A Fragile Moment
Can you remember, in the moment, that obedience leads to joy?
Verse of the Day
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord . “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”
Today’s Devotional
This whole chapter of Isaiah is incredibly beautiful. We are called to come to God, without anything to offer as payment for what God provides. We are to listen carefully to God, and he will supply the best of what we need. We are to seek the Lord, and he will convict our hearts. We can then choose to return to the Lord (meaning turn away from whatever he has convicted us about) and he will respond with compassion. Then God reminds us that his ways and thoughts are higher than ours. Every word he speaks is fruitful and true, and those words never return to him without accomplishing what he intended.
When we choose to live this way, verse 12 tells us what is available to us: “You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!” (Isaiah 55:12) I read a beautiful commentary about this verse. It states, “ When God’s people turn to Him, listen to Him, and His Word does His work in them, JOY and PEACE are always the result. The joy is so great that even the mountains and the hills, and the trees of the field join in!”
In my experience, there is a fragile moment in this process. When I am really struggling and I turn to God, he then impresses upon my heart something that I need to do. THAT is the fragile moment. Will I obey? Or will I rationalize? I don’t always choose wisely. If I choose to follow God’s direction, there is always a sense of peace – AFTER I have obeyed. I have also noticed that many times there is a lag in time between my turning to him and receiving his direction. In those times, I have to continue to seek him and constantly remind myself that he is God, I am not, and his ways are higher than mine. I need to remind myself of Psalm 27:4. “Wait patiently for the Lord . Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord .”
I have really been struggling today. My mind is doing battle. One side is full of fear and self-doubt. The other side is chanting God’s truth. And even though I know that God’s side will win, I can’t seem to get the fearful side to stop. So today, I am coming to God with nothing I can offer as payment. I just bring my broken, fearful self. I need God. I need his love, guidance, wisdom, strength, and compassion. And as long as I keep turning to God in my distress, the end result will be living in joy and being guided by peace. It may not be today, but I trust that God will provide what he has promised.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How can you help yourself to remember that obedience leads to joy?
How can you turn to God in your distress today?
How can you listen more carefully to his guidance for your life?
Has he impressed something on your heart that you have yet to do? If so, ask for his help to take action today.
If you are still waiting for guidance, praise God in the waiting. Do you trust him?