Isaiah 30 (The Message)
18 But God’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
19-22 Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you’ll find it’s grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he’ll answer. Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he’ll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right: “This is the right road. Walk down this road.” You’ll scrap your expensive and fashionable god-images. You’ll throw them in the trash as so much garbage, saying, “Good riddance!”
The first words in verse 18 says it all. I could just stop right now and not write another word. It says “God’s not finished. I think sometimes we forget that. He has a wonderful plan for our lives. God is not sitting up there waiting to cast judgement on us, He is clear on this, if we were perfect He would be finished with us so since we are still flesh and blood He is not finished and wants the best for all of us. (vs18 But God’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you.)
We, me included, sometimes get in a mode of “God Knows”, thinking we don’t have to talk with God about our messes and how we are built. As you know we are all built different all with our own flaws and perfections. One thing I’ve learned this year is to “cry for help. I have heard this in the past “God knows my problems so I don’t need to tell Him, but you know what, that person has told everyone but God and He is waiting.
The Bible says in verse 19 “Cry for help and you’ll find it’s grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he’ll answer. For those who are wondering I was a “God Knows” kind of person. I thought since I was going through something, God knew it and He would step in at the right time and handle things. I have learned, the hard way, you have to talk and even when you ask you still may have to walk thru it! God wants this thing call a “relationship. We all understand the word but to build a relationship with God takes a lot of talking and a great deal of listening. It’s really what God wants. It’s so much deeper than these few words can describe.
He will guide us “This is the right road. Walk down this road.” This is what we want in life, is it not. To hear God. How can we hear Him unless we have this relationship with Him. I am not talking about being “saved”. I am talking about a walk with God, an intimate relationship with God. Can you look back and see how God has guided you into or out of something?
I was watching this movie last month and this lady was riding her bike down this long mountain road, pretty trees, blue sky, just coasting along. It was quite a moment in the movie, she had been healed and fell in love. Then she raised up on the bike and let go of the handle bars, enjoying the moment she closed her eyes. I thought “this ain’t going to be good. Then as you could imagine, a truck pulled out and she ran right into it. I thought “man, she has just come through so much and now she is gone. If she had not closed her eyes what would of happened? Would she have still hit the truck? I don’t know, it was an unexpected twist in a movie but this is life for us. We travel down these seemly metaphoric roads sometimes and get confused on when to open our eyes and when to close them. God says He will guide us down the right road. Are you hearing God?
This really spoke to me as I continued to read it. I am really working on my “hearing” to hear we must listen. I know I talk a great deal and have heard in my prayers “George, shut up, I need to tell you something. God knows everything about us, He wants in on our lives. He wants to feel the pain that we feel and feel the joy that He brings us.
So, tonight when you are laying there in the bed and everything is quite, ask God “What do you want to talk about?. I have some things on my mind, do you mind listening for a minute? Let me tell you how great a smile will come on God’s face. Cry out to God, He wants to help you. Give it a try, he’s waiting around to be gracious to you.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
