Day 262

Isaiah 30:12–33:9; Galatians 5:1-12; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 23:22

IT CAN FEEL difficult to follow Isaiah as a cohesive narrative. It seems as if the book is jumping all over the place. This is because it’s not a single narrative story. The book of Isaiah is a collection of the utterances of God through Isaiah. They didn’t all happen at the same time or for the same reason. Nor were they all given to the same people. But we can certainly see an arc. Although we may find trouble forecast in Isaiah’s words, the messages eventually turn toward hope and restoration. We experienced such a turn in today’s reading. In fact, some of today’s reading from Isaiah presents us with clear paths that can be chosen right now. Through Isaiah, God said, “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

Take a moment to consider that. It may be the exact counsel you need for what you are facing.

The words from Isaiah clearly advise us to calm down, return to God, and find rest. In that rest, we will again discover our strength. So take a deep breath and let it out slowly as you consider this path.

We find the alternative to this rest as the passage continues: “But you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!” (Isaiah 30:15-16).

Isaiah shows us two paths: one that leads to quiet confidence and strength in God, and one that relies on our own strength and will never allow us to outrun what is chasing us. If we follow the latter path, we are given a picture of where it will lead and the posture God will take:

“You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”

So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.

In other words, one path will waste our life and energy as we attempt to outrun what is chasing us, because we are feebly relying on what is unstable. We can have this, if this is what we want. God will wait for us to come to Him.

However, we are also given a picture of what choosing the former path —the one that runs to God and leads to rest and salvation —will look like:

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”

In other words, clarity and direction are completely available if we calm down and find our strength in God. Life from this vantage point will allow us to see the falseness of what we’ve been putting our trust in, and we will throw the imposters out like filthy rags, saying, “Good riddance.”

This picture is actually more graphic than it might seem. “Filthy rags” in the original Hebrew refers to used menstrual cloths —things we probably wouldn’t want to keep around anyway.

Two paths are revealed in Isaiah today. And two outcomes are offered. Which one will you choose?

MEDITATION:

Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.