Provision with Proper Alignment: Isaiah 58:11

The Lord will guide you continually,

And satisfy your soul in drought,

And strengthen your bones;

You shall be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

Sometimes we come across a passage that breathes much needed encouragement into our weary souls. We all have those verses we meditate on, could post on our fridge, print on a t-shirt, or set as our phone background - those personal favorites we cling to. When you think about your go-to verses, can you go beyond that one verse? When you quote it to someone in need of encouragement, can you tell them why this verse is so important within the context of its entire passage?

Isaiah 58:11 is one of my verses, but as you read it and are likely, like me, very encouraged by it, I am inclined to go beyond this singular verse and recognize that the true encouragement is held in the surrounding verses.

At this point in the Prophet Isaiah's life, he has been relaying God's warnings to the Israelite's for a long time. Chapter 58 begins with God commanding Isaiah to go tell His people that He sees what they are really doing and knows the selfish motivation in their hearts. God tells Isaiah to call out the people's sin and tell them yet again that there are consequences for wickedness.

The people have been putting on a show of obedience and piety, but God knows that their motivations are self-centered and self-seeking. They disregard what God commands, yet go on doing things that they expect to influence God to give them what they want. They disobey God all while trying to manipulate God into granting their selfish wishes, like He is a genie in a bottle.

We can easily look at the Israelites and say "shame on them!" In truth, however, we are all too often caught doing the same thing. Do you read the Word daily in order to have a personal relationship with God? Do you pray for God's will to be done, and are content with His will over your own? Do you show off the good things you are doing in His name or expect some thanks or recognition for your service to the Lord? Do you point out what others are doing wrong, yet make excuses for the ways you disobey God? Do you show up at church or attend a Bible study because you feel obligated or to make friends, but not to grow in the Word and with God? Are you refusing to go beyond the spoon-feeding stages of your faith? Are you refusing to be used by God for His purposes? Is there an area of your life that is off-limits to God? Are you willing to do uncomfortable things to serve God?

Isaiah 58:11 is a promise from God that He will guide His people, satisfy our souls, and make us prosperous and blessed. But here's the catch - God is telling the Israelites, and future generations of believers, that blessings come to the obedient. When you are living in authentic relationship with the Lord, walking with Him, loving Him with your life, living in obedience to Him because of your love for Him, and doing the uncomfortable things He calls you to do, He promises to bless you, provide for the work He calls you to do, and make you prosper in the ways He desires.

This is not a promise of provisions and prosperity in exchange for good works. This is not a promise of granted wishes for piety. This is not a promise of a trouble-free life. This promise is God telling us that when we put Him first, He blesses us, provides for us to do the work He assigns for us, and that by living in faithful obedience to Him and prioritizing His will, we will prosper in ways that will allow us to pour out His blessings beyond ourselves.

We must be selfless in order to be truly used for God's purposes. Before we can expect blessings from God, we must repent and turn to Him and His ways, and away from our own self-seeking ambitions and self-absorbed behavior. We must allow Him control and sovereignty over every area of our lives, and love and serve Him the ways He teaches and commands us to do.

Only when we are in proper alignment with God can we expect to receive what He promises to the righteous. It will not always, and honestly rarely will, show up in the ways we might expect or prefer, but God knows all things and will always provide and bless in the ways He knows is best for His purposes and glory, not our own selfish preferences or short-sighted wishes. He is the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega, and He knows how to work all things together for the good of all who love Him.

So, what is God calling on you to do? Where is He convicting you to repent and surrender to Him? Where does He need your focus to change? What hardness in your heart is He working to chip away and soften?

Where He calls you to go, He will not only provide for you but He will go with you. He is all you need, so He will never abandon you - even in the times you cannot sense Him, He is there with you and desires you to earnestly seek Him, draw near, and do His will all while laying your own will at the foot of the cross.

When I am obedient to God and my focus is on Him; when I am repentant and selfless, the Lord will perpetually guide and stretch me, turning my eyes toward Him, and my desires will be satisfied in excess. The very seat of my emotions, character, will and desires will be equipped for spiritual warfare, transforming me from a parched land of self-centeredness into a prosperous and fertile source of His light, life and nourishment to those around me so that I will not disappoint Him, hurt others, or lead them astray in selfishness.

When, Not If: 1 Peter 2:11-12

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:11-12 NKJV

Have you ever felt like you don't belong? Ever feel like this life doesn't make sense and you just can't seem to fit in? That actually is a good thing. For believers of Jesus, we are not supposed to fit in. We are not supposed to belong in the world. We are merely travelers passing through on our way home to Heaven. If you are a believer and you are focused on fitting in, you are focused on the wrong thing, and a very dangerous thing it is.

Peter gets a lot of flack. He was the disciple who told Jesus he would die for Him, but then denied Jesus when things got scary. He responded in such painfully relatable ways to Jesus' teaching and instructions, and situations the disciples were put in, but not the things we like to relate to. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, Peter became a leader in the new church. He grew and matured in faith and confidence, and he ended up suffering immensely for it. He knew what it meant to not want to stand out, and then later learned he must stand out for the sake of Jesus no matter the cost. Eventually, it cost him his life.

In this life, followers of Jesus will suffer. We are in the thick of a war over our very souls, and everything we do is being judged by the world around us. The world wants to condemn us, and we are warned that when…not if…when we are persecuted, when people speak evil against us, when we are slandered and mocked, when evil is targeted at us, we are to keep on going the good work Jesus teaches us to do. When we suffer, we should keep on being faithful, keep pouring out those fruits of the Spirit, and keep looking up to the One our help comes from for such a task.

Scripture is filled with encouragement and commands about how we are to live as followers of Jesus - to love, to forgive, to be gentle, kind, and patient. These instructions are not just for when it is easy. These are commands for us to stand on and hold fast to when it is difficult; for the times we really want to react in frustration rather than respond in love.

Christ knew all along how hard it would be for us to respond His way rather than react in the way that feels natural to us. This is why He left us His Helper, the Holy Spirit, whose job it is to sanctify us, convict us, and transform us. It is our job to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and allow ourselves to be used by God, for God, to bring Him glory through the way we live, speak, work, and respond to all that the world throws at us.

So the next time someone says something unkind about you, accuses you of something, picks you last, pushes you out, or knocks you down - look up and seek His strength to do the difficult thing and respond in the way that will bring God glory. Seek His help standing out to be set apart for Him, unashamed, unafraid, ready to defend your faith and take the hit knowing you have Heaven's armies fighting this fight alongside you, and a whole court of heavenly hosts cheering you on and praising God all the more for the work of His Spirit working in you.

How do you need to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit better? How is He calling you to be set apart today? Where do you need to let go of the world and cling to the Lord? What areas of your life are you neglecting to give God the glory? Where are you more focused on earthly things and God's glory?

Surrender it today. Give way to God's Spirit. Give Him access to all of it, and let Him lead you through this life in which you are merely passing through. Don't make this place your final goal and destination. Set your eyes, heart and mind on the hope we have ahead for us in Heaven.

This Week in the Word: Give Thanks to the Lord

Hallelujah!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his faithful love endures forever.

Who can declare the Lord’s mighty acts

or proclaim all the praise due him?

How happy are those who uphold justice,

who practice righteousness at all times.

Psalm 106:1-3 CSB

Scripture has a tendency to be pretty repetitive. Sometimes, we catch ourselves thinking "haven't I read this already? Can't I just skip this part? They've talked about it like 15 times already!" It can be easy to skim or skip parts of scripture that on first glance seem redundant or unimportant.

Psalms 105 and 106 are a couple of great examples of passages where this can happen. In Psalm 105, we get a log of Israel's history, and then in Psalm 106 we get a continuation where we read more of the history and again about how sinful the Israelites were. There are whole books dedicated to this history. Why do we need to read it again and again?

Much like the Israelites, we need the reminders of our need for grace. Like those who wandered the wilderness and were constantly provided for by God, we run the risk of being provided for yet discontent with the provisions we are given. And also like the people of ancient times, we need to be reminded constantly of our need for God and His goodness and plans, and the repentance of our own sin and wickedness.

These chapters and songs remind us again and again of the need for Jesus and what He did for you and for me. These tedious repetitions are there what feels like a million times throughout this massive text that is the Bible because we need the million reminders. This is an example of the grace of God who knows our needs further, deeper, wider than we know them ourselves and constantly gives us reminders of our need to help us draw closer to the source of our help and hope.

God constantly reminds us how much we need Him, and how much He provides for us out of His love for us. So as we for the 5,768th time read about the Lord's faithful love having no end, we can be encouraged yet again that when we sin, His faithfulness still hasn't run out. Reading again for the 7,457th time how those who treasure and guard God's law and justice are blessed and happy, we remember that it is because He gives us our peace and provision.

I've read the Psalms through several times, but I never stop growing in my appreciation for these reminders. Why? Not because I am more righteous than you, or so much stronger in my faith than you - but because I am just as needy of the grace and mercy of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ as you. The Psalms are a beautiful reminder of what the depths of my soul really lack and actually need every day - the goodness, faithfulness, and mercy of God that perpetually exists and has no end because my need for it also has no end. I thank God He knows me better than I know myself and provides for me based on His understanding, not mine.

This Week in the Word: Triumphant War-Cry

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth:

make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Psalm 98:4 KJV

I cannot even count how many times I have heard it quoted about those who are not vocally inclined but throw their hearts into worshiping the Lord in song. Looking deeper within the words of this much-quoted passage, however, we learn so much more about this command than to simply sing even if our voice cracks.

You've likely seen some movie or another that portrays a medieval battle where the soldiers run into battle screaming something along the lines of "FOR THE KING!" You can imagine it in your mind's eye, the running, weapons raised and ready, eyes set on the enemy, determined to attack and have victory. The cry goes up as they hit the ground running, and the cry encourages and emboldens those behind them to take up the shout and run behind them toward the battle ahead, banding together for their master.

It is contagious, and it is exhilarating. This cry is piercing, and if taken up by enough of the army, if it has the effect the commanders and generals are aiming for to enflame the hearts of their soldiers for the battle ahead, if it is loud enough and piercing enough, it also insights fear into the enemy.

This war-cry is a shout of victory. It is a call for soldiers to stand and fight together as one under the banner of their master. It is a declaration of who you are standing for and fighting with. It is a shout of confidence in the side you chose.

To "make a joyful noise" is to "shout to the Lord". This shout, this joyful noise is a war-cry. We are commanded to worship the Lord as if taking up the war-cry of the Lord's army, ready for the spiritual battles we face every day. When we worship, we are declaring war on the enemy. When we sing God's praises, we are shouting triumphantly in the face of the enemy, running in for the kill swords raised, together, as one, united in Him, confident in the victory He has already won.

Worship is our war-cry. Lift up a war-cry for the Lord, our King who is coming to judge the earth righteously and fairly. Shout for Him who is faithful and calls on us to be ready at all times for battle. Make a joyful noise for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who goes before us, behind us, and beside us into every battle we fight under His banner. He never leaves or forsakes us, is with us wherever we go, and provides us with His own armor to run to the battle and cry out for His glory and praise.