Walk This Way

Isaiah 2:1-4
The prophet Isaiah shares a divine word about the times to come. “Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths’” (Isaiah 2:3). Note the focus of the vision. In those days the nations of the world will turn their attention to God, not to institutions or agencies related to God, but to God alone. And it is in God that the truth will be found. I make this point because I think too often people of faith are tempted to claim authority in matters that belong to God. Who will teach the peoples? God will. In whose paths will they walk? The ones that God has established. Indeed, who is drawing the nations together? God is.

On the one hand this passage should remind us that we all have much to learn from God. No matter who we are or how much we know or how faithful we believe ourselves to be, we simply must remain open to what God is doing and saying and teaching. We, too, should make our way to “the house of the God of Jacob” to seek instruction for there is much that we, too, have to learn. At the same time, this passage also reminds us that God alone chooses who it is that God will teach, will guide, will claim. We do not have the authority to determine who may approach the divine presence. We do not control who is “in” or who is “out” in terms of God’s love. God alone “shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples” (v. 4a). It is God who stands at the center of Isaiah’s vision, and it is God alone who should—who must—reside at the center of our lives.

The vision offered by the prophet is one of hope precisely because it does not depend on human authority. It is only good news because it is God who is at work. So we look forward to the day when God’s will is done, and in the meantime we turn to God for instruction, standing shoulder to shoulder with whoever it is that God has called.

Prayer: Lord, help us to remain focused on you alone, and help us to hear your message of truth and righteousness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Psalm 97

I’m a city boy. I know very little about farming. But I do know this: when you plant a seed, don’t expect it to sprout right away. That boy named Jack may have grown a beanstalk overnight, but those were magic seeds he planted. When you and I plant seeds we have to wait a while to see any results.

The reason I mention the growth rate of plants is because of what we read in Psalm 97. “Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart” (Psalm 97:11). At least that’s how some English translations read. In Hebrew the same verse begins, “Light is sown for the righteous….” So while the Psalm celebrates the reign of God and the vindication of the faithful, in verse 11 we get an idea of how God’s justice will effect humanity. The light of God will dawn or be sown for the righteous, which tells me that God’s people are not necessarily going to see results quickly.

Planting and growing crops are activities not know for their swiftness. You do not farm in a hurry. It is the sort of work that requires diligence and patience. Much of the same can be said about faithful living. We who profess faith in God through Jesus Christ must live our lives with diligence and patience because the reign of God does not come quickly, does not reach its fullest expression in a hurry, and it certainly does not work on our schedules. But the growth is certain for this is what God does, and in God’s time all will come to fruition.

“The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” (v. 1), says the psalmist. We may add our voices to the chorus of praise because we know that the Lord rules, and that the reign of God is drawing ever nearer. It may not be moving as quickly as we’d like, but it is certain. And certainty is a very rare crop indeed.

Prayer: Lord of dawn and God of growth, give us the patience we need to live as your people, faithfully awaiting the arrival of your reign in its fullness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Small Victories

Leviticus 16:20-34

It may seem less than noteworthy–“And Moses did as the Lord had commanded him” (Leviticus 16:34b)–but it was significant enough for the writer of Leviticus to comment on it. Yes, it pertains to one particular event; yes, in this case Moses was told to pass along instructions and little more; yes, this is not the only time Moses did as he is told. And yet…

With sin being what it is, and with the world offering the many temptations that it does, I think it is important to pause and to rejoice at times like these in the history of God’s people. Moses did as the Lord had commanded him which means that Moses had a choice to do otherwise, that he might have disregarded God’s instructions, but didn’t. Moses did as the Lord had commanded him which means that Moses was in communication with God, hearing and responding to God’s word, allowing God’s voice to guide his steps. Moses did as the Lord had commanded him which means that the will of God was as yet given expression among the people, that faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was still witnessed to.

As I think back over the thousands of faithful people I have known–the members of churches I have served or been a part of, my relatives and in-laws, my friends at school or work or in the neighborhood–I realize just how many of them have done as the Lord commanded them. They weren’t perfect people, none of them, but from time to time, and to the extent that they were able, they found ways to do what they were told. They might have done otherwise, but they heard what God was saying and responded to that call offering witness to the faith through their actions. Take a moment, if you will, and think about some of the people you have known who did what God commanded them to do and what that obedience looked like and what it accomplished. Those are small victories, but they are certainly worth celebrating.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live today as an opportunity to do as you command us. And may your hand rest upon us in the endeavor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.