Having completed the Beth Moore study in James, I've gone back to marking my text in Isaiah. I'm also working through a Moore devotional on the life of Paul. Interestingly enough, the two compliment each other well.
When I began in Isaiah again, I was ready for chapter 27. Honestly, the repeated phrases of "in that day", "in the days to come", and "at that time" confuse me. I can't always understand when God is speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem (the kingdom of Judah) or the end of the world. Hopefully, that will become more obvious when I go back through the book using other translations and Bible study aids. But for now, I can at least gather that "in that day" refers to a devastating sequence of events that will "pulverize" altar stones (verse 9) and make the fortified city "forlorn and forsaken like the desert". Not a pretty picture, I know.
Then tucked away in verse 11 was a warning for myself and all the Christians I know and it doesn't really matter if the destruction earlier in the chapter happened thousands of years ago or is still yet to come.
"For they are not a people of discernment,
Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them.
And their Creator will not be gracious to them." (Isaiah 27:11b)
Goosebumps don't describe well enough what I thought and felt upon reading this. Why? Because at the same time I'm marking more of the text in Isaiah, I'm continuing to memorize more of the book of James and everyday as I'm speaking James chapter 2 out loud and back to my Abba, I am reminded that
"You believe God is one. You do well. The demons also believe and shudder." (verse 19)
This verse comes at the end of a big discourse on how we should not show partiality to the rich over the poor and how a person who says they have faith in God, yet there are no outward works in their life, might as well admit that their faith is useless...dead.
How can I make the leap from being a people of no discernment to being a people of dead faith? Because too many times I hear us (yes, me too!) saying things like, 'Well, I just wish God would show me,' 'If He's only tell me what to do, I'd do it,' 'I don't know what He's asking of me.' and on and on and on.
Why do we not "know" what He wants us to do? Because we are a people of no discernment, right? So we never act because we're waiting for the discernment that never comes. Or does it?
We actually have this pretty amazing tool, called the Bible that He's given us to understand more than just a little about who He is and what He wants from us. And just in case you want the short version, I clue you in...He wants it all! You...your stuff...your finances...your emotions...your family...your job...your education...your past...present...and future. And He's not really asking too much because He already gave all of that stuff for us when He died an excruciating death so that His Holy Spirit could come and actually take up residence IN us.
And there is the second tool for discernment...His Holy Spirit. How often are we wondering aloud to our friends about not knowing what God wants us to do and yet, haven't even gone to Him with that exact same question? Even better, how many times do we ask Him the question but then don't wait on the answer and go ahead with a plan...ours, a friend's, a pastor's...really, we think any plan will do as long as we can stop the waiting.
One unequivocal thing I've learned from James is that if we're really living out this thing we call faith...we will be doing something...giving to the poor, listening to a neighbor, or serving in love. Do any of those really need discernment? I guess what I've "discerned" from the Bible is that No...I don't need to wait for an answer because the time to act in love is right when He gives us the opportunity to do it.
But I have lived long enough and gone through more than enough to know there are times when He wants us to wait...jobs, moves, big life choices, critical crossroads...and sometimes, can we just allow ourselves to believe that the discerning thing is in fact to simply wait? Honestly, we don't know whether to wait or act because we're too busy trying to figure it out for ourselves instead of taking it to the One that not only knows the answer, but knew we'd be in this dilemma from the beginning.
So next time you come up to me and tell me you just wish you could know what He wants or you're telling me about the fifth directional change for your life in just as many months...please do not be offended if I simply ask, "What if He just wants you to wait because there are lessons to be learned in the waiting?" I do not mean to imply that I somehow know the answer that God is waiting to give you, but I also do not desire for us to be 'a people with no discernment'. I literally groaned when I read that verse and my prayer was instantly, "Lord, may I never be a person without discernment. I need your compassion...I need your graciousness. Please make me a discerning person!"
That is my prayer for you as well! May we become a people that is so full of the Holy Spirit that we become a people so full of His discernment that God's compassion and grace will overflow out of our lives into the lives of everyone around us.
Good stuff! God...thanks so much for Your faithfulness to teach me new things.
Amen!
When I began in Isaiah again, I was ready for chapter 27. Honestly, the repeated phrases of "in that day", "in the days to come", and "at that time" confuse me. I can't always understand when God is speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem (the kingdom of Judah) or the end of the world. Hopefully, that will become more obvious when I go back through the book using other translations and Bible study aids. But for now, I can at least gather that "in that day" refers to a devastating sequence of events that will "pulverize" altar stones (verse 9) and make the fortified city "forlorn and forsaken like the desert". Not a pretty picture, I know.
Then tucked away in verse 11 was a warning for myself and all the Christians I know and it doesn't really matter if the destruction earlier in the chapter happened thousands of years ago or is still yet to come.
"For they are not a people of discernment,
Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them.
And their Creator will not be gracious to them." (Isaiah 27:11b)
Goosebumps don't describe well enough what I thought and felt upon reading this. Why? Because at the same time I'm marking more of the text in Isaiah, I'm continuing to memorize more of the book of James and everyday as I'm speaking James chapter 2 out loud and back to my Abba, I am reminded that
"You believe God is one. You do well. The demons also believe and shudder." (verse 19)
This verse comes at the end of a big discourse on how we should not show partiality to the rich over the poor and how a person who says they have faith in God, yet there are no outward works in their life, might as well admit that their faith is useless...dead.
How can I make the leap from being a people of no discernment to being a people of dead faith? Because too many times I hear us (yes, me too!) saying things like, 'Well, I just wish God would show me,' 'If He's only tell me what to do, I'd do it,' 'I don't know what He's asking of me.' and on and on and on.
Why do we not "know" what He wants us to do? Because we are a people of no discernment, right? So we never act because we're waiting for the discernment that never comes. Or does it?
We actually have this pretty amazing tool, called the Bible that He's given us to understand more than just a little about who He is and what He wants from us. And just in case you want the short version, I clue you in...He wants it all! You...your stuff...your finances...your emotions...your family...your job...your education...your past...present...and future. And He's not really asking too much because He already gave all of that stuff for us when He died an excruciating death so that His Holy Spirit could come and actually take up residence IN us.
And there is the second tool for discernment...His Holy Spirit. How often are we wondering aloud to our friends about not knowing what God wants us to do and yet, haven't even gone to Him with that exact same question? Even better, how many times do we ask Him the question but then don't wait on the answer and go ahead with a plan...ours, a friend's, a pastor's...really, we think any plan will do as long as we can stop the waiting.
One unequivocal thing I've learned from James is that if we're really living out this thing we call faith...we will be doing something...giving to the poor, listening to a neighbor, or serving in love. Do any of those really need discernment? I guess what I've "discerned" from the Bible is that No...I don't need to wait for an answer because the time to act in love is right when He gives us the opportunity to do it.
But I have lived long enough and gone through more than enough to know there are times when He wants us to wait...jobs, moves, big life choices, critical crossroads...and sometimes, can we just allow ourselves to believe that the discerning thing is in fact to simply wait? Honestly, we don't know whether to wait or act because we're too busy trying to figure it out for ourselves instead of taking it to the One that not only knows the answer, but knew we'd be in this dilemma from the beginning.
So next time you come up to me and tell me you just wish you could know what He wants or you're telling me about the fifth directional change for your life in just as many months...please do not be offended if I simply ask, "What if He just wants you to wait because there are lessons to be learned in the waiting?" I do not mean to imply that I somehow know the answer that God is waiting to give you, but I also do not desire for us to be 'a people with no discernment'. I literally groaned when I read that verse and my prayer was instantly, "Lord, may I never be a person without discernment. I need your compassion...I need your graciousness. Please make me a discerning person!"
That is my prayer for you as well! May we become a people that is so full of the Holy Spirit that we become a people so full of His discernment that God's compassion and grace will overflow out of our lives into the lives of everyone around us.
Good stuff! God...thanks so much for Your faithfulness to teach me new things.
Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment