God, the "Great Iconoclast."
  • Alma Turner
    • Alma Turner
    • Site Overview
    • Alma's Blessings
  • 12 Steps
    • Step 1: Humility >
      • Step One Questions
    • Step 2: Hope
    • Step 3: Faith
    • Step 4: Honesty >
      • Money Inventory
    • Step 5: Trust
    • Step 6: Willingness
    • Step 7: Surrender
    • Step 8: Forgiveness
    • Step 9: Justice >
      • Amend White to Black
    • Step 10: Perseverance >
      • Fear Watch
    • Step 11: Contact
    • Step 12: Service
  • Poems, Prayers, Music
    • Beloved Poems by Others >
      • I Stand at the Door by Sam Shoemaker
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      • The Invitation by Oriah
      • Elohai Neshama
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      • More Poems by Year >
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      • Injustice Poems
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    • Variations on the Familiar >
      • Lord's Prayer Variations
      • Serenity Prayer Variation
      • Creed Variation
      • Psalm Variations
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      • Invictus Variations
    • Letters
    • Music >
      • Roberta Flack
      • Marvin Gaye
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      • Count the Omer
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        • Brown or Black
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        • Lynched
        • Alive
        • Sayings >
          • Sayings 1-3
          • Sayings 4-6
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          • Sayings 16-18
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          • Sayings 22-24
          • Sayings 25-27
          • Sayings 28-30
          • Sayings 31-33
          • Sayings 34-36
          • Sayings 37, 38, 39
          • Sayings 40, 41, 42
          • Sayings 43, 44, 45
          • Sayings 46, 47, 48
          • Sayings 49, 50, 51
          • Sayings 52, 53, 54
          • Sayings 55, 56, 57
          • Sayings 58, 59, 60
          • Sayings 61, 62, 63
          • Sayings 64, 65, 66
          • Sayings 73, 74, 75
          • Sayings 76, 77, 78
          • Sayings 100, 101, 102
          • Sayings 103, 104, 105
          • Sayings 106, 107, 108
          • Sayings 109, 110, 111
          • Sayings 112, 113, 114
      • Genesis >
        • High Priest
        • Jacob is Israel.
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        • Isaiah 30
        • Isaiah 54
        • Jeremiah 31:31-35
      • Frederick Douglas
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      • Fasting
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      • Reading!
      • 12 White Steps
    • The Gospel of Thomas
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      • Psalms for Mercy
      • Psalms 23, 46, 91, 139
      • Psalms 121, 1, and 32
    • The Odes of Solomon >
      • Ode 38
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      • The Circle and Triangle
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    • A Suggestion

Isaiah 54
​(ESV)

Isaiah 54

1. Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; 
​break forth into singing and cry aloud,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.

2. “Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.

3. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.

4. “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.

5.  For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.

6.  For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God.

7.  For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.

8.  In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.

9. “This is like the days of Noah to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.

10.  For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

11. “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.

12. I will make your pinnacles of agate,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your wall of precious stones.

13. All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children.

14. In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

15. If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you.

16. Behold, I have created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
and their vindication[e] from me, declares the Lord.”
Picture
Picture
Picture
This scripture came into my life traveling for the first time as a new widow, full of grief. My Bible flopped open to its page 791, Isaiah 54, and my eyes started reading "for some reason" at verse 4. My late husband was born in 1954 and used Fred54 for most passwords. 
All of the women pictured on this page "did not bear" but had many many children, "enlarged the stakes of their tents, and did not hold back," are authentically and consciously connected to God and therefore to truth: Zora Neale Hurston (in the hat), Alma Clarke (heart sweatshirt), Fran (blond), Carlotta Washington (by the stream). 



  • Alma Turner
    • Alma Turner
    • Site Overview
    • Alma's Blessings
  • 12 Steps
    • Step 1: Humility >
      • Step One Questions
    • Step 2: Hope
    • Step 3: Faith
    • Step 4: Honesty >
      • Money Inventory
    • Step 5: Trust
    • Step 6: Willingness
    • Step 7: Surrender
    • Step 8: Forgiveness
    • Step 9: Justice >
      • Amend White to Black
    • Step 10: Perseverance >
      • Fear Watch
    • Step 11: Contact
    • Step 12: Service
  • Poems, Prayers, Music
    • Beloved Poems by Others >
      • I Stand at the Door by Sam Shoemaker
      • Prayer to the Great Spirit
      • The Guest House by Rumi
      • The Invitation by Oriah
      • Elohai Neshama
    • Poems by Alma >
      • Poems 2017-2020
      • More Poems by Year >
        • Poems 2021
        • Poems 2022
        • Poems 2023
        • Poems 2024
      • Clay Haiku
      • Beatitude Poems
      • Hurricane Ida Poems
      • Prayer Poems
      • Injustice Poems
    • Big Book Prayers
    • Variations on the Familiar >
      • Lord's Prayer Variations
      • Serenity Prayer Variation
      • Creed Variation
      • Psalm Variations
      • Parables etc Variations
      • Invictus Variations
    • Letters
    • Music >
      • Roberta Flack
      • Marvin Gaye
  • more
    • Bible Thoughts >
      • Count the Omer
      • yeshua hamashiach >
        • Books on the Journey to J
        • Brown or Black
        • Teacher
        • Son of Man
        • Activist
        • High Priest
        • Innocent
        • Lynched
        • Alive
        • Sayings >
          • Sayings 1-3
          • Sayings 4-6
          • Sayings 7-9
          • Sayings 10-12
          • Sayings 13-15
          • Sayings 16-18
          • Sayings 19-21
          • Sayings 22-24
          • Sayings 25-27
          • Sayings 28-30
          • Sayings 31-33
          • Sayings 34-36
          • Sayings 37, 38, 39
          • Sayings 40, 41, 42
          • Sayings 43, 44, 45
          • Sayings 46, 47, 48
          • Sayings 49, 50, 51
          • Sayings 52, 53, 54
          • Sayings 55, 56, 57
          • Sayings 58, 59, 60
          • Sayings 61, 62, 63
          • Sayings 64, 65, 66
          • Sayings 73, 74, 75
          • Sayings 76, 77, 78
          • Sayings 100, 101, 102
          • Sayings 103, 104, 105
          • Sayings 106, 107, 108
          • Sayings 109, 110, 111
          • Sayings 112, 113, 114
      • Genesis >
        • High Priest
        • Jacob is Israel.
      • Prophets >
        • Isaiah 30
        • Isaiah 54
        • Jeremiah 31:31-35
      • Frederick Douglas
    • Disciplines >
      • Fasting
      • Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer
      • Reading!
      • 12 White Steps
    • The Gospel of Thomas
    • Psalms >
      • Psalms for Mercy
      • Psalms 23, 46, 91, 139
      • Psalms 121, 1, and 32
    • The Odes of Solomon >
      • Ode 38
    • The Symbol >
      • The Circle and Triangle
    • Blog
    • Preparations
    • A Suggestion