As humans, we are great at constructing walls. Look at the Great Wall of China, the former Berlin Wall, and figuratively, our psychological ability to construct mental walls. Our walls keep things in and out.
What walls are you building? Are your walls a result of living in sin or avoiding God?
I love the book of Isaiah because we see God’s love for his people. He pursues them and sets forth beautiful declarations of his love and mercy in images of how wonderful their lives would be if they turned back to him. Unfortunately, they continue to go their own direction for so long that they can no longer hear his voice. They ask prophets to cease speaking his messages. Instead of turning back to the giver of life, they pursue what they want, rather than what God wants. God's people create a barrier between themselves and their creator: Sovereign Lord and king.
God sees this and sadly remarks
"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." –Isaiah 30:15
The words “but you would have none of it”, awoke something in me today. God wants to make things right. His desire is for us to repent, rest, and take peace in the salvation he offers. I know I am guilty of forging ahead on my own when I should slow down, seek quietness, and trust him to be my strength. Repentance, rest, quietness, and trust. None of these things are repulsive or demanding! They should make my spirit sing! Yet, when I repeatedly fail to seek God, I feel like there is wall or separation that makes it hard to reconnect.
Reading Isaiah today and thinking about how Jesus came down to earth for us reminded me that no gulf is too wide, no sin too great, and no wall to tall to keep God from His people. Jesus came to bring us in contact with the Father. He is our great High Priest. When Jesus died, the veil that separated man from the Holy of Holies in the temple was torn. The whole Bible pulses with this message: turn back to God, turn away from your old ways. He begs us to answer his call to trust him to be our strength whatever storm may come. I hope these words breathe the peace and strength into your heart that they did into mine. I need reminded daily how passionately God loves me, loves us: his people, his bride.
(Sidenote) Not all walls are bad. I have heard about people putting "hedges" around their marriage. This means they are striving to protect their marriage from outside temptations. That is a smart type of wall. Though, as John Acuff points out in his book “Stuff Christians Like”, hedges are kinda wimpy. So, I am going to opt for a nice, tall concrete wall guarded by angels.
What walls are you building? Are your walls a result of living in sin or avoiding God?
I love the book of Isaiah because we see God’s love for his people. He pursues them and sets forth beautiful declarations of his love and mercy in images of how wonderful their lives would be if they turned back to him. Unfortunately, they continue to go their own direction for so long that they can no longer hear his voice. They ask prophets to cease speaking his messages. Instead of turning back to the giver of life, they pursue what they want, rather than what God wants. God's people create a barrier between themselves and their creator: Sovereign Lord and king.
God sees this and sadly remarks
"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." –Isaiah 30:15
The words “but you would have none of it”, awoke something in me today. God wants to make things right. His desire is for us to repent, rest, and take peace in the salvation he offers. I know I am guilty of forging ahead on my own when I should slow down, seek quietness, and trust him to be my strength. Repentance, rest, quietness, and trust. None of these things are repulsive or demanding! They should make my spirit sing! Yet, when I repeatedly fail to seek God, I feel like there is wall or separation that makes it hard to reconnect.
Reading Isaiah today and thinking about how Jesus came down to earth for us reminded me that no gulf is too wide, no sin too great, and no wall to tall to keep God from His people. Jesus came to bring us in contact with the Father. He is our great High Priest. When Jesus died, the veil that separated man from the Holy of Holies in the temple was torn. The whole Bible pulses with this message: turn back to God, turn away from your old ways. He begs us to answer his call to trust him to be our strength whatever storm may come. I hope these words breathe the peace and strength into your heart that they did into mine. I need reminded daily how passionately God loves me, loves us: his people, his bride.
(Sidenote) Not all walls are bad. I have heard about people putting "hedges" around their marriage. This means they are striving to protect their marriage from outside temptations. That is a smart type of wall. Though, as John Acuff points out in his book “Stuff Christians Like”, hedges are kinda wimpy. So, I am going to opt for a nice, tall concrete wall guarded by angels.
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