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(Isaiah 55 NIV)  ""Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. 4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. 5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor." 6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.""

(Matthew 1:1 NIV)  "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:"

Digging Deeper

1.  In each of the following passages the person’s experience was not what they probably expected.  For each event answer these questions: What happened? How was that unexpected? What did the person(s) hope for or expect God to do?  Was the end result more or less than they expected?  Why? 1 Kings 17:9-24;  Acts 1:6-8 (see also Isaiah 9:6-7); Genesis 37:2-11 (see also  Genesis 41:39-43; 47:1-11 and  Genesis 50:18-21); Acts 12:1-19. Since we have asked God to move in mighty ways in 2011 can we expect He will do so?  Will He do it in the ways we expect?

2.  Read Isaiah chapter 55 slowly and carefully. How many promises does the Lord make to us in that chapter?  How does he begin the chapter?  Does that relate to Matthew 5:6 and John 7:37?  How?  What should we expect this year because of our faithfulness to fast and pray?

3.  If you fasted and/or prayed, take a few moments to consider what God did in you during that time.  Write down (or talk about) how you experienced His presence, strength, peace, etc.  Did you sense that He was asking you to change anything in your life?