Isaiah 30

Isaiah 30:1, 10, 18 NIV

"Woe to the obstinate children,"
declares the Lord ,
"to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;

They say to the seers,
"See no more visions!"
and to the prophets,
"Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,
prophesy illusions.

Yet the Lord  longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord  is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

They look to the wrong things for their security. They listen to the wrong messages because it makes them feel good. Yet, the Lord longs to be gracious to them. With these thoughts we can run in so many directions. As I read these verses I wonder where my security lies. What is it that makes me feel secure. Where do I look when I'm in trouble. Only God will be there when all the other props are knocked out, yet how often we rely on the props of friends, property, government, credit, plans and preparations, our own craftiness, etc.

As I read these verses my mind goes to the American church that seems increasingly to want to hear comfortable truths that make us feel good and promise us comfort and wealth. We want to hear the comfortable truths about the demise of our enemies. We want to explore the biblical mysteries that strike our fancy. What we don't want are messages of conviction that challenge us to things like discipline, prayer, evangelism, commitment, serving the less fortunate and sacrificing for the good of those that may never appreciate it.

What most powerfully strikes me, however, as I read these verses is the truth that God longs to be gracious to a rebellious people. The implications of that are enormous. Why would God continue to love a church that only wants to hear comfortable truths? Why would he love a people that continually look in the wrong direction for security? How well do I reflect that gracious heart of God toward those outside the church? I have a feeling that for all the attention we give to the concept of grace, we really don't understand it.

Father, thank you for your gracious heart. May I reflect that heart to those around me today. May I be like Jesus.

By His grace,
Rick

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