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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Isaiah 30-32
Philippians 3:1-4:1

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Isaiah 30:15 (CSB): “For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: ‘You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence.'”

Reflecting on God’s Word

In Isaiah 30, God, through His prophet Isaiah, pronounced a solemn warning upon His people. They were engaged in ongoing, unrepentant sin. Because of this, they had become vulnerable as God removed His protective shield from around them. As a result, they sought the assistance of Egypt, and Isaiah warned them of the futility of seeking help from the pagan nation.

The answer to their dilemma is found in the verse I have chosen for today. Isaiah 30:15 could have cured their problem. And this principle is transferable so that it can also solve our sin problems as well.

Isaiah 30:15 (CSB): “For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: ‘You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence.'”

That’s counterintuitive, isn’t it? The Kingdom of Judah was in trouble. They felt compelled to take action and do it quickly. So, they sought the assistance of a greater power, the kingdom of Egypt. That would have made perfect sense to them.

But God told them their “wisest” choice would fail them. Instead, they should return to Him and rest. In other words, they should repent of their sins (own them, stop them, and return to Him), and rest in the care of the God whose help they would seek in fasting and prayer. Their strength would not be found in a world power but “in quiet confidence” under the watchful eyes and in the powerful hands of their God.

There are certainly times when we should work out our problems. If a thug has broken into our house in the middle of the night and has threatened to kill a family member, it would be totally appropriate to find a weapon and neutralize the threat. If our car overheats and smoke is billowing out from under the hood, we shouldn’t keep driving it in hopes that the problem resolves itself. We should take action, stop the vehicle, and consider our options to resolve the problem.

But, for a Christian, we realize that we must rely upon the Lord in everything we do. We must rest in Him even as we are taking personal responsibility to resolve our problems.

However, when problems arise because we have been engaging in sin, then there may be actions we should take to address them. But our first act should be to apply the counsel of Isaiah 30:15.

Isaiah 30:15 (CSB): “For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: ‘You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence.'”

This verse does not guarantee that God will take away the consequences of our choices. It does not promise that our lives will not be forever changed because of what we did or what resulted from our disobedience.

But it DOES mean that we can stop the carnage. It DOES mean that our God will no longer send His discipline and judgment our way, but instead, will forgive us as He begins to administer grace and healing.

Friend, life is tough, and bad things will happen. We make things worse when we stray from the Lord. Why not resolve to remain close to Him in a surrendered and obedient relationship?

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you recognize your responsibilities when action is needed.
  • Ask God to help you seek Him first, especially when you are experiencing the consequences of sin.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into how we are to think about sin’s consequences, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“If Jesus paid the price for our sin, why do we still suffer the consequences of our sin?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)