Has anyone ever let you down... Made a promise and not kept it, Broken your heart Kept secret from you something important, Left you standing alone and lonely? Silly questions... all of them! Why? Because we are humans... flawed, frail, fragile and fractured. We cannot help but be imperfect. So we are not capable of saving others, of holding them up without fail, nor of fulfilling their all expectations. Not really. We are simply not perfect. Even the prophet Isaiah warns us... Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they? Isaiah 2:22 NLT So does that mean we are supposed to live our lives isolated, withdrawn, alone and lonely? Are we to build high walls that shelter us from all the hurling hurts of this world and all it's flawed, frail, fragile and fractured humans? Of course not. That is not a way to live life. God never intended us to do this alone. Even in the Garden... The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Genesis 2:18 NLT And then God commanded Adam and Eve to multiply and be fruitful. Because God actually desire that we live in community... in and around other people. But what He is telling us through Isaiah, is not to put our TRUST in mere humans. Not that we cannot ever trust them. This word TRUST, in Hebrew means... to think, regard, value, esteem, be like, and honor. God doesn't want us to put our all value in the opinion of people. Nor to place such weighty expectations on mere humans that they let us down. Like when we put them on a pedestal... believing they are the fix to our problems, the answer to our prayers, the key to our success. They might be be sent as earthly help by God. But they are not to be worshipped as such. When we begin value people's opinion or esteem of us above God's... that is actually idolatry. God... the great almighty Yahweh, is the only one in whom we should place this kind of TRUST. We can still trust humans... those we choose to be with in community. But not with the level of TRUST, or faith that we place in God. People simply can not live up to those expectations. And honestly, we as humans don't deserve that honor. For we... are as frail as breath. And a simple breath, an exhale of gasses is not enough to lean upon. It is not substantial, solid, nor, steady. Not like our God. Let us today think more balanced... not living at either extreme. Remembering to live, not so isolated that we rely only upon ourselves, walled off from the rest of the world. But also not be so dependent upon other humans that we set ourselves up for disappointment. Believing that people are a greater help than the great I AM. Word of God, train me, today... to first and foremost, TRUST in You, as humans are as frail as breath. to stay connected to community, for life is too difficult alone. Lord, I thank You for those in my community. My family, friends and neighbors. You have blessed me with people that I need... with whom to share my life. Remind me not to put up walls keeping them out, isolating myself, fearing hurt and disappointment. But rather to put all of my TRUST in You. For I know that through You all things will work together for good... even through the flawed, frail, fragile and fractured humans surrounding me. And even this... flawed, frail, fragile and fractured human, that You call Lisa, can be used to help others when I put my TRUST in You and shinie Your light in this dark world.
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I will not pretend to understand all that is prophetic. But the hopeful words about a Warrior, a Leader, a Guide... one who proudly gathers us 'round uniting us to His cause, that is one I will gladly follow. Look, He is riding in... He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. No one will be weary or stumble among them, No one will slumber or sleep; Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, Nor the strap of their sandals be broken; Whose arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent; Their horses’ hooves will seem like flint, And their wheels like a whirlwind. Their roaring will be like a lion, They will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey; They will carry it away safely, And no one will deliver. Isaiah 5:26-29 NKJV What a vision of victory... our Savior who leads this charge. I will gladly follow, not weary, nor lacking sleep. My belt of truth fastened, my shoes of peace laced tight. He has armed me with arrows, these children at my side... the daughter warriors, trained well. And should I get to ride in a chariot... what a thrill that would be. My hands holding tight the reigns as I feel these horses charge forward. With full force they challenge ahead the wheels whisking beneath in gravel. This is not a day to fear. This is a dream realized. Finally strong in the knowing that I will take my position and stand still... to see the salvation of the Lord. For we will not be a small force, but rather surrounded by a myriad of angel warriors, trained in battle even since the days of Elisha in flaming chariots. Word of God train me, today... to embrace all prophecy as an exciting reality of hope, to know that You are already in the future, working all things for good! It was in the ninth year of Hoshea, the King of Israel, when Assyria besieged the land and took them captive. Carried away, divided, disbursed... these children of Israel who sinned against the Lord their God were now experiencing the reality of all the prophets spoke before them. The words they did not wish to hear, the tomorrow they thought would never come, the light shone on their darkness revealing the idols of their hearts, the wicked places they thought buried deep. But nothing is hidden, really. Nothing is too far from God. We can only turn away from God for so long, getting our way, living in the shallowness of self. Why is it we run from the One who longs to fulfill the emptiness, that hollow place inside? Let us not listen to the lie whispered in the darkness. Rather turn to the light which calls forth... "Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword;" For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:18-20 NKJV He will always return for us, for He cannot abandon His creation. We were made to worship Him for all eternity. Word of God train me, today... to lean into the light, turning only to You, to never settle for self, for I alone cannot satisfy the longing You created within me. Upon reading this prophet Hosea, I must consider, could it be... a letter to my own heart? How prosperous (Lisa) is-- a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit. But the richer this (woman) get(s), the more pagan altars (she) build(s). The more bountiful (her) harvest, the more beautiful (her) sacred pillars. The heart of (this woman is) fickle; (she is) guilty and must be punished. Hosea 10:1-2 NLT (personalized) As I live in the prosperity of this wealthy nation, do I simply let my lack of need cause me to rely upon myself denying that I should be dependent on the God who wove it all before me? Does the soil within my heart grow harder still, each blessing that I believe was earned within this grace He so abundantly supplies? Until one day when He will whisper... I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ Hosea 10:12 For I should bow to His request. I should ready my heart before He asks. Or I will harvest a crop of lies just as the world around me believes that all success is by the effort of man's hand. If I do not bow to the Almighty God, I will fall to the habits what surround. They may not be wooden idols, or pillars of old, burning incense, but idols nonetheless. In the rectangular glow of their false light, our eyes are transfixed. We set our gaze upon pictures... eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, lips that cannot speak. Strapped in by thumbs tap, tap, tapping out the rhythm we beat a new worship song to self. Time is a whirlwind, vanishing. as we feed upon feed, upon feed... and yet, we are never satisfied. How long will you wait, O Lord, this cycle to repeat once again. For we should listen to Hosea... we like Israel of long ago. We have abandoned worship of You, for the reckless love of self and all that reflects our own image. Word of God train me, today... to not succumb to the pressure of self promotion, to remain faithful to the worship of first, and only... the one true God. One young heart must have heard the cry and taken it seriously. For he now would sit on the throne. Hezekiah, King of Judah, son of Ahaz. He watched his father wreak havoc on the House of God, reorganizing the entire sacrificial system to model it after the Assyrian pagans. Until finally it's doors were closed. Now with power all his own, Hezekiah set himself to right all the wrongs. He must have heard the prophet speak, Hate evil, love good and establish justice.... Amos 5:15 For after he reopened the temple, He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden images... 2 Kings 18:4 NKJV And he was a king who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. He chose to end a cycle, change the ways of his family, affect the lives of his people. And he left a legacy... He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. 2 Kings 18:5-7 Even when decisions were hard, even when the people were set in their ways, King Hezekiah set his mind and heart on following the way of the Lord. These are not always the easiest choices. These are not always the popular ways. When we choose to follow God... especially at this level of commitment, with everything we have, in every area of our life, not everyone around us will understand. For like Hezekiah, not all of us were raised in a household of faith. Many of us will need to set our minds, dedicate our hearts, and choose a path that diverges from that of our heritage. It may be a radically different way from a background of constant strife, anger, and possibly abuse. But it could also be stepping outside of "religion." The rote, memorized, practiced way of fitting God into our life just in case, to cover the bases, to check the box, to do what has always been done. It has lost emotion, lacks our passion, and leaves us feeling more empty than full. But still it's hard to leave. Because it's all we have ever known. And family ties... bind us to it. But when we choose to follow God... especially at this level of commitment, with everything we have, in every area of our life, not everyone around us will understand. But God promises it will be worthwhile, for He will prosper us. Word of God, train me, today... to make the right choices today, trusting first in You, Lord, to make the hard choices today, holding fast to You, God. Lord, show me the high places in my life that need to be removed. For surely these are prideful places which hinder my relationship with You. Help me break from the things I hold sacred and the worldly idols I keep from You. Let me open my hands and my heart so You have access to every area of my life so that I never depart from following You. |
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January 2019
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