Isaiah 50:4-5 - The
Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning
by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.
Isaiah had to pose some tough questions to those that had
doubted God’s power. God wanted them to know that he always had a choice when
it came to providing for his people. He could react to their stubborn wills and
disobedience with punishment and captivity…or he could build them up in his
love and delight with blessings and honor.
Isaiah’s advice here is twofold. First we must wake every
morning with our ears tuned in on God alone…so he can teach us what he needs us
to know to do what he has called us to do.
Then we have to tune out the world and stop letting it focus our
attention off him for even one second. That one second is all it takes for
satan to get his confusing thoughts planted in our heads.
I will testify that nothing….nothing has done more to help me
grow than opening up God’s Bible every night and reading at least one chapter. Some nights the wisdom and answers jump right
out of the pages…and others I wonder what in the world God was thinking by
letting the words I read be published at all. Night by night….God exposes me to
more and more of the truth…..and opens up my heart to understand. Isaiah’s words….morning by morning he wakens
my ear…have become my words too. I don’t want to imagine what kind of day I
would have if God and I did not visit together …at least for the time it takes
him to help me write.
I will admit that I have a bit more work to do on Isaiah’s
second bit of advice. I don’t do so well
staying focused all day on him…and I have at times let satan trick me into
being rebellious still. Some nights it even trickles into my time of reading…and
hinders me from understanding what God wants me to know to move forward in
service for him. It seeps into my morning time with God…and clouds the very
thoughts God wants to give me to share in the blog he gave me to write.
Luke 9:23 recorded the answer Jesus gave when he was asked
how to stay focused...it says…. “Then he said to the crowd, 'If any of you
wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder
your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you
will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.” We can drop everything and follow him like
the disciples (Matthew 4:19)…or we can walk away sad like the rich young ruler
(Matthew 19:16-22).
Jesus modeled for us how to study…spend time memorizing scripture
and references (instead of having to google it like I do) to help us fend off satan’s
attacks when we are tempted. And he also
went off by himself to pray…early in the morning…and late at night. He even
recorded one of those prayers as a model for us to follow in Matthew 6:5–13. I clearly have all I need and need
to stop making so many excuses.
Father…thank you
for the reminder that you are in charge. Thank you for helping me grow stronger
and learn to study your word to help me make my decisions. Thank you for waking me up each morning with
a word in my heart to share with others. Forgive me for the times that I have I
been rebellious…and complained or been ungrateful for what you have done. Help
me to keep growing stronger….and stop letting the world trick me into slipping
into myself for even one minute…so I can grow even closer to you. Amen.
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