Monday 31 August 2015

Strong love

Isaiah 40:9-11
“Behold your God!” 
 10  Behold, the Lord God comes with might, 
and his arm rules for him; 
  behold, his reward is with him, 
and his recompense before him. 
 11  He will tend his flock like a shepherd; 
he will gather the lambs in his arms; 
  he will carry them in his bosom, 
and gently lead those that are with young

Strength, endurance, gentleness, love
This is the love that God displays. His love is strong. Just looking at these verses shows me that God's  love can: withstand, endure, be demonstrated, gentle, calm, peaceful, powerful, careful and caring as well as effect change. 
It seems to say that although, 'God comes with might', He also will, 'tend his flock'. They sound like two different aspects of love. A strength and power as well as a caring, nurturing side. However, a shepherd wouldn't be much good at, 'tending his flock' if he were weak. Sheep would get lost and killed by predators if that were the case. 

We need strong love. 
Love that is strong enough to forgive, can overlook our problems, and still care about us. 
We need strong love. Weak love is no good.

Weak love may be caring, empathetic and sympathetic but it cannot effect change, may not last, and will probably give up. Weak love may be aware of others needs and discomforts but not able to do anything about it.
Likewise strength without love isn't much good either - it has power to implement change forcefully or directively but not from a caring relationship. This can result in headstrong decisions and a tendency to run through people. Doing whatever without consideration to others. 
Some may recognise that God is strong and mighty, but He also carries us 'in his bosom' and will 'gently lead' those that need it.

God 'comes with might' and tender love. Just the right mix! 

Thursday 13 August 2015

Righteous and peaceful?

'justice will dwell in the wilderness, 
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. 
 17  And the effect of righteousness will be peace, 
and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. 
 18  My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, 
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.'
Isaiah 32:16

Oooh, I like the sound of this! 

Things being fair, knowing what is right and doing it, quiet, trust, security, rest and peace. That sounds like a great life doesn't it? Is it possible? Can it be true that we can live free from the internal angst that can sometimes plague us?

Let's look at this passage bit by bit.
First of all it mentions justice. The right balance, fairness for all. Even in 'the wilderness'. This could be the places inhabited by only a few, but even there the right rules will be lived by. The wilderness could also refer to the times when we feel like we are in a difficult, lonely situation in life where help, company and abundance seem a long way off. Even there justice reigns.
 
'Righteousness in the fruitful field' In a fruitful field it may me tempting to be greedy, but if you're working hard and being successful, then the right balance can be kept. So it doesn't matter whether you feel like you're in, 'the wilderness' or 'in the fruitful field', God's justice still reigns. People can know they are right with God wherever there are. 
We have responsibility to look at what we are doing in those places. Are we being 'just' ourselves with those around us? Are we keeping the right balance and being fair? or are we overwhelmed or taking advantage of our situation? God's righteousness is accessible anywhere, are we allowing it to access us?p and make a difference to us?

'the effect of righteousness will be peace
and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.'

So, righteousness brings about peace. Peace is what happens when we are right with God. It's like a natural response to our decision to walk right. I think I can relate to that. When I've done the right thing in a situation, even if something has gone wrong, I feel a sense of 'I'm in the clear', I feel alright. When we know we are right with God we can walk with a clear conscience, and that brings peace.
The consequence of righteousness then is, 'quietness and trust forever'. The outcome of choosing to live right is a quiet confidence, not just now, not just in different situations, but eternally. It's an assurance. What a great result! Quietness within your soul. This implies a lack of anxiety, pain and confusion. I think we could all do with that!

God then promises a, 'a peaceful habitation'  for His people. Those who have chosen a life with Him can have this. What would it be like? - a home without strife or argument, no skeletons in the closet. It doesn't mean a place where there's no-one else either, it's easier to be peaceful when no-one else is around. However, can you imagine what it would be like to live with others, but for you all to enjoy peace, there's no internal angst, no unmentionable issues, no outbursts... That sounds pretty good to me. 

So, it seems fair to ask, if this is what the Bible says, and if I am following God and investing in life with Him, why doesn't my life look like that? 
Why don't I have freedom from worry? Peace? Security?
I'm not going to go into all the reasons, but one may be, what are we putting our trust in really? Also, this world isn't God's initial design, so not all things will go smoothly. But whether we are in a fruitful or wilderness state, we can still enjoy 'righteousness'. The freedom from internal angst, freedom from a bad conscience because Jesus gives us that. For free. 

We don't have to measure up to anyone else's standards, because we have been accepted by God. He's the one who made everyone else, so He's the one who truly matters!

I wonder if the more we treasure and dwell on this fact, the more we will discover quiet, trust, security, rest and peace?

Thursday 6 August 2015

Are you listening?


Isaiah 29:9-14
To whom will he teach knowledge, 
and to whom will he explain the message? 
  Those who are weaned from the milk, 
those taken from the breast? 
 10  For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, 
line upon line, line upon line, 
here a little, there a little.
And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.” 
And the Lord said: 
  “Because this people draw near with their mouth 
and honor me with their lips, 
while their hearts are far from me, 
  and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, 
 14  therefore, behold, I will again 
do wonderful things with this people, 
with wonder upon wonder; 
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, 
and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.” 

Who listens to God? 

Can babies understand who He is? (V9-10)
Do those who can read, read the Bible? (V11)
Do those who can't read, gain knowledge of God? (V12)
Do those who worship God, and go to church actually listen to Him?

I think that list, probably covers everyone! 

So, who does actually, actively, listens to God?
I have learned that listening is not a passive thing, but an action. You have to put in effort and concentrate in order to listen. 
We can read without it going in, sing a song without much thought, but to listen, we have to engage. 

It's sometimes hard enough listening to people, but how do we listen to God? 

Well, this passage gives us some clues: read the Bible, be prepared to be taught, talk to Him and praise Him. We have to put in the effort and the time if we truly want to hear what God wants to say. That is if we really want to hear what He's saying rather than what we hope He is saying. 

When we do hear God speak, it doesn't always come in a booming voice, or with a blinding light, but it might be a sense or thought that you wouldn't normally have. Or something seems to jump out at you when you're reading. It may be that the same theme keeps cropping up. I encourage you to explore it, pray about it and see if anything different happens if you listen. 
What will you lose if you give it a go?