The Joshua Victor Theory

 (lightly revised from "Singing with the Exiles" sermon by Rev. Reed Lessing) “He Only Has Eyes for You!” Isaiah 43:1-7 “You are valuable in my eyes.” Isaiah 43:4a.               The song, I Only Have Eyes for You, was composed in 1934 and has been recorded by numerous musicians, and one of the many versions ranks 157 th in Rolling Stone ’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time .             Yahweh has his own version of this golden oldie. “ You are valuable in my eyes.”             The “you” is singular, not plural. It’s “you” not “you all.” A Singular “you” is individual and intimate, particular and personal. The same specific concern for “you” comes in Is. 43:1 where Yahweh says, “I am calling you by name, you are mine.” Yahweh’s care is cosmic and universal, to be sure, but his exclusive love for you, i...

  People beloved by God! Grace and peace to you! I have often focused these last 6 months on themes of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. I sense it’s widespread today, and whether your anxiety and blood pressure rises with the news and ongoing pandemic, or someone who ignores the news but has enough trouble in your daily life alone—we need God’s constant reassurance that He’s with us and in control. Not unique to these times, we often wonder and pray after God’s will. We look at our personal situations and try to discern the future. What’s God doing in my life? What’s next for me? Where is this or that going? How do I know God’s will in all these things swirling around my life, big or small? Well, I’ve got news for you today. I have the inside scoop on God’s will for your life. You want to know what God’s will is in all of this? We heard it loud and clear in 1 Thessalonians 5. God’s will for you in Christ Jesus is that you “ Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in al...