10 You have forgotten God your Savior;
you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
and plant imported vines,
11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest will be as nothing
in the day of disease and incurable pain. – Isaiah 17:10-11
It is unusual that I begin this blog with the Scripture passage, but those two verses from Chapter 17 of Isaiah stood out to me this morning. Lately I have been troubled by many burdens, both personal and public. Last night, however, God delivered in the form of a wonderful conversation and planning session with my wife. As I was lying in bed this morning, just minutes before my alarm went off, I felt compelled to simply praise God for His love and His mercy. I like to begin each day in prayer like this, giving Him the day before I even begin it. Today was a little bit different in that I felt the need to praise God for delivering me through yet another difficult period in my life. I have felt His hand moving so clearly lately, through my life, my marriage, and my new role as a leader in the small church group my wife and I attend.
That is where the above verses come in to play. Part of the reason for my recent depression is that fact that I was trying to handle all of these burdens myself. I was trying to do all the planning and figure out every step in solving every burden on my own. This, unfortunately is a step back to my old nature, as it shows my frail human side. I had forgotten God, my Savior. Therefore, even though I had set out the finest plants (my own plans) and made them grow, there was nothing there for me on the day of harvest. That day of harvest has been quickly approaching, as my wife and I have had many important decisions to make at the end of this month. Until last night, there was nothing to harvest, and I felt that everything I had been doing was in vain because I felt no direction and no better than when I had begun this process.
Though these verses come from yet another warning against one of Israel's enemies (this time Damascus) I feel they still apply on a personal level today. It certainly is possible to be caught up in this world and forget not only who God is, but what He has done for us. This gets back to our lessons on knowing where our strength lies. I think most people, including myself, are guilty quite often of forgetting what our rock is. This is a bad thing only because it takes us away from God and shows a lack of faith. Personally, this is one of the things I struggle with most, but when I do remember strength, my rock, it makes those moments so much sweeter. This morning was a very special moment basking in the glow of the savior, as it felt like I was awakening to a new day in the palm of the King of Kings. Therefore, I give the glory all to God on this day.
TODAY'S QUESTIONS:
- How often do you feel you forget God?
- Does this mean it is wrong to make your own plans?
- How does God assist with planning such as this?
No comments:
Post a Comment