S) "14 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, O scoffers,
Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 Because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death,
And with Sheol we have made a pact.
The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by,
For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.'"
Isaiah 28:14-15(NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 28
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 28
O) This is an ancient example of a deception that befalls people, even to this day. The leaders of Judah foolishly believed they could circumvent the sovereignty of the LORD, if they could somehow make a deal with death itself, or come to some kind of agreement with the grave. For thousands of years, now, satan has been lying to people, telling them he has some control over the after life and punishment of the wicked, as if he could spare them from the wrath of God. In reality, he cannot even save himself! Above all else, the Lord GOD must be worshiped and obeyed. In all of human history, we have been trying to find ways to work around that.
A) There is a humility that I must maintain, recognizing that I have no hope outside of God's way of doing things. Every attempt outside of God's plan is ultimately some form of idolatry. In the case of the above passage, the idol was death or the grave, directly. In the more modern world, the idol might be science or humanism. The idol could be family or a pension or a government. Really, if I am placing my hope, security, and trust in anything other than Jesus Christ, then it is idolatry. It is a smokescreen that will fail me, to think I can scheme some deal of my own, leaving God out of it. By calling myself His, I am declaring my own impotence and utter dependence on Him for everything in my life, both now and eternally.
P) Father, forgive my sinful foolish idolatry. Please discipline me, when I am trying to operate my life as if I am sovereign. Discipline me, when I am hustling to make my life work, without doing it through You. I cannot do anything behind Your back, and really, I see that I don't want to do anything without You. Still, I am prone to sinful habits. I am prone to acting without thinking it through. In everything, I want to be more aware of You. Help me to recognize when my planning has been apart from my prayers. Help me to recognize when my scheduling is actually scheming. Convict me of these idolatries that tend to sneak up on me without me realizing that I am making a deal with a devil of some kind. Help me to view my life, every part of it, as completely dependent on You, Lord. I want to see myself as Your bondslave. Open the eyes and ears of Your servant, Lord, that I may live my life in complete obedience and submission to Your plans. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
A) There is a humility that I must maintain, recognizing that I have no hope outside of God's way of doing things. Every attempt outside of God's plan is ultimately some form of idolatry. In the case of the above passage, the idol was death or the grave, directly. In the more modern world, the idol might be science or humanism. The idol could be family or a pension or a government. Really, if I am placing my hope, security, and trust in anything other than Jesus Christ, then it is idolatry. It is a smokescreen that will fail me, to think I can scheme some deal of my own, leaving God out of it. By calling myself His, I am declaring my own impotence and utter dependence on Him for everything in my life, both now and eternally.
P) Father, forgive my sinful foolish idolatry. Please discipline me, when I am trying to operate my life as if I am sovereign. Discipline me, when I am hustling to make my life work, without doing it through You. I cannot do anything behind Your back, and really, I see that I don't want to do anything without You. Still, I am prone to sinful habits. I am prone to acting without thinking it through. In everything, I want to be more aware of You. Help me to recognize when my planning has been apart from my prayers. Help me to recognize when my scheduling is actually scheming. Convict me of these idolatries that tend to sneak up on me without me realizing that I am making a deal with a devil of some kind. Help me to view my life, every part of it, as completely dependent on You, Lord. I want to see myself as Your bondslave. Open the eyes and ears of Your servant, Lord, that I may live my life in complete obedience and submission to Your plans. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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