in 3 days!

So he's saying to me, from Isaiah 41:10, "Mary, not only amd I going to strengthen you, not only am I going to help you, but I will give you rest in my own righteous hand!"