Father's Faithfulness

Before I left for Africa, I bought a new bible. This was a necessity, because I needed to take a Bible that had not been written in. If I were to have taken the bible that I study with, the Africans I worked with would think that I did not regard the scriptures as Holy.For them to see markings in my Bible would make them think that I do not respect God's Word.
I learned a lot from my family that I lived with in regards to Holy Scripture. They taught me what it meant to regard something as Holy. They treat their book with more reverence than anyone I have ever seen--always placing it in a position of honor, never doing anything to deface it, and defending it for what they believed it to be.

Before I went to Africa, I would set my bible on the floor, I would make notes in it, highlight passages, and well..I treated it like I treat any other book.
But since then, I've realized how we are to treat God's word. Yes, it doesn't really matter what the cover looks like, or how the pages are, but this book is HOLY, SACRED. For me to place it on the ground, or to write in it is just wrong. There is nothing that I can add to this book to make it more than it already is: the inspired Word of God.
Now here's the really cool part.

So, pre-africa, I marked up my bible. A. lot. In fact, I carried a pen inside of it (not the best for the binding, I've now learned) so I could underline, star (how ridiculous is that notion? What was I thinking? Who am I to pick out a 'favorite' part of this inspired book?!) or notate anything a pastor or teacher said. Well, recently I was looking through my beloved study bible, with its worn pages and places that it flips open to automatically (Joshua 1 & Isaiah 41). When I started flipping through the notes that I made before I left, and the scriptures that I marked...they are the same verses that God has been reminding me of since I have returned to the United States. Not only that, But there are passages that I read while I was in Africa that I have noted in this Bible.
This long, confusion story leads me to the point that I could have started with: God's plan is perfect. He equips us and trains us when we don't even know we're being trained. I remember at the time being confused when the Father showed what seemed to be random verses to me. But now I am overwhelmed with His faithfulness, and His constant hand in my life.


But you, Israel, my servant, 
Jacob whom I have chosen, 
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, "You are my servant, 
I have chosen you and not cast you off":
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.
Isaiah 41:8-10